U.S. Army Tests HABs at 21 km for Intelligence and Communications

The U.S. Army in Poland has tested stratospheric balloons for intelligence, communications, and signal relay.

The report comes from Stars and Stripes.

The tests were conducted as part of Exercise Cold Raptor. The U.S. military launched stratospheric balloons from Powidz Military Air Base in western Poland.

After launch, they traveled north and landed near the city of Ustka on the Baltic Sea coast, around 305 km from the launch site.

The balloons can carry intelligence sensors, communications equipment, and electronic warfare systems, including navigation countermeasure systems. The military views them as a low-cost way to quickly deploy additional surveillance and communications capabilities.

The high-altitude balloons operate at around 18–21 km. Once inflated, they reach a height of about 10 meters and can carry payloads weighing between 9 and 20 kg.

During Exercise Cold Raptor, U.S. troops also tested procedures for launching, controlling, monitoring, and recovering the balloons.

They also practiced coordination with aviation services and agencies from other countries, as using such platforms in Europe requires flight clearance across the airspace of multiple nations.

The use of balloons is becoming more widespread due to their affordability and ability to remain airborne for extended periods of time.

Due to their advanced capabilities, they can be used for a variety of missions, while their operating and hourly flight costs are minimal compared with those of manned aircraft.

This is not the first time the U.S. has conducted such training balloon launches in Europe. In May this year, the U.S. Army held high-altitude balloon flight exercises in the Baltic region.

U.S. military personnel launched HABs from Sweden and retrieved them from Latvia after about a day of flight.

In addition to the U.S., European countries such as Poland and Finland are also procuring stratospheric balloons. The latter, in particular, manufactures such products both for its own defense forces and for export customers.

Finnish company Kelluu, which manufactures autonomous airships, will receive €15 million to deploy an aerial intelligence network across Europe.