DrMaddVibe wrote:I don't believe shooting down a balloon with a 400K sidewinder missile when you want to examine the debris is the right tool for the job. 20 or even 50MM machine gun fire would've done and it would enable the balloon to glide back to earth making collection a lot easier. Jus' sayin'...I mean most surgeons use a scalpel when an axe would do.
Didn't realize you were an experienced fighter pilot... You really think Biden made the choice of Guns vs Missile?
17 Year Vet and current Major in the Air Force reserves with over 1000 hours in the F-16, also qualified on the f-18 and spent time conducting the role of adversary air with F-22 pilots while flying the T-38, Major C.W. Lemoine explains the reason for not using Guns...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WfUXU9N7YA
in case one source isn't enough...
‘In 1998 Canadian CF-18s tried to shoot down a rogue weather balloon that went out of control drifting between 27,000 to 37,000 ft. It took 6 days for the balloon to fall despite RCAF CF-18s firing over 1,000 rounds of ammunition in multiple attack-runs. While the attack caused extensive punctures on the balloon, it failed to fully release the helium gas which kept the balloon flying. In fact, instead of falling on the ground the balloon ended up drifting across Canada and out to the Atlantic Ocean for almost a week."
‘While using the gun would appear as a more cost-effective solution for such a shot-down, in reality it’s not only ineffective but might as well be a far worse solution"
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-why-the-usaf-f-22-used-the-aim-9x-rather-than-the-gun-to-shoot-down-the-chinese-spy-balloon-and-why-the-sidewinder-dont-need-to-see-something-hot-in-order-to/