Airborne Reconnaissance Systems

The Sensors Development project used non-recurring engineering activities to support the fabrication, integration, and testing of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar system (ASARS) 2C processing system to vastly improve the Air Force's long range, high altitude ISR radar imagery, detection, and tracking capabilities. The Sensors Development project conducted design, development, testing, and fielding efforts. The efforts increased the range, collection capability, interoperability, and processing of the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar Systems. The Sensors Development efforts advanced the capability of ASARS for U-2 and classified platform employment. ASARS-2B [front-end] & ASARS-2C [back-end] efforts provided critical advancements and risk reduction in SAR/Moving Target Indication capability to be implemented in the future multi-INT, platform agile capability that Next Generation Sensors will provide. The ASARS effort was a fifth generation, deep-look, high-altitude, ISR radar that was to be the foundation for the radar component of the Next Generation Sensors [NGS] family of systems as outlined in the AFROC approved ASARS-2C draft Capabilities Development Document [CDD]. ASARS-2B [front-end] was the antenna and receiver exciter replacement. The ASARS-2C [back end] data processing efforts extended the ASARS-2B [front-end] radar capability using open architecture data processing and multiplatform integration. Open architecture improves performance and lowers cost by facilitating and enabling qualified third-party software vendors to incorporate future multi-ISR capability to advance interoperability across joint operations. ASARS was meant to increase current capability and addresses National Defense Strategy Key Operational Problems.

The Data Compression project develops, tests, and implements sensor data compression and decompression solutions and standards for current and emerging space and airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensor modalities crewed and uncrewed airborne platforms, associated ground stations, and AF Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS). The primary product of the Data Compression project is the Reduction of Data Using Compression Enhancement (RDUCE) application that provides efficient and integrated compression of ISR sensor data. RDUCE develops, tests, and integrates new sensor data compression software and hardware for current and emerging space-based and airborne ISR sensors and data formats. RDUCE develops compression capabilities for manned and unmanned platforms, associated ground stations, and the AF DCGS. RDUCE data products meet standard certification for use within the Department and Intelligence Community (IC) Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Measurement and Signatures Intelligence (MASINT) collection disciplines. RDUCE compression accelerates kill-chain and maximizes the use of limited bandwidth thereby delivering more data, faster to the tactical user in the field. RDUCE activities include continuous studies, analysis, and updates to support program planning and execution. RDUCE also seeks to acquire certification of its data compression solutions which includes acceptance into the Department Information Technology Standards Registry (DISR). By ensuring compliance with appropriate standards governing bodies, RDUCE is always ready to satisfy new operational requirements.

The Joint Technology Center/Systems Integration Laboratory (JTC/SIL) project includes funding for JTC/SIL and Multiple Unified Simulation Environment (MUSE)/Air Force Synthetic Environment for Reconnaissance and Surveillance (AFSERS). JTC/SIL is the training center of excellence supporting Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) programs for the Services. JTC/SIL provides the system engineering, test and integration, interoperability, rapid technology insertion to address MUSE/AFSERS training requirements. The JTC/SIL combines the UAS knowledge of communications standards (such as STANAGs 4586, 4607, 4545 and 4609), Hardware in the Loop (HIL) testing, and sensor and aircraft simulation to integrate MUSE/AFSERS with other Department Modeling and Simulation (M&S) architectures. For those airborne assets normally not available for training, the JTC/SIL provides surrogate systems and interfaces. The JTC/SIL contributes to the distributed training environments, virtually linking participants from various locations worldwide, and routinely support within the MUSE architecture. The JTC/SIL continues to develop leading edge technologies supporting the rapidly evolving UAS training requirements required to support the National Defense Strategy future fighting force. MUSE is the Department's flight simulation/training system of choice for many UAS and manned airborne platforms. MUSE is also known as AFSERS in its Air Force training application. MUSE/AFSERS is a software suite that simulates UAS (e.g., MQ-9, RQ-4) and manned airborne ISR systems, tailored air vehicle & data links, and visualization systems used for payload product outputs-including Full Motion Video (FMV), Fixed Frame Imagery (FFI), Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) data, and Link 16 (J2.2 and J3.5) track messages. Outputs are compliant with applicable Department standards and are continually tested against actual ground data processors to ensure systems interoperability. The services and combatant commands have a requirement for training with a system that provides a real-time simulation environment containing multi-domain systems that can be integrated with larger force-on-force simulations.

