The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully demonstrated its capability to neutralize high-altitude spy balloon-type targets at an altitude exceeding 55,000 feet along India’s eastern front, according to a report. This operation, conducted a few months ago, involved the use of a Rafale fighter jet under the command of the Eastern Air Command.
Sources revealed that the balloon used in the exercise, though smaller than the Chinese spy balloon shot down by the US Air Force in early 2023, was equipped with a payload and was targeted with a missile from the IAF’s inventory. The balloon was successfully destroyed during the drill at a high altitude.
The test was conducted during the tenure of Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, the current Chief of Air Staff, who at the time served as the Vice Chief of Air Staff. Air Marshal SP Dharkar, now Vice Chief, oversaw operations as head of the Eastern Air Command. Air Marshal Surat Singh, now the Eastern Air Commander, held the position of Director of General Air Operations during the exercise.
This operation follows a similar event in early 2023 when the US Air Force shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over the coast of South Carolina after it drifted over North America for several days. In India, sightings of similar objects were reported in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory, although no immediate action was taken at the time.
In response, the IAF has been refining its standard operating procedures to address future aerial threats posed by spy balloons, ensuring rapid and effective action to neutralize potential surveillance activities.
