COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., 4 Sept. 2007. SRC Computers Inc., a provider of general-purpose reconfigurable computing, has been chosen by Lockheed Martin to provide both ground and airborne processing solutions for the U.S. Army's Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment Enabled Radar (TRACER) program. The $40 million TRACER contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin by the Army in May of this year and incorporates low-frequency synthetic aperture radar systems into Predator-class unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The TRACER program addresses the Army's critical need to identify hidden targets, enemy equipment, and facilities. The system's design is predicated on Lockheed Martin's proven foliage penetration (FOPEN) technology, which was developed specifically to detect vehicles, buildings, and large metallic objects in broad areas of dense foliage, forested areas, and wooded terrain. These dual-band synthetic aperture radars can provide images to ground units in all-weather, day or night conditions, and incorporate a data link that allows processed results to be downlinked to ground stations immediately.
SRC's ground solution consists of an air-cooled SRC-6 system with dual microprocessors, two Series E MAP processors, Hi-Bar crossbar switch, and multiple Common Memory banks providing 32 GB of storage. Programming will be accomplished using SRC's Carte high-level language development environment.
The airborne Signal Data Processor (SDP) is comprised of a spray-cooled multi-MAP SRC-6 that weighs 80 pounds, consumes less than 900 watts of power, and measures 18 x 17 x 14 inches.
The SDP is capable of operation to at least 25,000 feet in an unpressurized environment and contains one dual microprocessor, four Series E MAPs, and 80 GB of memory in five banks connected by a Hi-Bar crossbar switch. The spray-cooling technology is being provided by SprayCool of Liberty Lake, Wa., an SRC subcontractor.
SRC's airborne solutions are expected to be delivered in 2008.
