What is being shot down?

[Allen]

But, don’t these missle-bearing jets have a .50 cal. gun as well?

20mm for the F-22. Range is listed as 2,000 meters so about 6400 feet.

[RED]

Just FYI.

The service altitude of the 1960s F-4 Phantom was about 59,000 ft. The altitude record achieved was over 98,000 but crews were limited to 50,000 feet without pressure suits.

Balloons at high altitudes have a very low PSI and do not pop.

[dryheat]

A hundred thousand ft. It's pretty low when compared to what is considered outer space, but that's incredible when you consider a plane could fly that high. There's not much "to grab on to" up there.
Dumb balloons, just go where they will until they don't. I've seen weather balloons way up there with the naked eye. We can't waste too much time(or money) chasing every weather balloon.
Balloons don't scare me much.
I've never liked clowns(I didn't like clowns before I knew it was cool).

I've got to get my little dig in;

So Biden goes over to visit Ukraine; Promises another 500 million or so to protect them from invasion by their cousins the Russians with no concern at all about the invasion ongoing here. It's just Mexicans and they don't fire missiles at us. It's OK. I like tacos and burritos and enchiladas. I can spell all of that, I guess we are accustomed.

[Allen]

Despite all the cover up, proof of spying, and smoke screens the balloons have presented have you noticed how quickly the news of the 2nd and 3rd "objects" was hushed?

1. Chinese spy balloon.
2. Unknown cylinder shaped object
3. Unknown octagonal shaped object as reported by the pilot that shot it down.
4. $12 toy balloon.

After all the hype over the well known spy balloon the news quickly changed over to the last one, the $12 toy balloon to get everyone's attention off of the other ones that were never evaluated. Reading readers comments on printed articles, the plan seems to have worked with so many people criticizing and dismissing all of them now as toys w/o a clue of knowledge.

I think the news on #2 and #3 was an accidental leak that we weren't suppose to hear about. Have you also noticed there's been no updates nor any additional news of shooting one down or even a sighting?

For decades all we heard about was "weather balloon" from the government when a UFO was reported. From now on it will be "toy balloon" or drone.

My 2 cents.

[SDigger]

Maybe it was the 5th Dimension balloon the one that got away in 67!

[Allen]

Maybe it was the 5th Dimension balloon the one that got away in 67!

I wish and I wish it had been shot down in '67. I really got tired of hearing that and the theme to "2001 Space Odyssey".

[SDigger]

I wish and I wish it had been shot down in '67. I really got tired of hearing that and the theme to "2001 Space Odyssey".

[Major Tom]

Wasn't it a weather balloon that crashed in Roswell, NM? Unforchunately it crashed on some wierd animals that were thought to be extraterrestials. Boy, my spelling check is off today.

[Allen]

Government still covering things up.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...h-America.html

[Vern Humphrey]

But, don?t these missle-bearing jets have a .50 cal. gun as well?

Some have 20mm -- but these balloons have very low pressure at those altitudes, so simply poking holes in them doesn't work very well.