China deployed missile detection system on balloons: data from space

In 2015, reports emerged that China was testing a missile detection system deployed on helium-filled balloons. In the same year, the United States abandoned similar developments after the military for several hours "chased" the apparatus that had lost control until it crashed to the ground. As a result, Beijing has thus far managed to get ahead in this segment of defense.

Above are only satellites

China has built a new hot air balloon base in the northeastern port city of Dalian as part of [building] its early warning missile attack system

- about this edition Kyodo News said Japanese military expert Saburo Tanaka, pointing out that it has no analogues in world practice.

In support of his claim, he cites a photograph taken from space showing a balloon about 50 meters long on the runway. According to him, the base on which he is located is designed to monitor the Korean Peninsula and US military installations in Japan. Earlier, in 2019, a similar balloon was already recorded, being located at one of the PRC military bases on the disputed Spratly archipelago.

Tanaka believes the new system can effectively track missile movements at low altitudes. The balloon flight altitude ranges from 20 to 100 km. The observation of the airspace should be carried out thanks to the radar and infrared cameras located on board.

Unlike airplanes, which rarely visit the upper atmosphere, the balloon can always be in them. At this altitude, he "has excellent stealth performance, as well as high intelligence potential": above are only artificial satellites, which are much more expensive.

Low altitude will not hide from the balloon

It [the balloon] is the oldest aircraft used for military purposes. But modern helium balloons have nothing to do with their ancestors with hot air or hydrogen.

- writes the French edition Meta Defense, indicating that balloons today are able to reach the upper layers of the mesosphere, they are fully automated, have a huge range, can be powered by solar panels and, as a result, stay in flight for several weeks. Aircraft, requiring constant refueling, do not have such capabilities.

As Meta-defense explains, the field of view of the balloon at an altitude of 50 km is several tens of thousands of square meters. km. At the same time, it will not be possible to hide from him, even the means of destruction that go at low altitude, hiding behind the terrain from ground and sea radars.

Their [balloons] are very difficult to eliminate [due to flight altitude], which is not the case with early warning aircraft or ground-based radars, which, in the event of a conflict, will be the first targets destroyed.

- believes Meta-defense, positively assessing the deployment in China of a new missile detection system.

Comments

[V1er]

Cool idea. In the same way, you can conduct reconnaissance not only for missiles and aircraft, but also for land and sea.

[times]

Quote: V1er

Cool idea. In the same way, you can conduct reconnaissance not only for missiles and aircraft, but also for land, sea

The idea is not new. It is not clear only why it is not being developed in our country.

[Svarog]

Quote: mal

Quote: V1er

Cool idea. In the same way, you can conduct reconnaissance not only for missiles and aircraft, but also for land, sea

The idea is not new. It is not clear only why it is not being developed in our country.

A year before the Olympics in Sochi, they rang through all channels that they were planning to release it in Ulyanovsk .. I even went to the site, wanted to buy shares .. But as always, everything turned out to be a profanation.

[NDR-791]

I would not say that profanity. I was not in Sochi at the Olympics, but my acquaintances were there to provide biathletes. And there are pictures from places where not everyone is allowed. And the balloons (even close-up) and the S-300 at high-rise buildings are all in those pictures. I could have thrown here, yes, pictures at home, and I'm at work

[Svarog]

Quote: NDR-791

I would not say that profanity. I was not in Sochi at the Olympics, but my acquaintances were there to provide biathletes. And there are pictures from places where not everyone is allowed. And the balloons and the S-300 at high-rise buildings are all in those pictures. I could have thrown here, yes, pictures at home, and I'm at work

It was about our own production. I did not say that there were no balloons in Sochi, I said that they were planning to produce them in Ulyanovka. I don’t know where they came from in Sochi, maybe they bought it over the hill, but in Ulyanovsk they planned to release supposedly super advanced balloons .. and they planned to raise money partially through the sale of shares, where any individual could buy them. But the site quickly stopped working, or the money was not found, or, on the contrary, it was found and "mastered"

[NDR-791]

In this vein ... Perhaps. Although there were definitely developments. But whether it came to production I do not know. What a damn shaggy year ...

[Svarog]

In this vein ... Perhaps. Although there were definitely developments.

