The Indian Air Force (IAF) has informed the government about sightings of Chinese spy balloons over Indian skies.
One such balloon – hovering at an altitude of almost 55,000 ft — was shot down by an IAF jet on the eastern front with China recently.
An IAF Rafale fighter jet, based at Hasimara, in the northern part of West Bengal, was used to shoot down the spy balloon which was carrying a payload. The Rafale used one of its onboard missiles.
A standard operating procedure is being devised to tackle similar threats.
Another balloon had been sighted over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal. It was not shot down.
The US had also faced such balloons launched by China in 2023. One such balloon had been shot down.
The IAF has held discussion with its US counterpart on the matter. A report of the US Department of Defense titled ‘Military and security developments involving the People’s Republic of China 2023’ warned about this threat. “Military and commercial entities in China have been researching and developing high-altitude systems—including high-altitude balloons—since at least the mid-2000s.”
High-altitude balloons have been tested by China from 2015.
Chinese military publications have highlighted the use of high-altitude systems to support various tracking and targeting missions. “The high-altitude balloon shot down on February 4, 2023 (in the US) was developed as part of this broader military linked aerial surveillance programme, the US DoD report said.
The US also opines that the balloons are being steered. The US air force U-2 high-altitude surveillance plane even took close-up shots of a balloon over Alaska, the north-western edge of the US.