Advanced Payload Develop & Spt (MIP)

Abstract

This project supports the Army's transformation by developing payloads for brigade combat team, division, and corps Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and unmanned systems in accordance with Headquarters Department of the Army (HQDA) and Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) UAV priorities. The STARLite Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI) payload will provide a wide-area search capability with a built-in imaging mode that provides essential all-weather surveillance and increased situational awareness. The STARLite payload is a principal payload for the Gray Eagle (Extended Range/Multi-Purpose - ER/MP) UAS. The Electro Optical Infra Red w/Laser Designator (EO/IR/LD) Common Sensor Payload (CSP) is being developed and built at the direction of the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army for the Gray Eagle (ER/MP) UAS program and has potential application to other platforms. The CSP system will provide a day/night capability to collect and display continuous imagery with the ability to designate targets of interest for attack by laser guided precision weapons. Additional initiatives will continue to focus on the transition of technologies directly supporting emerging requirements and the Army's Current and Future Force. This effort has been expanded to include High Definition (HD) Target Location Accuracy (TLA) capability. The Tactical Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Payload (TSP) is a SIGINT sensor, currently under development for the ER/MP UAS that detects radio frequency (RF) emitters. TSP, through handoff from the Combat Aviation Brigade, is capable of providing the Brigade Combat Team (BCT) Land Commander with an over watch and penetrating SIGINT system capable of detecting, identifying, locating, and providing Geolocation information on RF emitters throughout the Area of Operations. The TSP is scalable and modular, designed to provide maximum flexibility for the BCT mission profile. TSP will provide near real time actionable intelligence that can immediately be used in the commander's decision cycle. The TSP electronic emitter information will be correlated with data from other systems (e.g. Prophet and Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS)), at a Distributed Common Ground Station-Army (DCGS-A) node to provide precise targeting information for immediate engagement. TSP maps and aligns with the 2009 Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Cross Cutting study and Force Sizing Assessment with Airborne Precision Geolocation and Tactical SIGINT capabilities. TSP also supports the 2009 Office of the Secretary of Defense Cross-Cutting Study: 6 Overarching Axioms for Information Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Force Sizing, VCJCS Update, 25 Apr 09, with SIGINT (Geolocation) and SIGINT (Internals). TSP sensors are critical to providing coverage ISR / Reconnaissance Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) information and contributing to the Joint ISR net. TSP EMD program will be funded through 11B (0305204A) TSP development in FY12 and beyond. FY12 Base development dollars in the amount of $16 million continues to support Non Recurring Engineering (NRE), design, build integration and testing for the CSP High Definition Target Location Accuracy (HD/TLA) upgrade ($14.3 million) and final platform integration funding for STARLite ($1.7 million).

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: 11A_0305204A_7_2040_PB_2012

Tags

Readers

• Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Directed Energy
• Microelectronics