U.S. clears sale of 10 74K Aerostats to Saudi Arabia

The U.S. State Department has cleared the potential sale of ten 74K Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS) Aerostats to Saudi Arabia.

Balloon watches over ISAF elements from high above battlefield DVIDS361730
By Sgt. Richard Andrade [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The aerostats will be equipped with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) radars, MX-20 Electro-Optic Infrared (EO/IR) cameras and Communications Intelligence (COMINT) sensors, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced.

Total estimated program cost is $525 million.