ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US-led coalition on Monday redeployed its Aerostat surveillance balloon over Erbil after keeping it grounded for more than 15 days, an unnamed security source told Rudaw, to monitor security near Erbil International Airport surrounding airspace.
The security source told Rudaw's Taha Mustafa on Monday that the balloon was relaunched at 3:30 pm (local time) on Monday, for security surveillance purposes. The source said it was not yet clear when the balloon would be brought down.
The balloon, which serves as a radar for the US Patriot anti-missile system, was first deployed over Erbil in early May and was brought down earlier this month during a surprise 72-hour defense system pullout when the United States swiftly relocated eight Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries to Jordan, while Britain transferred its Rapid Sentry system to Cyprus. No reason was given at the time for lowering the balloon.
The redeployment of the surveillance system comes as security monitoring remains a key concern for Erbil International Airport and the surrounding airspace.
Aerial surveillance and observation capabilities
The Persistent Surveillance System - Tethered (PSS-T) aerostat is equipped with advanced day-and-night surveillance cameras capable of providing 360-degree coverage over a range of 50 kilometers which can detect aerial objects and short range projectiles, the source told Rudaw.
The balloon has previously been deployed at US military bases, including in Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province and K-1 base in Kirkuk province, the source said.
Regarding the PSS-T system, the source added that the balloons can raise electronic equipment several thousand feet above military bases, dispersed forces and convoys. The system is designed to provide early warning against aerial threats and enhance security surveillance without the deployment of ground forces.
NASC, the company responsible for the system, has supported the PSS-T for the US Department of Defense and other organizations since 2010. It has overseen the engineering, procurement, assembly, testing and deployment of 60 PSS-T balloon systems outside the US, supported by more than 400 personnel.
The company has overseen PSS-T operations since 2010, deployed 60 balloon systems and more than 400 personnel outside the US and trained more than 1,800 personnel. The system has also recorded more than one million hours of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in the Kurdistan Region and helped identify more than 5,000 significant security incidents and activities, the source told Rudaw.
Operators continuously conduct tactical surveillance and provide military commanders with recommendations for developing the system. NASC’s technical teams also integrate advanced sensors with the balloons and provide upgrades and technical improvements.
