US Army Plans Extensive Use of Balloons in Case of Conflict in Europe
Members of US 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command stands next to a Patriot surface-to-air missile battery during the NATO multinational ground based air defence units exercise «Tobruq Legacy 2017» at the Siauliai airbase some 230 km. (144 miles) east of the capital Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 20, 2017
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US Army intends to deploy hundreds of high-altitude balloons in the event of a military conflict in Europe, Brig. Gen. Steven Carpenter told The War Zone portal. «We would like to proliferate the stratosphere with high-altitude balloons, but I mean 200, 300 at a time,» the general said. According to Carpenter, these aerostats would serve not only as «decoys» but also as platforms for relaying communication signals, conducting electronic surveillance, and even facilitating aerial strikes. In recent years, Russia has pointed to unprecedented NATO activity near its western borders. The alliance is expanding its initiatives, describing them as a means of «deterring Russian aggression.» Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern over the buildup of NATO forces in Europe. The Kremlin emphasized that Russia posed no threat to anyone, but would not overlook actions that could potentially jeopardize its interests.
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