{"id":27866476,"date":"2026-10-13T09:58:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T07:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/us-army-high-altitude-balloon-swarms-centcom-middle-east-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T09:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T07:59:09","slug":"us-army-high-altitude-balloon-swarms-centcom-middle-east-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/us-army-high-altitude-balloon-swarms-centcom-middle-east-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Army Balloon Swarms: Dozens Flew for CENTCOM in the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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It never happened. The balloons went to the Middle East instead, and they went to work.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Andrew Evans, director of the Strategy &amp; Transformation Office in the Army's intelligence staff (G-2), told Breaking Defense on 12 October that the service was \"asked to pivot and do some experimentation in combination with operations.\" The balloons supported US Central Command, the headquarters running the war with Iran. Evans would not say where they flew or what they did.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>He did say how many. \"From a scale perspective, we went from one to two to dozens simultaneously.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f6f8;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:26px 0\">\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts: Army Balloon Swarms<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Disclosed:<\/strong> 12 October 2026, at the AUSA annual meeting<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Who:<\/strong> Army G-2 Strategy &amp; Transformation Office, director Andrew Evans<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Original plan:<\/strong> Swarm demo of 100 to 200 balloons in the Indo-Pacific in 2026<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>What happened:<\/strong> Demo scrubbed; \"dozens\" of balloons flown to support CENTCOM<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Where:<\/strong> Not disclosed<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Verdict:<\/strong> \"Effective for the mission that they were assigned\"<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"margin:3px 0;font-size:15px\"><strong>Next step:<\/strong> No decision between balloons, solar gliders or pseudo-satellites<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Exercise That Became an Operation<\/h2>\r\n<p>The original plan was ambitious. In August 2025, Breaking Defense reported that Evans's office, working with the Army's 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force, wanted to launch more than 100 high-altitude balloons over Indo-Pacific waters in 2026. By November the target had grown to about 200, under an experiment called SWARMS, short for Swarming Worldwide Autonomous Reconnaissance in the Multi-domain System, with launches in waves from islands and ships within 1,000 miles of Hawaii. NORAD had offered to track the swarm on its radars to see what an adversary's balloons might look like.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Then the Iran war intervened. Instead of a scripted demo, the Army sent smaller swarms into a live theatre. \"They were effective for the mission that they were assigned,\" Evans said, though he could not describe the missions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Stratospheric balloons ride at altitudes far above airliners and most air defences. They can carry cameras, signals-intelligence receivers or radio relays, and they cost a tiny fraction of a satellite or a long-endurance drone. Steering is the hard part: modern balloons change altitude to catch winds blowing in the direction they want to go.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;We were asked to pivot and do some experimentation in combination with operations, and we pivoted and supported operations in CENTCOM.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Andrew Evans<\/strong> &mdash; Director, Strategy &amp; Transformation Office, Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2), to Breaking Defense, 12 October 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/us-army-high-altitude-balloon-helium-fill-orient-shield-26.jpg\" alt=\"US Army soldiers fill a micro high-altitude balloon with helium during Orient Shield 26\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Soldiers of the 3d Multi-Domain Task Force check helium fittings before launching a micro high-altitude balloon in Hokkaido, Japan, during Exercise Orient Shield 26 in September 2026. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Steve Asfall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Three Lessons From a War Zone<\/h2>\r\n<p>Evans described three problems the swarms exposed. The first was logistics: getting balloons and their gas into the Middle East and storing them. \"Balloons can be a little finicky in terms of temperature, and you have to contend with environmental characteristics,\" he said, which matters in Middle Eastern heat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The second was people. Vendors helped a great deal, Evans said, but the military had to stay in the \"driver's seat\" during real operations, and \"there's just not a lot of folks that are trained on how to operate it.\" The Army now has to decide which skills it must own and which it can buy as a service.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The third was airspace. Evans did not go into detail, but sharing the sky with fighters, tankers, drones and airliners is a known headache for anything that drifts with the wind. He called it \"not a new finding\" but \"a consistent observation.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Balloon, Glider or Pseudo-Satellite?