Poland acquires Barbara reconnaissance aerostats from the US to strengthen its air defence
Poland has signed a contract to purchase Barbara balloons from the United States, which will be used to monitor the airspace where it borders Russia and Belarus.
This is reported by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Poland, Censor.NET informs.
As noted, the contract is worth $960 million.
The balloons will help the air defense system detect missiles, aircraft, drones and surface vessels within a radius of more than 300 kilometres.
The purchase was made through a loan from the US government under the Foreign Military Financing procedure.
It is noted that the devices will be deployed on the eastern and northeastern border of Poland.
During a speech in the Sejm on Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that the experience of the war in Ukraine shows the importance of radar reconnaissance and detection of air targets.
He added that Poland will be the second country in the world to use these balloons after the United States.
What is known about Barbara balloons?
Barbara's balloons are equipped with radars that scan the airspace and ground surface, on-board early warning radars with the ability to identify "friend or foe" objects, and ground control systems.
One of the main advantages of balloons compared to manned aircraft is the ability to stay in the sky for longer periods of time and without a crew on board.
