Columbia, Maryland – March 6, 2024 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on January 7, 2024, that the U.S. State Department’s approval of a Foreign Military Sale to Poland for Airspace and Surface Radar Reconnaissance (ASRR) aerostat systems as part of the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) effort. TCOM, L.P., along with Raytheon Intelligence and Space, ELTA North America, and QinetiQ were named as principal contractors in this initiative estimated to cost $1.2 billion.
The aerostat systems include Airspace Airborne Early Warning (AEW) radars with Identification of Friend or Foe (IFF) capability, electronic sensor systems, mooring systems with powered tethers with embedded fiber optics, and Ground Control Shelters. The sale will support foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States and improve Poland’s capability to meet current and future threats of enemy air and ground weapons systems.
Prior Foreign Military Sales (FMS) for aerostat systems may provide additional background context for this action. In 2021, TCOM received an initial FMS contract that ultimately totaled an approximate value of $450M to provide the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with ten aerostat systems with integrated radars, Electro-Optical/Infrared cameras, communications intelligence sensors, and other connected technologies. These systems enhance interoperability between the Royal Saudi Defense Force and U.S. forces and improve Saudi Arabia’s capability while providing greater critical infrastructure security. In another FMS program in the region, TCOM continues to be the FMS prime contractor providing aerostat AEW systems, including a 71M aerostat capable of operating at up to an altitude of 15,000 feet.
TCOM is also the prime contractor for the U.S. Army’s Persistent Surveillance System–Tethered Program, providing Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through engineering, logistics and operations, manufacturing, and program management services since 2019. The information these systems collect is distributed to the Forward Operating Base and division commander information center as well as to quick reaction forces, providing tactical commanders with enhanced battlefield situational awareness.
Through these FMS programs along with other international programs, TCOM continues as the global leader in aerostat-airborne early warning systems using radars from leading contractors such as Northrop Grumman and ELTA (a division of IAI). TCOM and ELTA have previously partnered to provide AEW capabilities to detect incoming threats and early warning capabilities as part of an overall air defense architecture in Israel using both TCOM 71M and 117M aerostat systems. This partnership also resulted in TCOM providing two 71M Aerostat Systems with AEW capabilities to India as part of the AIRSTAR program.
Technologies such as these will allow the CJADC2 to support Poland and other NATO nations with advanced detection and mitigation technologies, long-range detection, troop protection, superior situational awareness that safeguards troops and enables informed decision-making, and critical infrastructure security designed to offer the most persistent surveillance and deterrence protect vital assets.
Media Points of Contact:
Mr. Gal S. Borenstein
The Borenstein Group
703-385-8178
Gal@BorensteinGroup.com
John Graziano, Director of Communications
TCOM, L.P.
301-785-1623
John.graziano@tcomlp.com