The Air Force is attacking Russia with an ingenious asymmetric weapon – long-range balloons

Not only expensive Neptune missiles, but also very cheap drones are becoming powerful weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Ukraine). However, recently they have been attacking Russia with the help of balloons that drop mines from a great height, writes the American magazine Forbes.

“What may seem like a trivial means of small-scale attacks may turn out to be an ingenious, asymmetric weapon to enhance Ukraine’s strategic strike capabilities,” the publication notes.

According to pro-Moscow Telegram channels, Ukrainian balloons appeared in the sky over Russian regions bordering Ukraine. Some of them carry radar reflectors to attract the attention of air defenses. But they are also equipped with mortar shells. According to the Russian channel MASH each balloon has a GPS tracker, ballast, batteries and control electronics with programmed attack coordinates.

Forbes notes that uncontrolled balloons have been used to a limited extent in some wars of the past two centuries. In particular, such are used by the Palestinian group Hamas to cause fires in Israel. “Although their impact is usually limited, such balloons put a much heavier burden on the defender than on the attacker,” the editors explain.

Based on Russian propaganda claims, Forbes concludes that Ukrainian balloons are far more advanced than any of their predecessors. In particular, their range is said to reach hundreds of kilometers, and the electronic control unit combined with a GPS navigation system is able to trigger the release of ammunition just as the balloon flies over a predetermined target area.

Balloon expert Chris Hillcox estimates that with all the electronics and materials used, one such balloon can cost about $1,000.

According to Forbes, without a special radar reflector, the balloon is almost invisible and difficult to detect by radar. “But the Ukrainians probably want to be seen. At an altitude of nine kilometers or more, the only way to bring down a balloon is with an expensive surface-to-air or air-to-air missile, which would be a good trade-off.”

At the same time, the radar reflector allows the Ukrainians to track the movement of the balloon on their own radars and compare the data with those sent by the GPS tracker. In this way, they can also mark on the map areas where the GPS signal is blocked or manipulated. This information will then be useful in improving the accuracy of drone strikes.

Forbes notes that by changing flight altitude, the balloon can “land” in a directional wind. Such technologies are already being used by the US military and some commercial companies to ensure that their air probes fly in the right direction, not random. But accuracy is still measured “in miles, not feet,” and dropping a bomb from high altitude only exacerbates the inaccuracy of such weapons.

“However, tens or hundreds of aerial bombs may be sufficient to hit a large target, such as a gas storage facility or an air base (…) This type of mass threat will force the Russians (…) to commit disproportionately resources for countermeasures,” the publication summarizes.

Forbes does not provide any comments from the Ukrainian side, even from anonymous sources, that would confirm, explain or refute the use of such a weapon by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.