Miniature Air Launched Rawinsonde and Dropsonde (MALRD)

ABSTRACT: The opportunity exists to leverage readily available F-16 aircraft equipped with AN/ALE-40 and -47 Countermeasures Dispensing System (CMDS) to support vital monitoring of atmospheric conditions using rawinsonde and dropsonde sensor technologies. In addition to providing direct in-situ measure of pressure, temperature, humidity and wind-vector (PTU + wind) data, this radiosonde data is fundamental to development, validation, and initialization of numerical atmospheric-prediction models essential to forecasting weather conditions and phenomenology. The proposed Phase I effort is to demonstrate the feasibility of designing an air-launched rawinsonde and dropsonde compatible with an F-16 aircraft equipped with an AN/ALE-40 or AN/ALE-47 CMDS using the MJU-12/A flare magazine and MJU-7/B flare configuration. Central to our approach is leveraging current and previous capabilities that satisfy many of the MALRD requirements. The existing and flight-proven Micro Air-Launched Expendable Meteorological Sonde (MAXMS) provides the core sensor and electronics package to accomplish many of the requisite MALRD requirements. Focus will be on key research areas that will fulfill all MALRD requirements. BENEFIT: The benefits derived from accurate atmospheric sensing and forecasting by the Government greatly contributes to both military and civilian communities in promoting the overall defense and economic welfare for the Nation. In addition, air-launch of MALRD sondes opens new markets for alternative launch of various miniature sensor and electronics instrumentation or micro-munitions payloads on platforms equipped with the AN/ALE-40 or AN/ALE-47 CMDS.