Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS)

The advanced tactical airborne reconnaissance system (ATARS) provides high-resolution imagery for real- and near-real-time reconnaissance and strike and bomb-damage assessments in a single mission.

ATARS fully integrates the following on F/A-18D (RC) aircraft: low- and medium-altitude electro-optical sensors for daylight operations; an infrared linescanner for day and night operations; and the synthetic aperture radar modes of the APG-73 radar for all-weather reconnaissance. It also includes a centerline-mounted data link pod for transmitting near-real-time from the three digital imaging sensors and synthetic aperture radar imagery.

The system's digital sensors allow the aircrew to obtain high-resolution imagery from five miles standoff, horizon-to-horizon. The reconnaissance management system provides control of the sensors, recorders, and data link. It also manages the flow of data from the sensors to the digital recorders for a total image recording time of 92 minutes, and from the data link to the ground station or to the cockpit for review by the aircrew. The system can be preprogrammed to automatically collect imagery of 12 point, area, or strip targets, in addition to 20 targets of opportunity manually selected by the aircrew.

ATARS has been successfully deployed in Kosovo and, most recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom, operating on U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18s. The ATARS medium-altitude sensor is also in production for the U.S. Air Force F-16 TARS Reconnaissance System. ATARS has also been demonstrated on the F-15 and the F-4 aircraft.

ATARS SENSORS AT A GLANCE

The ATARS low- and medium-altitude electro-optical sensors and infrared linescanner modernize reconnaissance forces with an integrated day- and night-, below-the-weather capability. The system contains a suite of three digital sensors and associated hardware which can be easily reconfigured to fit a variety of airborne platforms.

FEATURES

• Single-mission effectiveness
• Integrated sensors for day- and night-, below-the-weather reconnaissance
• High-resolution imagery in real- and near-real-time
• Easily reconfigurable to fit a variety of airborne platforms

APPLICATIONS

• Prestrike target reconnaissance
• Ordnance delivery
• Bomb-damage assessment