How Indian defence is planning to deal with Chinese spy-balloon-like incidents

Weeks after the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon a few weeks ago, the Indian defence has now started discussions on the issue as it plans to prepare the standard operating procedures to deal with such a situation in future.

A balloon was spotted in the Indian skies a year ago, but India had not taken any decision against it. It was spotted in the Andaman and hovered in the Indian skies for over three to four days before it drifted away.

"The discussions on the issue are continuing in the defence forces and more details are emerging. It is now becoming clear that such balloons may be having a steering mechanism and can be stabilised over the area of interest of the owner," news agency ANI quoted defence officials as saying.

The officials are discussing how to deal with such balloons in future and if required, what type of weapons or platform would be used to target and bring them down, officials told ANI. Afterconsolidating the planned response, the officials will give a presentation to the Centre for final approval, sources informed the news agency.

The defence is looking at the options of using existing radar network to detect such objects over or near any point in the country while studying international laws related to such flying objects which are operating at above 60,000 feet, officials added.

After the US shot down the Chinese balloon, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman had said that Beijing has targeted many countries including India by operating a fleet of surveillance airships.

"The surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years partly out of Hainan province off China's south coast, has collected information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines," Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman was quoted as saying in The Washington Post.

The report was based on interviews with several anonymous defence and intelligence officials. The surveillance airships have been spotted over five continents, the report said. "These balloons are all part of a PRC (People's Republic of China) fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, which also violated the sovereignty of other countries," a senior defence official was quoted as saying.

The balloon incident has intensified tensions between China and US.