Apr 15, 2012 Spacewar.com

Hunt Valley MD - AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has announced a strategic alliance that combines AAI's expertise as a UAS systems integrator with KOR's signals intelligence (SIGINT) equipment.

The organizations intend to integrate KOR's SIGINT products, focused on expeditionary tactical unmanned aircraft such as AAI's renowned Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, as a new addition to AAI's family of Multi-Mission Payloads (MMP). Each modular MMP "pod" can be attached quickly to the Shadow aircraft to equip it for the mission at hand.

"This technology provides warfighters actionable, time-sensitive data on the capabilities and activities of their adversaries," said Senior Vice President and General Manager Steven Reid of AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

"Equipping our Shadow aircraft - a trusted and omnipresent asset for so many U.S. and allied customers - for this collection mission can help deliver intelligence fast, and to a broader array of deployed forces and formations."

"During the process of evaluating initial alliance partners, KOR recognized that AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems was a market leader in UAS design, development, production and support, and that the Shadow Tactical UAS is ideally suited for KOR's market-leading SIGINT precision location capability," said KOR Electronics President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Carnino.

"KOR's precision location capability, coupled with the Shadow aircraft's existing electro-optic/infrared sensor, will significantly improve the find, fix and finish timeline and enhance the utility of the Shadow system's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance role."

KOR Electronics, a subsidiary of Mercury Computer Systems, is a leading supplier of subsystem-level solutions for defense prime contractors supporting the worldwide Defense and Intelligence communities. KOR is headquartered in Cypress, California with principal locations in Aurora, Colorado, and Rome, New York.

Mercury Computer Systems is a best-of-breed provider of open, commercially developed, application-ready, multi-INT subsystems for defense prime contractors. With over 30 years of experience in embedded computing, superior domain expertise in radar, EW, EO/IR, C4I and sonar applications, and more than 300 successful program deployments including Aegis, Global Hawk and Predator, Mercury's Services and Systems Integration (SSI) team leads the industry in partnering with customers to design and integrate system-level solutions that minimize program risk, maximize application portability and accelerate customers' time to market.

AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems has designed, manufactured and fielded combat-proven unmanned aircraft systems for more than 25 years. AAI's multi-mission capable unmanned aircraft and interoperable command and control technologies provide critical situational awareness and actionable intelligence for users worldwide. Its Australia-based strategic business, Aerosonde Pty Ltd, is a manufacturer of small unmanned aircraft systems. AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems is an operating unit of Textron Systems.

Textron Systems has been providing innovative solutions to the defense, homeland security and aerospace communities for more than 50 years. Headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., the company is known for its unmanned aircraft systems, advanced marine craft, armored vehicles, intelligent battlefield and surveillance systems, intelligence software solutions, precision smart weapons, piston engines, test and training systems, and total life cycle sustainment and operational services. Textron Systems includes AAI Logistics and Technical Services, AAI Test and Training, AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Advanced Systems, Aerosonde, ESL Defence, Lycoming Engines, Medical Numerics, MillenWorks, Overwatch, Textron Defense Systems and Textron Marine and Land Systems.

19 December 2011 - by the Shephard News Team

The Australian Army has selected the Sentient Kestrel Land Moving Target Indicator (MTI) for the Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) systems being acquired under the Defence Capability Plan Joint Project (JP) 129 Phase 2. Under the contract Sentient will provide the automated target detection solution to support the Shadow systems in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

To be operated by the 20 Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) Regiment, Kestrel Land MTI will assist Australian forces in analysing ISR imagery from the AAI Shadow 200. The software processes the imagery in real time, automatically detecting small, moving targets such as dismounts and vehicles within the TUAV sensors’ field of view.

Equipped with cutting-edge payload technology including advanced electro-optical and infrared sensors the Shadow TUAV will transmit real-time, full motion video (FMV) to the Ground Control Station (GCS) and remote video viewing devices. The Kestrel system analyses the video footage and provide a real-time cue to operators on moving objects within the field of view. This capability will enable the Army to effectively detect and respond to enemy targets, and thus protect Australian forces.

According to the company, the Army has purchased three Kestrel Land MTI licenses for 20 STA Regiment, which will be deployed with the Shadow in Afghanistan early next year. Sentient has been working closely with 20 STA Regiment and AAI over the past years and has successfully demonstrated Kestrel’s automated target detection capability with the Shadow.

Kestrel is currently supporting the Australian Army on board the ScanEagle which will remain in service in Afghanistan during the transition-in of the Shadow.