lighter-than-air vehicles - Defense Innovation Marketplace

Table 3: ATB Technical SpecificationsTIF 25KGA-019Length 75 ft. 83 ft.Diameter 28 ft. 28 ft.Volume 25,000 cu. ft. 28,000 cu. ft.Max Payload Up to 250 lbs. Up to 250 lbs.Manufacturer Aerostar LindstrandDuration: Up to 14 days (without top off)Flight Ceiling: 3,000 ft. AGL at sea level and less at higher launch elevations. Altitude dependenton payload weight and weather factors.Crew: 3–12 per systemPayload Type: various (COMMS, ISR, scientific research, other)supported Army Expeditionary WarriorExperiment (AEWE) and NIE events overthe past 3 years. 17The first system was originally purchased inJanuary 2007 with congressional grantappropriations to support aerostatrequirements for DoD and U.S. Departmentof Agriculture projects.system is fully mission ready and capable ofperforming test flights when needed. At NIE12.1, ATB lifted 250 lbs. to between 1,200and 1,400 ft. above ground level (AGL) for3.5 weeks with a classified communicationspayload. The next planned program event isthe NIE 13.1 (terrestrial connectivity toaerial tier) and LaserComm in the summerof 2012. No technical or programmatic challengescurrently exist within the ATBoperation. 17Figure 9: ATB During Inflation 15The first system was then transferred toBattle Lab management in 2010. The ATBis a Government-funded, contractoroperatedplatform with funds coming fromSMDBL and Quantum ResearchInternational operating the aerostat. TheFigure 10: Payload Bay of the ATB 15The ATB program began in FY07 withcongressional grant appropriations toSMDBL. Currently, the program is in thesustainment phase and SMDBL plans toexecute the program using customer fundsas testing requires.14