Thursday, December 04, 2008

TARS

IOC: 1978
Total Production: 8,000

Unitary Cost: USD$800,000

Also Known As
Tethered Aerostat Radar System

Origin
United States of America

Contractor/s
Lockheed Martin

Description: The Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) is a helium balloon borne radar system. Its primary mission is to provide radar data information to US agencies in support of drug interdiction missions. On the other hand, TARS can perform a wide range of long endurance (only limited by the weather) surveillance missions.

The TARS consists of three sizes of aerostats raging from 56,000 to 625,000 cubic feet which can accommodate three varieties of radar systems (L-88 radar). The whole system comprises the aerostat, mooring system, airborne power generation system, and radar assembly.

The TARS has been deployed by the US Air Force for persistent drug interdiction missions since 1984. It can detect targets at 200 miles (around 320 km) .In 2004 two aerostat systems were deployed in Iraq to perform surveillance missions against terrorists and insurgents attacks.

Specifications
Accommodation: Unmanned

Weights: Payload 1,542 kg (3,399 lb)

Performance: Ceiling 4,572 m (15,000 ft)

Operators

United States of America

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, November 22, 2008

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