TacVue - Making Tactical UAS High-Resolution SAR Imagery Feasible and Affordable

摘要

Obtaining timely battlefield information, in cloudy, dusty and hazy conditions, 24/7, without putting soldiers in harm's way, is a growing need. Sensor technology required to "see" the battlefield through obscurants and darkness has until now been relegated to large Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) like Predator and Global Hawk, which are beyond the direct control of tactical commanders. Rockwell Collins leverages a long history of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology from Sandia National Laboratories to significantly reduce the cost and increase the performance of a miniaturized, rugged SAR solution. This system, named TacVue, makes real-time, high-resolution, near picture-quality SAR imagery practical during day/night, all-weather operations for tactical UAS such as the Shadow 200 or other small UAS. Since tactical UAS are tasked and operated at the battalion level and below, Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition information will reach troops more quickly, improving warfighting effectiveness. The TacVue advanced radar image formation and auto-focus algorithms enable near picture-quality imagery from a payload weighing less than 50 lbs. Rockwell Collins successfully demonstrated multiple radar modes using a TacVue prototype in November 2006 during a flight test at Fort Huachuca, AZ for the U.S. Army CERDEC. These results, including actual SAR imagery and moving target indicator capabilities, will be presented.