I Can See Clearly Now...
BAE Systems has introduced a
day/night, all-weather capability designed to enable pilots to
navigate and land in degraded visual environments. The capability
combines radar, infrared sensors, and low-light-level TV to enable
pilot visibility in dust-outs, smoke, fog, haze, rain, snow, and
complete darkness.
The system consists of BAE Systems Radar-Enhanced Vision System,
a multimode, millimeter-wave radar, integrated with forward-looking
infrared, low-light-level television, and proprietary sensor fusion
technology to enable operation in zero-ceiling/zero-visibility
(0/0) environments. The fused image is displayed either on a
head-up or helmet-mounted display.
"One of the most dangerous challenges military aviators face is
poor visibility, a fact that has been underscored by recent
operations in unprepared environments in Iraq and Afghanistan,"
said Dutch Neilson, leader of the BAE Systems Platform Solutions
team that developed the technology. "Our system provides the best
and most affordable solution to the hazards caused by dust
generated during landing and take-off, smoke in battlefield areas,
and adverse weather."
The millimeter-wave Radar-Enhanced Vision System serves as the
primary sensor, exploiting the characteristics of dust, suspended
water, and atmospheric transmission to generate an image that, when
fused with information provided by the infrared and low-light TV
systems, provides a robust, redundant capability. Data from all
three sensors are combined to produce the best available image at
any moment in time.
BAE Systems also can combine the sensor suite with its own
flight control and active stick technology to provide pilots
tactile cues throughout the flight envelope. In addition, the
system can be integrated with the company's TERPROM digital terrain
system, with uses stored digital elevation data to provide a
sensor-independent model of terrain and obstacles to apprise pilots
of their proximity to terrain or other obstacles.
BAE Systems is offering the technology for both fixed- and
rotary-wing aircraft and is demonstrating the capability this week
at the Army Aviation Association of America's annual convention in
Nashville (TN).
To date, elements of the system have been demonstrated on a U.S.
Air Force C-130 transport, where it was tested to near 0/0
conditions. Currently, it's being installed on a C-17 transport as
part of an Air Force dual-use initiative, through Boeing Phantom
Works, and later this year will be demonstrated on a CH-47
helicopter as part of a US Army initiative to address
white-out/dust-out operational issues experienced in Afghanistan
and Iraq. Additionally, BAE Systems is beginning a research program
with the Air Force Research Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
to evaluate various millimeter-wave radar modes that have
application to the landing requirements as well as other platform
needs, such as unmanned aerial vehicles.