Israel to fly huge reconnaissance balloon on Lebanon borders

JERUSALEM

Israel is preparing to launch a huge missile-detecting and reconnaissance balloon to tackle threats on its northern borders with Lebanon, according to the country’s defense ministry on Wednesday.

A ministry statement described the balloon as the largest in the world, which will provide additional early warning capabilities against aerial and ground threats.

"It will provide additional detection and early warning capabilities to the existing operational air defense detection array deployed around Israel," the ministry said.

The statement said the balloon will be deployed at high altitude to detect incoming missiles' threats.

The location where the balloon will be flown, however, was not identified.

According to the statement, the aerostat was developed in cooperation between the Israel Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency.

Israeli Air Force chief Amikam Norkin said the balloon will “enable us to build a more accurate and broader air surveillance picture.”

Israel possesses a variety of short, medium- and long-range air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, designed to shoot down short-range rockets and drones, the Arrow system, which intercepts ballistic missiles outside of the Earth’s atmosphere and the David’s Sling missile defense system that is designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara