The Lockheed Martin developed Tactical Input Segment (TIS), the U.S. Navy's imagery processing system of record, recently demonstrated full interoperability with an advanced tactical radar sensor, ASARS-2A. The demonstration expands the portfolio of tactical sensors integrated with TIS and further establishes TIS as the Navy's flexible, affordable tactical imagery processing solution.

TIS replaces the Navy's legacy "wet film" capability with a fully-digital, real-time imagery workstation. Under previous systems, airborne sensors would have to land and unload rolls of film, which were developed and processed on hard copy. TIS can receive and process digital imagery over a wireless data link, reducing the time required to process imagery from upwards of ten hours to less than ten minutes.

During recent live-fly tests during the Combined Joint Task Force Exercise (CJTFEX) 04-2 on June 12-21, that included USS Mt. Whitney (LCC 20), USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) and U-2 aircraft, TIS successfully obtained images from the ASARS-2A, an Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar system featuring all-weather, day-night, long-range mapping capabilities. After detecting fixed and moving ground targets, the ASARS-2A compiled data and transmitted images in a high- resolution format to TIS, the receiving node of the Navy's Distributed Common Ground Station. TIS then made all images available to operators through the Navy's Image Product Library

The addition of ASARS-2A expands the operational portfolio of TIS, which can receive imagery from a wide variety of tactical sensors through common data links at naval air stations and aboard aircraft carriers. Over the past year, TIS has collected thousands of reconnaissance images with the F/A-18 Shared Reconnaissance Pod (SHARP). TIS also interoperates with other sensors including Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance Sensor (ATARS), Global Hawk, APG-73, Senior Year Electro-Optical Reconnaissance System (SYERS) and ASARS-2.

"With a proven track record of success and a growing list of integrated sensors, TIS is well-positioned to remain the Navy's premier imagery processing system," said Amy Krause, Lockheed Martin's TIS program manager. "TIS has revolutionized tactical imagery processing and continues to evolve to meet the growing challenges of net-centric operations. We look forward to working with the Navy to advance the TIS system and deploy additional units to the warfighter."

The tactical component of the Navy's Joint Services Imagery Processing System (JSIPS-N), TIS is currently installed on 12 Navy ships and shore sites, with two more planned for next year. TIS has been vital to naval operations and was used during Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard USS Nimitz.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 130,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2003 sales of $31.8 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin