The Triton will replace the Navy39s aging patrol aircraft and is intended to work with the new P8 Poseidon manned surveillance aircraft

Flight Tests Completed on Maritime Surveillance Sensor

Sept. 24, 2013

A multifunction active sensor allows for monitoring areas to 2,000 nautical miles at one time.

In preparation for its installation on the US Navy Triton aircraft, more than 25 flight tests have been completed on the system’s primary sensor. The multifunction active sensor (MFAS) will provide the unmanned aircraft with a 360-deg. view of ocean and coastal regions. Its capabilities will also make it possible to merge the data with information received from the system’s other sensors and equipment.The full suite allows monitoring areas as large as 2,000 nautical miles at one time.

The MFAS is an active, electronically and mechanically scanned array radar designed especially for maritime surveillance missions. The combination of electronic scanning and mechanical rotation allows the radar to spotlight an area of interest for longer periods of time, increasing detection capabilities for smaller targets. The design also makes switching between surveillance methods easier. For instance, maritime-surface-search (MSS) mode can be used for tracking maritime targets and inverse-synthetic-aperture radar (ISAR) mode can be used for classifying ships.

About the Author

Iliza Sokol | Associate Digital Editor

Iliza joined the Penton Media group in 2013 after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BS in Advertising and Marketing Communications. Prior to joining the staff, she worked at NYLON Magazine and a ghostwriting firm based in New York.