Thales’ I-Master Radar Reports Flight Trial Success

Thales, Thales UK presented the I-Master radar in cooperation with Seabird Aviation at SOFEX 2008. Seabird Aviation and Thales are working together to study the incorporation of the I-Master radar onto the Seabird SB7L-360 Seeker to enable further joint success in approaching a particular segment of the global airborne surveillance market. 
 
The flight trials programme started in August 2007 and is now accelerating with multiple flights completed in February and March this year using a Cessna 406 aircraft as the trials platform. 
 
“It is an incredibly exciting time in the programme, with our hard work in the development stages being rewarded with some very impressive results. Installation in the Cessna was straightforward, with no aircraft modifications as we were able to use a standard camera position in the fuselage floor,” comments Richard Deakin, Managing Director of Thales UK's aerospace business. 
 
The lightweight I-Master can be fitted to UAVs or manned fixed wing and rotary platforms, with the unique Seabird SB7L-360 Seeker as an obvious example. The Seeker is a one-of-a-kind light aircraft specifically designed for low-level aerial observation and surveillance missions. The Seeker is characterised by superior fields of vision, the ability to carry a variety of sensors and cameras, and the capability of stable, slow flight. 
 
With a scalable workstation system for standalone radar operation as well as for integration with other sensors and systems, the I-Master has the capability and flexibility to satisfy all modern surveillance requirements. 
 
Background Information
– I-MASTER is Thales' lightweight high performance combined Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI). It can be used in all weathers, day and night to image static targets such as buildings and stationary vehicles with high-resolution (swath and spotlight SAR modes) and to detect and track moving vehicles (scanning GMTI modes). I-Master weighs less than 30kg, and provides the perfect balance of capability, cost, weight and power consumption for use onboard a wide range of unmanned air vehicles (UAV), helicopters, and small fixed wing aircraft and tilt rotor platforms. 
 
– The low weight of I-Master means that a combined SAR/GMTI capability can be added to tactical UAVs either in addition to or instead of electro-optic (E/O) sensors. I-Master is also designed to fit existing E/O payload mountings. On smaller air vehicles, which are able to carry just one payload, this unique feature enables the sensor to be exchanged within a few minutes. This capability will allow the platform's role to be quickly adapted as the mission tempo and the environment changes. For larger air vehicles, able to carry more than one payload, collaborative targeting using both SAR/GMTI and EO packages greatly increases the options available to the field commander. 
 
– I-Master incorporates a high performance Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) able to detect a wide range of fast and slow moving targets. 
 
– With 360-degree coverage and an innovative stabilised antenna, I-Master provides high-quality images over a wide area from small air vehicles in a wide range of flight conditions. 
 
Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales' leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues in excess of £8.3 bn. Thales UK employs 9,000 staff based at more than 50 locations. In 2007 Thales UK's revenues were over £1 bn.