Textron Systems and IMSAR have successfully integrated and showcased the NSP-3 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system from IMSAR on Textron systems’ Aerosonde Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS). This collaboration merges the versatile Aerosonde platform with the all-weather, day-and-night capabilities of the NSP-3 radar, enhancing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in challenging environments and adverse weather conditions.
The integration process of the NSP-3 radar into the Aerosonde aircraft was executed seamlessly,with the radar electronics housed in the fuselage payload bay and an antenna pod mounted externally. The software integration allows for direct transmission of radar flight plans to the Aerosonde operator. Throughout several flight tests, the fully integrated system showcased its ability to operate around the clock, capturing high-resolution SAR imagery, Coherent Change Detection (CCD) images, and Moving Target Indication (MTI) detections and tracking. The demonstration effectively illustrated the cross-cueing capabilities of the aerosonde’s full-motion video system, which was activated by MTI targets identified and tracked by the radar, emphasizing the NSP-3 radar as a significant enhancer for both sensor and platform functionalities.
“Over the past few months, Textron Systems has been dedicated to conducting various demonstrations of the aerosonde, reinforcing our commitment to the system’s continuous enhancement and advancement,” stated David Phillips, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Textron Systems.“This latest integration introduces an enhanced SAR capability that we are eager to provide to our authorized clients, further broadening the system’s versatility and operational potential.”
The Aerosonde SUAS from Textron Systems boasts over 300,000 flight hours, showcasing its operational reliability and multi-mission capabilities across both land and maritime applications. It is indeed designed for real-time, full-motion video and communication relay during a single flight, regardless of the time of day. The Aerosonde system features a range of 75 nautical miles,offers 200 watts of payload power,maintains over 14 hours of flight endurance,supports distributed manned/unmanned operations,and can be deployed in under 20 minutes.
IMSAR’s NSP-3 radar system integrates proven NanoSAR technology within a compact size, weight, and power profile. It is capable of generating high-resolution SAR imagery, CCD, MTI, and conducting maritime surveillance in all weather conditions, day or night.
