SPY
BALLOONS - DEFENCE AND SECURITY
News:
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A high-altitude
balloon originating in China entered the United States airspace, causing
diplomatic tensions.
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The balloon was successfully shot down by
the U.S. Air Force.
Key
takeaways:
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The USA alleged the balloon to be a
surveillance device and accused China of international airspace violation.
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But the Chinese government claimed it was
a civilian meteorological research airship blown off course by winds.
Spy
Balloons:
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A spy balloon is equipped with cameras and imaging devices to capture things of
interest.
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Unlike satellites, balloons are economically viable.
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Spy balloons are able to widely scan an area from a close distance and
capture clearer, high-resolution images of the target because of their
proximity to the earth’s surface.
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Spy balloons have the disadvantage that
they are not directly steered,
though they can be roughly guided by changing altitudes to catch different wind
currents. Also, they are easily targeted.
Why
do Governments use Surveillance Balloons?
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Close-range Monitoring
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Image Quality
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Intercepting Communication
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capable of “gathering electronic signals”
and intercepting communications
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Surveillance Techniques
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Electronic Surveillance
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Intercepting communication signals
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Tapping phone calls
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Monitoring e-mails
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Human Intelligence
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Recruiting individuals with access to
sensitive information, such as embassy staff, military personnel, or government
officials
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Cyber Espionage.
Air
Sovereignty:
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It is the fundamental right of a sovereign
state to regulate the use of its air space and enforce its own aviation law.
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The
State controls the entry of foreign aircraft into its territory and that
persons within its territory are subject to its laws.
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The principle of air space sovereignty is
established through the Paris Convention
on the Regulation of Aerial Navigation, 1919 and subsequently by other
multilateral treaties.
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Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, contracting states agree to permit
aircraft registered in the other contracting states and engaged in commercial
non-scheduled flights to fly into their territory without prior diplomatic
permission and, moreover, to pick up and discharge passengers, cargo, and mail.
Spy
Balloons and Military Purpose:
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Spy Balloons were already being used for
military purposes. During the French
Revolutionary Wars in the late 18th century, balloons were used to provide
a bird’s eye view of the battlefield, with there being documented evidence of
their use in the Battle of Fleurus in 1794.
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These cheap, quiet and hard-to-reach
balloons have been used for reconnaissance purposes, including in conflicts
like the American Civil War.
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The practice became widespread during World War I and was used extensively
during the Cold War.
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Unlike satellites that watch from higher
altitudes, spy balloons can watch from lower
altitudes.
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After World war II, the US military
started exploring the use of high-altitude spy balloons, which led to a
large-scale series of missions called Project Genet.
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The US launched hundreds of balloons to
gather intelligence on the Soviet Union and China.
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While their use has declined with the rise
of unmanned drones and satellites, many countries still employ spy balloons.