In military terms it's far less of a sitting duck than a satellite. In a war with an advanced opponent your satellite communications network will be gone within days or even hours of the start of the war, while a HALE like this can be kept well back from the front lines while still acting as a communications relay and so be difficult to see or hit. This is why there is so much military interest in these. The UK are the leaders in this field.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
