Aerospace - Defense

The 17M™ aerostat is an airborne platform aerodynamically shaped for drag reduction and stability. The tethered aerostat is equipped with round-the-clock intelligence gathering capabilities and provides enhanced communication in harsh desert conditions. Border incursions in the vast desert regions in the Middle East are difficult to stop without such a mobile, integrated system.

“This system was developed in response to the emerging need for a compact, self contained mobile platform that provides look-down active/passive sensors, cameras and communication systems” stated David Barlow, President, TCOM, L.P. The ease of use and mobility make these systems popular.

Entirely self supporting, the 17M™ can be operated by three people and deployed in less than two hours providing surveillance while on-the-move. Carrying payloads to operating altitudes of 1000 feet, the system can stay aloft for up to a week at a time providing persistent surveillance.

At a recent visit to our facility, Congressman Butterfield said, “This technology will enhance our ability to defend our country against foreign enemies in a way that could not be imagined just a few years ago.”

Program support was performed at TCOM’s headquarters in Columbia, MD with production activities conducted at TCOM’s Manufacturing and Flight Test Facility in Elizabeth City, NC.

Beginning its 35th year of operations, TCOM is the only company in the world that exclusively designs, manufactures, operates and supports tethered aerostat systems, both domestically and internationally. TCOM’s highly focused research & development effort has enabled it to maintain its leadership in the global aerostat market. For more information on TCOM, please visit http://www.tcomlp.com.