Air Force eyes sensor-fusion project to enhance surveillance radar by blending-in electro-optical tech
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio – U.S. Air Force researchers are ready to kick off a $33.6 million five-year sensor-fusion program to enhance the effectiveness of surveillance radar by blending-in electro-optical technologies like visible-light, infrared, multispectral, and hyperspectral sensors.
Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, revealed plans this week for the Precision Real-time Engagement Combat Identification Sensor Exploitation (PRECISE) project.
PRECISE seeks not only to fuse several different RF and electro-optical sensors, but also to enhance current radar technologies through signal processing, alternative bandwidths, and similar approaches.
Radar has been used for decades, yet potential U.S. adversaries are looking for ways to reduce radar's effectiveness -- especially at long ranges, Air Force researchers explain. PRECISE seeks to improve radar signal processing and fuse other sensors with radar to break ambiguities and improve confidence in declaring targets at long ranges.
The project primarily will develop enabling technologies that advance combat identification for warfighters, and will focus on radar-based identification of air and ground targets for reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft.
Related: EO/IR sensors boost situational awareness
Promising enabling technologies developed in the PRECISE program may be integrated onto a surveillance aircraft for flight demonstration.
Air Force researchers say the play to issue a formal solicitation for the PRECISE program (FA8650-17-S-1669) in March 2018, and are not asking for white papers or proposals yet.
For technical questions or concerns contact the Air Force's Andrew Freeman by email at [email protected], or by phone at 937-713-8158.
For contracting questions contact Bryan Fleckenstein by email at [email protected]. More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLWRS/FA8650-18-S-1672/listing.html.
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John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
