IAI unveils WASP (Wide Area Surveillance Payload), a new generation surveillance system that provides a high-resolution situational awareness picture of moving targets day and night in a wide-area of interest. Utilizing state-of-the-art EO and IR sensors, AI algorithms and adaptive rule engines, the system captures large areas in high revisit rate, to track, identify and alert the system operator of moving targets that correlate with mission requirements and objectives. Compact, light-weight and requiring low power consumption, WASP complies with a wide range of aerial platforms such as tactical UAVs, drones, fixed and rotary-wing aircraft or tethered surveillance balloons. Its 3-axes stabilization design enables collection of sharp imagery during platform maneuvers and vibrations.
IAI Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Group, Moshe Levy, said: “The development of WASP exemplifies IAI’s novel strategy to ISR systems development, intelligence and information fusion capabilities. By providing a highly detailed intelligence picture in a wide area, WASP provides excellent two-layer situational awareness that comprises both visual and intelligence information. As a compact and light system, it can be mounted on a range of platforms to provide strong intelligence capabilities already on the tactical level.”
WASP offers persistent wide field-of-view coverage with “narrow” field-of-view resolution, in a unique compact SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) solution. It features simultaneous Color Visible and Thermal (Mid-wave IR) imagery, allowing continuous operation, day and night. An airborne Digital Processing Unit (DPU) can be provided with the WASP. The DPU employs advanced data and image processing algorithms for automatic detection, classification and tracking of objects of interest in the monitored area.
WASP’s coverage area and resolution change according to its platform and operating altitude. WASP expands the “soda straw” limitations of traditional video systems, providing persistent surveillance capabilities over a wide area of interest day and night. Smart algorithms automatically detect and identify moving targets in the monitored area according to mission objectives. The system is operable on a wide range of platforms, including tactical UAVs, manned aircraft and surveillance balloons. Mounted on a tactical UAV such as the BirdEye 650D, WASP covers 2 square kilometers in optimal resolution to detect all types of moving targets. When mounted on a male UAV such as the Heron 1, the coverage area expands over 15 square kilometers to detect mostly vehicle size objects and the like.
