Experts believe that the use of balloons for observation and surveillance in the world of espionage has a long history and even today their use for espionage has some important advantages and features.
In the past few days, a white balloon floating in the American skies caused a stir at the international level. China said that it was their own balloon that was released into the air to collect meteorological data, while the US claimed that this balloon was used by China to monitor US sensitive locations in US airspace for spying purposes. was sent
The latest debate between the US and China has once again drawn the world's attention to spy balloons and the role of ancient technology in the modern age.
A U.S. fighter jet shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, U.S. officials said, as the search for the device mounted on the Chinese balloon continued after studies and observations about China's intentions. I can say something in detail.
On the other hand, China is calling it an "overreaction" of the United States and a serious violation of "international etiquette" that will worsen the political situation.
Why do governments use balloons for surveillance?
Regarding the use of ancient balloons equipped with high-tech scientific instruments for monitoring in the age of modern satellites, University of Colorado Boulder Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences professor Ann Boyd says that usually these balloons are used in the atmosphere to study weather patterns. When released, advanced 'guiding apparatus' are also installed to control their direction and travel, but their utility for espionage cannot be denied.
He said that from the point of view of espionage, satellites are only capable of examining things from the upper level under specific procedures, but these balloons can see deeper and deeper things than the high-speed satellites orbiting at a very low level. Capable of collecting clear information, including clear images, as a high-speed satellite orbits the globe in 90 minutes.
According to Prof. Boyd, there is another satellite that has the ability to take continuous pictures from the same place in sync with the speed of the Earth's rotation in its orbit, but that satellite is at a great distance from the Earth, due to which its The images are not very clear.
According to DeRoche, a professor of Near East and South Asia strategic studies at the National Defense University in Washington, these surveillance balloons are more capable of collecting electronic signals and disrupting communications than satellites.
According to Professor DeRoche, the Chinese balloon dropped by the US may also contain devices capable of gathering information about what kind of signals the US uses. So it can be said that it would be capable of tracking radar signals and such information could actually be useful for China to attack America.
What does America say about the balloon?
U.S. officials have not released any details about the technology used in the balloon, but they say a Chinese balloon the size of three buses entered U.S. airspace from Alaska on January 28. Officials believe it was a spy balloon and that the balloon was equipped with "motors and propellers" that could control its direction. Was supervising the installations.
US officials were keen to ensure that the balloon would not pose a threat to air traffic, the public or any property on the ground. No one will be able to provide more information than the competition.
US officials have revealed that the entry of foreign balloons into US airspace has become relatively common in recent years, an official of the US defense agencies told the media that even under former US President Donald Trump, China Spy balloons had entered US airspace three times.
What is the history of spy balloons?
The earliest example of balloons being used for espionage dates back to the 19th century, when balloons were used by French crews during the Franco-Austrian War of 1859. Immediately after this, during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, they were used by balloon crews for espionage.
The use of these balloons for espionage became very common during the First and Second World Wars. After the war, these balloons were used by the Japanese forces to drop fire bombs on American soil. In these attacks, the Japanese forces could not harm their defensive targets, but some civilians were killed in these explosions and one balloon crashed in the Oregon forests.
After World War II, the United States began to explore the capabilities of high-altitude balloon reconnaissance and this led to a series of missions called "Project Genetics". According to official documents, in the 1950s, photographic balloons were also flown over the borders of the Soviet bloc
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