The Lightweight Aerostat System includes a Carrier and a 35 cubic meter (1235 cubic feet) Helikite aerostat. The CUV built Carrier is a trailer with helium tanks, winch and launch equipment for the Helikite. It mounts all the handling equipment in one small trailer towed by a HMMWV, SUV or pickup truck. Many comparable aerostat handling systems are several times as large, and require multiple trucks for carriage. The Carrier is highly mobile on and off-road, and is transportable by a C-130.

First LAS-TR 60M3 Testing photos.

Testing of Sandia LAS Trailer photos.

Carolina Unmanned Vehicles, Inc. (CUV), Raleigh North Carolina, announces award of a Navy
Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract to develop a new version of their
Lightweight Aerostat System (LAS). The new LAS, to carry a Deployable Communications
Network payload, and called LAS-DCN, is to be designed for deployment from the new Navy

LIGHTWEIGHT AEROSTAT SYSTEM (LAS)
A New Communications Relay and Surveillance Capability For Homeland Security
Low Cost, Long Mission Duration, Minimum Manpower

1.0 BACKGROUND There is a pressing Homeland Security, law enforcement and emergency response
need for a low cost, responsive, and mobile equipment for resilient and durable communications after an

Carolina Unmanned Vehicles, Inc. (CUV), Raleigh North Carolina, successfully debuted their
new version of the Helikite Elevated Platform (HEP) at the Force Protection Equipment
Demonstration V (FPED V) at Quantico Marine Base, Virginia from 26 to 28 April 2005