Defense establishments around the world are now focused on balloons.
Use of the word “focus” in this case is deliberate and important. The recent spate of sightings and shoot-downs of what in some cases are surveillance balloons reflects a recalibration of observational settings rather than the appearance of a new threat.
That does not mean that these objects can be ignored, but governments and publics should not be overly alarmed. Balloons are coming from China and apparently are collecting intelligence, but they have been doing so for some time. The spotlight now being shined upon them is an opportunity for dialogue about rules of the road — or of the airstream — and a chance to start work on much-needed guardrails for relations with China, hopes for which recently popped.