Flight contributor, private blogger and Mojave resident Alan Radecki looked up a few weeks ago and spotted the weirdest thing: a helicopter methodically toting something that looked like a large water heater around the Edwards AFB test range. And he snapped a picture.
A few weeks later, the identity and purpose of this odd-looking contraption are now revealed, and it's quite interesting indeed. Flight International reports this week:
A few weeks later, the identity and purpose of this odd-looking contraption are now revealed, and it's quite interesting indeed. Flight International reports this week:See DARPA's ATAEM web site here. They don't call it the Bunker Debunker yet, but here's hoping.BAE Systems' Flight Systems division of Mojave, California has completed the design, fabrication and initial flight testing of the airborne tomography-using active electromagnetics (ATAEM) pod, the company confirms.
Flight Systems is providing the pod to BAE's Advanced Technologies business unit, which is developing the internal sensors.
The ATAEM pod is flown suspended by a helicopter and will use electromagnetic energy to penetrate the ground to detect and map hidden bunkers and tunnels, adapting technologies developed by the geophysical exploration industry. The sensor was flown suspended by cables beneath a Eurocopter AS350 over the Mojave North range for the initial flight tests.
on November 11, 2008 8:21 PM | Reply
I am sure this could be useful, in some scenarios, like Iraq in 2008, or south of the Korean DMZ, but surely a large, cumbersome instrument being toted about by a large, slow, noisy chopper makes this only of use in very permissive environments. Is the goal to miniaturize this down to the point it fits in some small UAVs, or is the plan to field it in such an awkward configuration?
on November 11, 2008 8:24 PM | Reply
I'd add Tora Bora and most of the Hindu Kush to the "useful" list, and even in its current configuration. Although the helo will probably have to be set in a long hover for the pod to work, and therefore a sitting duck for RPGs and small arms. Still, could be useful.
on November 11, 2008 9:39 PM | Reply
...I think I'll stick my neck out, and say that I am not convinced that it is what they say it is.
If I were designing a hideously expensive sensor system for deployment hanging under helicopters, I would make sure that the casing included dedicated attachment loopholes for the cables.
This thing, on the other hand, is supported in a very ad-hoc fasion.
If they hadn't told you what it was, what would you guess it to be?
The symbol on the near end looks like it might be a stylised red snail, which doesn't ring any bells...
Maybe it really is a water heater, and the DoD are just playing us for a laugh?
on November 11, 2008 9:43 PM | Reply
Well, I like creative thinking as much as the next guy ... but what else could it feasibly be?