Companies demo UAS-radar integration

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VIENNA, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- High-performance radar for ground moving target indication and with synthetic aperture capability has been demonstrated aboard an Austrian UAS.

The Schiebel Group said the flight tests of Thales' I-Master system took place early this month using its Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicle, showing sensor performance and stable transfer of data between the radar ground operator and the in-flight I-Master.

"The I-Master radar integrated easily onto Camcopter S-100, proving the flexibility of both the UAS and the radar," said Schiebel Group Chairman Hans Georg Schiebel. "With the I-Master installed, the system performed even above our high expectations and provided invaluable surveillance, detection and recognition capability."

The I-Master weighs about 66 pounds and is designed for installation with "plug and play" integration and has the same footprint as a standard 15-inch EO/IR sensor turret.

"This trial, conducted in partnership with Schiebel, provided excellent GMTI and SAR results," said Eddie Awang, vice president of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Thales UK. "It shows that I-Master can operate successfully on this VTOL UAV, meeting the specific challenges of unmanned platforms without interference or operational impact."

Schiebel's Camcopter S-100 is a vertical takeoff and landing rotary wing UAS for military and civilian applications.