The Israeli air force has released the first images of a new tethered aerostat surveillance system, Airstar, that uses a phased-array radar to detect small and low flying aircraft. The service says the newly fielded systems are deployed in "sensitive" areas of Israel, but declines to provide further details. Supplied by TCOM of the USA, each tethered aerostat is 71m (230ft) long and houses a radar weighing around 1,700kg (3,750lb) supplied by Israel Aircraft Industries' Elta subsidiary.
The sensor is a derivative of the Green Pine detection and fire-control radar which forms part of Israel's Arrow anti-tactical ballistic missile system. Elta and the air force disclosed first details of the Airstar system late last year (Flight International, 16-22 November 2004). TCOM says its aerostat can perform uninterrupted surveillance from an altitude of 15,000ft (4,570m) for up to 30 days with a 1,600kg payload.
Source: Flight International
