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OudeStok t1_j8xkhr1 wrote

Using balloons is an excellent way to hurt your rivals/enemies. It costs them far more to destroy a surveillance balloon that it does to build one and fly it over their territory.

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gumol t1_j8xkym4 wrote

meh, it's not like the US had to purchase the missile specifically for this shootdown.

It was basically just a big training exercise for the US military.

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charaznable1249 t1_j8ygpzq wrote

If this becomes a more commonplace thing, I wonder if a high power laser would be the move as far as cost effectiveness. Or just for my sheer entertainment 🔫

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AlexHanson007 t1_j8xroua wrote

You don't think they buy replacements once they've been used?

Edit: imagine being so upset by a basic question that you feel you have to downvote it. Some people are weird.

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gumol t1_j8xru9z wrote

they also buy replacements if they haven’t been used

missiles don’t last forever

US military buys 600 Sidewinders a year

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gerkletoss t1_j8xytc9 wrote

This is now a live-fire exercise the pilot doesn't need

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Tjam3s t1_j8xugq7 wrote

What would that balloon have learned that wasn't already on Google earth and publicly available GPS data?

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gerkletoss t1_j8xyygt wrote

A good anount of RF traffic

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TjW0569 t1_j8z9x2h wrote

Still, if you were a Chinese intelligence officer that was aware that the U.S. military had been shadowing your receiver during its overflight, how much would you trust the information you were allowed to acquire?

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gerkletoss t1_j8zc3t1 wrote

Not a ton, but apparently these have gone unnoticed before.

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TjW0569 t1_j8zcifj wrote

Or at any rate that's what we'd like them to think.

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thulesgold t1_j8zffoa wrote

You know... the balloon could have two way radio. It could have sent data out as well... even to simple things like cell phone towers.

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Tjam3s t1_j905qle wrote

Very true. I suppose we'll probably never know the full truth of it

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OudeStok t1_j95gusl wrote

nothing - but it costs the US a lot of money to shoot it down!

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