Originally Posted by
uxb99
Is there any reason why a jet fighter couldn't down these balloons with gunfire?
Is it just too difficult?
Seems the balloon was above 20000m and still some 2000m above the F22 which was already flying at it's service ceiling (or so claimed) with a missile payload at around 18000m. (May most likely have been deliberately limited to avoid betraying actual aircraft performance to adversaries). The M61A2 Vulcan cannon has an effective range of some 600m and therefore well short of a high kill probabilty. The AIM-9X is the cheapest air-to-air missile in the US inventory and the right choice for the job.