The AIRTEC team completes another successful airborne sensor research and development project providing real-time operations and state-of-the-art equipment testing with our partners alongside and supporting the United States Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This all-environment domain awareness field test will provide critical data for the USCG to help decision-makers choose the right next-gen camera sensor to meet their future maritime safety and security mission demands.

This new airborne project is the result of the impeccable work the team has done on previous projects testing next-gen AI sensors and cameras for DoD customers. (Read more here https://www.flyairtec.com/news/airtec-successfully-tests-next-gen-ai-sensors-and-cameras-for-dod-customers/.) We are excited to continue to advance U.S. military missions with our aircraft platforms, flight and sensor operations, and our team’s unmatched technical expertise. AIRTEC’s Project Managers, Pilots, and A&P Mechanics supported operations from beginning to end at home in Maryland and on-site in Florida. An engineering structural mount provisions certification for integration of a Hyperspectral Optical Radar (HSOR) into an existing pressurized lift Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) modification, among other modifications and enhancements were implemented with steadfast precision. This mission called for a twin-engine aircraft so our King Air B300 was the logical choice to support the mission and integration of the equipment. The autonomous, real-time, wide-area, optical airborne search sensor is capable of detecting and classifying all contacts and tracking all targets during day or night operations in degraded visual conditions in sea and land operations and has 30 times the coverage over existing sensors.

Operations took place in the Caribbean waters around Key West, based out of a USCG Florida Station. This sector is responsible for marine safety, disaster relief, environmental protection, and law enforcement within the region. Through seamless collaboration and communication with our partners, SAIC and Trinity Bend Solutions, Inc., we swiftly tackled unexpected maintenance and sensor issues. This enabled us to adhere to the project flight schedule, demonstrating our ability to adapt and coordinate promptly to be mission-ready for real-time environment testing and execution. Various scenarios were simulated including placing large and small objects such as power boats, kayaks, paddle boards, imitation drug bails, as well as individuals and groups of people for the camera to detect. The USCG ran joint operations with their HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft and different sensors. Over 30 hours were flown with data collected at 10,000, 15,000, and 27,000 feet, setting a new operational altitude record for the HSOR sensor.

AIRTEC also had the opportunity to participate in a coinciding event with our partners, showcasing the team’s capabilities and solutions to high-ranking military decision-makers. This project is the latest example of AIRTEC’s state-of-the art facilities, extremely qualified team, advanced capabilities, and highly capable platforms providing custom, rapid, integrated solutions. Considerable effort and coordination from our field team along with corporate support contributed to the outstanding success of this project. Once again, collaboration with our partners and feedback from our customers has been outstanding with other real-world aerial operations and testing anticipated in the near future.

AIRTEC has long-standing expertise in running Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations across the globe in collaboration with U.S. military and partner nations. We look forward to continuing to support critical mission programs that help detect and monitor illicit activities which will prove to be critical to the security and defense missions of our U.S. forces. To learn more about our cutting-edge capabilities and solutions and how we can solve your challenge, contact our team at BD@flyAIRTEC.com!