Suitability of Proven Technologies for Defending Against Airborne Terrorism

Chad Irby wrote in message .com...
In article ,
(Yossarian) wrote:

Balloons and artillery have amazing loiter times where they are
needed most. Substantive responses appreciated.

To cover downtown Washington alone (let's say a six mile radius) with
barrage balloons, spaced 200 feet apart (closely enough to prevent 747s
from getting in unscathed), you'd need about 500 balloons. And you'd
still have a decent chance they balloon wouldn't take the plane down
quickly enough. You'd also need *large* balloons, with extremely heavy
cables, to even damage a modern jet, much less stop one.

And it'd look absolutely absurd. I'd rather see a pair of Arleigh
Burke destroyers moored in the Potomac offshore from National than a
sky that looked like the balloonists' convention had just flown in.