The German air force will deploy Rafael's Imilite imagery intelligence system to Afghanistan this week, partly to support operations with its leased Israel Aerospace Industries Heron unmanned air vehicles.

Berlin is the launch customer for the Imilite design, which Rafael says can receive, process and exploit electro-optical and infrared imagery, video and other data from multiple sources from a single desktop workstation.

The system can also handle information gathered using synthetic aperture radar and ground moving target indication sensors, and from the Rafael Reccelite reconnaissance pod, which is carried by German Panavia Tornados in Afghanistan.

Heron UAV Luftwaffe Afghan - German air force
 © German air force

Gathered information can be delivered in tailored intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance reports and in imagery intelligence products such as annotated maps and visual aids, Rafael says.

Haim Jacobovitz, the company's general manager for network-centric warfare sector activities, says the Imilite system's data integration and automation capabilities will shorten the ISR collection and exploitation cycle.

Germany has operated the Heron 1 medium-altitude, long-endurance UAV in Afghanistan since earlier this year under a "Saateg" lease agreement with prime contractor Rheinmetall Defence.

Source: Flight International