what is their purpose
According to American experts, these balloons will be used to track hypersonic weapons. If the Pentagon’s budget documents that are from the last two years are to be believed, so far $ 3.8 million has been spent by the Defense Department on balloon projects. While the plan is to spend up to $27.1 million in the fiscal year 2023. If this happens, then the expenditure on surveillance balloons at altitude will increase up to 7 times.
If we talk about a special system, then the PentagonUS Hot air balloon: US will balloon at 90,000 feet, every missile of Russia and China has failed. This program has recently been transferred to the US military. However, till now no specific information related to this project has been revealed.
cheaper than satellite
High-altitude platforms like balloons are beneficial because they can last for a long time, says Tom Karako, a fellow at the Center for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank. If we talk about missile defense, then the balloon can cover a large part of the airborne sensors and it can also keep an eye on the incoming cruise missile.
Terrestrial sensors have been the backbone of missile defense since the time of the Cold War. The cost of these balloons will be much less than the cost of a satellite. According to Military Review, it will cost US$ 100,000 to prepare and operate a balloon. Whereas an infrared satellite costs $1.6 billion.
How will this hot air balloon
Russell van der Werf, engineering director of Raven Aerostar, the company that makes these cold star balloons, has said that each balloon will have a flight control unit. This unit will run on batteries which will be charged with the help of renewable solar panels. In addition, there will be payload electronics packages for flight safety. Along with this, navigation and communications will also be a part of it. Each radar system will consist of a 74-metre-long rope-bound balloon, mobile station, radar and communication system and processing station that will be connected to equipment on the ground.