U.S. forces in Afghanistan get nervous when they have to reel down one of their tethered, video-camera-equipped aerostats for maintenance. "They want it up as long as they can have it - that persistent surveillance stare," said Army Lt. Col. Robert Helms, who oversees work on the aerostats, called the Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS). Last year, the Army accepted 28 PTDS aerostats, adding to the nine it already owned. Now commanders want airships that stay up even longer, scan more terrain with radars and cameras, and serve as communications relays.
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