WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio – U.S. Air Force airborne reconnaissance experts needed a next-generation airborne surveillance system to provide long-range wide-area multispectral imaging. They found a solution from the RTX Corp. Collins Aerospace segment in Westford, Mass.
Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wight Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced a $197.2 million contract to Collins Aerospace last week for MS-110 reconnaissance pods and ground stations.
The MS-110 is a next-generation multispectral airborne reconnaissance system for long-range, wide-area, multispectral imaging in different visual and infrared bands. The contract includes engineering support equipment, datalink capability, and spare parts.
ISR sensor pod
The MS-110 is for military intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, and enables military aircraft to collect high-quality imagery day and night and in real-time.
The airborne surveillance system's key capabilities include long-range multispectral imaging in visible and infrared spectra for tactical reconnaissance with high-resolution image quality. It is installed on F-16, F-15, F/A-18, Gripen, C-130 aircraft, and on uncrewed aircraft such as the MQ-9 Reaper.
The MS-110 airborne sensor pod has advanced imagery-exploitation software for near-real-time analysis and data linkage for battlefield awareness and target identification. The system is for long-range surveillance, target detection, camouflage detection, maritime surveillance, and humanitarian aid.
Tell me more about multispectral imaging ...
- Multispectral imaging captures image data across several specific wavelengths beyond the typical red, green, and blue of regular cameras. It detects light in discrete spectral ranges, including beyond visible light into infrared and ultraviolet to enable extraction of information invisible to the human eye. It is used widely in remote sensing, agriculture, environmental monitoring, cultural heritage preservation, and medical diagnostics. The images reveal material properties or chemical compositions by analyzing different wavelength interactions with objects. Multispectral imaging typically uses from 3 to 15 spectral bands to offer a balance between detailed spectral data and spatial resolution. Its advantages include non-invasive analysis and enhanced visualization of features otherwise unseen in standard imaging.
Enabling electronic technologies include multispectral imaging in several visual and infrared (IR) bands, including panchromatic, blue, green, red, near-infrared (NIR), and two mid-wave infrared (MWIR) bands to help detect and discriminate targets using true-color and false-color composites.
Rapid imagery exploitation software capitalizes unique multispectral features for faster sensor-to-shooter timelines through high-speed near-real-time data links. It can link with other sensors like synthetic aperture radar for intelligence and weather analysis.
The sensor uses a 6-channel line scanning time-delay integration sensor head that enables different collection modes such as spot, wide-area, and persistent imaging. For more information contact RTX Collins Aerospace online at www.collinsaerospace.com, or the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at www.aflcmc.af.mil.
