Marines recently successfully completed live-fire targeting exercises on the Marine Corps’ extensive ranges in California using Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] on-demand intelligence system for the first time, according to a company statement.
Warfighters used the Heterogeneous Airborne Reconnaissance Team (HART) system to simultaneously and autonomously manage two unmanned aircraft to track a moving target, and enable a live-fire strike and destruction.
“This live-fire targeting demonstration gives us great insight into how to perfect this quick reaction capability for warfighters,” said Scott Winship, vice president of advanced concepts-air and land systems at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “The on-demand, real-time video, surveillance and reconnaissance information provided by HART put ‘eyes’ on threats to the mission.”
During the exercise, control of two Raven unmanned aircraft was passed to a HART system operated by a warfighter in the field, who used the Ravens to acquire information to locate a target and pass coordinates through HART to the mortar battery to launch a strike on the target. Mission completion was verified through video delivered by the Raven under HART control, the company said.
The HART system automates the acquisition and delivery of real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) information from airborne ISR assets directly to the warfighter, who submits requests from a computer. Initially demonstrated in 2005, the system is in the final stages of preparation for fielding. Adoption of HART is under active consideration by all military services.