ShrimpFriedMyRice t1_j738sen wrote on February 3, 2023 at 7:24 PM

Reply to comment by aggasalk in How could a high-altitude surveillance balloon be captured? by aggasalk

Helicopters, drones, and bullets cannot reach the balloon. A fighter jet might be able to if it's a specialized one with tech we don't know about. For reference, the F16 can only hit 50k feet and the SR71 can hit 85k feet. Weather balloons can be as high as 120k feet.

The reason the US hasn't done anything is probably a combination of damage on the ground, the fact that satellites exist and could probably do way more Intel gathering than a balloon drifting in the wind, and that by destroying the balloon we've shown the world how we deal with that situation.

The element of surprise is huge and if your enemy doesn't know how you'll answer and react to certain situations, it makes them nervous. By destroying the balloon, we show China and the world our capabilities and response. It's better to keep them guessing and ignore it.

WealthyMarmot t1_j75au0h wrote on February 4, 2023 at 4:20 AM

The F-22 and F-15 can both hit 65,000 ft. Hence why the USAF investigated using F-22s, according to the first news reports.

ShrimpFriedMyRice t1_j75bdga wrote on February 4, 2023 at 4:24 AM

I did not see that thank you for pointing it out

qwertyshark t1_j75ofu0 wrote on February 4, 2023 at 6:48 AM

Just checked google and F15 ceiling limit shows as 50.000ft is there something I’m missing?

WealthyMarmot t1_j75ti4z wrote on February 4, 2023 at 7:56 AM

Not sure what you're seeing, but 65,000 can be found on the USAF page for the F-15, which also matches up with what I've seen elsewhere. Most modern twin-engine fighters are in the same ballpark, including the F-22, Eurofighter Typhoon, China's J-15 and Russia's SU-35.