- UK Defence is developing use of uncrewed, high-altitude
balloons to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
(ISR) missions, boosting national security and delivering on the
government's Plan for Change.
- Test flight balloons each travel over 2,000 nautical miles at
an operating altitude between 60,000 and 80,000 feet, double that
of a commercial aircraft.
- The trial balloons operated as a constellation for the first
time and provided near-continuous ISR coverage of nearly a month,
far exceeding the endurance of each balloon.
The UK could benefit from the collection of military
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from the
stratosphere following the successful trials of new high-altitude
balloons flying between 60,000 and 80,000 feet above the Earth –
higher than most military aircraft operate.
The uncrewed balloons offer a low-cost surveillance and
communications capability alternative to traditional solutions.
They can travel uninterrupted at extreme altitudes for long
periods, without maintenance, boosting national security and
delivering on the government's Plan for Change.
The future use of such balloons could include support to
operations and reliable communication and fast internet
connection to disaster zones or remote areas with no coverage,
while also providing information for weather forecasting and
climate research.
With an ISR payload capacity of up to 3kg and with some modules
that include weather sensors weighing as little as a European
robin, the test vehicles can operate continuously for over five
days.
The cost-effective system can be operated by a single person in
challenging weather conditions, demonstrating advanced
capabilities and precise navigation and station keeping.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon
MP, said:
This innovation is about giving our Armed Forces the edge –
better awareness, better communications, and lower maintenance
needs – supporting the government's Plan for Change.
Stratospheric technology like this could transform how we operate
in complex environments, keeping our people safer and better
informed than ever before.
This successful trial is another example of UK defence pushing
boundaries, with real potential to strengthen our future
capabilities.
The trials took place in the South Dakota, USA earlier this year
as part of Project AETHER, a concept development initiative
supported by the Ministry of Defence's procurement body, Defence
Equipment & Support (DE&S).
The activity was led by UK company Voltitude in partnership with
Landguard Systems (UK) and Aerostar (US).
Head of UK Defence Innovation, Prove and Exploit team,
James Gavin, said:
Defence procurement is making strides in the innovation space and
DE&S is looking more at the art of the possible, pushing the
boundaries and scoping new technologies.
These latest trials have been incredibly fruitful and pave the
way for more collaborative working with our allies to develop
capabilities that will benefit our Armed Forces.
The UK-developed technology provides continuous Intelligence,
Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capability whilst maintaining
remarkably low operating costs. It represents a significant
advancement in stratospheric surveillance platforms for defence
applications.
The Ministry of Defence is exploring future assessment
operational use of the stratosphere, not only with this class of
balloon, but also with vehicles capable of carrying significantly
higher payloads for mission durations of 6-12 months.
