After Hezbollah Targeted the Balloon: IDF Considers Next Steps

The IDF is considering shutting down the "Tal Shamayim" project—an aerial detection system that was located at the Golani Junction, which was damaged a few months ago by a Hezbollah UAV. Following Hezbollah's attack on the "Tal Shamayim" balloon in northern Israel, the Ministry of Defense and the IDF are contemplating canceling the project. The current direction is to not repair the system and close the specialized unit established for operating the balloon. A decision on this matter is expected in the coming days.

Prior to the conflict, the system had been out of service for several months due to damage from severe weather.

The system is composed within a dedicated "bubble" at the bottom of an aerostatic balloon, tethered to a ground facility, and floats at high altitude. It assists the Air Force's control array in forming a precise and broad picture of Israel's and its surroundings' airspace, including at long ranges and relatively low altitudes, where cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles operate.