MINSK. Aug 15 (Interfax) - Poland will deploy balloons to its border with Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad region to detect low-flying targets, the Polon.pl website reported, citing the Polish Defense Ministry.
"The national defense ministry has shown where Polish 'Barbara' balloons could potentially be placed to detect low-flying targets at long range. In total, up to four balloons are expected to be ordered and deployed on the country's eastern and northeastern borders," the website said.
"Thanks to a tethered radar and being 'tied' to an altitude of several kilometers, [the balloons] will be able to detect low observable targets such as helicopters or small aircraft within a range upwards of 300 kilometers," the website said. At the same time, applying this solution to the radar horizon problem caused by the earth's curvature is considerably cheaper than using aircraft and helicopters, it said. In addition, aerostats ensure nonstop radar observation.
One of the balloons, which Poland sent to the United States as part of a Request for Information procedure, will monitor a district in Kaliningrad and part of the Baltic Sea, the website said.
"According to the plans submitted, the first structures will be built within 14 months after the contract is signed, and reach initial operational readiness by 2025," it said. Potential suppliers of the radar equipment include Lockheed Martin, Textron and Northrop Grumman.