Question: What was the reason behind Canada's decision not to take down a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over their territory?
Why Canada didn't Act on the Chinese Spy Balloon in Canadian Airspace
Everyone's been buzzing about the Chinese spy balloon's cheeky flight through the skies, but the burning question on everyone's lips is: why on earth didn't Canada act when it was zipping around our airspace?
Let's clear the air. The truth is, our friendly neighbors to the south weren't alone in this thrilling cat-and-mouse game. The spy balloon was first spotted soaring over Alaska by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, before making a jaunt over the Yukon and British Columbia's Interior before darting back into American airspace over Montana.
But have some Canadians been left scratching their heads, wondering why we didn't take matters into our own hands, shoot it down, and protect our skies? David Bercuson, a history professor at the University of Calgary and military historian, shares a simple answer: that's just silly.
You might wonder, but isn't Canada responsible for defending its own airspace? Yes, of course, but let's not forget that NORAD exists, and we've been part of it for close to 80 years. NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is in charge of aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning for the entire North American continent. It's a bi-national command established by the United States and Canada to keep our skies and waters secure.
Retired Major General Scott Clancy, who once served as deputy commander of the Alaskan NORAD Region, explains that each country has sovereignty over its airspaces, but the binational command of NORAD is both Canada and the United States. It's not one or the other.
So when the balloon was recognized over Alaska, Canada would have been promptly informed by the commander of NORAD, with both governments in the loop for any decisions made regarding how to respond. Clancy says that the process involves striking a balance between knowledge, functional security, and public safety.
It turns out that allowing the balloon to continue its merry dance helped us learn a whole lot about the balloon's capabilities and transmission methods. NORAD commander U.S. General Glen VanHerck confirmed that this strategic move provided them with valuable insights, but didn't elaborate on exactly what was discovered. Clancy thinks that analyzing the balloon's exhaust devices could provide vital information, and he's not wrong. After all, who doesn't love a good spy gadget?
While some worry that this incident reveals gaps in our overall security, the good news is that NORAD is well aware of the need for updates. Historian David Bercuson agrees, stating that with the Chinese deploying similar balloons in the past, it's clear that they've managed to slip through our radar systems. And, as Bercuson puts it, "do we want them patrolling our skies, taking pictures, or listening to our signals? I think we wouldn't want them to know that."
Enrichment Data:
- NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) is responsible for managing airspace violations in North America as a bi-national command established by the United States and Canada to provide aerospace warning, aerospace control, and maritime warning. NORAD integrates U.S. and Canadian defense efforts to detect, validate, and respond to unauthorized or suspicious airspace violations, ensuring the security of North American airspace.
- NORAD's aerospace surveillance capabilities enable early detection and response to unauthorized aircraft or objects in North American airspace, including foreign surveillance balloons. NORAD collaborates with the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) for homeland defense and civil support missions throughout the continental United States, Canada, Mexico, and surrounding waters.
- In the Chinese spy balloon incident over Canada, NORAD's role involved detecting and tracking the balloon, coordinating with Canadian and U.S. agencies to manage the threat, and enforce airspace sovereignty. The strategic decision to allow the balloon to continue its flight provided valuable insights into the balloon's capabilities and transmission methods.
- The Chinese spy balloon incident over Canada highlights the importance of NORAD, the aerospace sentinel of North America, for ensuring early warnings and coordinated defense against airspace violations, filling the knowledge gap about foreign nations' reconnaissance activities.
Technology played a crucial role in the detection and tracking of the Chinese spy balloon over Canadian airspace. NORAD, the bi-national command responsible for managing airspace violations in North America, utilized its aerospace surveillance capabilities to identify and follow the balloon's movements, collaborating with Canadian and U.S. agencies to maintain airspace sovereignty.
Politics also entered the picture, as decisions about how to respond to the balloon's presence were made through a process that balanced knowledge, functional security, and public safety within the framework of NORAD's mission. The strategic choice to allow the balloon to continue its flight provided valuable insights into the balloon's capabilities and transmission methods, highlighting the need for ongoing updates to NORAD's technology and procedures in the face of evolving threats like foreign surveillance balloons.
