The author, John Marek, is a writer and CEO of the Anson Economic Development Partnership.
Until a few weeks ago, the intrigue and excitement generated by balloons came mainly in the form of animals crafted by street performers. The use of balloons in international brinksmanship seemed like a relic of the past, something that belonged in the annals of history alongside the cavalry and muskets. However, as the world abruptly learned, balloons have played and continue to play an essential role in espionage and warfare.
Balloons were first used in warfare during the late 18th century, when French aeronauts flew tethered balloons to observe enemy positions during the Revolutionary Wars. This early use of balloons proved quite successful, as it allowed commanders to gain valuable intelligence on enemy troop movements and fortifications.
However, it wasn’t until the Civil War that balloons were used on a large scale in warfare. The Union Army’s Balloon Corps, led by aeronaut Thaddeus Lowe, was established in 1861 and conducted more than 3,000 reconnaissance missions over Confederate lines during the war. The information gathered by the Balloon Corps proved invaluable to Union commanders and helped turn the tide of several key battles.
During World War I, balloons were used for a variety of purposes. The most famous of these was the observation balloon, which was used to spot enemy troop movements and artillery positions. Unfortunately, these balloons were filled with highly flammable hydrogen gas, which made them a prime target for enemy fighters. In fact, the Germans had a special unit called the Balloon-Busters, whose sole purpose was to shoot down Allied observation balloons.
Balloons were also used for propaganda purposes during World War I. Both the Allies and the Central Powers used balloons to drop leaflets over enemy lines, hoping to sway the hearts and minds of enemy soldiers and civilians, because nothing sways hearts and minds like trash falling from the sky.
During World War II, the Japanese launched thousands of incendiary balloons designed to float across the Pacific Ocean and start forest fires in the western United States. While most of these balloons fell harmlessly into the sea, one did manage to start a fire that killed several people in Oregon.
As demonstrated by the “Chinese Spy Balloon,” high-altitude balloons are still used to conduct surveillance and gather intelligence. These balloons are equipped with high-resolution cameras and other sensors and can stay aloft for days without refueling or recharging. And unlike drones or manned aircraft, balloons are silent and can operate at high altitudes without being detected. This makes them an ideal platform for covert surveillance missions where the element of surprise is crucial.
And if high-altitude balloons can evade detection, what else might be hanging around up there? One fan theory regarding the gossamer horse-eating alien in the movie “Nope” is that it’s not an alien at all, but a species native to Earth but typically found only in the upper reaches of the atmosphere. While that’s a pretty far-fetched idea, some organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, have been found to survive in the upper atmosphere, transported by air currents and jetstreams. These microorganisms are known as “aeroplankton” and are thought to play an important role in the global distribution of microbes. So, maybe there’s more to the idea of balloon animals than meets the eye.