Page 25 - World Airnews Magazine April 2021

MILITARY CARGO

BUILDING A SMARTER THE 18-WHEELERS OF

ISR AIRCRAFT THE SKY

The Intelligence,
Surveillance, Target
Acquisition and
Reconnaissance

system, an aircraft that
collects, analyses and
delivers near real-time
intelligence and a highly
accurate common
operating picture, will
help commanders
make better-informed

decisions.

bit simpler, forces could really rely on one reconnaissance capabilities to help ward off

major sensor for their intelligence needs adversaries posturing from a distance and

n a modern military conflict, the and capabilities,” said Richard Sandifer, denying access to threats.

Iamount of informati on fl ying around Korea ISTAR capture executive at RI&S. “Anti-access/Area Denial is everywhere,”

can be overwhelming. Signals come in from “A single, great radar was the only thing said Jason Colosky, ISRS business said it conducted more than 4,000 cargo-only

everywhere. Some of it is intelligence. needed to understand what the enemy development executive, using a military term flights between March and December, even as

Some of it is noise. It comes from friends was doing. But it is not possible to get the for suppressing an adversary’s movement. lobal demand for air cargo services has the airline group reported its first annual loss in

and from foes. And it creates chaos. total intelligence picture from just one “So you have to have an asset that has Greturned to pre-pandemic levels, mark- almost a decade.

Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a radar anymore.” the time and duration to be in the air ing a rare bright spot for the battered aviation. “We found during the year that actually we

Raytheon Technologies business, can help RI&S is partnering with aircraft maker long enough to provide intelligence to were flying a number of passenger aircraft for

armed forces in the air and on the ground Bombardier to modify its Global 6500 commanders before deciding to queue Measured in cargo ton kilometres, demand in only cargo purposes, and sometimes it was only

make sense of this increasingly crowded, business jet. firepower against the adversary. ISTAR has January rose 3% from December and was 1.1% the cargo that was justifying the aircraft,” Steve

complex and converged battlespace. The airframe would be outfitted with those capabilities, enabling the operators higher than in January 2019, the International Gunning, IAG’s chief financial officer, said.

Air Transport Association said, with North

The company is proposing an aircraft multiple capabilities, including an advanced to see deep into a non-permissive “Then sometimes we were putting passengers

called the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target active electronically scanned array RF environment.” America and Africa the strongest regions. on as well, almost as the secondary business

Acquisition and Reconnaissance system, or system, which combines ground moving The ISTAR system would offer a fully IATAcompared figures with two years ago rather than the primary one.”

ISTAR. It would collect, analyze and deliver target indicator capabilities with synthetic integrated battlefield management rather than January 2020 to avoid distorted With airlines also retiring older aircraft from

near real-time intelligence and a highly aperture modes; multi-spectral long command-and-control processing comparisons with the start of the Covid-19 crisis. their fleets, there’s been a surge in demand for

accurate common operating picture to help range imagery, which provides visible capability, enabling service members at The latest bump came even as capacity freighter conversions, as well as a spate of other

commanders make the right decisions. and infrared intelligence and targeting every operational level to strategically plan declined 20% with airlines scrapping flights to forays into the business:

“Our advanced multi-intelligence information; and signals intelligence - and cohesively execute missions in lockstep deal with ever-changing travel restrictions and Israel Aerospace Industries said it’s working

aircraft will sense, process and transmit an entire suite to deliver the precision with their allies. lockdowns, which meant less room for freight flat out and is fully booked until 2022 for so-

copious amounts of information rapidly and intelligence for making decisions Additionally, the ISTAR fleet could help that’s normally transported in the holds under called passenger-to-freighter conversions.

and at long range in highly contested and maintain the advantage of strategic enforce maritime embargoes, monitor the passenger cabins.

environments,” said Barbara Borgonovi, surprise to spot and combat threats first. natural disasters, direct humanitarian With cargo space in short supply, air freight Luxembourg-based Cargo Facts Consulting

vice president of Intelligence, Surveillance In comparison to existing reconnaissance aid, ensure border security and bolster costs remained elevated through 2020 but have expects about 90 aircraft to be converted to
freighters in both 2021 and 2022.

and Reconnaissance Systems for RI&S. aircraft, RI&S’ ISTAR would fly longer, at missile defence. come down a bit recently. The most recent

The ISTAR would use multiple higher altitudes and with more electrical “We have a heritage of providing reading of an index tracking rates from Asia to Amazon is buying 11 used Boeing 767-300

intelligence, or Multi-INT, technology, power, enabling the plane to carry more reliable ISTAR capabilities that have been North America was still more than 50% higher planes, the first time the online retail giant has

in keeping with the demands of modern capabilities. proven in contested theatres in support than a year ago. purchased, rather than leased, aircraft for its

military technology. Multi-INT weaves in “The increased power payload will help of allied operations by deploying the first Lower capacity means air freight rates will fast-growing air cargo operation.

critical intelligence inputs from multiple increase the sensing capability, as well international ISTAR-type aircraft in the likely remain higher for longer, according to Even ocean freight companies are diving

sensors across the spectrum such as as the capability for onboard processing United Kingdom,” said Sandifer. David Kerstens, an analyst from Jefferies. in. Recently CMA CGM, the French container

visuals, radio frequencies and electronic and the entire platform,” said Sandifer. “That operational experience and lessons Airlines have even resorted to temporarily shipping giant, is scheduled to make the first

communications, among other signals, and The asset is large enough to scale, learned are being applied to our latest converting some passenger jets to freighters, flight of its new air cargo unit, using Air Belgium

it paints a clearer, multi-faceted picture of offering flexibility to the customer to add smart ISR aircraft enabling operators to pulling out seats to carry goods inside their to operate flights from Liege to Chicago. Q

the adversary’s movements and changes in capabilities over time. make accurate and fast decisions in the main cabins.

the battlespace. In particular, the system can employ congested battlespace when it matters The parent of British Airways reported that Article courtesy: https://www.bloomberg.com/

“When the threat environment was a advanced intelligence, surveillance and the most.” Q 2020 was a record year for cargo revenue and news/newsletters/
World Airnews | April 2021 World Airnews | April 2021
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