The Air Force awarded WindBorne a weather-data contract worth up to $48.727 million, supporting its balloon fleet and AI forecasting work.
On October 12, the U.S. Air Force awarded WindBorne Systems a contract to supply atmospheric data gathered by its autonomous weather balloons. The agreement has a maximum value of $48.727 million and covers weather information for Air Force forecasting and mission planning. The award was made without competitive bidding.
The contract is structured so the Air Force pays for data as it orders it, rather than committing to the full ceiling. WindBorne told TechCrunch that $1.7 million in orders had been placed so far, with additional orders anticipated. The company’s fleet includes about 700 balloons operating around the world, collecting atmospheric measurements that it sells to customers and also uses in its AI weather-forecasting model.
The deal connects government demand for global weather observations with a commercial AI forecasting operation. WindBorne says its latest model, WeatherMesh 6, produces more accurate forecasts than the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ traditional physics-based model; that performance comparison is the company’s claim. More frequent and geographically targeted atmospheric readings could provide additional input for forecasting systems, while the contract also gives the Air Force a way to request data for particular regions and times.
WindBorne’s co-founder and chief technology officer, Andrey Sushko, said the agreement can support expansion of the balloon network and research to improve balloon hardware and performance. The company has previously worked with U.S. government agencies, but described this as its largest contract to date. Its balloon system steers by changing altitude to find winds that carry it toward a target, rather than relying on an engine.
The maximum contract value is not guaranteed revenue: actual spending depends on Air Force orders. The award establishes a procurement route for the service, while the size and timing of future purchases remain dependent on operational demand.