As far as I know, we produce balloons somewhere .. but according to those "shaggy" developments .. Where the gas quickly disappears and the balloon has a high resistance to the wind. The trick of the new developments was allegedly that these two problems were partially solved. It was planned to reduce the gas leakage due to the ultra-light and dense "nano" material, and to make the resistance lower, due to the new streamlined shape .. But everything ended with us as usual. In general, in my opinion, when solving two key problems (resistance and gas leakage), balloons would be in great demand and not only in the military sphere. Cargo transportation, passenger transportation .. in general, the topic is good and interesting.

[Reviews]

Quote: Svarog

As far as I know, we produce balloons somewhere .. but according to those "shaggy" designs ..

Yes, it seems, only "Augur" does something.

not only in the military sphere. Cargo transportation, passenger transportation ..

Transportation - "ett is unlikely ...". Tourism "from a bird's eye view" - probably.

[askort154]

Svarog..... The gas leak was planned to be reduced due to the ultra-light and dense "nano" material, ...

And who is engaged in "nano" materials? Chubais! Therefore, it is not gas that is leaking through these "nano materials", but billions of rubles, instead of balloons.

[tralflot1832]

I work in the olimppark. When mass events 2 such things as in your photo hang in the sky. An extreme case of application is the Formula 1 stage.

[_Sergei_]

Made here and in Kurgan

[Sling cutter]

Quote: mal

The idea is not new. It is not clear only why it is not being developed in our country.

Because in 2020 we were supposed to have 25 million new high-tech jobs and an average salary of $ 1400. All around the gibberish, cut and rollback.

[_Sergei_]

Even 8 years ago, at our plant (a branch of the Uralvagon plant), they cooked handoles for our balloons, then four-axle Kamaz trucks came and took them somewhere, where they installed the equipment.

[Reviews]

Quote: _Sergey_

Even 8 years ago, at our plant (a branch of the Uralvagon plant), they cooked handoles for our balloons, then four-axle Kamaz trucks came and took them somewhere, where they installed the equipment.

"Gondolas".
"Cooked"? Are they not duralumin and / or not composite?

[_Sergei_]

And duralumin, by the way, is cooked in argon. In general, their weight was about 14 tons. I think that it is not duralumin.

[Reviews]

Quote: _Sergey_

And duralumin, by the way, is cooked in argon.

I know. But where can one get such cameras so that a hefty structure would fit in entirely?

In general, their weight was about 14 tons.

It's impossible. The largest Russian airship has a takeoff weight of less than 5 tons. The largest airship in the world has Mvzl. 8 tons. It was anything but airship gondolas.

[_Sergei_]

Because of the mass of this cabin, a 4-axle Kamaz arrived.

[Reviews]

Quote: _Sergey_

Because of the mass of this cabin, a 4-axle Kamaz arrived.

In general, this is not an aeronautical gondola. The passenger space on the 100-seat R-100 weighed about 10 tons. With such an average weight of ~ 100kg / 1 pass, "Your" gondola should accommodate more than 150 passengers, and this is not taking into account the improvement of construction materials. What modern airship takes on board> 150 passengers?

[_Sergei_]

Everything, I'm sorry. I screwed up. This pribluda weighs 30 tons and is a mooring for an airship. In short, it stands on the ground. I ran to a specialist who took part in the manufacture.

[Reviews]

Quote: _Sergey_

Everything, I'm sorry. I screwed up. This pribluda weighs 30 tons and is a mooring for an airship. In short, it stands on the ground. I ran to a specialist who took part in the manufacture.

Like this, only stationary?

[for]

But where can we get such cameras so that a hefty structure would fit in there entirely?

Argon is fed to the place of welding, "torch".

[Reviews]

Quote: for

But where can we get such cameras so that a hefty structure would fit in there entirely?

Argon is fed to the place of welding, "torch".

Thank you.

[Bshkaus]

I agree with Tsiolkovsky that the topic of balloons has not yet been disclosed and this type of aircraft has the future for the transportation of super-heavy and oversized cargo, as well as the creation of long-term stratospheric stations for various purposes, incl. inhabited

[Doccor18]

They [balloons] are very difficult to eliminate [due to flight altitude],

And what is the difficulty?
Satellites have learned to shoot down, ICBMs are trying to shoot down ... Will there be difficulties with balloons?

[V1er]

Satellites have learned to shoot down, ICBMs are trying to shoot down ... Will there be difficulties with balloons?

I think the difficulty is that you can shoot it down with an expensive anti-satellite missile. Not many countries have such technologies. A rebel in slippers or a small country will no longer be able to do anything with a balloon. Most likely it is still difficult to detect. There is also a political moment, the use of such weapons against another country.

