The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully shot down a Chinese spy-like balloon flying at an altitude of more than 15 km. The training took place a few months ago under the Eastern Air Command, sources inside the defense establishment said. India Today TV.
The operation involved a Rafale fighter jet, which used a high-altitude balloon in a controlled mission. The target, although smaller than a spy balloon shot down by the US Air Force in early 2023, was released with a payload attached to it, then fired using an inventory missile at an altitude of more than 55,000 feet, the sources said.
After rising to an altitude of more than 15 kilometers, the balloon was lifted off, demonstrating the Air Force’s ability to handle aerial threats.
The project came against a backdrop of growing concerns about China’s surveillance activities using similar high-altitude balloons. In early 2023, the US Air Force brought down a Chinese spy balloon that had crossed over North America a few days before it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by an F-22 fighter jet.
Subsequent sightings of similar balloons were reported shortly after the incident, raising warnings about the extent of China’s surveillance capabilities.
Even in India, there have been reports of similar balloon sightings in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Although no immediate action was taken in that event, as the balloon eventually drifted after being seen for three to four days.
Experts believe that these balloons are equipped with some kind of guidance, which allows them to hover over interesting places for a long time.