A US surveillance balloon was hit over Al-Harir base; a source reveals the details.
A US surveillance balloon was hit over Al-Harir base; a source reveals the details.
9-2-2026
Information/Erbil…
A security source revealed on Wednesday that a vital target at a US forces’ position near Erbil was struck early this morning. The source indicated that the target was a US military surveillance and reconnaissance balloon.
Speaking to Al-Maalomah, the source explained that “a single-pilot drone struck the US Aerostats balloon above Erbil Airport at Harir Air Base. The balloon, a PSS-T model, is tethered to the ground by a cable connected to a ground station.”
The source added that “the balloon carries a range of sensors, most notably electro-optical and EO/IR cameras, enabling it to monitor targets day and night and provide a wide, continuous image of the surrounding area.” The source further explained that “the data it collects is used for force protection operations, monitoring ground and air movements, and detecting threats, particularly drones and small aerial objects.”
The source noted that “US forces operated the balloon last May before it was brought down at the beginning of August and remained on the ground for 15 days. It was then relaunched on August 17, 2026.”
He pointed out that “destroying the balloon would create a state of aerial blindness, especially since it is considered one of the arms of aerial surveillance due to the specialized devices and equipment it contains,” stressing that “the accuracy of the strike is a remarkable aspect of the incident, in addition to the loss by US forces of one of the arms that provided protection and surveillance for Harir Air Base and nearby targets.”
almaalomah.me
