Ukrainian Balloons Enable Communication Relay Over 100 km

Balloons manufactured by the Ukrainian company Aerobavovna enable communication relay and reconnaissance over distances of hundreds of kilometers — one such balloon was purchased by Militarnyi for the Special Operations Forces.

Yurii Vysoven, the company’s CEO, discussed the renaissance of tactical “dirigibles” with Spectrum.

Made from lightweight polymers and filled with helium, the balloons have become an important part of Ukraine’s defense infrastructure, providing an advantage in the drone war and reconnaissance.

Since 2023, the company has deployed dozens of balloons equipped with antennas, radio relays, and drone detectors in the combat zone. Thanks to the high-tech equipment on board, these systems allow reconnaissance and strike drones to reach more distant targets, as well as help locate enemy ground control stations.

“For many tasks, balloons remain superior to any alternative we could have,” Yuriy Vysoven shared. “They can be deployed in minutes and stay in the air for several days.”

The story of Aerobavovna began in 2022, when engineers Dmytro Khmara and Oleksandr Lozynskyi sought to develop an air trap for Shahed drones; however, the project ultimately failed. Soon after, they found a new application for their balloons in the niche of signal relays for drones. The first such balloon took to the air at the end of that year, along with a Motorola 1000 radio transmitter.

Today, the company’s balloons are equipped with tactical radios that extend the range of secure communication between two users up to 100 kilometers apart. They are also equipped with reconnaissance tools that can triangulate the positions of enemy UAV operators at a distance of nearly 90 km.

The engineers at Aerobavovna have developed a range of technical solutions designed to address operational challenges in adverse conditions. For example, an integrated stabilization mechanism ensures functionality in wind speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour, and the communication antennas have been equipped with an additional mechanism to maintain their position in the desired direction.

Deployment speed turned out to be a priority for military technicians, so the system was equipped with an electric winch, which allows the balloon to be lifted in just a few minutes.

“Our smallest model can be set up in seven minutes, from the moment it leaves the vehicle to reaching an altitude of 500 meters,” Vysovyen noted.

The Aerobavovna team has not abandoned their original idea – to stop attacks from Russian Shahed drones. Together with partners from Maxon Systems, they plan to use balloons as carriers for interceptor drones that would autonomously shoot down enemy targets.

“The advantage of placing an interceptor drone on a balloon is that you’re already at Shahed’s altitude,” Vysoven stated. “You don’t have much time to intercept them, so it helps that you’re already up there, at the top.”

The project is in the early stages of testing and may still encounter many issues. However, if everything goes according to plan, the first balloons could be delivered to the military by the end of this year.