Since the time of Newton and Hershel, humans have understood that light can communicate beyond what can only be seen, and over the next 300 years, remote sensing of spectroradiometric information has been perfected by astronomers. In the last 50 years, those methods and techniques have been turned nadir, to better understand the inner space of earth. Compared to astronomy, hyperspectral remote sensing for earth science is in its infancy, but the rate at which it has accelerated our knowledge of forestry, agriculture, bathymetry, and geology, to name a few, will continue to grow exponentially as the challenges facing mankind require more optimal uses of natural resources.
Wide field-of-view infrared sensor and data acquisition and exploitation systems are
being developed and tested for detecting activity and threats over extended areas.
Limitations on the total number of pixels available in infrared arrays precipitate
sensor design discussions on achieving the widest total field-of-view while achieving
small ground sample distance to allow automated tracking and activity detection. In
order to allow accurate imagery geo-location, the sensors optical characteristics as
well as its location and orientation must be accurately recorded with each image.
This paper will discuss system considerations of infrared imaging sensors for wide
area persistent surveillance. We will present some uses of an advanced day/night
sensors for wide area persistent surveillance that use large, high quality mid-wave
infrared (MWIR) staring arrays in a fast step-stare stabilized mount and a Windows
based data acquisition and exploitation system.
The NRL Optical Sciences Division has developed and demonstrated ground and airborne-based control, display, and exploitation stations for simultaneous use of multiple dissimilar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems. The demonstrated systems allow operation on airborne and ground mobile platforms and allow for the control and exploitation of multiple on-board airborne and/or remote unmanned sensor systems simultaneously. The sensor systems incorporated into the control and display stations include visible and midwave infrared (EO/MWIR) panchromatic and visible through short wave infrared (VNIR-SWIR) hyperspectral (HSI) sensors of various operational types (including step-stare, push-broom, whisk-broom, and video). Demonstrated exploitation capabilities include real-time screening, sensor control, pre-flight and real-time payload/platform mission planning, geo-referenced imagery mosaicing, change detection, stereo imaging, moving target tracking, and networked dissemination to distributed exploitation nodes (man-pack, vehicle, and command centers). Results from real-time flight tests using ATR, Finder, and TERN UAV's are described.
The NRL Optical Sciences Division has initiated a multi-year effort to develop and demonstrate an airborne net-centric suite of multi-intelligence (multi-INT) sensors and exploitation systems for real-time target detection and targeting product dissemination. The goal of this Net-centric Multi-Intelligence Fusion Targeting Initiative (NCMIFTI) is to develop an airborne real-time intelligence gathering and targeting system that can be used to detect concealed, camouflaged, and mobile targets. The multi-INT sensor suite will include high-resolution visible/infrared (EO/IR) dual-band cameras, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) sensors in the visible-to-near infrared, short-wave and long-wave infrared (VNIR/SWIR/LWIR) bands, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), electronics intelligence sensors (ELINT), and off-board networked sensors. Other sensors are also being considered for inclusion in the suite to address unique target detection needs. Integrating a suite of multi-INT sensors on a single platform should optimize real-time fusion of the on-board sensor streams, thereby improving the detection probability and reducing the false alarms that occur in reconnaissance systems that use single-sensor types on separate platforms, or that use independent target detection algorithms on multiple sensors. In addition to the integration and fusion of the multi-INT sensors, the effort is establishing an open-systems net-centric architecture that will provide a modular “plug and play” capability for additional sensors and system components and provide distributed connectivity to multiple sites for remote system control and exploitation.
An upgraded digital reconnaissance pod payload, denoted as “Full-Capability” (F-CAP), has been developed and demonstrated as part of the F-14 TARPS-CD (Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod -- Completely Digital) effort. A key improvement is the incorporation of the NRL-developed ARIES (Airborne Real-time Image Exploitation System) circuit card into the Reconnaissance Management System for in-cockpit display, processing, and geo-location of imagery from the TARPS-CD digital framing camera system. A special cockpit control panel allows the aircrew to quickly manipulate the video images (e.g., pan, zoom and roam), and create an image segment. The annotated image segment can then be relayed via the F-14 Fast Tactical Imagery (FTI) link to the carrier or to a strike aircraft for target prosecution. A solid-state recorder allows near-instantaneous retrieval of full-resolution imagery recorded earlier, for use by the ARIES card or for transmittal to the ground/carrier via the 274-Mbps CDL link. The F-CAP pod is being evaluated in operational exercises by F-14 squadron VF-32 aboard the carrier USS Harry S Truman.
The prototype effort within the SHAred Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) program successfully demonstrated real-time reconnaissance operation of the prototype SHARP system on an F/A-18F and of the prototype SHARP payload on a P-3 in coordinated flights, each aircraft downlinking imagery to a NAVIS ground station and displaying that imagery in real time on August 28, 2001 in Washington, DC. The principal technology objectives - to verify that dual-band camera technology was sufficiently mature and that the SHARP Reconnaissance Management System (SRMS) with its operating software could control the SHARP subsystems and deliver real-time high-bandwidth reconnaissance imagery - were achieved through demonstration flights. The prototype SHARP Pod system is now used as a test asset in support of the E&MD phase of the SHARP program. Further development of technology for SHARP is continuing. The Airborne Real-time Imagery Exploitation System (ARIES) has been developed for incorporation into the SRMS to provide the flight crew enhanced image exploitation capability for time critical strike. ARIES capability is undergoing continuing development and evaluataion in combination with Fast Tactical Imagery (FTI) real-time, cockpit-to-user, transmission of the selected imagery.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Reconnaissance, Antennas, Reconnaissance systems, Cameras, Signal processing, Telecommunications, LCDs, Image resolution, Control systems
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has developed and tested the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System-Completely Digital (TARPS-CD) System on the F-14 Tomcat aircraft. This system has been used in a risk reduction demonstration program extending from January 1999 to July 2001. The purpose of the program is to verify, validate and demonstrate the concept of realtime tactical reconnaissance using timely, high quality and broad coverage tactical imagery, thus expanding the reconnaissance capability of the U.S. navy. Additionally, the program was to identify potential technical risks associated with the Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP) Program, the Navy's future manned tactical reconnaissance capability. The TARPS-CD flight test program has demonstrated that near real-time, electro- optical, airborne reconnaissance, as planned for SHARP, is valid and feasible. The TARPS-CD system collects high quality imagery at high data rates with the capability of storing, displaying, and/or transmitting imagery in a timely manner, and represents a significant increase in operational capability over existing film type systems.
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