A new project aims to bring explosive devices from the stratosphere to Russian targets. The basic concept was already used at the front.
Jul 5, 2026, 1:44 amJul 5, 2026, 1:44 am
Thomas Wanhoff / t-online
This computer rendering shows the new Ukrainian rocket to be launched from a balloon.Image: (Source: Center of Innovative Technologies Program)
A new technology is apparently being developed in Ukraine that can launch missiles well into Russian territory. Instead of firing them directly, they should first be transported over longer distances in a rather unusual way.
As the Ukrainian military specialist website “Militarnyi” reports, the Ukrainian Center of Innovative Technologies Program is developing a 1.84 meter long rocket known as DART. It is supposed to be dropped by balloons. These are supposed to rise into the stratosphere with the rocket in tow and fly at an altitude of between 12 and 18 kilometers.
The balloons cannot be thrown off course by electronic jammers because they only use the east-west wind for propulsion. They are also only faintly visible on radar screens and are difficult to reach by anti-aircraft systems because of their altitude.
Missile switches off navigation system
Once they get close to the target region, they launch the missile, according to “Militarnyi”, which then switches on a satellite navigation system. Small wings are moved using servo motors. The rocket then continues to glide until it reaches an altitude of six kilometers. According to the report, she then switches off the navigation system and Russian GPS jammers no longer have any effect. Driven by a solid rocket motor, it is then transported directly to the target.
The rocket is still in development, writes “Militarnyi”. The system still needs to be approved by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
Also drones dropped from balloons
Ukraine has been using balloons for a long time, primarily to drop drones. The method received attention through a video from the company Kettletechlabs, which was distributed on social networks at the end of May. It shows how a Ukrainian Hornet drone is launched from a balloon at an altitude of several kilometers.
Russia is also said to have already used balloons, and the US Army recently launched stratospheric balloons from Sweden during the US military exercise “Sword 26”.