HELIKITE AEROSTATS FOR DEFENCE & SECURITY
Tactical Aerostats
What are Helikites?
Helikites are not blimps.
Helikites are semi-rigid and exploit powerful wind lift as well as helium. Therefore, a Helikite of only 11m3 can fly thousands of feet high in no wind, or in in gale force winds, and can stay at high altitude unattended for weeks.
Able to be launched within 20 minutes, a 14ft long, 11m3 (385cu feet) Military Skyhook Helikite carrying a gyro-stabilised pan/tilt/zoom video camera can provide continuous, long-term aerial surveillance over many miles. The manpower needed for this is just one and running costs are minimal.
Unlike many balloons and blimps, Helikite aerostats offer a very stable and solid aerial platform for payloads like cameras and transceivers.
Helikite Airborne Communications System (HACS)
High Altitude Network Radios = Long Range Comms
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One man plus HACS provides 7,800km2 radio coverage. More than a 300-man signals regiment.
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HACS provides both combat net and long-range trunk comms in a single unit.
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HACS lifts network radios up to 1000ft within 15 minutes in all weathers. Air-mobile worldwide.
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Long operational range means that HACS is far more survivable than traditional masts and trucks.
Long Range Unmanned Vehicle Communications
The major limiting factor in the deployment of unmanned vehicles of all types is the lack of over-the-horizon communications.
For UGVs, USVs and UUVs this is particularly acute because when attempting to control them, the operator soon discovers that high data rate digital communications (required for sending video from the unmanned vehicle) do not go through hills or over the horizon. This limits their maximum range to only a few miles – at best. UAVs compensate for this line-of-sight problem by flying higher as they go further away. However, this means that they need to be far bigger and have extremely expensive cameras to observe the ground in detail.
Lifting radio repeaters on Helikites effectively overcomes the radio line-of-sight problem. Unmanned vehicles can then be easily controlled from miles away. Helikites are ideally suited to this because their flight duration is very similar to the operational duration of unmanned vehicles, and they can provide the massive bandwidth required for streaming video. Video comms make all the difference when controlling any unmanned system, and satellites cannot do this for small vehicles.
Helikites have relayed to unmanned boats at sea on several Royal Navy unmanned vehicle exercises with great success and no operational problems.
Border Control
Helikites have been used around the globe by military and border security services for decades. Their all-weather capability is highly appreciated.
With border surveillance protection being more important than ever before, Helikite surveillance systems offer an affordable, all-weather, day-night solution that is economical enough to be fielded permanently.
Helikite systems provide surveillance over large areas of tough terrain, enabling the tracking of unauthorized personnel, smugglers, illegal immigrants, or hostile forces.
Aerial Surveillance
Helikites have been used around the globe by military and border security services for decades. Their all-weather capability is highly appreciated.
With border surveillance protection more important than ever before, Helikite surveillance systems offer an affordable, all-weather, day-night, solution that is economical enough to be fielded permanently. Helikite systems provide surveillance over large areas of tough terrain, enabling the tracking of unauthorized personnel, smugglers, illegal immigrants or hostile forces.
Aerostat Radar Systems
Radar only covers the limited line of sight (horizon) on shipborne and coastal radars.
Line of sight is the straight path between a transmitting antenna (as for radio or television signals) and a receiving antenna when unobstructed by the horizon. Radar come in a variety of configurations in the emitter, the receiver, the antenna, wavelength, and scan strategies.
Helikites are steady enough to allow radars to function well and adding a substantial distance to the line of sight.
A radar lifted to 5,000 ft on a military Helikite helium balloon aerostat system will have a direct line of sight of 100 miles compared to only 10-20 miles from a ships mast or clifftop. This is an advantage when identifying fixed or moving targets as well as when using navigation tools to identify and avoid obstacles.
A radar was successfully used on the Irish Frigate LÉ Eithne using a 64m3 Desert Star Helikite launched from the helicopter deck. This undertook successful trials in the Irish Sea. LÉ Eithne is a Helicopter patrol vessel, designed to carry helicopters, and is the only naval vessel with a flight deck. She is the flagship of the Irish Navy.
Various types of radar can be lifted for spotting ships, boats, and other objects at sea. Other uses include airborne early warning radar for aircraft, missiles, and drones. Over-land airborne radar can detect people and vehicles.