Laser Radar for Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA)

Current sensors employed for operation of the V-22 in the TF/TA mode include a microwave radar and a FLIR night vision system. A new forward looking sensor is needed to allow higher speeds at lower altitudes, in more adverse weather, while being covert for the TF/TA operating mode. Although this solicitation request CO2 laser radars for this purpose, we believe there is a better, higher performance, lower cost solution. Mission success and safety of the aircraft and pilot during execution of covert missions, depend heavily on very low altitude flight profiles. This requires precision terrain following, terrain avoidance and obstacle avoidance capability in any weather condition, 24-hours a day anywhere in the world. Covertness of the mission is greatly enhanced if there are no radiated emissions or strong contrast signatures from the aircraft avionics. The purpose of this proposal is to provide technology for an alternative more robust TF/TA system. Passive MMW imaging sensors and processing algorithms that produce angle-angle-range measurement capability very similar to a laser radar is proposed IMTECH is currently developing technology to demonstrate, in hardware and software, a passive all-weather millimeter wave imaging-inertial guidance tehcnology that will yield worldwide, terrain relative, position accuracy of better than one meter and attitude accuracy better than one milliradian in any weather.