U.S. Sent “Weather” Balloons to Spy on China and the Soviet Union in the 1950s

Photo caption: Navy sailors recover a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Feb. 5, 2023. Photo credit: Tyler Thompson / U.S. Navy. Article by Jon Schwarz. The Intercept – February 7, 2023.

For the past week, the large Chinese balloon floating over the United States has consumed the attention of the American media. Before the balloon was shot down by the U.S. on Saturday, China’s government stated it was a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological.” For its part, the Pentagon says it has “very high confidence” that the balloon was conducting surveillance. […]

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