Mary-Louise Hoffman
The U.S. Navy deployed a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems-built drone radar technology at a recent maritime exercise to demonstrate the system’s target detection features.
GA-ASI said Thursday its Lynx synthetic aperture radar was tested on a surrogate Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft during the Navy’s Exercise Spearhead IIA event in Florida in June.
Lynx SAR worked to detect very small boats and connected with an Intelligence Carry-On Program datalink platform that was integrated into a Spearhead joint high-speed vessel, according to GA-ASI.
“We achieved several historical firsts, with the MQ-9 surrogate providing the ICOP system with tactical Lynx Radar maritime data, demonstrating Reaper’s continued operational relevancy via new Lynx capabilities, and successfully leveraging Reaper in support of the Air-Sea Battle Concept,” said Claudio Pereida, GA-ASI executive vice president for mission systems.
The multimode radar is designed with the company’s Claw sensor payload management software, maritime wide-area search tool and a moving target indicator.
GA-ASI says the Navy also used Lynx target images and data to cross-cue sensor platforms aboard the Spearhead JHSV during the demonstration.
