Monitoring The High Seas At High Altitude

New airborne surveillance system patrols oceans for illegal activity

In some parts of the world, the sea is fraught with piracy, smuggling and illegal fishing.

To help navies and coastal authorities combat illegal activity, Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) has developed the SeaVue family of airborne radars to detect small maritime targets.

The newest SeaVue radar, SeaVue Multi-Role, works with RI&S' AN/DAS-4 Multi-spectral Targeting System—an electro-optical/infrared sensor—to image targets and provide enhanced actionable intelligence.

"SeaVue and its predecessors have been used around the world for decades to interdict illegal activity on the open seas," said Barbara Borgonovi, Vice President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems for RI&S. "DAS-4 is the latest iteration of our multi-spectral targeting system technology. These systems are imperative to maritime patrol for both civil and military applications."

SeaVue is currently deployed on a variety of international manned and unmanned platforms. RI&S is in discussions with several nations to equip their navies and coastal authorities with the new SeaVue MR, which includes an increased small-target detection range that operates on platforms flying at high altitudes.

"Previously, aircraft had to fly low, at about 1,500 to 5,000 feet, so legacy systems could get the best view of what was on the ocean's surface," said Craig Young, Chief Engineer for Airborne Multi-Mode Radars for Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance Systems at RI&S. "If aircraft flew too high, there was the potential to mix up wave patterns for targets. To meet the requirements of modern aircraft, SeaVue Multi-Role can detect small targets from much higher altitudes, up to around 35,000 feet."

This capability increases search coverage for every flight hour, allowing for greater overall mission endurance.

SeaVue MR works by scanning the ocean's surface for targets. When a target's tracking information is picked up, the AN/DAS-4 MTS technology provides full-motion HD video that identifies and engages with pinpoint accuracy.

"It's then up to the operator to decide if they're looking at a friendly or hostile force," said Young. "Our systems help operators see clearly enough to help make that distinction."

This capability could help protect fleets, trade routes and access to the oceans.

"The military has large assets such as aircraft carriers and destroyers moving about the ocean at any given time," said Young. "Having an aircraft surveilling from above can help call out if there are hostile forces approaching the fleet."

SeaVue MR delivers these enhanced capabilities all at lower size, weight, power and cost—also known as SWaP-C.

"Where radars of this caliber used to require a dozen different boxes to achieve the same capability, SeaVue Multi-Role is a three-box radar," said Neil Peterson, Vice President of Radar Sensor Systems for RI&S. "Having a lower SWaP-C allows SeaVue to be installed on anything from an unmanned aircraft to larger jets."

RI&S demonstrated SeaVue and DAS-4 on the SeaGuardian for the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and 12 other NATO member and partner nations as part of the Joint Warrior demonstration in the fall of 2021.

Learn more about RI&S' SeaVue Multi-Role Radar.