Absolutely agree! I posted the same on a different site. What I heard was that the missile essentially targeted the payload, so it was in a million pieces before it hit the drink. Yep, tiny (by comparison) bullet holes in the material would have made for a nice easy descent that would not have harmed the payload or hurt people on the ground.
Even more chilling is that this could have been a test for a balloon equipped with a warhead that's capable of setting off an EMP. Maybe next time? Start stocking up on water, fuel, meds, shelf stable food, and ammo because if we ever get hit by an EMP it'll be Flintstone technology for a few years or more.