Blimps used to spy on Taliban

Daily Mail:

They may look like something from the days of the Second World War, but barrage balloons have found a new, high-tech role helping British troops in Afghanistan.

The 60ft-long drones are being deployed as hugely effective ‘spies in the sky’ to snare Taliban fighters before they mount attacks on British troops.

Bristling with sophisticated cameras, radar and electronic listening devices, the large, unmanned balloons – tethered at over 2,000ft – send live film footage of enemy activity day and night to forward operating bases and eavesdrop on insurgents’ mobile phone and radio calls from several miles away.

The voice patterns of Taliban suspects may then be forwarded to the GCHQ listening centre at Cheltenham to identify Taliban commanders from those recorded earlier.

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They have proved an invaluable tool in preventing the Taliban laying roadside bombs – and attempts by the insurgents to shoot them down have failed as the ­aerostats are flown well out of their range.

Officially designated a ‘Persistent Threat Detection System’, the airships are having a significant impact on Taliban activity.

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There is more about the way the data is sorted and used. I think the official designation is an accurate description of how the system works. Unlike drones such as a Predator, the blimp can stay on station indefinitely and does not need to land and refuel. Its disadvantage is that it is not a mobile system like the Predators. The persistence of the blimp data collection is a real force multiplier. It would take hundreds of troops to try to collect the same info with patrolling where they would be subject to ambush and attack. Here is a graphic showing how the system works.