Spy balloons: When they started & how they've been used by militaries
305Militaries have used balloons as their 'eyes in the sky' since the 18th Century.
When it comes to surveillance, balloons have created a niche for themselves as a permanent part of the military.
The French, American and British forces all tried out the balloon platform in conflicts from the seventeen to nineteen hundreds, but it took a larger conflict for the concept to really take off.
The balloons used for reconnaissance and observation peaked in the First World War.
More recently, balloons are relatively low-tech compared to alternatives.
Offering the opportunity to achieve lofty surveillance ambitions on the cheap, with some experts believing state actors could turn to greater use of the balloon, once more.
More: https://www.forces.net/heritage/history/historic-lasting-power-military-balloons
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