Barrage balloons created an aerial obstacle field

What was the purpose of barrage balloons?

They suspended dangerous cables as obstacles so low-flying aircraft risked collision or wing damage.

Barrage balloons placed cables in the path of attacking aircraft, creating something like a minefield in the air. A pilot risked striking either the balloon or a wire capable of damaging the wings. The discussion connects that older defensive logic to the problem of very low-flying modern weapons. The speculation is not offered as a complete missile-defense system, but it clarifies the simple obstruction principle behind the balloons.