China's spy balloon could be 120ft helium-powered airship equipped with ... trends now

China's spy balloon could be 120ft helium-powered airship equipped with ... trends now
China's spy balloon could be 120ft helium-powered airship equipped with ... trends now

China's spy balloon could be 120ft helium-powered airship equipped with ... trends now

The Pentagon's rejection of China's claim that a balloon detected floating over nuclear sites in the United States is a 'civilian' airship raises further questions about its surveillance capabilities.

Analysts predict the balloon is about the size of 'three buses' and could be fitted with high-tech equipment including cameras, sensors and radar.

Use of balloons to conduct spy missions dates back to the Cold War but modern-day systems can take advantage of the latest developments in surveillance technology.

The balloon was floating about 60,000ft above the center of the continental United States at midday ET on Friday, the Pentagon said. The balloon's path had taken it over Montana, triggering fears it was gathering intelligence on nuclear missile sites in the state.

China claimed on Friday morning that it is a civilian balloon used for meteorological and weather research. But in a briefing at the Pentagon several hours later, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said: 'We know it's a surveillance balloon.'

The Chinese surveillance balloon is estimated to be about the width of three buses. The balloon is fitted with solar panels to power the on-board equipment, which could include long-range cameras and radar. It was traveling at an altitude of around 60,000ft on Friday afternoon, but the balloons can reach heights of around double that

The Chinese surveillance balloon is estimated to be about the width of three buses. The balloon is fitted with solar panels to power the on-board equipment, which could include long-range cameras and radar. It was traveling at an altitude of around 60,000ft on Friday afternoon, but the balloons can reach heights of around double that

The balloon is believed to have launched from mainland China before crossing Alaska and Canada, then reaching the continental United States

The balloon is believed to have launched from mainland China before crossing Alaska and Canada, then reaching the continental United States

Worryingly, defense analysts have previously claimed that a balloon could be used as a 'delivery platform' for nuclear weapons. 

A 2015 report for the American Leadership & Policy Foundation said balloons launched by rogue states could carry nuclear payloads over the United States which could be use launch strikes or interfere with the electrical grid.

Report author Air Force Major David Stuckenberg wrote: 'Using a balloon as a [weapon of mass destruction] platform could provide adversaries with a pallet of altitudes and payload options with which to maximize offensive effects against the U.S.

'A high altitude balloon could be designed, created, and launched in a matter of months. There is nothing to prevent several hundred pounds of weapons material from being delivered to altitude.'

Stuckenberg said on Friday China's balloon was 'likely a type of dry run meant to send a strategic message to the USA'. 

The size of the balloon currently floating over the US is about the equivalent of three bus lengths, defense expert John Parachini has said.

Assuming a typical bus is around 40ft long, that suggests the spherical balloon could be around 120ft by 120ft. That would align with the dimension of other balloons used for high-altitude operations.

The balloon was about 60,000ft over the center of the United States on Friday afternoon, around Kansas City in Missouri

The balloon was about 60,000ft over the center of the United States on Friday afternoon, around Kansas City in Missouri

Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told a press briefing at the Pentagon: 'We know it's a surveillance balloon'

Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told a press briefing at the Pentagon: 'We know it's a surveillance balloon'

Images taken from the ground show a device fixed to the balloon is fitted with large solar panels, which power the on-board monitoring equipment and also a system to maneuver the balloon.

The Pentagon has said the balloon

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