DARPA's Foliage-Penetrating Radar Tested on the A160T Hummingbird

Eugen Leitl eugen at leitl.org
Thu Oct 29 06:36:14 PDT 2009


http://www.defense-update.com/products/a/a160_forrester251009.html

DARPA's Foliage-Penetrating Radar Tested on the A160T Hummingbird

October 25, 2009: Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned helicopter successfully
completed 20 test flights testing the Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance,
Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER), developed under a
DARPA / US Army program. 	Video link
	
Two typical payloads carried by the A160T include eight Hellfire / JAGM
missiles or the foliage penetrating ground surveillance Forrester radar.
Photo above: Defense Update. Photo at left and below: Boeing.

The tests, conducted at Fort Stewart, Ga., validated the radar-carrying
A160T's flight characteristics with more than 50 hours of flying time. The
new radar will be able to detect and track moving vehicles and dismounted
troops under foliage, filling a current surveillance gap. Vic Sweberg,
director of Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS) at Boeing considers the recent
test a validation of the "operational readiness of this important
capability". He said that the combination of this unique platform and sensor
make a formidable system.

The U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command (ARDEC) has
already received two FORESTER radars and is planning to acquire a third
system from Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC), with options for three
additional systems. The system's development began in 2005 under a $35
million DARPA funded program. As the system has been matured through testing
and demonstration, the Army plans to move to the third phase, buying three
addional systems. These radars will be installed on A160T unmanned systems.

The Foliage Penetrating Radar System was developed under a joint DARPA/Army
program that demonstrated how airborne UHF radar is capable of detecting
people and vehicles moving under foliage. The radar can operate under all
weather and visibility conditions, providing persistent, stand-off coverage
of moving vehicles and dismounted troops under foliage. These radars have
already been tested in both single and double canopy foliage, operating on
Blackhawk helicopter and on an A160 high altitude, long endurance UAV
helicopter.

The A160T is a turbine-powered unmanned helicopter designed to perform a wide
range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance,
communications, and precision resupply. It holds the world record for
endurance for its class (more than 18 hours unrefueled), and hovering at
20,000 feet and can carry up to 2,500 pounds of cargo. The Hummingbird
recently was selected to participate in the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting
Laboratory's Immediate Cargo Unmanned Aerial System Demonstration Program.
Boeing will demonstrate that the A160T can deliver at least 2,500 pounds of
cargo from one simulated forward-operating base to another in fewer than six
hours per day for three consecutive days.

Lockheed Martin has also developed and tested a FOPEN radar. The latest phase
of the program, known as TRACER, is currently being tested on a surrogate UAV
platform.





More information about the cypherpunks-legacy mailing list