ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., 28 Sept. 2009. U.S. Army researchers are looking to radar system experts at Syracuse Research Corp. in North Syracuse, N.Y., to build a foliage-penetrating radar avionics for airborne radar applications on the Boeing A-160 Hummingbird unmanned aerial system (UAS).
The Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER) is an advanced airborne UHF radar for persistent surveillance that is able to detect people and vehicles moving through woods and other forested areas under the tree canopy's foliage.
Syracuse Research engineers have built two FORESTER systems -- one for the Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and the other for the Boeing A-160 high altitude, long endurance UAV helicopter. Syracuse will build a third FORESTER system under terms of an $11.4 million contract from the Army Research Development and Engineering Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
The FORESTER radar is the result of a joint Army and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program. Syracuse Research has installed and tested the first two systems in single- and double-canopy foliage on the Black Hawk and Hummingbird aircraft.
The Hummingbird UAV, which Boeing has designated the MQ-18, is a vertical take-off-and-landing UAV designed to fly as far as 2,500 nautical miles with 30 to 40 hour endurance.
The helicopter UAV can carry payloads as heavy as 1,000 pounds to provide reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA), as well as communication relay, precision re-supply, sensor delivery and eventually precision attack capabilities.
For more information contact Syracuse Research online at www.srcinc.com.
-- Posted by John Keller, [email protected]. www.milaero.com.
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