Posted on 12/17/2017 4:52:34 AM PST by RoosterRedux
DARPA has developed a new sensor that can see through clouds, operating just as effectively as current systems do in clear weather.
The Extremely High Frequency (EHF) targeting sensor successfully demonstrated its ability to capture real-time video through clouds, marking the completion of its flight tests.
Ultimately, the Pentagon is hoping to create a system that can be mounted on different types of aircraft to capture high-resolution video of targets on the ground, regardless of the weather conditions.
The EHF targeting sensor comes from DARPA’s Video Synthetic Aperture Radar (ViSAR) program, which launched in 2013.
According to the agency, the sensor could be used to provide overhead support to ground troops.
It could ultimately be integrated with a movable gimbal for full-motion video of the target, in cloudy or clear skies.
‘The recent flight of the ViSAR sensor marked a major program milestone toward our goal, proving that we can take uninterrupted live video of targets on the ground even when flying through or above clouds,’ said Bruce Wallace, program manager in DARPA’s Strategic Technology Office.
‘The EO/IR sensors on board the test aircraft went blank whenever clouds obscured the view, but the synthetic aperture radar tracked the ground objects continuously throughout the flight.'
(Excerpt) Read more at americatoday.life ...
Doesn’t belong in the news....
It’s news to me.
That’s bad azz.
Seeing through clouds enables ops anytime, anywhere....
Never disclose what you have.
Don’t they teach Sun Tzu in the military colleges any more?
Exactly!
Why announce it?
Yes, but military contractors wanting to sell their stuff to Congress don't study military science. They study political science.
Already common knowledge in the industry. I am surprised about the claims they are making. Powering the unit will require a large generator - for now.
It is not operational.
It probably has limitations we are not told about.
If the other side believes they can be seen through clouds, all the time, it complicates their life considerably.
Geez, I wonder if they’ll be wheeling out the Blackbird again with this radar?
If the other side doesn't know it can be seen through the clouds they will continue to expose their activities on cloudy days. And we would be watching.
Now they know they can be seen and will innovate new ways to avoid detection.
Revealing this is not a plus.
Code named Rudolph?
Was already done with Lantirn.
Pretty much an EM glow for antiradiation missiles too
Why would they let this information out?
No; they have replaced Sun Tzu with Saul Alinski and Karl Marx.
Walbot for the military
Who’s blabbering all this stuff out?
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) is an under appreciated national treasure.
The United States and the world have benefited from DARPA initiatives 100 times over the minimal expense of DARPA, simply form GPS and the Internet, both of which DARPA was instrumental in developing.
There seems to be something magical about the interaction of an agency that promotes paradigm busting research, which is then exploited in a capitalist environment.
DARPA also had a hand in the research that led to Windows, Google maps, and Unix.
DARPA bump-started the research leading to autonomous vehicles.
Agree. The public doesn’t have the right to know everything.
Like when Leaky from Vermont announced that we were tracking Alqueda by their cell phones.
Next up would be LHF (Ludicrously High Frequency). It allows pilot to see thru everything! When viewing, you see thru clouds, the ground underneath, and the earth under that - you see space and the stars beyond.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.