The Israeli Air Force launched the Sky Dew early warning balloon — one of the largest in the world. As reported by The Drive, it will notify about threats flying at low altitude. For example, about cruise missiles or armed drones.
Militaries around the world use small balloons with sensors, usually to monitor borders or bases in conflict zones. Large balloons are much rarer, but they have a number of advantages. They can stay in the air for a long time and effectively identify low-flying aerial threats. At the same time, their maximum tracking height is much higher than that of ground-based radars.
Israel already has early warning balloons, but they are equipped with only basic radars. They also use the Green Pine radar of the Strela air defense system and X-band radars.
The Israeli Air Force last week announced the launch of the Sky Dew early warning balloon, one of the largest in the world. It was developed by the Elta division of Israel Aerospace Industries together with the Air Force and the country's Missile Defense Agency, and manufactured by the American company TCOM.
Sky Dew is part of the HAAS surveillance system, which is planned to be launched early next year in northern Israel. It will be able to detect threats at longer distances compared to the balloons that the Israeli military already uses. In addition, HAAS will share data with other Israeli air defense systems, such as the Iron Dome or David's Sling. The exact characteristics of HAAS are unknown.
The idea of using balloons in the surveillance system was previously interested in the American military. Their project was called JLENS. But in 2015, one of the balloons broke off the cable and left hundreds of homes without electricity. Then the Pentagon resumed testing JLENS, but in 2017 the program was still closed.
Vasilisa Chernyavtseva
