Israel To Use High-Tech Reconnaissance Balloon to Help IDF in Intercepting Missiles

The Jewish state came under attack from a barrage of rockets coming mostly from the territory of the Gaza Strip in May 2021. The brief scuffle with Hamas resulted in several civilian casualties in Israel, when its defence system failed to respond to the threat properly.

Israel has launched its first advanced aerial surveillance balloon equipped with the Elevated Sensor (ES) system, which allows the country's air defence to receive an early warning about advanced aerial threats such as missiles and drones. The balloon, also known as the High Availability Aerostat System (HAAS), was launched by the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) in the country's north, according to a statement from the Defence Ministry.

הצצה ראשונה למערכת "טל שמיים" שהוצבה באתר ייעודי בצפון הארץ ותהווה מרכיב משמעותי בחיזוק ההגנה על גבולות המדינה:https://t.co/xPH7q5WKNw

— משרד הביטחון (@MoDIsrael) November 3, 2021

The HAAS itself was developed by the American company TCOM, which specialises on aerial surveillance.

"In several flight tests conducted in recent months, we have demonstrated the outstanding capabilities of Israel’s multi-tier missile defense, including against cruise missiles," IMDO Director, Moshe Patel, commented on HAAS' launch.

The balloon will hover at a great altitude and scan the airspace around it in all directions for potential threats, relaying information to air defence and filling in any holes existing in the ground-based radars. It will also allow Israeli air defence to detect threats from greater distances.

"The ES system will be a significant component in strengthening our capabilities to defend the country's borders against a variety of threats and will enable us to build a more accurate and broader air surveillance picture," Israeli Air Force Commander, Amikam Norkin, said.

Israel has a multi-layered air defence system: the Iron Dome that protects the country from short-ranged rockets and missiles; David’s Sling that intercepts medium-range threats; and the Arrow system that takes down long-range ballistic missiles. The Iron Dome is Israel's primary defence against day-to-day threats as most of them come from neighbouring territories – Gaza Strip and, according to Tel Aviv's claims, Syria.

The Iron Dome intercepted hundreds of rockets during the May 2021 war between Israel and Gaza-based groups, such as Hamas. Some of the projectiles either made it to their targets or were intercepted too late and above inhabited areas resulting in several civilian casualties.