Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully demonstrated advanced sensor and network technologies for the protection of fixed locations, adapting the STARLite Small Tactical Radar developed for UAS.
Over five days of integration and testing, Northrop Grumman and its teammates fused data from more than 10 systems to form a common operational picture. Among the systems tested in realistic scenarios were SCORPION II Unattended Target Recognition Systems, the AN/ZPY-1 STARLite Tactical Radar-Lightweight, the Smart Integrated Vehicle Network (SiVAN) and FLIR’s Star Safire HD. Each sensor was directly connected to the others through a wireless mesh network, enabling information sharing and the handoff of targets from one sensor to another. Northrop Grumman’s Rotorcraft Avionics Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) performed the rapid integrations.
As part of the exercise, Northrop Grumman demonstrated STARLite’s multiple scanning modes from a fixed tower. These modes allow the radar to track individuals and moving vehicles. STARLite also cued other non-collocated sensors during the testing.
“At Camp Roberts, we reaffirmed that STARLite gives warfighters the edge in situational awareness with its ability to track a wide range of threats,” said John Jadik, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of weapons and sensors for the Land and Self Protection Systems Division. “By sharing this data over the network and cueing other sensors, STARLite increases mission effectiveness and serves as a key component in base protection.”
Northrop Grumman’s STARLite Small Tactical Radar — Lightweight is the U.S. Army program of record for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System, and has also been demonstrated on the Army’s Persistent Threat Detection Systems aerostat. Each STARLite radar comes equipped with a complete software package for interfacing with U.S. Army systems, enabling easy operator control of the SAR maps and ground moving target detection features on standard Army maps. The AN/ZPY-1 leverages Northrop Grumman’s experience acquired from the company’s proven Tactical Endurance Synthetic Aperture Radar and the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Radar programs.
“Our demonstrations showed that we can make data from virtually any sensor available to the warfighter,” said Kay Burch, vice president of communications, intelligence & networking solutions for Northrop Grumman’s Land and Self Protection Systems Division. “Mission success depends on accurate information that enables a rapid response. With this level of integration, we can deliver a complete picture of the battle space and shorten the timeline from threat identification to action.”
Source: Press Release