RT LTA, an Israeli aerostat company, recently completed two live demonstrations of the Skystar 180 aerostat system for India’s Border Security Force (BSF), the company said Feb. 7.
One of the demonstrations occurred at an operational area with the other conducted at the BSF headquarters in New Delhi, India.
Skystar 180 is a small mobile aerostat designed for tactical mid-range surveillance and public safety. It also has military and police applications, RT LTA said. The system is based on a towable trailer and has a stabilized day/night electro-optical payload suspended from a helium-filled aerostat, tethered to a ground system.
The Skystar 180 operates continually at wind velocities upwards of 40 knots, can lift a payload of up to 44-pounds, and provides surveillance coverage from up to 1,000-feet for up to 72 hours. The aerostat can be refilled with helium in 20 minutes to minimize disruptions in surveillance coverage. The Skystar requires two people to fully maintain the system.
“No other defense system, manned or unmanned, is as cost effective as aerostats. Using an aerostat resembles building a portable tower of 1,500 ft. in only 20 minutes. The first operational hour of the aerostat bears some expenses, but from that moment and on the system is able to stay stable for days, and provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at a minimal cost,” Rami Shmueli, CEO of RT, said in a statement.
RT LTA highlighted Skystar 180 is being used continuously by the Israeli Defense Forces on Israel’s borders, and was used for homeland security uses securing public events including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, and the 2015 Paris Climate Summit.