TCOM provides single point responsibility for the overall system performance and continuing aerostat support essential for the reliable and consistent performance of the Aerostat Surveillance System.

After the system has successfully completed all its formal testing at our Manufacturing and Flight Test Facility, it is shipped to the customer.  TCOM’s Field Operations & Support (FOS) group, supported by TCOM’s headquarters design and systems engineering groups, provides the in-country expertise for on-site installation, on-the-job training and integration into existing networks.

The Turnkey Installation Solution Includes:

• Site survey, design and construction
• Installation of the aerostat subsystems that make up the aerostat system
• Integration of the aerostat system with the site infrastructure
• Payloads integration including providing connectivity with the customer’s command centers and data/communications network
• On-site formal classroom training and/or on-the-job-training (OJT)
• O&M support as required
• Logistics support to integrate spares and support equipment into a tracking database

Experienced Personnel Ensure Success

TCOM FOS pools of field engineers have trained and experienced personnel with the skillsets to supply a turnkey aerostat support solution from installation and checkout (I&CO) of the system to when the system is handed over to the customer for operation and maintenance (O&M). TCOM has installed aerostat systems in more countries than any other aerostat system manufacturer.

Aerostat Design: Customized to Meet the Mission

Every security mission requires a unique set of sensors integrated onto a TCOM aerostat design to form a platform system that will meet the customer’s persistent Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) mission. At the heart of every TCOM Aerostat Surveillance system lies a proven design process that effectively blends customer needs and superior engineering to create the system that will meet all of the customer’s functional requirements in a cost-effective and reliable way. The aerostat design also ensures durability and performance for the life of the system.

Experience Enables Excellence

TCOM engineers begin the aerostat design process by gathering a full understanding of the customer’s surveillance mission and operational environment. Based on this understanding and years of expert knowledge and experience, the engineers select the ideal sensor suite that will be integrated onto the Aerostat. TCOM designs also take into account the required communications, power, EMI/RFI stabilization and heading reference systems to provide a high availability airborne surveillance system. Our engineers excel at designing the ground control station as well as the fiber-optic powered tether that carries data and command information from the aerostat to the ground station. TCOM promotes, encourages and supports design engineering in their quest for technical excellence and innovation by providing the analysis tools, state-of-the-art analysis software and test facilities to enable cost effective innovative solutions to challenging aerostat design requirements.  In addition, processes and mechanisms are in place to spawn new initiatives and identify emerging technologies so that TCOM engineering is always ahead of the technical curve.

Comprehensive Expertise

TCOM’s Engineering Design group boasts an experienced staff of experts in civil, mechanical, electrical and systems engineering, aerodynamics, analog and digital communications, tether design, airborne and ground power systems, hydraulics, meteorology, logistics, installation, training, field engineering, operations and other disciplines necessary for the implementation of full-scale turnkey aerostat design projects. At TCOM we don’t just engineer superior products – we engineer success.

TCOM – Who We Are:

With operations in over 12 countries around the world, TCOM is the global authority in airborne persistent surveillance solutions. For over 40 years, TCOM innovations have defined the industry, and our pioneering achievements continue to revolutionize the design, manufacture and deployment of LTA systems. With corporate headquarters in Columbia, MD and manufacturing and testing facilities in Elizabeth City, NC, TCOM is the world’s only company solely devoted to the design, fabrication, installation and operation of persistent surveillance aerostat systems. Our complete platform solutions include numerous classes of aerostats that can each be equipped with a broad selection of proven payloads that are customizable for specific customer requirements.

Our History:

Beginning in 1971, TCOM ushered in the modern era of tethered aerostat systems. Our expert engineers designed the first powered tether and the first mobile mooring station. We produced the largest aerostat system ever delivered and the only aerostat systems that can operate in altitudes in excess of 20,000 feet above sea level for periods of 30 days or more. TCOM aerostat systems have brought radio and television communications to previously unreachable areas, provided the US military and its allies with mission-critical data in numerous conflict zones, and stood as steadfast protectors of national security along vulnerable borders and coastlines. Throughout our 40 years of operation, TCOM has partnered with military leaders, governments, monarchs, heads of state and corporate decision makers to expand persistent surveillance horizons and provide actionable intelligence rapidly and reliably.

Making Persistent Surveillance Affordable:

At TCOM, we take pride in offering complete surveillance solutions at a low operational cost. When contrasted with alternative airborne surveillance methods, TCOM aerostat solutions offer superior performance with an operational cost that is nominal by comparison. Round-the-clock deployment for periods of over 30 days with minimal maintenance reduces man hours, fuel and other logistics costs. The low price of operation and the superior level of coverage make TCOM aerostat surveillance solutions the clear choice in an era of limited resources and heightened threats.