Balloon carriers gave fleets an elevated view of enemy movements and shell splashes, turning altitude into an information advantage. Reconnaissance helped commanders position forces, while spotting aircraft corrected the fall of battleship salvos beyond the shipboard observer's view. In the early twentieth century, that correction could be more dependable and consequential than the aircraft's own torpedo attack. Early naval aviation was therefore an information system before it became primarily associated with independent strike power.
Chapter · 24:06-28:49
Balloon carriers made information a naval weapon
Early naval aviation created value through reconnaissance and gunfire spotting before aircraft became reliable ship-killing weapons.