Blimp RAID: Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment system

EXPERIMENTS conducted to enhance Soldiers' equipment and protection have always been a critical part of military efforts to keep the Army relevant and ready to fight and win wars. So, it should come as no surprise that the military is experimenting again.

Melding already available technology--a nonrigid airship, or blimp, and the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment, or RAID, system--the JLENS project office recently demonstrated the capabilities of a free-flying mobile aerial reconnaissance platform over the Washington, D.C., area. JLENS, which stands for Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor, conducted the experiment in partnership with ARINC Engineering Services LLC and the American Blimp Corporation.

During the week-long demonstration, the airship flew a 24-hour endurance flight over the Pentagon, and also supported a joint-force protection mission.

"The A-170 airship is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly at altitudes up to 10,000 feet, but can fly higher if needed," said ARINC's Raymond W. Berhalter. "Even at that height, using the RAID system's surveillance cameras and sensors, the airship can provide a clear and detailed view of the activity on the streets below and yet stay out of the range of many weapon systems." The airship is currently flown by a pilot, but it can be adapted to fly unmanned.

It's an extremely survivable form of air transportation, said Pam Rogers, a spokeswoman for the JLENS project office. "The helium-filled balloon portion of the airship is not highly pressurized," she said. "Bullets won't burst the airship; it can actually remain buoyant for hours after suffering such a puncture."

The airship is filled with helium, she said, which is an inert, nonflammable gas.

Along with the airship's force-protection and surveillance capabilities, it can potentially be used to lift cargo, Rogers said.

"The airships can transport materiel and equipment internationally and potentially land on water, making them a viable alternative to other, more expensive means of transportation," she said. "Propelling the helium-filled balloon uses less energy than conventional jet engines and is therefore more cost effective."

The RAID system is currently deployed to support troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The existing system, however, is a combination of cameras and surveillance equipment positioned on high towers and tethered, unmanned blimps.

"Height, endurance, maneuverability and stealth are key to good aerial reconnaissance," said Glenn Beach of the American Blimp Corp. "By using a RAID-equipped airship, the military could fly a controlled, quiet orbit over an area like Fallujah, day or night, and be able to locate insurgents placing explosive devices or setting up ambushes."

This information could then be sent via the ground station to the Soldiers on patrol, Beach said. The ability to move from area to area allows the airship to track targets and hampers the enemy's ability to locate the ground station.

"And, at about $5 million, it is a lot cheaper than other surveillance aircraft," Beach said.

Although the Army has no current plans to purchase airships, Rogers said placing RAID on an airship could represent "the next step toward a mobile force-protection platform and capability."

COPYRIGHT 2005 Soldiers Magazine
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group