Britain’s Ministry of Defence is considering buying several reconnaissance balloons for surveillance of “hostile states”. The Times reported on Tuesday that last year British authorities signed a £100 million ($120 million) agreement with the U.S. company Sierra Nevada Corporation to develop stratospheric unmanned aerial systems.
The publication noted that the work in this direction is carried out in the framework of the British Ministry of Defense project called Aether. The reconnaissance balloons can fly at an altitude of 15-24km. The UK government has confirmed its interest in acquiring them after test flights over Page, Arizona, in autumn 2022.
A 60-day test flight of the vehicle is expected this year. However, as highlighted by The Times, the British military is also looking at investing in the development of conventional drones that could operate in the stratosphere.
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