Poland has secured a contract for the procurement of Barbara aerostats, which will be used for border surveillance with Russia and Belarus, according to the Polish Ministry of Defense website.
The Polish government has decided to procure four reconnaissance aerostats named Barbara, with an estimated cost of $960 million. They will be deployed along the eastern and northeastern borders of Poland.
According to the Polish Ministry of Defense, the Barbara aerostats are capable of detecting missiles, aircraft, drones, and surface vessels within a radius of over 300 km. Poland will be the first country in Europe to acquire such reconnaissance aerostats.
Poland sent a request to the US for the procurement of aerostats back in 2023, and it was only approved by the State Department in February 2024.
The aerostats contain radars for scanning the airspace and ground surface, onboard early warning radars capable of identifying friend or foe, as well as corresponding ground control systems.
They have advantages over manned aircraft, including longer airborne endurance and the absence of a crew on board.
Polish-Belarusian border
Belarus continues to escalate the situation on the border with Poland, often utilizing migrants or military exercises for this purpose. Recently, Polish border guards intercepted a group of 220 foreigners attempting to cross the border from Belarus.