The Indian Air Force (IAF) has been practicing shooting down targets resembling Chinese spy balloons at high altitudes.
These simulations were conducted as part of the IAF’s contingency plan following the 2023 incident in which a Chinese spy balloon entered US airspace and allegedly collected intelligence before being shot down.
A Rafale fighter jet was used to take down the target over the eastern front during a practice trial a few months ago, defense sources informed Indian news agency ANI.
Balloons can easily maneuver and float at high altitudes while being difficult to detect, which poses a challenge for aircraft and modern radars.
A source told the Times of India that the jet’s demonstration took place at an altitude of over 55,000 feet (16,764 meters), surpassing what had been practiced previously. In addition, the target balloon with a payload was smaller than the Chinese one.
“The IAF formulated TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) to handle such contingencies. It has been practising the capability to interject in such situations at different flight envelopes,” the source said.
Previous Balloon Sightings
In 2001, New Delhi established its first tri-service command in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a strategic area approximately 1,200 kilometers (746 miles) southeast of the mainland and near the busy Malacca Strait.
As the islands also serve as India’s first line of defense against eastern maritime threats, the command is tasked with monitoring maritime activities from the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea.
Chinese military presence was sighted in Myanmar’s Coco Islands, just 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, allowing Beijing to track India’s missile activities at the nearby naval base at Rambilli.
In 2022 and 2023, a Chinese balloon was spotted hovering over the islands.
New Delhi did not engage the threat on either occasion, and the target eventually floated away.
However, this response raised concerns about the country’s surveillance capabilities in the region, eventually leading to military upgrades for the island command.
Meanwhile, China maintains that the balloons are used for meteorological and scientific purposes rather than espionage.