BAE SYSTEMS Flight Tests Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance System
15 Sep 2003
BAE Systems successfully demonstrated its Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance System (AARS) during August flight trials at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. AARS, the latest addition to the BAE Systems reconnaissance product line, was flown on a U.S. Air Force F-16 Block 50 fighter aircraft at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.
AARS was developed by BAE Systems Communication, Navigation, Identification and Reconnaissance (CNIR) business unit in Greenlawn, New York. It is a complete near-real-time reconnaissance system that includes airborne image acquisition and solid-state storage, data linking, ground exploitation, moving target indication, and intelligence dissemination capabilities.
The system can be deployed on a variety of military aircraft. AARS features multiple fields-of-view in a single sensor - the largest with a 120-inch focal length. The system provides either individual or simultaneous visible and infrared imaging, as well as manual or autonomous operation.
During the flight trials at Eglin, AARS captured images of tri-bar resolution targets, military vehicles and geographical targets from standoff ranges greater than 25 miles. Tri-bar resolution is a type of spatial resolution measurement that enables the pilot to determine scale and calculate the distance between objects on the ground. Future flight tests will demonstrate the systems imaging capabilities to capture imagery at supersonic speeds with a standoff range up to 100 miles.
For the armed forces, multiple fields-of-view in a single sensor package means that the right reconnaissance capability is always on the aircraft even as battlespace conditions and threats change. This simplifies logistics and can dramatically reduce mission deployment times, said David Hails, CNIR vice president and general manager for Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems. By integrating these elements, AARS provides a broad and sophisticated reconnaissance capability in one flexible, user-oriented system.
The latest flight test aboard the F-16 validated the effectiveness of several key new technologies incorporated into the airborne sensor - including fiber-optic gyroscopes and digital servo-controllers that provide precise pointing and geo-positioning accuracy
About BAE SYSTEMS:
BAE Systems is an international company engaged in the development, delivery and support of advanced defence and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea and in space.
The company designs, manufactures and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, radar, avionics, communications, electronics and guided weapon systems. It is a pioneer in technology with a heritage stretching back hundreds of years. It is at the forefront of innovation, working to develop the next generation of intelligent defence systems.
BAE Systems has major operations across five continents and customers in some 130 countries. The company has 100,000 people and generates annual sales of approximately 12 billion through its wholly-owned and joint venture operations.
BAE Systems North America is a high-technology U.S. company employing more than 25,000 people who live and work in some 30 states, the District of Columbia, and the United Kingdom. The company is dedicated to solving its customers needs with highly innovative and leading edge solutions across the defense electronics, systems, information technology, and services arenas.
BAE Systems Communication, Navigation, Identification and Reconnaissance, headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, is a team of more than 2,200 professionals unifying the force with technically superior solutions that transform the armed forces' communication, situational awareness, mobility, and mission effectiveness.
BAE Systems, innovating for a safer world.
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