Aerostat material weathers extreme conditions

Published On: October 1, 2010

[Raven/Aerostar International] Sioux Falls, S.D., U.S.A.

Raven Industries-Aerostar Division has completed successful flights and adverse weather testing of their proprietary High Strength Laminated Aerostat Material (HSLAM). Aerostar’s first TIF-25KTM HSLAM tethered aerostat weathered severe summer thunderstorms and extremely high temperatures without loss of helium or any damage to the aerostat. Aerostar is a supplier to the U.S. military’s Persistent Ground Surveillance Systems (PGSS) in use protecting forward operating bases in Afghanistan. HSLAM aerostats are designed to carry double the payload on a smaller aerostat, but with a smaller footprint, which simplifies logistics and requires less helium, reducing operational costs. According to Raven, PGSS and other aerostat programs operating in Afghanistan have been credited with saving lives by detecting insurgent activity near forward-operating bases.