The Pentagon said it was there gathering intelligence. China said it was doing civilian research. Regardless, it was nothing new.
Governments have been spying on each other for hundreds of years...Here's how surveillance from the sky has developed over the years...
The first record of aerial surveillance happened toward the end of the 18th century. During the Revolutionary War, the French successfully used hot air balloons to monitor combat during the Battle of Fleurus against Britain, Germany, and Holland. more
