The FAA defines what does and does not need a transponder, vehicles under a certain weight, under or overflying commercial airspace, or are unpowered (like manned hot air balloons) do not. Hobbyist balloons are both under-weight AND overfly commercial airspace, so don't need one on at least two grounds.
Plus a transponder, battery pack (that works at those temperatures), and sensors, would likely cost in the excess of $1500~ and weigh more than the hobby balloon as a whole by a lot. A radar reflector isn't really required with a balloon because the entire side of the balloon itself is a radar reflector.
As to why the US used a $400K missile to shoot down a balloon? I'd argue they used a $400K missile to avert political criticism, since the media decided to turn it into a thing.
The reality is that signal intelligence can be gathered on the ground and sent back to China trivially. The US isn't a police state after all, gathering signal intelligence is passive, and shipping it back to China isn't a particularly hard problem. We already know that almost all embassies (including "friendly" ones) do so, and it is likely China has some satellite capability in that area too.
Hmm,
so this was a big balloon and I assume that we could calculate it's approximate weight. Thus determine if it SHOULD or SHOULD NOT have a transponder and enable a course of action based on that.
as to the $400,000 missile I mention that because it seems to be the WORST approach ( if it was a sidewinder) in this situation. It's a fragmentation package and probably would scrap ANY intel platform PHYSICALLY as I would assume the Chinese bricked the electronics the moment the fighter got close.
Comments
The FAA defines what does and does not need a transponder, vehicles under a certain weight, under or overflying commercial airspace, or are unpowered (like manned hot air balloons) do not. Hobbyist balloons are both under-weight AND overfly commercial airspace, so don't need one on at least two grounds.
Plus a transponder, battery pack (that works at those temperatures), and sensors, would likely cost in the excess of $1500~ and weigh more than the hobby balloon as a whole by a lot. A radar reflector isn't really required with a balloon because the entire side of the balloon itself is a radar reflector.
As to why the US used a $400K missile to shoot down a balloon? I'd argue they used a $400K missile to avert political criticism, since the media decided to turn it into a thing.
The reality is that signal intelligence can be gathered on the ground and sent back to China trivially. The US isn't a police state after all, gathering signal intelligence is passive, and shipping it back to China isn't a particularly hard problem. We already know that almost all embassies (including "friendly" ones) do so, and it is likely China has some satellite capability in that area too.
Hmm, so this was a big balloon and I assume that we could calculate it's approximate weight. Thus determine if it SHOULD or SHOULD NOT have a transponder and enable a course of action based on that.
as to the $400,000 missile I mention that because it seems to be the WORST approach ( if it was a sidewinder) in this situation. It's a fragmentation package and probably would scrap ANY intel platform PHYSICALLY as I would assume the Chinese bricked the electronics the moment the fighter got close.
Thanks for the reply
What’s official in the US may not be so in China.
tee hee