Navy looks to Vista Research for persistent-surveillance radar processor sensors for tethered aerostats

by John Keller

Remote sensing experts at the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, N.J., needed advanced land radar processor (LRP) sensor payloads for persistent ground surveillance able to cue walking humans and vehicles. They found their solution from Vista Research Inc. in Sunnyvale, Calif.

Navy officials awarded a $24.9 million 37-month contract to Vista Research Friday as part of the Persistent Ground Surveillance System Technologies and Payloads program to develop radar processors for mobile platforms and tethered aerostats to provide real-time, networked 360-degree detection and tracking capability, with land clutter and false alarm rejection.

These sensors and surveillance systems are for persistent surveillance in military contingency operations outside the continental U.S. Vista Research engineers will create rapid prototypes to demonstrate advanced sensors for persistent surveillance on tethered unmanned platforms, as well as unmanned airborne platforms.

Vista Research experts will concentrate on sensors, sensor data processing and sensors systems, modeling of the sensor, communication techniques between the sensors and platforms, interfaces, the fusion and exploitation of multi-source sensor data, advanced payload platforms and its integration with sensors/payloads, as well as any other technique to develop advanced persistent surveillance capabilities quickly and at affordable costs.

Navy researchers at Lakehurst NAS awarded a separate $23.2 million contract under the Persistent Ground Surveillance System Technologies and Payloads program last March to Stara Technologies Inc. in Gilbert, Ariz.

Stara experts will research, evaluate and integrate prototype technologies that can provide forward operating bases with a persistent ground surveillance system (PGSS) capability, including identifying technologies that remotely can detect the presence of humans and automobiles, as well as locate the origin of incoming rounds.

Stara Technologies engineers also are developing inexpensive platforms on which to mount this technology, and are looking into renewable power sources to make the systems operate entirely through a green, self sufficient power source.