TCOM to provide Saudi surveillance aerostats (C4iSR: Air )

[The SC]

12 May 2020

The US government intends to award a non-competitive contract to provide surveillance aerostats to Saudi Arabia to the company TCOM LP, according to a notice published on the System of Awards website on 7 May. The aerostats will be modified versions of the US Army's Persistent Surveillance System Tethered (PSS-T).

The notice said that extensive market research had concluded that only TCOM is capable of providing systems that meet the requisite interoperability with US Army PSS-T Large aerostats and allow the Saudis to benefit from consolidated acquisition and logistics costs.

The approved ceiling for the Saudi programme is USD487 million.


https://www.janes.com/article/96101/tcom-to-provide-saudi-surveillance-aerostats

 

[The SC]

The Mission:
Maintaining continuous aerial security is a daunting task. Threats such as low-flying, extremely fast aircraft can take advantage of the earth’s curvature and exploit terrain obstructions. This renders ground-based radars unable to provide target information in time to take appropriate action. Slow, low flying missiles with a small cross section may also avoid early detection and pose a significant threat. Manned aerial surveillance can decrease the risk for short periods of heightened alert, but the operational costs are much too high for extended use. To meet this airborne coverage challenge effectively and inexpensively, TCOM developed the 71M Low Altitude Surveillance System. With over 1,000,000 hours of operation these systems are the only operational airborne defense assets to routinely provide the continuous round-the-clock, low altitude target detection information needed to secure the skies.​

 

[The SC]

TCOM Strategic Class Aerostat Systems

TCOM’s Strategic Class of aerostat systems includes some of the largest tethered aerostats currently in operation. These robust systems are ideal for aerial surveillance applications due to their enormous payload capacity and extended altitude range. TCOM Strategic Class aerostats are capable of sustained deployments lasting up to 30 days at a time.

Typically, Strategic Class aerostat systems are customized for surveillance applications that involve the detection of low-flying, fast-moving objects including light aircraft and cruise missiles.

Strategic Class payloads may include long-range radar, active and passive communications equipment as well as COMINT/ELINT technologies, often carrying payloads as high as 15,000 ft above ground control station. Due to their large size, high altitude and considerable payload, Strategic Class aerostats use a stationary mooring station.

74M Quick Facts:

The 74M is one of the largest and most powerful aerostat systems available. The high altitude and maximum payload capacity set the 74M apart as a reliable tool for aiding military forces in sustained aerial surveillance applications.

74M-Specifications


Payload Weight 3200 kg/ 7000 lbs
Nominal Altitude 3000 m/ 10000 ft
Available Payload Power 70 kVA
Flight Duration 30 days
Wind Speeds operational- 70 kts/ survival-100 kts


There are 3 classes:

Tactical Class: 12M, 17M

Operational Class: 22M, 28M

Strategic Class: 71M, 74M

Range of the Radar can be up to 400 km..