Multi-Domain Command-Europe soldiers work with vendors to launch Micro High Altitude Balloons (HABs) during Arcane Thunder 26 at the National Training Center, Calif., April, 21, 2026. (Victoria Connell/ U.S. Army)
The U.S. Army this month will send a high-altitude balloon over the Baltic region in a test of what military planners see as a relatively affordable way to expand surveillance capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank.
U.S. soldiers with Wiesbaden, Germany-based Multi-Domain Command-Europe will launch a micro high-altitude balloon from Sweden, with the mission concluding in Latvia following roughly 30 hours of flight, the command said in a statement Friday.
Such balloons can operate between 60,000 and 70,000 feet and are viewed as a relatively affordable tool for conducting reconnaissance operations.
The trial run lets soldiers experiment with emerging technologies while working closely with NATO allies, said Col. Jeffrey Pickler, the command’s leader.
“Testing capabilities like high-altitude platforms helps us better understand how these technologies operate and how they might contribute to future operations in support of regional security,” Pickler said.
The Army didn’t specify the date for the operation but said it would happen in early May. The effort also supports the Army’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, which seeks to develop an array of ways to secure NATO’s eastern edges.
The training comes three years after a Chinese surveillance balloon traversed the continental United States before an Air Force fighter jet shot it down off the South Carolina coast.
The situation sparked a diplomatic crisis between Washington and Beijing. It also showed how high-flying balloons that can linger over areas for extended periods can be valuable spying tools.
In the Baltics, there also has been a surge in aerial incursions from balloons linked to Belarus.
Over the past year, Lithuanian authorities have complained about repeated instances in which balloons have drifted into the country’s airspace from its Russia-allied neighbor.
Lithuanian officials have described the incidents as gray-zone tactics designed to stir up trouble while stopping short of direct military confrontation.
The balloon incursions have smuggled contraband into Lithuania and also forced shutdowns of the country’s main airport because of related security concerns.
