Context: 

Recently, the U.S. shot down a Chinese ‘spy’ balloon, days after the surveillance device was first spotted over American airspace. This has caused yet another blow to the already strained diplomatic relation between the two sides.  

Image Source: The Hindu

What are spy balloons?

• Spy balloons are high altitude surveillance tools that usually operate at 80,000-1,20,000 feet — well above the cruising altitude of commercial aircraft — to gather intelligence and carry out other military missions.
• Typically, a spy balloon is equipped with cameras and imaging devices suspended beneath the gas filled white object to capture things of interest.
• Unlike satellites, balloons are economically viable.
• Due to their proximity to the Earth’s surface, they can widely scan an area from close quarters and capture clearer, high resolution images of the target.
• The disadvantage is that these are not directly steered, but can be roughly guided by changing altitudes to catch different wind currents. 

Earlier Incidents:

• Taiwan has accused the People’s Libera­tion Army (PLA) of using spy balloons in the past.
• A similar sighting was reported over Andaman and Nicobar Islands in January last year.

 News Source: The Hindu

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