The US military plans to deploy 200-300 high-altitude balloons at a time in a future conflict in Europe. This was stated by Brigadier General Stephen Carpenter, commander of Multi-Domain Command-Europe, to The War Zone during the Association of the American Army conference in Washington.
According to him, hundreds or even thousands of balloons could be sent east to the European theater. They will perform various tasks - from reconnaissance and transmission of communications to misleading enemy air defenses, electronic intelligence and electronic attack.
„We want to saturate the stratosphere with high-altitude balloons – "200, 300 at a time," Carpenter said.Some of the platforms will also be able to carry air-launched drones. According to the general, they can be used to attack targets of varying sizes and degrees of protection - from missile defense radars to the missile complexes themselves.
Network in case of satellite outage
The US military is also considering balloons as a means of maintaining communications if satellite systems are jammed or disabled. Many of the platforms will carry Link 16 - a standard NATO system for exchanging tactical information in real time.
The balloons will operate at an altitude of about 60,000 to 80,000 feet. At these levels, they can provide a wide view for radars and cameras, remaining a difficult target for most air defenses. Modern models can stay in the air for days, weeks, or months, and by changing altitude they can maintain an approximate position.
The US military has already used groups of high-altitude balloons in operations by the Central Command in the Middle East. Army spokesman Andrew Evans told Breaking Defense that the systems were effective for their assigned tasks, but he did not disclose exactly where and in what scenarios they were used.
Ukraine is already using balloons against Russia
The experience of the war in Ukraine is among the reasons why the US military considers balloons as a real tool, and not just an experimental technology. Ukrainian forces use them for reconnaissance, as decoys for Russian air defenses, and as drone carriers.
In May 2026, a U.S. Hornet drone was shown launched from a Ukrainian balloon. According to Defense News, the balloon carried the drone dozens of miles and released it at an altitude of over 26,000 feet, which could significantly increase its range. Ukrainian officials say balloons have already been used for deeper strikes on Russian territory.
In the same conflict, Russia has used balloons with radar reflectors to confuse Ukrainian air defenses and force them to spend more expensive missiles on cheap air targets.
Tests and training in Europe
U.S. military personnel have already tested microballoons over the Baltic region. On May 9, 2026, they were launched from Sweden as part of the Sword 26 and Aurora 26 exercises. The platforms flew at an altitude of between 60,000 and 70,000 feet for about 12 hours and carried experimental intelligence and communications equipment.
To deploy the system on a large scale, the military would need to secure additional funding, manufacturing capacity and balloons in Europe well before a potential crisis. Carpenter said that if the transition to military mode were to occur quickly, preparations would need to begin before the crisis escalated into war.
Sources: twz.com, defensenews.com, breakingdefense.com