AMERICA’S ARMY WINNING IN A COMPLEX WORLD

ACAT II
Airborne Reconnaissance Low (ARL)
PEO Aviation | Redstone Arsenal, AL
WARFIGHTING
FUNCTION
Mission Command
Movement and Maneuver
Intelligence
Fires
Sustainment
Maneuver Support
and Protection
Engagement
ACQUISITION
LIFECYCLE PHASE
Materiel Solution Analysis
Technology Maturation &
Risk Reduction
Engineering & Manufacturing
Development
Production & Deployment
Operations & Support
MILESTONE DECISION
AUTHORITY
Defense Acquisition Executive
Army Acquisition Executive
Program Executive Officer
DESCRIPTION
Airborne Reconnaissance Low (ARL) is a self-deploying, multisensor,
day and night, all-weather reconnaissance and intelligence system. It
consists of a modified DeHavilland Canada (DHC)-7 fixed-wing aircraft
equipped with communications intelligence and imagery intelligence
(COMINT/IMINT), Ground Moving Target Indicator/Synthetic
Aperture Radar (SAR), and electro-optical and infrared full-motion
video capability. The payloads are controlled and operated via onboard
open-architecture, multifunction workstations. Intelligence collected
on the ARL can be analyzed, recorded and disseminated on the aircraft
workstations in real time and stored onboard for post-mission processing.
The ARL system includes a variety of communications subsystems
to support near-real-time dissemination of intelligence and dynamic
retasking of the aircraft. It provides real-time down-link of Moving
Target Indicator (MTI) data to the Common Ground Station at the
Brigade Combat Team through echelon-above-corps level. Seven
aircraft are configured as ARL-Multifunction (ARL-M), equipped
with a combination of IMINT, COMINT and SAR/MTI payload and
demonstrated hyperspectral imager applications and multi-intelligence
data fusion capabilities.
The ARL systems currently hosted on DHC-7 airframes will soon be
replaced by more capable DHC-8-315 airframes. By leveraging existing
DHC-8 platforms currently used within operational Quick Reaction
Capability programs, the Army will meet the recently approved
Capability Production Document requirements with added aircraft
performance capabilities.
BENEFIT TO THE WARFIGHTER
ARL provides tactical commanders with day and night, near-all-weather,
real-time airborne COMINT/IMINT collection and a designated area
surveillance system. It can support collection requirements of Brigade
Combat Teams and higher echelons across the full range of military
operations, including coalition support processes.
SPECIFICATIONS
• Dual electro-optical Day and Night High-Definition Full
Motion Video Sensors with Laser Range Finding and Target
Designation Capability
• Tactical Signals and Communication Intelligence/Direction
Finding Subsystems with Aerial Precision Geolocation and
Theater Net-Centric Geolocation
• Synthetic Aperture Radar and Ground-Moving Target
Indicator Radar
PROGRAM STATUS
• 3QFY13: Workstation and Beyond-Line-of-Sight upgrades
• FY13-FY14: Continue imagery, radar, COMINT, system
interoperability, and workstation architecture upgrades
• 3QFY14: ARL-Enhanced (ARL-E) Capability Production
Document was approved
• 3QFY15: Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) and cockpit
updates began
• 4QFY15: Army Acquisition Executive redesignated ARL as ACAT
II program with PEO Aviation as the Milestone Decision Authority
(MDA) and ARL Payloads as ACAT III with PEO Intelligence,
Electronic Warfare and Sensors as the MDA
• 1QFY16: Project Manager, Sensor-Aerial Intelligence (PM SAI) awards
Mission Equipment Package (MEP) contract for the ARL-E program;
MEP integration will fulfill the ARL-E CPD sensor requirements
PROJECTED ACTIVITIES
• FY16: PM Fixed Wing (FW) delivers two ARL-E Cockpit/ASE
modified aircraft for induction into the ARL-E MEP
integration effort
• FY17: PM FW delivers two ARL-E Cockpit/ASE modified
aircraft for induction into the ARL-E MEP integration effort
• FY18: PM SAI performs Systems Integration Laboratory/aircraft
MEP integration; Two systems fielded
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UNITED STATES ARMY