BLUF
Spy/surveillance balloons were widely used during the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union (Russia), but recent events involving the shooting down of a Chinese balloon in US airspace have shown why today they are not a particularly valued capability.Summary
This article by Lily Hay Newman, writing for Wired, makes the following points:
- Spy balloons were widely used before the development of low-Earth and geosynchronous satellites.
- Unlike satellites, which are out of sight, the Chinese spy balloon was relatively easy to see, find and destroy.
- Spy balloons have limited intelligence-gathering capability when compared to satellites.
References
Recent Runway Posts related to this topic:
- US downs Chinese balloon, drawing a threat from China | The Runway (airforce.gov.au)
- Starlink Explained: Everything to Know About Elon Musk's Satellite Internet Venture | The Runway (govcms.gov.au)
References from the Web:
- FEB 2023 Chinese balloon part of worldwide fleet, US officials say—BBC
- FEB 2023 Chinese spy balloon over the US: An aerospace expert explains how the balloons work and what they can see—The Conversation
