# US Air Force orders WindBorne balloon data under contract worth up to $49 million

_Published Monday, October 12, 2026 at 2:20 PM EDT · Capital, AI · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![US Air Force orders WindBorne balloon data under contract worth up to $49 million — Primary](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Pic-8.jpg?resize=1200,675)

The U.S. Air Force has ordered $1.7 million in weather data from WindBorne Systems under a new contract worth up to $49 million, TechCrunch reported. The Air Force pays as it needs data and can request coverage of specific regions at specific times.

WindBorne operates about 700 autonomous weather balloons worldwide, collecting atmospheric sensor readings that it sells to customers and feeds into its own AI forecasting model. Co-founder and chief technology officer Andrey Sushko said the contract would support expansion of the balloon fleet and research to improve its hardware and performance. The contract was awarded without competitive bidding; its full value depends on subsequent orders.

## Sources

- [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/12/windborne-wins-a-hefty-us-air-force-contract-for-its-balloon-data/)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/FtFc7ufcXZjZiW_amzDSov
Published: 2026-10-12T18:20:51.000Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-12T17:19:14.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-12T20:41:42.605Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)