Aviation has been a busy world as of recently. From a war happening overseas to balloons flying over the States and being shot down, there hasn’t been a dull moment. Although these events are terrible, and I bet we all wish these never happened, they make for some fantastic aviation content.
In early February, a mysterious object was spotted over American airspace. This mysterious object was quickly identified as a balloon from China. Some early reports labeled the balloon as a rogue weather balloon. However, the Pentagon stated that it was indeed a Chinese surveillance balloon and was not welcome in our airspace. Regardless, the balloon was not shot down out of fear that it would fall and hurt civilians. When the balloon flew over the entire United States but was still over territorial waters, it was shot down by an F-22 Raptor with a modified Aim-9x Sidewinder.
After the mission was completed, the government and military faced a lot of backlash and criticism for using a 200 million dollar airplane and $400,000 missile to shoot down a cheap balloon that posed no immediate threat. While it is hilarious to think about the technology used to shoot down a balloon floating through the sky, there are legitimate reasons to use these tools. The F-22 Raptor is the most advanced fighter in the American Air Force arsenal, and it is capable of reaching altitudes of excess of 60,000 feet. Balloons, such as the one in question, are capable of floating through the air at heights of 65,000 feet. Also, the F-22 Raptor has been in service for over 20 years and has never been in a combat scenario. This opportunity gave the Raptor a chance to earn its first “combat” experience and have an official air-to-air kill. Giving the F-22 a combat record is the military trying to justify a multibillion-dollar program that never was able to be utilized. I am glad that the F-22 has never been used before, but wow, it is a beautiful aircraft.
There was also a large group of people questioning why an expensive missile was used to down a balloon, not just bullets. I also had this thought as a first impression. The answer isn’t as simple as I first imagined. Observation balloons are not like your typical party balloon. They are usually made with a strong latex or nylon material and filled with hydrogen or helium. Balloons like this do not simply burst if a hole is poked through them, which is what bullets would do. Twenty-five years ago, two Canadian F-18 fighter jets spotted a rogue balloon flying over Newfoundland. They shot a combined 1000 bullets at it. The balloon was able to stay afloat for six additional days despite the damage.
This balloon would be able to keep flying hundreds of miles further out into the ocean into international waters. It would make the recovery operation much more complicated and more diplomatic. Using a missile was the only way to quickly down the balloon and recover helpful information.
Joey,
Interesting post! I will admit that I had some reservations about the expense of shooting down this balloon. I still think that a more cost-effective solution was possible, but I understand that there was limited time and a lot of outside pressure playing into the decision.
Sam
Incredibly interesting analysis, Joseph. While I disagree on a few linguistic choices offered throughout this passage, I found this passion post to be quite the read. I felt compelled to offer my thoughts on your blog, as these supposed ‘surveillance’ balloons have made national headlines in recent weeks, and we are all familiar with your affinity for airplanes and the aviation industry. If I could provide one piece of advice that could serve to bolster the digestibility of this literary masterpiece to your dear audience, I would suggest editing your links so that they open in a new tab. I was enjoying the passage until I fell into the misfortune of clicking onto a link that changed my browser, and I then needed to rewrite my entire comment. 🙁 Until next time, Joe!!!!
I was also under the impression that you could shoot down a balloon just with regular bullets. They should really make it clearer that this is an ultra fancy type of aircraft. While I’m not prone to calling transportation vehicles pretty, I will say that plane is super gorgeous. I wish I understood more about how the shape contributes to its function, but I’m sure I’ll learn more about that in one of your future posts! 🙂
Hi Joey!
Honestly I am confused about how the whole balloon from China happened, which is probably because I don’t know much about it. Don’t we have sensors or something that are supposed to detect these things way in advance? Also who draws the lines for “our” (American) airspace? This whole situation just seems shady to me but again, I don’t really know much about it. Glad you clarified about some of the common criticisms of the U.S. government’s decisions! I definitely think that there are usually many factors to consider in a situation like this and the solution usually isn’t easy. I really liked this post, keep it up!