RT Aerostats Systems is an Israeli company that designs and manufactures the SkyStar family of aerostats, for use in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications applications.
The company was established by former military intelligence and current CEO Rami Shmueli, and is currently owned in equal parts by Shmueli and the Aeronautics Group. The company headquarters and production lines are based in Yavne, Israel, while the company also has offices in Texas.
History The company was established in 1996 by Rami Shmueli, as a company for the production of technology aerostats and balloon advertising . In 1996, the first aerostat for use in surveillance and monitoring applications was developed for the 'Shachal' Company.
In 2004, the company developed a family of SkyStar aerostats for use in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and communications applications. SkyStar systems are operational worldwide in various military and civilian missions. In 2008, the UAV Aeronautics Group purchased part of RT's shares.
The systems are currently deployed in more than 10 different countries around the world, including Israel, Canada, United States, Russia, Afghanistan, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Thailand, Colombia and Africa. In Israel, The Skystar aerostats were deployed by the IDF during Operation Protective Edge. As of May 2016, The Skystar systems have gained over one million operational hours.
At July 2016 RT established a subsidiary company named "Aero-T", which specializes in the development and manufacture of large aerostats. Aero-T's first product, the SkyGuard1, is a large aerostat in a Blimp shape, which can carry payloads of up to 90 kg, reach altitudes of up to 1,000 meters, and operate continuously for 7 days without maintenance.
Products SkyStar 300 A large tactical aerostat, with a maximum altitude 1,500 ft AGL and a maximum payload mass of 50 kg. The system's end of life was on December 31, 2015 SkyStar 330 A large tactical aerostat. Base on the SkyStar 300 with four optical fiber tether and an upgraded navigation system. SkyStar 250 A medium sized tactical aerostat, with a maximum altitude 1,000 ft AGL and a maximum payload mass of 11 kg. SkyStar 220 A medium sized tactical aerostat, with a maximum altitude of 1,000 ft AGL and a maximum payload mass of 9.5 kg. SkyStar 180 A small tactical aerostat, with a maximum altitude of 1,000 ft AGL and a maximum payload mass of 6.5 kg. SkyStar 100 A mini aerostat compact system, that can be transported, assembled, launched and operated by two personnel with minimal training.
References
External links
"US Army likes how Israeli ‘smart balloon’ flies" – The Times of Israel, May 30, 2014 RT Delivers First Three SkyStar-180 Aerostats to the American Army" – Israel Defense, July 13, 2011 Israeli Firm Provides Power-by-The-Hour Intel in Gaza - DefenseNews, July 29, 2014 To help quell riots, Israeli police deploy sophisticated spy balloons over Jerusalem - FOX News, November 26, 2014