| Northrop
Grumman (NOC) Space Technology and Lockheed Martin (LMT) were
awarded two contracts amounting about U.S. $49 million each,
for the development of candidate architectures for a future
space-based, Synthetic Aperture Radar / Surface Moving Target
Indication (SAR/GMTI) imaging system. The Space Radar (SR) will
provide global, persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
(ISR) capability.
Under the current phase, the two companies will conduct trade
studies, modeling and simulation, risk reduction, and technology
demonstrations, to explore potential SR solution sets. The launch
of a Space Radar satellite demonstrator was planned for FY2008.
Previous programs which led to this phase included a space SAR
demonstrator developed by Lockheed Martin and a study conducted
by Raytheon, for the Space Based radr program.
By combining SAR, GMTI, and digital terrain elevation data,
the Space Radar will be able to track and target stationary
or moving combatants in near real time, almost anywhere on earth,
at anytime. The imaging products provided by the SR will be
implemented on high resolution terrain information products
and utilized by the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community
(IC) users.
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