Symetrics Demos Inflight Recce

After winning a launch order from the Royal Air Force earlier this year, Symetrics Industries is demonstrating its technology to allow pilots to receive and transmit video imagery.

It also is exhibiting the newest version of its Bee Micro UAV. The Pentagon has been exploring the use of these extremely small unmanned aircraft for a variety of scouting and electronic warfare purposes.

The updated data transfer technology, called Prism-IDM, is designed to transmit video via radios that have hitherto carried only voice. The RAF bought 50 of the units for its Jaguars earlier this year under a $3.2 million contract. The U.S. Air Force and European F-16 users are interested too, according to Ronald Frye, the company's VP for business development.

The system could let pilots receive target imagery during a strike mission. The imagery could come from a variety of assets, including satellites or surveillance aircraft, allowing pilots to identify their targets with a higher degree of confidence. The data transfer system can then also be used to send battle damage assessment pictures back to higher headquarters to allow commanders to determine if a target has been destroyed or needs to be attacked again.