U.S. military’s newest weapon against China and Russia: Hot air
By Lee Hudson - 7h ago
The Pentagon is working on a new plan to rise above competition from China and Russia: balloons.
“If we can just grow up and get over our hang-ups about the JLENS event, the future can be bright for dirigibles, balloons and aerostats,” the Center of Strategic and International Studies' Tom Karako said.
“If we can just grow up and get over our hang-ups about the JLENS event, the future can be bright for dirigibles, balloons and aerostats,” the Center of Strategic and International Studies' Tom Karako said.
The high-altitude inflatables, flying at between 60,000 and 90,000 feet, would be added to the Pentagon’s extensive surveillance network and could eventually be used to track hypersonic weapons.
The idea may sound like science fiction, but Pentagon budget documents signal the technology is moving from DoD’s scientific community to the military services.
“High or very high-altitude platforms have a lot of benefit for their endurance on station, maneuverability and also flexibility for multiple payloads,” said Tom Karako, senior fellow for the International Security Program and Missile Defense Project director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Pentagon continues to invest in these projects because the military could use the balloons for various missions.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/u-s-military-s-newest-weapon-against-china-and-russia-hot-air/ar-AAZd1oa?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=61083a4c694b4ea382d030d51f14d956
