The Ministry of Defence said the balloons offer low-cost surveillance as they don’t need a crew on board and can travel uninterrupted at extreme altitudes for long periods
The UK is developing spy balloons that can fly at double the altitude of a commercial flight to conduct intelligence and surveillance missions.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said trials of new high-altitude balloons flying between 60,000 and 80,000 feet above the Earth – higher than most military aircraft operate – have been successful.
The balloons offer low-cost surveillance as they don’t need a crew on board and can travel uninterrupted at extreme altitudes for long periods.
The future use of such balloons could also 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.
The MoD will now develop a fleet of this class of balloon, following the successful trials in South Dakota, USA, earlier this year.
It comes two years after the US shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been flying over its airspace.
At the time, the UK’s Tory Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he would carry out a security review to look at the dangers of spy balloons.
Defence minister Maria Eagle hailed the UK “pushing boundaries” with its successful trials of spy balloons.
“This innovation is about giving our Armed Forces the edge – better awareness, better communications, and lower maintenance needs,” she said.
“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.”
James Gavin, head of UK Defence’s innovation, prove and exploit team, said: “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.”
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