An Adaptive Class-Based Compression Technology for Weapon Seekers Suitable for Minimum RF Bandwidth

Precision-guided weapons have proven invaluable during the past decade of anti-terrorist military actions other than conventional wars. Two of the most successful of these are the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM). Several efforts have been initiated to improve the effectiveness of these weapons by adding an imaging device to transmit target images or even video to a man-in-the-loop (MITL) operator who can change target priorities and conduct target identification and bomb damage assessment (BDA) in real time. The greatest impediment to the realization of this enhanced capability is the limited bandwidth of radio frequency (RF) data link. It is precisely this limitation to delivering image and/or video data of sufficiently high quality that is addressed in this program. UtopiaCompression Corporation (UC) has devised an effective algorithm for compressing the image/video such that it can be transmitted over a low-cost data link while still preserving detail for the MITL to do target evaluation and BDA. UC proved the viability of this concept using recorded digital video data during Phase I and is teaming with Defense Research Associates (DRA) Inc. to transform the idea to practice in a brassboard system during Phase II.