Chinese spy balloon spotted over the US: Here's what it's capable of

The U.S. Department of Defense has been on alert for several days: according to Pentagon information cited by Stern magazine, a Chinese spy balloon is hovering over the northwestern United States. The balloon entered US airspace several days ago and has been closely monitored ever since.

All in all, the Pentagon is certain that the balloon is being used to scout sensitive nuclear weapons bases. However, because the risk of injury to people on the ground is too high, a launch has been rejected for the time being.

Use of balloons long before

However, it is believed the balloon does not pose any particular danger, as Stern further reports. From an espionage point of view, the capabilities of the object are said to be relatively limited. Spy balloons had already been spotted in US airspace before President Joe Biden took office, according to a U.S. Department of Defense official cited by NDTV.

The overall use of such spy objects can be dated back to the middle of the last century. The US military began to further explore the use of high-altitude spy balloons shortly after World War II, which set in motion a series of missions called Project Genetrix in the 1950s, NDTV further reports.

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Some advantages over satellites

The balloons can be used at incredible altitudes of 24,000 to 37,000 meters - a normal airplane, by comparison, can only manage about 12,000 meters. Only spy planes could reach the balloons' minimum altitude, if not a bit more.

Spy balloons also offer some advantages over the use of satellites. Namely, satellites are significantly more expensive and, in addition, cannot remain over an area for as long in comparison. Furthermore, the balloons offer the possibility of covering a much larger area, as NDTV concludes.

This article has been translated from Gentside DE.

Sources used:

Stern: 'Abschuss nicht möglich: Pentagon sichtet chinesischen Spionage-Ballon über dem Norden der USA'

NDTV: 'Here's How Spy Balloons Operate, What They Can Be Used For'