Self-Defending Undersea Fiber Alternative

I had previously shared my idea of balloon relays to be a back of the undersea fiberoptic. Defending the whole fiberoptic network is almost impossible and even partial patrolling is quite expensive. Using hydrogen filled balloons at high altitudes is a feasible alternative. Around 20km altitude the wind speeds are low. The balloons would utilize electric motors for positioning which would be charged from the solar panels. The laser absorption is also lower at these altitudes making the point-to-point high speed laser communication possible. These relays would provide comparable bandwidths to undersea fiber and networks can be extended like a tree which is difficult for an undersea fiber.

More importantly these balloons can defend themselves like the bombers of the WW2. They can have laser anti-missile units on them which would be charged from the sun. Lower laser absorption at high altitudes would make them more effective. This idea requires much less patrolling, much lower operating cost, faster and cheaper deployment compared to other alternatives.