Gorgon Stare

One of the key components of an unmanned aerial system (UAS) is the ability to collect either still pictures or full motion video.  Utilizing exteroceptive sensors, the UAS is capable of performing persistent reconnaissance missions as part of its tactical presence.  Numerous vehicles have been designed with this purpose but most early designs were inherently flawed in that their cameras had a “soda straw” type of view.  This limitation prevented the operators from being able to focus on more than one target a time and it was situationally draining while surveying the battlefield prior to weapons engagement.  The MQ-9 Reaper was the first vehicle to implement a new technology known as Gorgon Stare that was initially able to scan a total area of 4 kilometers (Increment 1).  This wide angle view enabled live viewing in a few various tiers in order to have a wide scope view and a narrowed high detailed view.  Additionally, videos and images can be stored for up 30 days so a detailed study of patterns of life or after-action analysis can be performed.

              

The service’s secretive Big Safari shop that specializes in development of urgently-needed warfighting tools gave a contract to closely-held Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to integrate what came to be known as Gorgon Stare (Thompson, 2015).  This exteroceptive sensor transformed the way in which collections could be made in the battlefield.  The prototype emerging from this partnership consisted of two pods that could be mounted on the Reaper — one containing wide field-of-view cameras, the other digital processors and datalinks that enabled quick transmission of actionable intelligence to operations centers and troops in the field (Thompson, 2015).  The design evolved to a more capable sensor with Increment 2 which could now cover up to 64 square kilometers in addition to a much more effective resolution.  Warfighters still can extract the local details of greatest interest during an operation and backtrack later using high-res archives to analyze what happened, but now they can surveil much greater spaces with enhanced fidelity (Thompson, 2015).  The exteroceptive sensors on Gorgon Stare Increment 2 utilize electro-optical (daylight) and IR arrays to ascertain images during a 24 hour operating period. 

              

Gorgon Stare was designed with a modular open architecture so it can be easily incorporated into new technology.  This particular sensor is highly effective as a tool for the MQ-9 Reaper UAS as it performs its dedicated mission of hunter-killer reconnaissance.  

Thompson, L. (2015, April).  Air Force's Secret "Gorgon Stare" Program Leaves Terrorists Nowhere To Hide; Forbes.  Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2015/04/10/air-forces-secret-gorgon-stare-program-leaves-terrorists-nowhere-to-hide/#bb7727652716