Carolina Unmanned Vehicles (CUV) is a small woman-owned company with a market focus on several versions of a small mobile tethered blimp, the Lightweight Aerostat System (LAS), typically carrying payloads up to 30 kg. for various missions, although larger payloads can be accommodated. The system can carry Electro-Optic and IR payloads for very long term surveillance of logistics sites, camps and other facilities and is adaptable to COMINT / SIGINT payloads and communications relays.
Customers include the Army, USAF, Lockheed Martin Corporation and Sandia National Laboratory. A version of LAS, the Small Tactical Multi-Payload Aerostat System (STMPAS) was deployed to Afghanistan to provide Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability for small tactical units in Afghanistan and other locations. Non-military applications include law enforcement, border security and research.