I am not as “excited” about this as some seem to be given that China Airlines and others fly all over our nation for both passenger and air cargo operations.
However, many nations have lasers that would be very capable of destroying a balloon since they are designed to destroy satellites in low-earth orbit (far higher than this).
The Russians successfully put one in a cargo aircraft and I believe we had the same thing or were trying the same capability and we have tested these from modified aircraft as well.
I would believe that our Air Force has this capability because anti-satellite operations are crucial to modern warfare against a near-peer adversary. Space Force for the win?
Then you do not understand lasers and the atmosphere