Terminal Accuracy Guidance Seeker Imaging Technology (TAGSIT)

The proliferation of unmanned surveillance & reconnaissance aircraft is reaching our enemies. In order to accomplish covert missions, our Special Operations Forces must avoid being observed by this expanding enemy capability. The ability to organically eliminate the threat of an enemy UAV would significantly enhance our soldier’s ability to stay covert and improve the mission’s operational timeline. Adding a lethal attack capability to existing Small and Micro Air Vehicles would provide this organic capability to our Special Forces. This program will leverage research from an Air Force Phase I SBIR and the ongoing development of Areté’s innovative Terminal Accuracy Guidance System Imaging Technology (TAGSIT) to deliver Proportional Navigation performance by processing imagery from a Strapdown seeker. The barriers for deploying current imaging seeker technologies on small UAVs are cost, size, weight, and power. Gyro-stabilized gimbals that steer the imaging sensor, such as the one used in the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, are typically used to generate the inertial Line-Of-Sight (LOS) rate information required by the guidance algorithms. TAGSIT will use Optical Flow and other algorithms to deliver Proportional Navigation guidance performance without the weight and cost of gyros or gimbals. BENEFIT: This technology can significantly reduce cost and weight while improving terminal guidance performance for small UAS. It also has applications for delivery of goods into GPS denied areas as well as identifying landing zones for paratroopers.