(U//FOUO) U.S. Army Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) Tethered Aerostat Specifications

Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) Full & Open Procurement, Operations and Sustainment Support

14 pages
Draft
For Official Use Only
PROCUREMENT SENSITIVE INFORMATION
September 17, 2009

1 Scope

This document specifies the performance of the Baseline and Tactical Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS). Section 3 specifies the requirements for the Baseline PTDS and Section 4 specifies the requirements for the Tactical PTDS (T-PTDS). Throughout this specification, the acronym PTDS (without B- or T-) applies to both the Baseline PTDS and Tactical PTDS.

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3 Baseline PTDS Requirements

The Baseline PTDS (B-PTDS) consists of a tethered aerostat with a modular mobile mooring system, an aerostat-mounted imaging sensor package (single/dual), aerostat-mounted communications relay package, a transportable environmentally controlled ground control station (GCS), external power generators, shore power interface, air/ground based sensors, and an Unattended Transient Acoustic MASINT System (UTAMS), an aerostat mounted UTAMS and a Joint Synchronization Information Transceiver (JSIT) capable of dissemination of Full Motion Video (FMV) to the units One System Remote Video Terminals (OSRVTs) communication net components. The B-PTDS Aerostat Assembly consists of:

Aerostat envelope with rigging

Helium valve

Pressurization system

Power distribution system

Flight control and monitoring system

Collision avoidance system (i.e. strobe lights and/or FAA transponder)

Emergency Locator Beacon (ELB)

The rugged aerostat envelope material is built with coatings on the inner and outer layers that limit helium permeability and permit field operators to quickly perform permanent repairs in less than an hour. The aerostat has a total payload capacity of several hundred pounds at sea level with an altitude up to 5000 feet above ground level (AGL). Operational altitude can be adjusted to accommodate wind, temperature, helium purity, and negative superheat conditions. B-PTDS provides a fully integrated persistent surveillance and dissemination capability to provide response forces the ability to find, fix, track, target, and engage (F2T2E) threats against counter-insurgency personnel, civilians, facilities, and infrastructure within the PTDS area of responsibility (AOR). The B-PTDS is capable of providing day/night, 360 degree detection, surveillance, monitoring, and target-location capability. It has the ability to maintain persistent surveillance and monitor activity in its area of operations 24/7 for periods of twenty-five (25) days continuously at altitudes of at least 2,500 and up to 5,000 ft AGL with a mobile mooring platform emplaced at elevations of at least 6000 ft above sea level (ASL) and climatic conditions characteristic of the CENTCOM AOR.