BlackSky/Skitch
- BlackSky, a US satellite firm, recorded footage of a mysterious Chinese blimp.
- The 100 foot blimp was hovering over a remote military base in northwest China.
- It was pictured shortly before the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon.
A US satellite company has captured images of a Chinese blimp at a military base in the northeast of the country, signaling a significant improvement in China's airship program.
The images were taken by private satellite firm BlackSky, and published this week. They show a blimp, believed to be around 100 feet long, over the runway of a military base in Xinjiang Province, northeastern China.
Aerospace experts who analysed the images for CNN said they showed a runway and other features indicating that the base was capable of launching airships. The images also showed a huge hangar, believed to be around 900 feet long, that could be used to house even larger airships.
—BlackSky (@BlackSky_Inc) May 1, 2023
The images were reportedly taken in November 2022, several months before the US shot down what it claimed was a Chinese spy balloon just off the coast of South Carolina in April.
The White House said the balloon had been used to surveil US military sites, though China rejected the claim and said it was being used for peaceful purposes.
In the wake of the downing of the balloon, US warplanes shot several more mysterious objects out of the skies over North America, though some were later revealed to have likely been hobbyists balloons.
According to an analysis of Chinese military patent submissions by Arms Control Wonk, a blog run by top arms proliferation experts, the Xinjiang base, also known as the Korla or Bohu site, is also being used to develop lasers that can target US satellites.
It is also being used to conduct research into high powered microwaves, as well as develop airships, the report claims.
The use of blimps in warfare and espionage goes back to the early 1900s. Experts say that they remain an invaluable tool for gathering intelligence because they are relatively cheap and, because they hover over an area, they can take more detailed imagery than satellites.