Lalit Kapur - Volume VIII, Issue 10

DPG is deeply committed to the growth of India’s national power and purpose, the security and prosperity of the people of India and India’s contributions to the global public good. [...] The Credibility of China’s Explanation In deciding how credible China’s explanation is, three aspects merit consideration: the payload of the balloon, its manoeuvrability, and the duration of flight. [...] Information in the public domain indicates the service ceiling of the F-35 is 50,000 ft, that of the F-16 is 58,000 ft, and that of the F-15 and F-22 is 65,000 ft. [...] The Aftermath The first casualty following detection of the balloon was cancellation of the visit by Secretary of State Antony J Blinken to Beijing21. [...] The US State Department described the balloon’s usage as “an irresponsible act and a clear violation of US sovereignty and international law that undermined the purpose of the trip”23.