Lockheed Martin has received a $7.8 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to design, produce and test its Real-time Active Imaging in 3D at Extended Range (RAIDER) multi-sensor system. This is an extended-range version of the Polarimetric Imaging Laser Radar (PILAR) system.

RAIDER includes an enhanced Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) system, TV camera and upgraded Laser Detection and Ranging (LADAR) capability. The system provides high-resolution, 3D target imaging for military and civil applications.

The improved LADAR in RAIDER enables the system to see over twice as far as the original PILAR and fly at higher altitudes while mapping terrain. RAIDER offers vastly enhanced image quality and improves the speed at which the imagery is processed and transmitted. The sensor is able to cover significantly wider search areas on the ground than previously possible.

The existing PILAR sensor packages the FLIR, TV and LADAR sensors fit into a single 15-inch turret. The system is designed to conduct wide-area searches and identify actual or potential threats, including targets partially obscured by camouflage or foliage. RAIDER provides more than twice the capability in a slightly larger, 20-inch turret.

Both systems can be operated in various modes, ranging from long-range search, detection and identification modes to high-resolution terrain mapping mode. The sensor systems can be packaged to make them suitable for integration aboard manned or unmanned aerial vehicles for use in both tactical and strategic applications.

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