Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS)

Tethered aerostat systems are unmanned helium-filled balloons that are attached to a surface site, either ground or ship. Designed to remain aloft for days or even weeks, an aerostat carries a surveillance radar to spot low-flying aircraft or vessels.

Aerostats are confusingly referred to both by length (e.g., 71M, meaning 71 meters) and envelope volume. In the latter case, the reference may be to cubic feet (595K or 595,000 cu ft) or cubic meters (16,850 cu m). This entry...