LM TRACER Begins Test Flights Aboard Predator B MQ-9 UAS: " A milestone has been achieved, the first flight of Lockheed Martin's Tactical Reconnaissance and Counter-Concealment-Enabled Radar (TRACER) aboard an MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial System.
The milestone also marks the first time a penetrating radar has flown on a fixed wing unmanned aerial system. TRACER, a dual-band synthetic-aperture radar (SAR), detects vehicles, buildings and other man-made objects that are buried, camouflaged or concealed under foliage in real-time. TRACER will continue flight testing and system validation in multiple environments.
TRACER's design is predicated on Lockheed Martin's proven foliage penetration (FOPEN) technology, which incorporates dual-band synthetic aperture radar, and provides high resolution images to ground units in all-weather, day or night conditions, as well as operating in various collection modes. TRACER has already successfully completed approximately one hundred test flights on manned platforms.
"When deployed, this 'hunting' sensor can use the penetrating RADAR capability to provide ground commanders with intelligence not available from a traditional optical sensor.'"
