Gorgon starlings

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gorgon Stare is a reconnaissance and surveillance system of the United States Air Force , which is to be used on the MQ-9 Reaper drone. The name is based (Engl. On the look or stare stare ) of the Gorgons - three figures of Greek mythology whose gaze froze people to stone.

Technology and background

The system consists of two containers (pods) that are carried under the two inner wing stations of the MQ-9. One of the sensor containers contains a reconnaissance system, while the second pod offers extensive computing and storage capacities. This combination should make it possible to create images on which entire villages or landscapes can be displayed in three dimensions . This is intended to provide the ground troops on site with more comprehensive situational images and at the same time make it impossible for the enemy to predict which area the drone is precisely monitoring. The enormous amount of data due to the large number of cameras cannot be sent live to ground stations via data links, which requires the storage capacity in the second pod.

Due to their high weight, MQ-9s equipped with Gorgon Stare can no longer carry additional armament. The transmission of live images from the existing reconnaissance system in the fuselage remains possible. The system should be used for the first time in winter 2010/2011. The DARPA has a grant for the Software Mind's Eye grants to be used in this context.

Phase 1

The first version ("Increment 1") was introduced in March 2011. In increment 1, the sensor head consists of nine video cameras that enable monitoring of an area of ​​16 km². The pods should have a system price of 17.5 million US dollars and have approximately 1,100 pounds weigh (about 500 kg).

According to a press release, the tests carried out at Eglin Air Force Base revealed significant deficiencies in the system. In January 2011, for example, it was written that the system did not meet expectations and that errors occurred. It was criticized that the infrared capabilities were too poor, that there were delays of 12 to 18 seconds in real-time data transfer, and that the image quality was generally poorer than with previous systems. Due to errors in the software that was supposed to combine the individual image sections into an overall image, there was also the effect that black triangles were moving through the images. It was also criticized that a high image quality is only possible by reading out the image data from the pod on the ground, which leads to long time delays.

The US Air Force then announced that the majority of the errors had already been resolved at the time of publication and that the conception of the system was never geared towards high-resolution images, but should provide a 3D overview of the area covered.

Phase 2

In the second version ("Increment 2"), algorithms and systems from ARGUS-IS , a system developed on behalf of DARPA, were integrated. Developer Sierra Nevada Corporation announced on July 1, 2014 that it had reached Initial Operating Capability (IOC) earlier in 2014. Increment 2 can cover an area of ​​100 km². The system consists of 368 cameras that create a total image of 1.6 billion pixels from the individual images with 5 million pixels. By recording the videos at twelve frames per second, several terabytes of data are generated per minute.

Web links

  • DARPA - (project description)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b High-tech surveillance: US Air Force tests new super drone. Spiegel Online , January 3, 2011, archived from the original on January 3, 2011 ; Retrieved January 3, 2011 .
  2. ↑ Richard Whittle: Gorgon Stare. Aviation Week magazine , archived from the original on January 3, 2011 ; accessed on January 3, 2011 .
  3. ^ Charles Q. Choi: Pentagon to adopt NFL's instant replay technology. The Christian Science Monitor , June 2, 2010, archived from the original on January 3, 2011 ; accessed on January 3, 2011 .
  4. ↑ Stephen Trimble: USAF to unleash 'Gorgon Stare' sensor in 2010. Flight International magazine , January 28, 2009, archived from the original on January 3, 2011 ; accessed on January 3, 2011 .
  5. ↑ a b Ellen Nakashima and Craig Whitlock: With Air Force's new drone, 'we can see everything'. The Washington Post January 2, 2011, archived from the original January 3, 2011 ; accessed on January 3, 2011 .
  6. ^ Steve Lohr: Computers That See You and Keep Watch Over You. The New York Times January 1, 2011, archived from the original January 3, 2011 ; accessed on January 3, 2011 .
  7. ↑ a b Stephen Trimble: Sierra Nevada fields ARGUS-IS upgrade to Gorgon Stare pod. Flightglobal.com, accessed August 14, 2014 .
  8. ↑ a b Michelle Erlach: Sierra Nevada Corporation Achieves Milestone for USAF's Advanced Wide-Area Airborne Persistent Surveillance (WAPS) System - Gorgon Stare Increment 2. Sierra Nevada, July 1, 2014, accessed on August 14, 2014 .
  9. ↑ Gayle Putrich: Gorgon Stare tests reveal long list of problems. Flightglobal.com, January 25, 2011, accessed August 14, 2014 .
  10. ↑ David Ax & Noah Shachtman: Our 'All-Seeing Eye' Sees Just Fine, Air Force Insists. Wired.com, January 25, 2011, accessed August 14, 2014 .