SMARTPOD has been developed as the trials and evaluation test-bed for future United Kingdom ISR requirements. This paper reviews the background to the requirement for such a capability, the details of its implementation and the current plans for its use to support risk reduction and requirements formulation activities for future UK ISR applications. It identifies the key design concepts and the flexibility provided to support multiple trials activities with minimal integration and aircraft availability charges.

This paper presents the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) Tactical Reconnaissance System (TRS) and is prepared by TERMA Elektronik AS, who is the main contractor for the program. The paper provides a run-through of issues related to the program, such as project status, overall system objectives, operational aspects, functionality and subsystems. Special attention is given to systems configurations, the criteria for selecting particular sensors and other subsystems, and, of course, the imagery - the capture of which is the ultimate objective of any reconnaissance system. The Ground Exploitation System (GES) used in TRS is also described. However, as the functions of the GES to a large extent reflects the military infrastructure of the RDAF emphasis in the presentation and this paper has been put on the TRS Airborne Segment. Please note, that this paper should be viewed as a help to attendees of address 3751 04 (Danish F-16 Recce Pod Program) and not as a description of the TRS in its own right.

Tactical Reconnaissance (Tac Recce) Concept of Operations (CONOPS) is based on the fundamentals ofMission Planning, Mission Execution, Data Analysis and Data Distribution. These fundamentals apply whether addressing historic missions, current equipment capabilities, or projecting future capabilities. This paper is intended to orient technical experts with the tasks that the operational users face and to help focus technical breakthroughs and upgrades into systems that help the warfighter efficiently and effectively achieve his goals. Many technical experts focus on the intricate technical details oftheir project and many times are not aware ofthe ultimate objective that their technology is intended to improve. As we briefly overview the fundamentals, remember where and how Tac Recce systems will be used. For a moment, put yourself in the mindset ofthose who are on the front lines, working long hours at numerous tasks, striving for efficiency and effectiveness. Technical advancements that can reduce the Tac Recce timeline and simplify operations can improve the end product which is key to critical warfighting decisions.

Since the first one in 1986, the US Forest Service has hosted a biennial conference on remote sensing for workers in natural resource management where they could exchange information about their projects and needs. This paper briefly reviews the history of the conference including an analysis of the subjects of the papers that have been given. An invitation to participate is extended to others who may be interested in how airborne reconnaissance, remote sensing, space based sensors, GIS, GPS, and research are used by Forest Service personnel in the management of natural resources.

This paper is derived from material used by DASD (ISR & Space) for release at open conferences but has been tailored to the agenda for the UAV session of the SPIE 1999 Airborne Reconnaissance Conference. This paper serves as an introduction and summary of operational UAVs. As a result of tailoring, the paper avoids overlapping with other conference papers or briefing materials.

The L-3 Communications/Rockwell Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) flight tests were conducted during March/April 1999 using a General Atomics "Predator" UAV. This successful culmination of "phase 2" of the DARPA TCDL program has shown the utility of adapting Common Data Link hardware to provide secure digital command/control and sensor data transmission for a wide class of UAVs as well as manned air vehicles. Use of CDL on UAVs will ensure cross program as well as cross service compatibility, providing the Warfighter with immediate access to real time sensor data regardless of which platforms are operating in theatre. Digital communication enables simple integration of a wide class of new video and (especially) non-video sensors onto UAVs. To provide context for the flight test results, this paper will first provide some background on the CDL program, then review the essential features, capabilities, and growth options of the L-3 Communications/Rockwell TCDL offering. It will then cover results of the test and validation process, from testing in L-3's labs to integration at GA's System Integration Lab, installation of the equipment onto the Predator at El Mirage, taxi testing, initial flight tests as a payload, and finally complete control of the air vehicle while airborne.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) is an international company formed in 1993 to focus on designing, producing and supporting remotely-operated aircraft. The company invested heavily in developing state- of-the-art reconnaissance systems that are in extensive use by the U.S. Government including: the U.S. Air Force. NASA. Department of Energy, and the U.S

The modem capabilities for the presentation of earth surface data for the battlefield are discussed and illustrated. Particular attention is given to the software for accomplishing this, the critical need for preprocessing and technical support, and the data format issues that affect the usability of the finished products in the field.

Solid state recorders have focused attention on the problem of long term data storage for reconnaissance systems. Storage was never viewed as a problem as long as the cost of storage remained relatively low. While there are many advantages to a completely digital/solid state imagery collection system, it is too expensive to use as a generic longterm storage medium.

We describe here work which has been performed to calibrate digital cameras for band-dependent fall-off. We also report studies of the effects of altitude on digital camera data due to change in the size and content of the ground instantaneous field of view (GIFOV), and due to the changing atmospheric path with altitude. We report measurements of calibration targets, and some of trees and crops. We discuss the variation of signal with view geometry and field angle. We show that correction for the band-dependent lens fall-off improves the appearance of images, and the uniformity of derived vegetation indices across images. We report the on the impact of cloud shadow on vegetation index, and on the implications for flying height.

