Israeli company RT LTA has demonstrated a new application of its SkyStar 120 aerostat for use in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and communications applications, demonstrated their new Sky-High system for tactical missions for a local potential customer. The company announced that the new system integrates RT’s SkyStar 120 tactical aerostat with a mini quad-rotor drone installed on an ATV. It is intended for use in a wide range of tactical missions including intelligence collection in both open and urban areas, as well as the protection of strategic assets and military activities including guiding interception forces. The system includes a micro-aerostat installed on a two-seater ATV, suited for all-terrain conditions. A day/night camera is mounted on the aerostat which is integrated with the CopterPIX ERE-95 mini quad-rotor drone.
“In light of the significant interest generated by the system that we launched at the DEFEA exhibition held in May of this year, we recognized the need to adapt the system for tactical, pinpoint, and short-term tasks. We succeeded in adapting the combined system to these types of missions in a short time thanks to the integration of the SkyStar 120 from our SkyStar family, which is already in operational use around the world,” said RT’s CEO, Rami Shmueli.
This integrated system enables scanning the area for detection, identification, and response – covering a radius of 5 km. Modular and mobile, the system can be deployed in 20 minutes under a variety of field conditions and requires only two staff members. The sensors of both the aerostat’s payload and the drone’s payload are easily operated and managed by a single portable control unit. The system enables synchronized control via wireless communications over the aerostat and the drone using one console, even if they are located at a distance from each other.
RT is a world – class designer, developer and manufacturer of the Skystar family of aerostats for use in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications applications. Users active in prevent-prepare-respond-recover settings requiring continuous and compact aerial support are a natural fit for Skystar products. RT delivers self-contained, versatile, easily transportable, cost-effective tactical system comprised of a mobile control station, ground system module, tether, lighter-than-air platform, stabilized payload platform and sophisticated sensor suite. The Skystar systems are operationally deployed worldwide and have accumulated more than 5 Million operational hours supporting military and security users performing persistent ISR, border and coastal security, target acquisition, perimeter security, VIP protection, law enforcement and public safety, search and rescue and emergency response missions, as well as safe cities.
