CUV completes aerostat test support for US Navy

4th November 2021 - 17:35 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic demonstrated STMPAS technology at the 21st Century Combined Arms Advanced Naval Technology Exercise in 2019. (Photo: US Army)

Carolina Unmanned Vehicles has completed test support for the US Navy’s future aerostat communication solution.

Carolina Unmanned Vehicles (CUV) has successfully completed support a test series supporting the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic Naval Innovative Science and Engineering (NISE) Project, Tactical Deployable Mobile User Objective System (MUOS).

The project aims to enable assured tactical communications by employing a UAS with a communications surrogate payload.

CUV support included an integration test and two system demonstrations. The two demonstrations were in conjunction with Advanced Naval Technology Exercise in April 2021 and the Trident Warrior Exercises.

The testing used the CUV Engineering test Unit 3 (ETU3), a developmental platform for the Small Tactical Multi-Payload Aerostat System (STMPAS).

STMPAS is a mobile, trailer-mounted, tactical aerostat suitable for military missions such as persistent, 24/7 ISR, long-range C3 relay (60+miles) and acting as a C3 translation node.

Suited for border surveillance and post-disaster emergency communications, it can maintain continuous BVLoS communication to low-altitude UAS at extended ranges.

It has a minimum crew size of two technicians and is C-130 Roll-on Roll-off capable.

Previous versions of STMPAS were deployed by the Army to provide ISR capability for small tactical units in Afghanistan.

The current version of STMPAS provides an improved launch timeline and allows movement of the system with the Helikite inflated atop the trailer.