Stewart Penney/EDINBURGH
BAE Systems' Avionics group is developing a series of electro-optical (EO) targeting pod technology demonstrators and industrial partnerships to build on its experience in developing the TIALD targeting and laser designator pod.
BAE Avionics business development manager Mike Gilbert says the company is poised to deliver equipment to the UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA)as part of the Dragonfly technology demonstrator programme (TDP). He says the programme aims to improve the stability and pointing of EO systems while developing software for automatic target recognition. Dera flight trials are due to start in the third quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, talks on the Anglo-French Joint Airborne Navigation and Attack (JOANNA)TDP are in their final stages with a contract expected by the end of March, says Gilbert. He adds that JOANNA will be the technology testbed for a TIALD successor, but will also aim to provide a common system across Europe.
BAE will provide the pod's "front end" including the stabilisation, pointing and tracking systems and active imaging - for automatic target recognition - while Thales will be responsible for processing and post processing aspects of the pod. Active imaging, says Gilbert, will use a laser to produce images for automatic recognition and display to the pilot.
BAE is working with Raytheon on its Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) for the US Navy's Boeing F/A-18 Hornets. The US Congress is also studying the commonality between ATFLIR and the USAir Force's planned Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP), which could yet see the Raytheon system adopted by both services, suggests Gilbert.
Meanwhile, BAE is continuing to hold talks with Lockheed Martin (Flight International, 27 June-3 July, 2000) on using technologies from the US company's Sniper ATP contender in future BAE pods and in the electro-optical system being developed by the pair for Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter contender.
Source: Flight International
