Northrop Grumman (Outside OS6/OS8), and Areté Associates of Tucson, Arizona, have completed the first of a series of flight tests of an airborne electro-optic sensor system using a Bell 212 helicopter.
The system can be used to obtain 3D imagery of the surface, underwater objects and general bottom mapping or bathymetry in a river or at sea. It uses a high-speed, wide-area surveillance sensor capable of imaging large areas of water. The helicopter-mounted electro-optical sensor pod will be used for data collection and to demonstrate a wide range of military and civilian applications. Additionally, the system has a wide variety of overland applications where large amounts of 3D, geo-accurate topographic data are needed.
"Our tests were very successful," says John Casko, programme director, airborne mine countermeasures. "We were able to effectively image the water column from the surface to the bottom in a variety of environmental conditions." The company is also developing airborne mine detection and classification systems for the US Navy and the Marine Corps.
Source: Flight Daily News