The Sensors Open System Architecture (SOSA) project develops open (non-proprietary) hardware standards and associated software interfaces to support the development of embedded air/space/ground systems across a full spectrum of applications, including RADAR, Signals Intelligences(SIGINT), Electronic Warfare (EW), Communications, and Electro-Optical InfraRed (EO/IR). This project develops the standard required to rapidly field open systems. This program will fund development of the SOSA Technical Standard, prototype/demonstrate solutions, integrate with other Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) standards, conformance testing, verification, training, and the Open Architecture System Integration Laboratory to mature and verify the common hardware/software standards. Similar to the transition to commoditization of computer components (power supply, motherboard, central processing unit, storage, etc.) in the 1980s and 1990s, the SOSA standard enables weapon systems to leverage Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) hardware for embedded mission computer needs. This saves the non-recurrent-engineering cost for each platform to develop a point-specific computer hardware solution for their application (e.g., ruggedized/flight-qualified computer). SOSA demonstrations are on-going and continuous in the FY, dependent on the systems being evaluated. Funding may be utilized to implement innovation insertion, capability insertion, software increments, spiral upgrades, modular component swaps, and other insertions consistent with Modular Open System Architecture. Funding may be utilized to design, develop, integrate, and test weapon system and/or component level open architectures. Funding may be utilized to fund the concept refinement, design, development, integration, and testing of interdependent technologies and common architectures that underpin weapon system and portfolio-wide mission outcomes.

The Agile ISR BPAC matures, develops, and deploys projects in support of current and future platform agnostic, non-proprietary, autonomous, multi-INT cross cueing ISR solutions based on DAF mission requirements in highly contested environments. This includes, but is not limited to, High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) capability development, Detection Removal and Characterization Operations (DRACO), support and development of AgilePod, and other projects. Portions of the developmental efforts under Agile ISR are classified.

The purpose of the Rapid Targeting Support (RTS) is to develop, mature, demonstrate, and rapidly transition next-generation, persistent, wide area surveillance and common imagery reconnaissance sensor capabilities (active and passive systems), including sensor data processing for multiple airborne platforms, as well as sensor products to aid in rapid targeting (geolocation models, sensor-based exploitation tools, sensor networking capabilities, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence). In FY 2025, this PE supported the ULTRA effort's flight demonstration. In FY 2023 and prior years, ULTRA was executed under PE 0604555D8Z, Operational Energy Prototyping, under Section 219 authorities. In FY 2024, ULTRA was executed under PE 0305205F, Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. In FY26, the ULTRA effort transitioned to PE 0304784F, Long Endurance Airborne ISR. In FY 2026 and FY 2027, RTS has no requirements. In FY 2028 and beyond, RTS project will fund Resolute Sentry effort transitioning from PE 0604257F, Advanced Technology and Sensors. FY 2028 and out years expectation is for Air Force to right size budget submissions. Resolute Sentry is an AI-driven, multi-platform, sense-making tool for predictive analytics and orchestration at the tactical edge. It provides real-time, high-quality detection, identification and tracking to close kill chains and predict adversary activity. The program delivers a platform-agnostic, edge-hostable software solution to ingest and fuse multi-INT data across multiple platforms at the tactical edge. The data will then be used to generate actionable information on the highly contested environment for Blue Force commanders and national decision making. Activities also include studies and analysis to support both current program planning and execution and future program planning.