<\/h2>\r\n<p>The Army is now sure it wants eyes and ears in the stratosphere. It is not sure what should carry them. \"Would it be a balloon? Would it be a solar glider? Would it be some sort of pseudo satellite?\" Evans asked. \"It's unclear. No decision has been made.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Each option has its fans. Balloons are cheap and can be launched in large numbers. Solar-powered gliders and other high-altitude pseudo-satellites are built to stay aloft for weeks at a time and hold position better. All of them offer something drones and satellites struggle to provide: persistent coverage that is cheap enough to lose.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>The irony will not be lost on anyone who remembers February 2023, when a Chinese balloon drifted across the United States and an <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-22-raptor\/\">F-22 Raptor<\/a> shot it down off South Carolina. The technology Washington called a spy balloon then is now one the Army has flown into a war of its own.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0 8px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tRF6O1vi8HY\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin:6px 0 24px;font-style:italic\">The Wall Street Journal explains how high-altitude balloons became an aerial surveillance tool.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Breaking Defense (12 October 2026, August 2025 and November 2025); The War Zone; U.S. Army \/ DVIDS.<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Did the US Army use balloon swarms in the Middle East?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. On 12 October 2026 Andrew Evans of the Army G-2 told Breaking Defense that the Army sent swarms of high-altitude balloons, \"dozens simultaneously\", to support US Central Command operations. He did not say where they flew or what missions they performed.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What was the Army SWARMS balloon experiment?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">SWARMS stands for Swarming Worldwide Autonomous Reconnaissance in the Multi-domain System. It was a planned 2026 Army demonstration of 100 to 200 autonomous high-altitude balloons over Indo-Pacific waters near Hawaii. The demo was scrubbed and the balloons were sent to the Middle East instead.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What problems did the Army find with balloon swarms?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Andrew Evans named three: the logistics of transporting and storing temperature-sensitive balloons in the Middle East, a shortage of trained operators and questions over what the military must own versus buy from vendors, and the challenge of airspace control alongside crewed and uncrewed aircraft.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why does the military use high-altitude balloons?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">High-altitude balloons fly far above airliners and most air defences and can carry cameras, signals receivers or communications relays. They cost a small fraction of a satellite or long-endurance drone and can be launched in large numbers, giving persistent coverage that is cheap enough to lose.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Will the Army buy balloons, solar gliders or pseudo-satellites?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No decision has been made. Andrew Evans said the Army is confident it needs stratospheric sensing but is unsure whether it should come from balloons, solar gliders or high-altitude pseudo-satellites.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Did the US Army use balloon swarms in the Middle East?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. On 12 October 2026 Andrew Evans of the Army G-2 told Breaking Defense that the Army sent swarms of high-altitude balloons, \\\"dozens simultaneously\\\", to support US Central Command operations. He did not say where they flew or what missions they performed.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What was the Army SWARMS balloon experiment?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"SWARMS stands for Swarming Worldwide Autonomous Reconnaissance in the Multi-domain System. It was a planned 2026 Army demonstration of 100 to 200 autonomous high-altitude balloons over Indo-Pacific waters near Hawaii. 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Andrew Evans said the Army is confident it needs stratospheric sensing but is unsure whether it should come from balloons, solar gliders or high-altitude pseudo-satellites.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/vilnius-airport-balloons-belarus-hybrid-attack-september-2026\/\">Vilnius Airport Shut by Balloons: NATO Confirms a Hybrid Uptick<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/global-hawk-vs-mq-4c-triton-why-the-navy-built-its-own\/\">Global Hawk and Triton: Why the Navy Built Its Own<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/spy-planes-flightradar24-ads-b-mlat-rc-135-global-hawk-tracking\/\">Spy Planes on Flightradar24: How ADS-B Tracking Exposes the RC-135<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story The US Army had planned to fill the sky over the Pacific with more than a hundred high-altitude balloons this year, the biggest balloon swarm experiment it had ever tried. It never happened. The balloons went to the Middle East instead, and they went to work. Andrew Evans, director of the Strategy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":27866411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27866476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Army Balloon Swarms Flew for CENTCOM in the Middle East | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The US Army scrapped a 200-balloon Pacific demo and sent dozens of high-altitude balloons to support CENTCOM. 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