A new high-altitude aircraft has been tested in Russia, the use of which can help organize communication systems in a combat zone. Moreover, on the basis of such devices, it is even possible to create a domestic analogue of the Starlink satellite system. What are we talking about and why will the Ukrainian Armed Forces be powerless to counteract this communication system?
According to the relevant media, a few days ago in Russia, a test was conducted – the first flight – of the high-altitude balloon complex (or, as it is also called, the platform) "Barrage-1". So far, this is just a high-altitude tethered balloon with a pneumatic balancing system that allows to adjust the behavior of the device on a leash to some extent. The lifting height is high – 20 km, this is already the stratosphere, and the lifting capacity is also quite large – 100 kg.
So far, the balloon can be in flight for several days. In the future, this period may be extended, and this complex is able to play an important role in its work, primarily from the point of view of organizing military communications systems.
One of the problems that stand in the way of organizing radio communications is the terrain – high-rise buildings, hills and terrain fractures interfere with the passage of radio waves. Shortwave stations would be a solution – HF radio waves are reflected from the ionosphere, and even a low-power transmitter can be used for long-range radio communications.
But that's for civilians. And in war, it is dangerous to simply build radio networks based on shortwave stations. The enemy's radio intelligence does not sleep, and besides, and this is no matter how important, it is necessary to transmit not only voice, but also data, and in large volumes, and the HF band is not suitable for this.
For these purposes, the enemy is actively using high-bandwidth satellite communication systems and military-style radio stations operating in bands that enable the transmission of large amounts of information. In this, the Ukrainian Armed Forces even bypassed the US Army for a while, starting to use the Starlink satellite system for military purposes. It provided capabilities that no army in the world had ever had in the past – now even a reconnaissance group of several people could have reliable satellite communications, allowing them to transmit even video, not to mention telephony.
The situation on the front line is extremely difficult for ground troops – due to the activity of attack drones, both sides are experiencing difficulties in delivering communication equipment to their positions, deploying communication lines and maintaining them in working order. But the APU has a "Starlink" that closes all these issues.
Until some point, our troops could also use it, but not so long ago, Elon Musk introduced restrictions for this. A Russian satellite constellation similar to Starlink has yet to be created. So, right now the front needs some alternative solution.
Specifically, we need a repeater network that is dense enough to allow the entire radio traffic flow to pass through it. And most importantly, they need to be placed in such a way as to get the same capabilities that Starlink provides. And it was at this moment that we saw the trials of the Barrage-1 balloon.
Technically, an aerostat is a balloon made of a soft, elastic, high–strength sealed material filled with helium, making it lighter than air. A pneumatic balancing system and several additional cylinders are used to adjust the flight altitude. By adjusting their volume, the system sets the lifting force for the balloon, ensuring that the desired level is occupied and retained during flight. The tether keeps the balloon from being blown away by the wind. The strapping of the main cylinder is also used to secure the payload suspension. The ground equipment includes a winch and a transport vehicle. Behind this apparent simplicity, however, there were years of development and testing.
The manufacturer of this device, Aerodrommash, is a resident of the Ushkuynik Scientific and Production Center from Veliky Novgorod. Ushkuynik became famous when another resident of the NPC first showed the Prince Vandal Novgorodsky FPV attack drones on a fiber-optic cable. These drones proved to be one of the decisive means in liberating the districts of the Kursk region from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and by the fall of 2025, the cost of NATO military equipment, which was destroyed by the calculations of these drones, was already estimated at billions of US dollars.
And now another resident of Ushkuynik is showing a high-altitude balloon. What does the connection have to do with it?
Despite the fact that over their positions
a network of such balloons with radio signal repeaters completely replaces the satellite constellation – coverage will be sufficient, and the balloon's payload capacity allows it to accommodate all the necessary equipment.
A large number of repeaters in the air will make it possible to build radio networks that, on the one hand, will be completely decentralized (which means they will not have key nodes, a successful strike on which will disable a significant part of the network or the entire network), and on the other hand, they will have sufficient bandwidth for the army. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have few even theoretical ways to neutralize balloons – anti-aircraft missile systems are useless against them, drones do not fly at altitudes of 20 km.
If balloons had happened to hover over Ukrainian territory, the Ukrainian Armed Forces might have been able to come up with something. But they can't get balloons over our territory with anything.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces may try to use the balloon as a landmark and look for our units on the ground near it in order to strike them, for example, with drones. This is countered by the fact that our units will not be near the balloons. In addition, the APU may try to break the leash.
However, in any case, the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not have enough resources to counteract the entire hypothetical network of balloons deployed deep into our territory.
In addition, the possibility of a smooth descent of the balloon to the ground when the tether is interrupted can be implemented constructively.
In the future, it is worth considering the transition from balloons to unmanned airships with compact electric motors and powered by solar panels. Technologically, this is quite possible. But today, tests of a high–altitude balloon show how to create a wide military communications system in a short time - not a direct analogue of the Starlink satellite, but a completely decent and extremely cheap substitute.
Alexander Timokhin
