Synergistic EO and RF SAR/SAL Processing

This research seeks synergy between RF (SAR) and optical (SAL) synthetic aperture imaging, such that advantages can be identified to share a common processor for both functions on a tactical SWaP-constrained ISR platform. Traditionally, these very different functions would be implemented as completely independent and isolated stove pipe payloads. However, future tactical ISR platforms must be small and potentially expendable in contested environments, and there is significant opportunity to improve SWaP efficiency through shares SAR and SAL processing in a common processor. In this Phase II, PI2 and NRT seek to identify and quantify such opportunities in an open COTS hardware architecture that enables us to create a Testbed to predict such advantages for future Air Force integration of SAL onto a tactical SAR platform with shared processing.