A US Air Force F-22 shot down what it claims to be a Chinese spy balloon at 14.39 local time (19:39 GMT) on Saturday, February 4. The Chinese claim that this balloon was a “weather monitoring device.” US officials have revealed that this balloon was 200 feet (about 60 meters) tall and carried an airliner-sized load.
The New York Times tells us that the balloon drifted across the US for seven days. The US suspects that the balloon was monitoring sensitive military sites. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has canceled his visit to China. China is miffed. Beijing claims that the US has used “indiscriminate force.”
What is the backstory of spy balloons?
China is not the first to use spy balloons. They first came into use in the late 19th century for military reconnaissance and observation. During World War I, Germany, France and Britain used unmanned balloons equipped with cameras to gather intelligence.
During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union employed aerial reconnaissance balloons to gather intelligence on each other’s military capabilities. Even as early as then, these balloons were often equipped with sensors and cameras to monitor troop movements and military assets. With the development of satellite technology, spy balloons have become less common. However, as China has just demonstrated, they still have niche uses in some military and intelligence operations.
The Soviets used spy balloons extensively. They were equipped with cameras, sensors, and other monitoring equipment. Launched from Soviet territory, these balloons floated across the Arctic and then drifted across North America. The Chinese seem to be following a similar playbook.
Was the Soviet spy balloon program a success?
The Soviet spy balloon program was one of the largest and most sophisticated military intelligence gathering operations of the Cold War. Soviet balloons gathered intelligence for extended periods of time and provided valuable information about NATO military installations and movements of NATO forces.
These balloons had problems though. They could be intercepted and shot down easily as the Chinese have just discovered. Additionally, the balloons were affected by weather conditions, making it difficult to maintain a stable flight path and gather accurate intelligence. So the Chinese claim that the balloon drifted might have an element of truth.
On the whole, the Soviet spy balloon program was a significant success. Balloons fell out of fashion because advanced satellite technology proved to be more reliable and less vulnerable. More importantly, the Soviet Union collapsed and its balloon program came to an end. MIght China be starting off where the Soviets stopped?
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
The post Is China Now Emulating Epic Soviet Spy Balloon Program? appeared first on Fair Observer.
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