In the immediate aftermath of the shoot-down of the Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on February 4, attention turned toward potential incursions in Japan and Taiwan that took place before awareness of balloon-related operations was commonplace. Taiwanese officials have acknowledged the presence of different types of balloon-like objects near or over Taiwan over the past two years, while Japanese media reported on a few sightings in Japan’s north. That said, none of these incidents involved a balloon the size of the one shot down this month.
Now, both Taiwan and Japan are planning to shoot down any future balloon-related incursions, various officials announced. Taiwan’s Major General Huang Wen-chi announced his country’s policy this week, adding that the balloons previously seen over Taiwan were only for meteorological purposes and not as sophisticated as the U.S. object. Nevertheless, some experts warn that even collecting atmospheric data serves some significant military functions, possible improving the accuracy of certain weapons systems.
Balloon & OTH & Missile Defense –
Talking to @n300trg @masao_dahlgren ip to date atmospheric data is crucial for the operation of [Chinese] OTH radars as well as the accuracy of ballistic and hypersonic vehicles…yet it’s weird no one’s talking about this. pic.twitter.com/j7AP93UtVw— Kitsch Liao (@KitschQuixote) February 8, 2023
And earlier this week, Japan’s defense minister, Yasukazu Hamada, strongly suggested that Japan would shoot down any balloons found in its airspace: “Necessary measures may be taken when deemed necessary to protect the lives and property of citizens.”
These reactions are hardly surprising. Still, they’re noteworthy because they show how Washington’s experience with the Chinese balloon earlier this month is enabling countries on the front line of Chinese aggression to take steps to further defend themselves from balloon-borne espionage campaigns.
It’s also important to note that Japan and Taiwan are merely two of many countries targeted by Chinese military balloon operations. According to the Pentagon, surveillance balloons have been spotted above five continents, and the Washington Post reported last week that these balloons have also surveilled India, Vietnam, and the Philippines, in addition to Taiwan and Japan, collecting information on “military assets.” More information about the other targets of Chinese-military balloons may serve to further develop our understanding of this surveillance campaign.