[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

its cheaper and safer to use a thered aerostat for that than to have an AWACS flying full-time in a racetrack orbit around the capital.

Makes sense, but... If some group had the ability to launch a cruise missile, wouldn't this same group have the ability to shoot down a blimp?

[DBrow]

“wouldn’t this same group have the ability to shoot down a blimp? “

They’d have to shoot it down with something the radar can’t see coming.

Small arms fire at 10kft is not a threat, and even if you could hit it, it won’t go pop like a party balloon.