Aerospace Engineering

Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS)

The system that is commonly used for image collection, data storage, and data linking. IR and visible sensors, digital recorders, a Reconnaissance Management System, an interface with Radar that records synthetic aperture radar pictures and a digital data link were all part of the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS) of some advanced aircraft. This system includes a small data link pod that may transmit data (imagery and auxiliary) to any Imaging Station (CIG/SS in common) that is compatible. The United States Marine Corps uses the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS) on its F/A-18D Hornet aircraft for image acquisition, data storage, and data communication. It includes infrared and visible light sensors, two digital tape recorders, and a Reconnaissance Management System (RMS); an interface with the APG-73 Radar Upgrade (Phase II) that records synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery; and a digital data link mounted in a centerline pod. The nose gun is replaced with ATARS, which has a tiny data link pod positioned on the centerline station. The digital data link will send imagery and auxiliary data to any CIG/SS compatible system, such as the Joint Services Imagery Processing System (JSIPS) or Marine Tactical Exploitation Group (TEG) situated ashore and Navy JSIPS (JSIPS-N) onboard ship. Three ATARS aircraft are assigned to each of the four US Marine Corps F/A-18D squadrons, for a total of 12 ATARS aircraft. In February 2000, MCAS Beaufort-based VMFA(AW)-332 deployed to Hungary in Operation Allied Force, marking the first operational usage of ATARS equipped aircraft. ATARS is a significant improvement over the Marines' outdated RF-4B/C aircraft in terms of capability.