In August 2006 ImSAR and Insitu announced the completion of a prototype development of a one-pound synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system called NanoSAR. The system could enable all-weather reconnaissance and geolocation capabilities of Synthetic Aperture Radar to almost all airborne platforms, including lightweight Unmanned Aerial Systems such as Insitu’s ScanEagle.
According to the partners, the partnership between ImSAR and Insitu ensured the technology is smoothly and successfully integrated into Insitu’s UASs without interoperability or other technical issues.
The new SAR operates on the X band, mapping an area in a “stripmap” mode at a range of one kilometer, at resolution of 35cm (14×14″). The system will support broad area reconnaissance and Search and rescue operations in its basic configuration and offer optional expansions including Geolocation mode, cueing GPS guided munitions, and automatic detection of ground targets, utilizing Ground Motion Target Indication (GMTI) functions.
