Energy News  
Northrop Grumman Completes Flight Testing Of VADER System

-
by Staff Writers
Linthicum MD (SPX) Jul 18, 2008
Northrop Grumman has successfully completed the first test flight of a new Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) system under a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

VADER is a radar sensor being developed by Northrop Grumman for use with the Sky Warrior, an extended-range multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle under development by General Atomics.

When deployed, VADER will allow accurate Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) data and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery to be readily available to ground commanders in real time.

During this first test flight conducted in Georgetown, Md., high resolution SAR imagery and GMTI data were collected on a Northrop Grumman PBN Islander test aircraft and processed on a radar ground station to show vehicle motion on the ground.

"Capturing high quality SAR images on the first flight is an unusual accomplishment and a significant one for the DARPA program," said Brian Reise, VADER program manager for the Advanced Concepts and Technologies Division of Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector.

"Notably, the design, building and integration of this complex system were completed in a very short 18 month timeframe."

The activity included development of a new antenna and unmanned aerial system-compatible receiver/exciter/processor with associated software. The antenna was designed to support multiple missions, including the capability to detect dismounts and facilitate the exploitation of this data.

The DARPA project is sponsored by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Office (JIEDDO). Awarded in 2006, the objective of the VADER program was to design, build and test a radar system within two years.

Community
Email This Article
Comment On This Article

Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Bell/Agusta BA609 Tiltrotor Makes Its First Appearance At Farnborough
Farnborough, UK (SPX) Jul 18, 2008
The Bell/Agusta BA609 Tiltrotor is making its first ever appearance at the Farnborough International Air Show. The second prototype, aircraft #002, is showcased by the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company having flown for the first time in November 2006 at AgustaWestland's Cameri facility in Northern Italy.







  • Analysis: China dedicated to Nigerian oil
  • Analysis: Venezuela-Exxon row is rekindled
  • SKorean fusion reactor takes step forward: scientists
  • The Current Biofuel Market In India

  • British Energy says takeover talks continue
  • New French giant GDF Suez interested in British nuclear sites
  • Russia's Uranium Breakthrough
  • Analysis: Nuclear revival without Germany

  • Air Monitoring Helps Anticipate Possible Ecosystem Changes
  • Air Travelers And Astronomers Could Benefit From Atmospheric Turbulence Research
  • NASA And Air Resources Board To Examine California Air Quality
  • Field Project Seeks Clues To Climate Change In Remote Atmospheric Region

  • Mitigating Climate Change By Improving Forest Management In The Tropics
  • U.N. to do global deforestation survey
  • Kenya gives squatters October deadline to quit threatened forest land
  • Canadian Boreal Forest Gets Some Protection

  • Brazil agribusiness wants looser ties to China, India in WTO talks
  • River Damming Leads To Dramatic Decline In Native Fish Numbers
  • China trade deficit in food up 14-fold: report
  • China to urgently boost GM crop development

  • Off-peak electricity could power hybrids
  • Lasers, Software And The Devil's Slide
  • Fuel For Thought On Transport Sector Challenges
  • Future Of Transit Taking Shape At The Big Blue Bus

  • Air China says it is to buy 45 Boeing aircraft
  • British PM blasts polluting 'ghost' flights
  • Raytheon Leads Team To Evaluate Impact Of New Classes Of Aircraft For NASA
  • Bombardier launches 'green' aircraft programme

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement