Afghans ask for US spy balloons after 2014 pullout

Afghanistan has asked the United States to provide them with the American spy balloons currently in service in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, after the US-led forces leave the country by the end of 2014.

Afghan security officials voiced concerns over the country’s security after the US forces leave Afghanistan and take their balloons, laden with surveillance gear, with them, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Chief of police Niaz Mohammad said how Afghan police should provide “the eyes in the sky.” At nighttime when they [militants] want to come and put in roadside bombs for us, we can’t see them. We don’t have technology like balloons…and that is a big thing for us.”

The US sent soldiers to Arghandab, in central part of Kandahar, as part of the 2010 surge, taking balloons, equipped with cameras and other intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance gear. The deployment of the balloons to Afghanistan became a priority for the Pentagon by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

US military officers described the spy balloons as a “force multiplier” for monitoring areas and protecting operating bases from possible threats.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is expected to raise the request for military equipment during his visit to Washington. Afghan officials said spy technology like drones, balloons, and other equipment, would be on the list of Afghanistan’s demands.

The US administration has not yet made any comment regarding the issue. However, senior US officials voiced concerns over Afghans’ focus on the equipment despite their military’s incabilities.

US Army Brigadier General Paul Nakasone, who is serving in Afghanistan, said that the balloons could be a useful asset for the Afghan military in theory, as they do not have surveillance drones.

“They are not going to have the airborne fleet that we have right now. This is a great enabler for them as they look to the future to provide persistent stare on a target,” he said.

The Afghan forces are familiar with the spy gear, as they launched the spy balloons in a trial in Arghandab in December.