French General Directorate for Armaments (DGA)

France’s defense materiel agency DGA has contracted Airbus in partnership with Thales for a further two-year risk-assessment study on the A321MPA.

Dubbed Balman, the balloon may be used to watch a given area, thanks to its station-keeping capability, at a lower cost than a geostationary satellite.

Chinese and Russia anti-satellite capabilities are driving Western militaries to pursue better situational awareness and countermeasures.