US Army to use LTAS aerostats during NIE 14.1

Trailer-mounted aerostat launcher systems supplied by Lighter Than Air Systems (LTAS) will be used during the US Army’s Network Integration Experiment (NIE) 14.1 to provide persistent, on-demand beyond-line-of-sight communications in support of ground force manoeuvres. LTAS is a World Surveillance Group Inc company.

NIE 14.1 is set to take place at the US Army White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico during October and November. The semi-annual field exercise will focus on balancing the live, virtual and constructive mix of communications to achieve a higher-quality evaluation of existing and prototype products in a cost-constrained environment.

The two aerostat platforms were previously delivered to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) Battle Lab by the company, where they are known as the Winch Aerostat Small Platform (WASP).

WASP is a self-contained tactical aerostat that provides enhancements where existing systems are limited, particularly in complex terrain. The WASP system is designed to elevate a secure communications package to increase communications coverage, reduce the need to position retransmissions forward, and enable operational dispersion.

Glenn Estrella, president and CEO, WSGI, said: ‘We are honoured that our LTAS aerostat systems are participating in this significant army in-field integration experiment and firmly believe the aerostat systems can assist in providing a critical capability to soldiers who require constant communications.

‘The integration of our systems into the army's communications network further supports our vision that our aerostat systems can quickly provide critical communications for military missions, disaster recovery efforts, and local and state operations.’