The Air Force will begin sending a newly developed aerial sensor pod that can provide 10 times the viewing power of current systems to Afghanistan in the spring, a top service official said.
The first three Gorgon Stare pods will arrive by April. The wide-area airborne surveillance systems will be mounted on MQ- 9 Reaper drone aircraft, said Lt. Gen. David Deptula, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
“What this Gorgon Stare pod will allow us to do is transmit up to 10 different video images to 10 different users on the ground,” Deptula told reporters at a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington.
Currently, only one video feed is provided per platform.
Sister publication Defense Daily first reported the Air Force’s development of Gorgon Stare in the fall of 2008. The effort was part of Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ plan to provide ground troops with better situational awareness–often referred to as an “ISR surge.”
The next set of six Gorgon Stare pods–due in Afghanistan by October–will provide up to 30 video feeds to 30 different locations, according to Deptula. The Air Force also hopes to develop a 65-feed variant in follow-on increments, he added.
“We are vastly increasing the capability of these systems without increasing the number of platforms,” Deptula said.
The new pods weigh approximately 1,500 pounds each, which make them too heavy to be flown on the Predator or the Army’s MQ-1 variant, the Sky Warrior. Deptula said the Air Force’s primary reason for purchasing more MQ-9s was the desire to accommodate the new capability.
The sensor, even in its first generation, will provide a broader video picture than legacy systems provide. The picture provided measures approximately 2.5 miles square, according to Air Force documents.
Meanwhile, the service is also deploying 24 modified MC-12 Huron twin-engine turboprop aircraft for manned ISR missions in Afghanistan.
Deptula declined to provide details about the Air Force’s new stealthy reconnaissance drone, which the service earlier this month acknowledge is operating in Afghanistan. The aircraft is said to resemble the B-2 Spirit bomber, on a smaller scale.