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Last week, the U.S. shot down a Chinese ‘spy’ balloon, days after the surveillance device was first spotted over American airspace, bringing the dramatic saga to a climax and dealing yet another blow to the already strained diplomatic relation between the two sides.
What happened?
- Reports of a massive white orb, believed to be the size of three school buses, floating high above the U.S. State of Montana captured global attention earlier this month.
- Ending speculations, American defence and military officials confirmed that the reconnaissance balloon had travelled from China, entered the air defence zone north of the Aleutian Islands on January 28, subsequently moved over land across Alaska and into Canadian airspace and crossed back into the U.S. over Idaho.
- President Joe Biden was briefed on the matter and the military considered shooting down the balloon which Pentagon believed was a Chinese surveillance tool carrying sensors and equipment to collect information about military and other strategic sites like Montana, which is home to one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields.
- Though the Pentagon acknowledged that the balloon was unarmed, it decided against aerial action at the time due to risks for those on the ground owing to its massive size and altitude.
- As a precautionary measure, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration paused aerial activity at three airports. As the news of the ‘spy’ balloon traversing American skies caused a sensation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the balloon was from China after initial reluctance, but rejected claims of spying.
- It insisted that the balloon was an errant civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research that went off course due to winds. “The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure.
- The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure,” the statement said. Beijing also expressed “regret” over the incident and insisted that it respects the sovereignty of other countries.
How was the balloon shot down?
- Long before the shoot down, U.S. officials took steps to protect against the balloon’s collection of sensitive information, mitigating its intelligence value to the Chinese.
- Ahead of the mission, NASA assessed the debris field based on the trajectory of the balloon, weather and estimated payload of sensors.
- Multiple fighters and refuelling aircraft, including F-15s and tanker aircraft, were part of the mission. But it was an F-22 Raptor fighter jet that took off from an air force base in Virginia that took down the balloon by firing a short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missile.
- As per reports, debris was strewn across 11 km, with most landing in shallow water. After the mission was complete, the U.S. informed China of its action.
- The downing of the balloon by a missile drew a strong reaction from China which insisted that the flyover was an accident and criticised U.S. for an “obvious overreaction”.
- The shoot down of the balloon has “seriously impacted and damaged” relations between the two countries, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
What are spy balloons?
- Spy balloons are high-altitude surveillance tools that usually operate at 80,000-1,20,000 feet — well above the cruising altitude of commercial aircraft — to gather intelligence and carry out other military missions.
- Typically, a spy balloon is equipped with cameras and imaging devices suspended beneath the gas-filled white object to capture things of interest. Unlike satellites, balloons are economically viable.
- Due to their proximity to the Earth’s surface, they can widely scan an area from close quarters and capture clearer, high-resolution images of the target.
- The disadvantage is that these are not directly steered, but can be roughly guided by changing altitudes to catch different wind currents, as per a study by the Air Force’s Airpower Research Institute. They are also a relatively easy target.
- Taiwan has accused the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) of using spy balloons in the past. A similar sighting was reported over Andaman and Nicobar Islands in January last year. There has, however, been no official confirmation or evidence that establishes its link with China.
SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB
