Target Acquisition Designation Sight / Pilot Night Vision (TADS/PNVS)

Missiles and Fire Control has worked with several UK companies (Thales and BAE) to deliver the day, night, and adverse-weather TADS/PNVS legacy systems for the British Army’s WAH-64 Westland Apache helicopters. TADS / PNVS is a Lockheed Martin-developed navigation and targeting system which serves as the ‘night eyes’ of the Apache Longbow helicopter. The UK Ministry of Defence is also looking to modernize its WAH-64 Apache fleet with Arrowhead™, the new Lockheed Martin combat vision system used for day, night, and adverse weather missions. The UK is slated to contract with MFC by the second quarter of 2005.

In October 2000, the US Army selected Team Apache Systems, led by Lockheed Martin and The Boeing Company, for its Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) program. Lockheed Martin’s innovative design—Arrowhead—will provide a new electro-optical system, continuing a 20-year legacy. Production began in 2003, and by June 2005, the US Army's first Apache unit will be equipped with Arrowhead for safe flight in day, night, or adverse-weather missions. Arrowhead modules will replace TADS/PNVS™ hardware using a field retrofit kit at US Army field sites. Arrowhead improves performance and reliability by over 150%, cuts maintenance actions by nearly 60%, and reduces field maintenance to two levels—achieving a savings approaching $1 billion in US Army operation and support costs over the 20-year system life.  Its design opens the growth path to dual-band laser and next generation multi-spectral arrays.

Targeting
Arrowhead’s lower turret contains the targeting system, which has both day and night sensor assemblies. The targeting forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor, uses SADA I technology based on the Comanche advanced FLIR. The FLIR has three fields-of-view, a multi-target tracker, multiple-code laser spot tracking, and auto-boresight. A charge-coupled device camera improves day television (TV) viewing. Arrowhead’s electro-optics will replace the TADS/PNVS direct-view optics with a new design, the TADS electronic display and control (TEDAC) unit. TEDAC’s flat-panel display improves target resolution, situational awareness, and survivable space in the crew station.

Pilotage
The Arrowhead pilotage system provides a highly improved image in the cockpit display and the pilot’s helmet-mounted display for safe nap-of-the-earth flight at night and in adverse weather. This FLIR has a SADA I integrated detector cooler assembly and four electronics modules that are common to the targeting FLIR. These modules convert detector outputs into a video signal that is displayed in the cockpit and on the helmet-mounted display, providing a day-like TV image. The new system also has an image-intensified TV camera to aid pilotage in athermal environments and urban scenarios. Moreover, Arrowhead’s advanced processing algorithms give pilots the best resolution possible to avoid such obstacles as wires and trees during low-level flight. Arrowhead also has full provisions for image fusion.

Features

• Greatly improved FLIR performance for accurate flight and fight in day, night, or adverse weather
• Apache modernization at the flightline
• Streamlined, two-level maintenance
• Line-replaceable modules simplify field maintenance
• Digital video enhances tracking and recording
• Cueing from Longbow fire control radar or radar frequency interferometer identifies targets

For more information see: TADS/PNVS information