After the era of satellites and drones comes a fresh layer of strategical competition – with very advanced ceilings. Between the atmosphere and space, France and its allies want to make complex systems of reflection and communication.
France intensifys its work on operational capabilities in the Vera advanced Altitude (VHA) area, from an altitude of 20 to 100 km, in a space that can be described as ‘between aviation and space’. VHA platforms have dual applications – military: reconnaissance, border observation, command and informing support, and civil: emergency communication, natural disaster monitoring and even stratosphere tourism. Experts point out that these technologies will not replace satellites, but can effectively fill the gap between drones and orbit.
The French government sees VHA as an “unfilled space” to be managed as shortly as possible. The industry, with Thales Alenia Space and Hemeria headed, received a clear political and financial signal. Projects specified as the Stratobus (the master of long-term surveillance and communication) and the BalMan (the maneuvering balloon) are expected to enter into service around 2031 and 2027, respectively.
The French were given an impulse to act by a spy balloon from China, which flew over North America in 2023 and was shot down by the US. This event accelerated work on innovative programmes and strengthened American-French cooperation.
Should Poland release Volodymyr Z. Germany? | Ziemec & Paprocki
Stratobus and BalMan
Stratobus, developed by Thales Alenia Space, is simply a blimp about 142 m long, designed for long-term reflection and restoration of communications after disasters. ‘This is an unfilled space. We should be there – or else there will be others”, said Yannick Combet, the task chief.
BalMan, or the maneuvering balloon developed by Hemeria, can change the ceiling by utilizing stream currents. After a successful flight in 2024, further tests are planned for the turn of October and November of this year, and the mark burden is expected to scope about 50 kg.
The fresh VHA strategy, announced by Paris in June 2025, assumes the creation of the full operating ecosystem – from modern sensors and radars, to the modernization of OPL and aviation systems, to investments in lasers and stratosphere drones. According to defence News, the task has both military and industrial dimensions.
Legal grey area
The biggest challenges concern global law. There is no treaty boundary separating airspace (which is subject to the sovereignty of states) from space (free to exploration). Organisations specified as UNOOSA and ICAO paper a deficiency of formal definition and slow advancement on the fresh normative order.
UNOOSA (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs) is simply a United Nations Space Office that works for global cooperation and peaceful usage of space. UNOOSA conducts activities related to reflection and defence against objects close Earth (NEO).
In turn, the ICAO (International civilian Aviation Organization) is an global civilian Aviation Organisation, a UN agency dealing with regulations and standards of civilian aviation in the world. ICAO develops regulatory models for unmanned air systems (UAS) and another flights outside controlled airspace. Currently, ICAO is considering the challenges of fresh flight technologies in the airspace and possible regulations, but besides the formal definition and detailed rules for "near space" are in slow development.
As the Australian Low Institute notes, without fresh regulations, "near space" will become a field of global disputes and incidents. Lowy Institute is an Australian think tank founded in 2003, dealing with investigation of international, strategical and economical policy from Australia's perspective. The Institute draws attention to the deficiency of regulation on near-earth space, informing that without a clear legal framework, this area will become a field of global disputes and incidents, especially military and intelligence. The Low Institute stresses that "near space" is simply a region between 20 and 100 km above the Earth's surface, increasingly technologically and militarily used, which requires fresh global regulations.
Poland’S WINNA War?’ Merkel turns the tables! | ANALYSIS – AMB. DERLATKA
Social reactions are besides important. Balloons over Tucson, Arizona have raised concerns about privacy and oversight. As Arizona Mirror notes, "social license" for stratosphere will be crucial for its civilian applications.
It is under the influence of social force and incidents that EU, ICAO and UNOOSA make standards of identification, flight reports and spatial limitations. Without the global process, they will push their interests unilaterally.
French without competition
Increasing defence spending in Europe translates into the improvement of national industry. Not only giants like Thales are gaining, but besides tiny and average French companies specializing in sensors, optoelectronics and data analysis. The Financial Times points out that the growth of NATO budgets fosters investment and supports European technological sovereignty.
The race for very advanced ceilings is not a temporary fashion, but a strategical turn in reasoning about operating space. France focuses on comprehensive capacity improvement – from technology and manufacture to legal and tactical framework. Although legally this space inactive remains a grey zone, this race does not run in space but just below it. And in this game wins the 1 who can fly higher – and longer.