[NDR-791]

In general, there is no reason to shoot him down. Shoot down what he is tied to the ground and that's it. That is, a normal strike on a ground target.

[Doccor18]

Not many countries have such technologies.

The USA and Japan possess such technologies. R. Korei, if necessary, they will be transferred ...
Regarding the expensive anti-satellite missile ... and the balloon, it seems, is not cheap ...

[Piramidon]

Quote: V1er

A rebel in slippers or a small country can no longer do anything with a balloon

Well, the balloons are not made to protect against "insurgents in sneakers."

[donavi49]

Most missiles will not reach altitude. For example, the main missile of the Japanese Navy, the ESSM, provides a launch hemisphere of 50 km. That is, the entire fleet falls off - only Congo + Atago with heavy standards remain. And not everything is so simple there. Ordinary will not reach or will reach with minimal distance. Anti-ICBMs will only be sure.

[The popuas]

This is such a sprn for the Chinese ...!

[set of sets]

“In the same year, the United States abandoned similar developments after the military for several hours“ chased ”the apparatus that had lost control until it crashed to the ground.

Apparently, they believe that the future belongs to solar-powered drones.

[Avior]

a copy of the American airship for the same purposes, which they made for a long time ..
it looks like the Chinese are simply copying as much as the States can, without admitting doubts.

[Reviews]

Quote: Avior

a copy of the American airship for the same purposes, which they made for a long time ..
it looks like the Chinese are simply copying as much as the States can, without admitting doubts.

What is the "copy" then? In the shape of? Well, this form has been invented for 90 years.

Only in the picture is a tethered balloon, not an airship.
Americans experimented with it back in the 1970s. Now they use it quite regularly on the Mexican border - they track drug planes.

[Avior]

in form, appointment and attempt to adopt.

[Reviews]

Quote: Avior

appointment

:)
Observation balloons have been in use since the XNUMXth century, there is nothing to copy. :)

[Avior]

it is an airship, not a balloon.
If you know about the use of missile defense airships with radar and infrared cameras in the 19th century, do not torment, give a link

[Reviews]

Quote: Avior

it is an airship, not a balloon.

Chiivoo ??! Open your eyes.

If you know about the use of missile defense airships with radar and infrared cameras in the 19th century, do not torment, give a link

I did not say about air defense, infrared and radar, read carefully. I said about observation. And what technical means are used to observe this question is different, but it is not required to "copy" it either - technical means are added naturally as the scientific and technical progress progresses.

[Free wind]

As I understand it, the stratospray is autonomous, I can hardly imagine a 100-kilometer cable, and how much it will weigh.

[Mimoprohodil]

The Chinese device does not seem to fly higher than 10 km, and in general, the record for the altitude of the stratostrath is about 50 km

[Reviews]

Quote: Mimoprohodil

The Chinese device does not fly above 10 km.

Most likely, even lower - the stretching system is not visible, and even a modern shell is unlikely to be stretchable enough to do without the stretching system.

[Escobar]

Well done Chinese, they think ahead. All hundreds of kilometers of the maximum range of destruction of the air defense system is reset to zero when they deal with low-flying targets, hidden behind the radio horizon, terrain and TD. And so, good value for money, this is not a radar observation aircraft with a cost of an hour of flight in hundreds of thousands of our rubles (although you do not need to refuse them either), but they hang constantly, as they say, "they don't ask for food. And in coastal defense, you can use them for target designation with long-range anti-ship missiles. And then that 95rts is just a huge clumsy target in modern realities.

[dgonni]

That's what I like about VO so it is with comments, Just recently, Mitrofanov gave a sensible assessment of stratospheric UAVs and balloons (https://topwar.ru/177245-najti-avianosec-vzgljad-iz-stratosfery.html#comment-id-10986606), with their advantages and disadvantages and immediate perspectives. Duc in his comments with slippers thrown to say it's all bullshit, lies and provocations. They say it will not take off, but if it takes off then it is very low and not promising. And then China appears with its bubbles and comments in a completely different direction.
All the same, we always have, as in that saying, there is no prophet in our own country!

[Kostadinov]

Aerostats were used in World War II for observation and anti-aircraft barriers, and the Japanese also as intercontinental bombers.
Now, with the development of technology, they will have incomparable capabilities - for example, they will hang guided weapons.

[Reviews]

Quote: Kostadinov

Aerostats were used in WWII for surveillance

From the middle of the XNUMXth century. And for air defense - with PMV.

[Crash]

The flight altitude of the balloon is from 20 to 100 km

Um ... an airship in space?