Starlite, Starlite, Show Me What You See Tonight

The Strategy Page ^ | 1/14/2010 | The Strategy Page

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The U.S. Army has received its first production models of the AN/ZPY-1 Starlite lightweight radar. This system weighs 65 pounds (29.5 kg), occupies 34 cc (1.2 cubic feet), uses 750 watts of power and costs about $2.3 million each. The Starlite was designed for use in the army's new 1.5 ton MQ-1C Sky Warrior UAV. Starlite can deliver photo quality black and white images of what is down there, in any weather. The army has developed software that enables the Starlite images to be transmitted to existing army video terminals, and automatically appear on electronic versions of standard army maps. Starlite is used in combination with vidcams and heat sensors (infrared or thermal). The army will receive at least 33 Starlites in the next two years. The MQ-1Cs are slightly larger Predators, and are being used for missions formerly performed by Shadow 200, and other large army UAVs. The big difference is that Sky Warrior can carry weapons (like Hellfire missiles), and can stay in the air for much longer. While the U.S. Air Force Predators perform more strategic missions, the Sky Warrior is all about supporting a specific brigade, and taking orders from the commander of that brigade.