General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), has successful developped, integrated and operationally tested a system enabling the transfer of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data in in full, High-definition (HD) video format (1080p). This capability, called VideoSAR, provides continuous, real-time, all-weather, day/night Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) surveillance.
“VideoSAR is an exciting follow-on development, building on the highly reliable, battle-proven Lynx Multi-mode Radar, allowing users to see vehicles at-rest, moving fast, and everything in-between,” said Linden Blue, president, Reconnaissance Systems Group, GA-ASI. “While Lynx provides photographic-quality still imagery of targets, VideoSAR elevates that capability by delivering high-resolution SAR imagery in full-motion video format, further expanding the situational awareness of ground commanders.”
The prototype system was installed on a King Air 200 aircraft and flown successfully on March 25, 2013 in Ramona, Calif. During the company-funded test, VideoSAR imaged a wide variety of stationary and moving vehicles, marking the first real-time flight demonstration of the hi-resolution VideoSAR mode. Additionally, this new mode enables automatic Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) with very low minimum detectable velocity and precise SAR geo-location accuracy, enabling VideoSAR to detect both stationary and moving objects while maintaining non-stop, uninterrupted eyes on target.
The VideoSAR flight was conducted using a Lynx Block 20A radar, the most advanced variant in the Lynx family of radars. Lynx Block 20A is equipped with SAR/GMTI, Dismount Moving Target Indicator (DMTI), and Maritime Wide Area Search (MWAS) modes. The VideoSAR processors are currently being ruggedized for flight on RPA, including Predator C Avenger.
Featuring photographic-quality resolution, the Lynx Multi-mode Radar detects time-sensitive targets and offers a long-range, wide-area surveillance capability that can provide high-resolution SAR imagery slant ranges well beyond EO/IR sensor range. Lynx also incorporates a broad area GMTI scanning capability to detect moving vehicles, operating day and night. The radar is currently operational with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Army, Royal Air Force, Italian Air Force, and the Iraqi Air Force.