In 1997 and in 1998, EMERGE obtained multi-altitude digital image data over several sites, including Oneida County Airport, using a calibrated Kodak DCS 460 CIR camera. This study was part of a larger study. During a graduate research project, we examined two multialtitude color infrared digital image sets: one was obtained under partly cloud-shadowed conditions, and the other was obtained an hour later, under cloud-free conditions. In each case, we analyzed the uncorrected images obtained at each altitude, as well as the same images corrected for the bandpass-dependent lens fall-off with field angle. The digital radiance obtained at each altitude over selected vegetation and over other targets was used to deduce the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The digital radiance and the NDVI for both the raw and for the corrected images were plotted as a function of altitude. It was possible to see the impact of atmospheric differences between acquisitions, and to study the effects of lens fall-off correction, as well as the effects of cloud shadow and sun-ground-sensor geometry on the NDVI. We report only part of the study. The dependence of digital radiance and NDVI on radial distance from the image center, and on the radial distance times the sine and cosine of the azimuth of each region of interest with respect to the perpendicular to the solar plane are mentioned. However, these form a data set too large to include in its entirety here. In concurrent studies, described in these proceedings, we also analyzed multialtitude data over forest and over agricultural targets. We studied the effects of location of the site in the image, altitude and cloud shadow on contrast between scene elements. The reported results are based on one of only a very few multi-altitude studies and have implications for all other imaging sensors.

The FLIR92 and Acquire programs are commonly used to predict the range performance of FLIR sensors. In this paper a high level electro-optical imaging sensor performance model is described which was developed and implemented in MathCad. Performance is characterized by a minimum resolvable contrast that is a function of spatial frequency. Based on a simple model for the atmosphere, target contrast as a function of range is derived. Comparisons of range predictions and experimental data are given.

Future air force reconnaissance systems will consist of digital EO/IR sensors, various radar systems, passive microwave sensor readings from electronic warfare pods/systems etc. All this sensor information must be fused and processed in the reconnaissance management system, RMS. By using the full sensor suite of a modem multirole combat aircraft, e.g. the Swedish JAS 39 GRJPEN, together with integrated communication with other aircraft and ground control, the reconnaissance capability is maximised. The reconnaissance is aimed at “information superiority” that is, giving the entire armed force an advantage in knowledge about hostile situations and reduces the time to react correctly. We will discuss the various demand scenarios as well as the type of functions a future RMS will have to implement.

New generation airborne recce systems, for both manned and unmanned aircraft, are faced with dramatically increased performance requirements, along with calls for reduced costs, faster time to deployment, lower weight and lower physical volume. Concurrently, recording rates are moving to >1GByte/S. Thus to capture imagery for even a few minutes of record time, tactically meaningful solid state recorders will require storage capacities in the 100s of GBytes. Even with memory chip densities at present day 64Mb, such capacities require many thousands of chips. The demands on packaging technology are daunting. This paper will consider the basis for these capacities, review approaches to memory chip packaging and offer a discussion of physical envelope trade-offs in achieving the required objective of packaging this large number of chips in a practical, flyable, cost-effective envelope.

Tactical reconnaissance aircraft are beginning to make the transition from wet film cameras to digital sensors. Digital sensors include, electro-optical, infrared, hyper-spectral, multi-spectral and SAR. High bandwidth digital sensors require a recording system that is more reliable than traditional tape recorders, have greater storage capacity, increased bandwidth, provide more capability than just recording the data and must be affordable. CALCULEX Inc, provides this type of system in a non-volatile flash memory solid state recorder called the MONSSTR (Modular Non-volatile Solid State Recorder). CONOPS (Concept of Operations) are being discussed on how to integrate the solid state recorder into a digital airborne tactical reconnaissance system. This paper will discuss the operational and environmental advantages of the solid state recorder. One question that that still needs to be addressed is the amount of memory that is required to meet the tactical reconnaissance tasking. This paper will provide specific examples on the different tasking requirements a tactical reconnaissance aircraft can expect in a peacekeeping or wartime environment.

Historically magnetic tape recorders have been used to record wideband sensor data in reconnaissance applications. Spurred by the declining cost of non-volatile Flash memory, a number of solid state recorders (SSR) are now being marketed for airborne reconnaissance applications. These first generation SSRs have been designed to directly replace magnetic tape recorders with compatible interfaces, control protocols and with an approach for transporting recorded mission data from the aircraft to the processing center via removable storage media. This product introduction approach will minimize the impact to existing reconnaissance systems while allowing SSRs to validate claims of improved size, power, weight, reliability and environmental endurance. However, enabling the full set of mission enhancing capabilities which SSRs can provide will require reconnaissance systems to update their interfaces and control protocols. This paper explores architecture and interface trades for second generation SSRs with an eye toward on-going SSR standardization efforts. It also compares two popular error management approaches with regard to how they may perform in reconnaissance applications.

