Al Etihad Newspaper

Aerostat challenges the weather to find smugglers & insurgents

By Ali Alamoudi

Above the sky at the IDEX 2005 trade show, flies a large Aerostat that is similar in appearance to an Aerostat that is used for advertising. As you approach the TCOM demonstration area in the USA section of the show, you discover the real purpose of the Aerostat that many Agencies & countries have already purchased, to put an end for smugglers & illegal border activities.

Steve Silvoy, VP of TCOM, the manufacturer of this Aerostat, said that this type of Aerostat is used for border surveillance in dangerous areas and fighting arenas to detect the movement of illegal aliens and enemy combatants. He also added that what distinguishes this Aerostat from others is the sensitive equipment carried on that Aerostat which has the capability to provide a clear picture of the area surveyed in all weather conditions. He added that even if the clarity of the picture is affected by other issues, the sensitive infrared instrumentation will detect movement & the number of personnel in the area surveyed.

Silvoy stated that the success these Aerostats have achieved in Afghanistan, and other areas compelled the United States Armed Forces to obtain many more of these systems.

One of the major advantages provided by the Aerostat says Steve, is that it is less costly than building observation towers along borders, and is safer than sending troops into dangerous unfriendly areas. The control of the Aerostat & its sensitive payload equipment is done on the ground through the use of a fiber optic tether that is connected directly to the Aerostat, and transmits information to the control stations where it is analyzed by border troops ready to interdict is ordered.

Pricing for the Aerostat varies based on its size, coverage area, and the payload equipment required. Pricing starts at $600,000 US Dollars for the basic system and up to several Millions based on the electronic equipment that is requested.

There are Aerostats equipped with radars for air defense, which are portable and capable of moving with the ground troops if necessary. Silvoy said that the Aerostat manufactured by TCOM for several clients of the U.S. armed forces and other countries, proves to be a great success for border patrol; detecting smugglers and illegal aliens, assisting intelligence agencies to intercept terrorists and in the field of long distance communications.

The smallest Aerostat is 15 meters long, and the largest, 71 meters, and it is considered to be a complete unit deployable and capable to be moved to any location with ease.