Two blimps on the runway on November 4 and 6, 2022. The modern Chinese military blimp, seen for the first time at a remote desert military base outside of Korla, China, is around 100 feet, or 31 meters, long. Courtesy BlackSky
CNN: Exclusive: Never-before-seen Chinese military blimp caught on satellite images of remote desert base
A large blimp developed by the Chinese military has been spotted for the first time at a remote base in the desert of northwestern China, exclusive new satellite imagery obtained by CNN shows.
Aerospace experts say the images, taken three months before a Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, could signal a notable advancement in China’s airship program, demonstrating a more versatile and maneuverable craft than previously seen or known.
The images, taken in November 2022 by US satellite imaging company BlackSky, show a roughly 100-foot long blimp in the middle of a nearly kilometer-long runway at a desert military complex in northwestern China.
CNN presented the imagery to a number of aerospace experts, who confirmed they show a blimp and runway, bookended by a pivot point used to launch airships, as well as a massive, nearly 900-foot airship hangar.
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WNU Editor: It looks like the Chinese want to have the same capabilities that the U.S. military have …. Spy balloons, part of Afghanistan’s landscape, stir unease (Seattle Times).