The world of photogrammetry and reconnaissance has changed dramatically. This could be a short description of what has happened in the past few decades. The fact that Z/I Imaging is entering this market as a new vendor is simply the outcome of what is happening in the world's industry. Key words such as globalization, complexity management, key competence, refocusing, shareholder value, access to new markets, are only a few of the driving factors behind such developments as we see them at Z/I Imaging For most people in the photogrammetry and reconnaissance community, it is still not understandable that a vendor like the Carl Zeiss Photogrammetry and Reconnaissance Division should no longer exist. This paper gives an overview of the way the Carl Zeiss Photogrammetry and Reconnaissance Division has had to go and also shows how Z/I Imaging is positioning itself in the Reconnaissance, GIS and Photogrammetry world It also attempts a view to the midterm future of photogrammetry and reconnaissance as a part of the GIS market.

The details of the fabrication and results of laboratory testing of the Ultra High Resolution Framing Camera containing on- chip forward image motion compensation were presented to the SPIE at Airborne Reconaissance XXII in 1998. Three airborne flight tests of the Camera system have since been conducted with excellent results. This paper summarizes predicted performance for the Camera and presents some of the flight test imagery and data.

This paper discusses the design, architecture, and performance of a 6000 element Indium Antimonide Infrared focal plane array. The focal plane array architecture allows for any N x 1000 element sized array to be constructed from its base elements. A uniquely constructed bi-staggered detector geometry is utilized to provide 2:1 over-sampling having 10 micron effective pitch in both the across track and along track directions. Additionally, the detector geometry allows for physical pixel sizes up to 25 microns while sampling at a 10 micron effective pitch to provide alias free imaging with the high signal capture capability of a large pixel. The Indium Antimonide detectors are front-side illuminated P-on-N type mesa diodes having no measurable crosstalk. A complimentary CMOS based Multiplexor in a M x 250 segmented design having up to 10 million electrons full-well output with greater than 14 bits instantaneous dynamic range provides a flexible and low noise readout for the focal plane array. Hybridization of the Indium Antimonide detectors and multiplexor is provided via a Lockheed Martin patented beam-lead technology to provide reliable and producible long linear focal plane arrays for reconnaissance applications. Characterization of the 6000 element Infrared focal plane array is presented including dynamic impedance of the diodes, read-noise, linearity, and non-uniformity. Meadured characteristics of the CMOS multiplexor are also presented in addition to data from the hybridized modules making up the Focal Plane Array.

The image intensifier, originally designed tor night vision, has scientific applications based on its spectral response and ability to be gated. U.S. industry consolidation and military requirements have focused the domestic manufacturing capability on the latest intensifier technology. Earlier technology that provided diversity of intensifier spectral response has been virtually eliminated domestically by the shift of manufacturing to the latest government priorities. The scientific community continues to require the capabilities and variety of the earlier designs and to have these designs updated to permit imaging for research. The lack of domestic sources has forced a reliance on other sources and has created a niche market for these sources. The scientific requirements for the image intensifier does not create a large market and therefore only few manufacturers can adequately meet the limited market needs. A few select manufacturers in Europe and Asia have continued development and vastly improved on the original intensifier designs creating new sources of scientific application intensifiers. The SPIE Airborne Reconnaissance session paper presented in 1995 entitled "Advances in Low' Light Level Video Imaging" 1 and a 1998 paper entitled “Imagery Intensifier for Recce”2 described the then available image intensifiers. This paper explores and updates the previous papers, by describing the improvements in image intensifier technology in an ever-changing industry.

With the battle proven success of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), the future of these tactical systems is boundless. Although typically employing onboard visible, infrared, or electro-optical imaging subsystems for reconnaissance and flight operations, one of the challenges facing the application of UAV’s is adequate situational awareness supporting remote flight operations. This becomes especially true during missions that need to be conducted during low or zero visibility conditions. With this in mind, a need has been identified to provide the UAV community with a method of providing a real-time, threedimensional terrain data presentation along with enhanced mission planning as part of the integrated ground operations and control system. Integration with a color moving map presentation provides a total solution for UAV mission planning, navigation, and overall situational awareness. Combined, this information leads a more successful mission.

Magnetic Disk Recorders for data and video recording on-board airborne vehicles are described in this presentation. The DS4000 Hard Disk System (HDS) is designed for high capacity and high bandwidth data storage and can be configured to accommodate various sensors inputs. It is based upon high-end 3.5” magnetic disks packaged in a a ruggedized housing to withstand severe environmental conditions. The disk cartridge is removable and directly compatible with standard computer interfaces (SCSI /EIDE). The VS2000 Video Hard Disk System (VHDS) is a customized version dedicated to acquisition of 1 to 4 video channels and auxiliary data. It consists of a 2.5” disk drive cartridge coupled with digitization and video compression modules. It efficiently replaces up to 4 analog video recorders by a single compact box, which can be easily fitted in a very small volume. Retrieval and simultaneous display of video data is made on a standard PC system. A data recording version DS 2000 of the video recorder is to be used in the small payload application .The DS 2000 Ultra Compact Airborne recorder can acquire and record any type of digital data up to 60 Mb/s First tests in actual flight conditions have recently demonstrated the robustness of the disk recorder.