[Khaama (Afghanistan)] Floating silently above the city, brilliant white balloons with precision cameras stand watch here, silent guardians of the sky. Officially known as Aerostats, the balloons serve as sentinels protecting the people below.The balloons have a high-performance camera, providing 360-degree views around the city. The camera’s night vision capabilities, coupled with the simplicity of the helium-operated system, allow it to patrol 24 hours a day. With multiple sites around Kabul
...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title
Most Evil Man in the Worldand didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either....
, the Aerostats monitor the entire city for danger.
The Afghan National Army’s Aerostat training school at Sia Sang National Military Intelligence Center here has focused on training select service members to operate the balloons with the support of coalition contractors. The school has trained dozens of students so far, with more waiting to attend. Only the most experienced and proven soldiers get to attend the 40-day school, and they consider it an honor to be part of one of the teams.
| Better pay, prestige, less chance of being shot, and Fatima gets to lord it over the other wives in the neighborhood. What's not to like? |
"The cost is minimal," the school’s commander said, "when it comes to protecting the lives of our citizens below."
Not just a training center, the Sia Sang center is also an effective part of the integrated intelligence system throughout the city. Several months ago, the site observed murderous Moslems moving rockets into the city. The team on watch was able to coordinate with the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police, allowing them to arrest the murderous Moslems and prevent an attack.
The current watch captain, an infantry officer, understands the intelligence value Aerostats bring.
"Our balloons are very effective for the Afghan National Army. If you use it in the right way, you can do the job of 1,500 soldiers on the ground," he said.
At another site on Kabul’s outskirts, the team is tied into the Kabul surveillance network, but also provides security for key government officials working to rebuild the country.
The video feed from each ANA-operated Aerostat is sent directly to the Ministry of Defense where teams of trained personnel provide additional monitoring. The goal is to prevent violence before it occurs. The MoD command center has integrated the video from the Aerostats as a critical component of its daily watch plan.
Lt. Col. Steven Tingley, director of Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance ‐ Capability Integration Cell of Combined Security Transition Command ‐ Afghanistan, stressed the importance of Afghan forces taking responsibility for controlling and maintaining the balloons. ISR-CIC is the directorate responsible for facilitating the Aerostat program for the ANA.
"CSTC-A’s mission is to train and equip the ANA so they are able to provide and sustain their own security to the country. These Aerostats are an excellent and cost-effective way to provide that," Tingley said. "Aerostats are not just important for counter-insurgency, but also provide an excellent platform to monitor criminal activity and allow the police to catch criminals in Kabul."
An executive officer of the one of the sites praised the value of the balloon.
"These balloons are very important to the ANA and Afghanistan," he said. "We appreciate the foreign assistance that has allowed us to purchase and learn to operate the Aerostats. We have hope that the assistance will continue so we can keep protecting our citizens for many years to come."