A new blimp on the radar
Volume 11, No. 55, November 02, 2006
By Cpl Andrew Hetherington

On the gas: The TCOM 17M Aerostat on display at Majura range. Photo by Cpl Andrew Hetherington

BATTLEFIELD communications and surveillance will gain a huge lift in the future if tethered airships being trialled by Director Network Centric Warfare-Army (DNCW-A) are introduced into Army.

Army has purchased three Aerostat airships to trial as concept demonstrators during the next two years for sensor and communications range extensions.

The DNCW-A Col Paul Straughair said the Aerostat would help overcome one of the main battlefield problems faced by land forces world-wide, which was to get a communications network running when hills and trees were in the line of sight.

“To get over the problem and to communicate further, something like the Aerostat can be used,” Col Straughair said.

Richard Barwise, from the Land Tactical Data Link Cell working with the Aerostat project, said the Aerostat would significantly improve communications for soldiers on the ground.

“With current Parakeet radio equipment using the Aerostat tethered 300 metres above the ground, we are looking at a point-to-point-radio range being approximately between 100 to 110km. Currently, with a Raven VHF radio the ground range is about 11km,” Mr Barwise said.

The Aerostat is crewed by four personnel, but Mr Barwise said Army had not yet determined how it would be deployed.

“We are still trying to determine what the tactics, techniques and procedures will be for the equipment,” he said.

“The detachment can be deployed by a Land Rover 110, a 6x6 with a trailer and a Unimog with an eight-tonne trailer, with the Aerostat being packed and carried in a bag similar to a sail bag.

“To fully deploy the system it takes between two and three hours.”

The main consideration in siting and deploying the Aerostat is the large amount of helium gas needed to keep it airborne.

“It needs 870 cubic metres of helium gas – a seven-tonne weight that needs to be moved,” Mr Barwise said.

Another interesting feature of the Aerostat is its battlefield survival. Mr Barwise said it could take a certain amount of small-arms fire.

“This is because of the low internal pressure in the balloon; it would take about 12 hours for it to deflate enough to come down to the ground,” he said.

Cpl Anthony Hill, a trained Aerostat operator from 3CSR, has worked with the Aerostat since May and travelled to the US to be trained on the equipment for three weeks.

“The course covered the basics like an introduction to the equipment, inflating, deflating, components, fault finding, minor repairs and tether terminations,” he said.

The Army will receive the other two airships soon to determine the suitability of them for Army service. Col Straughair said they would be trialled by two units.

“One will go to 3CSR to trial the communications range extension and the other will be fitted with sensors and will be sent to 20 STA Regt,” he said.

“If introduced into service, the Aerostat will enhance Army and ADF force protection by providing surveillance to better inform commanders on what is happening around them.

“Communications will be extended and units won’t have to have isolated retransmission detachments on the ground having to be protected or resupplied.”