MAXWELL AFB, Ala. — Civil Air Patrol is set to unveil its new ground-breaking  hyperspectral imaging system March 2 at Davison Army Airfield, Ft. Belvoir, Va.

CAP’s custom-designed system will be the first fully operational large-scale HSI system in the nation.

The new system, dubbed ARCHER (Airborne Real-Time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance), will be installed in CAP aircraft for aerial reconnaissance.

“This technology will increase CAP’s effectiveness in search and rescue, disaster relief, and homeland security missions,” said Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless, CAP national commander.  “Hyperspectral imaging will allow CAP aircraft to identify an object on the ground as small as one meter in size from half a mile in the air, even if it’s partially hidden from view by trees or bushes.  With this new capability, CAP is rapidly positioning itself to become a leader in low-cost, on-demand aerial imaging technology for homeland security and emergency management.”

How ARCHER works

Hyperspectral imaging allows an operator in a CAP plane to program into an onboard computer the “spectral signature” of the object under search. A sensitive HSI camera onboard can then detect and pinpoint any object(s) on the ground that matches the signature. The HSI sensor is also capable of detecting anomalies, objects significantly different from the background in which they are located. Data on possible “targets” that match the spectral signature or anomalies can be processed in real time, stored and analyzed, and transmitted to ground teams.

HSI works by analyzing an object’s reflected light. Thus, it cannot detect objects at night, underwater, under dense cover, underground, under snow or inside buildings.

HSI can be used in conjunction with CAP’s existing satellite-transmitted digital imaging system (SDIS) to send images from the aircraft to the ground via e-mail and a satellite phone. CAP’s SDIS system can send such transmissions in two minutes or less, allowing ground operators to redirect the aircraft or deploy ground search teams.

How ARCHER was developed and funded

ARCHER’s development and testing spanned a four-year period and involved scientists and researchers from the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and the U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (USCG R&D Center). Spearheading the effort was CAP’s all-volunteer Advanced Technologies Group directed by Col. Drew Alexa, CAP, of Colorado Springs, Co.

“The inter-agency cooperation throughout this project has been unprecedented in CAP’s history,” Alexa said. “Although HSI was originally developed for military use, the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard all agreed it could be a valuable tool for civilian use. Thanks to their willingness to work with CAP, we will now have access to this technology in our communities nationwide.”

Since 2003, CAP has invested almost $5 million in the ARCHER system, along with additional funds for Gippsland GA8 Airvans to serve as the system platform. Funding for ARCHER was provided to CAP by Congress under the 2002 Defense Appropriations Act.

Hardware for the ARCHER system was provided by NovaSol Corp. of Honolulu, Hawaii with software development and integration by Space Computer Systems of Los Angeles, Ca.

How ARCHER will be introduced

During the March 2 rollout ceremony, Alexa will explain the ARCHER system in lay terms. On hand for more technical discussion will be CAP member Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Kershenstein of the Naval Research Laboratory, who played a major role in the ARCHER project.

Also on hand will be CAP National Commander Maj. Gen. Dwight Wheless, National Vice-Commander Brig. Gen. Antonio Pineda, and Col. George Sciss of the U.S. Air Force. Another key player in ARCHER's development scheduled to attend is Col. Al Allenback, a retired Air Force officer who is now executive director of CAP National Headquarters. Representatives from NovaSol and Space Computer Corp. are also expected to attend the rollout.

 “We’re looking forward to this rollout because ARCHER truly represents the new face of Civil Air Patrol,” Wheless said. “Since CAP performed its first missions in 1941, our members have continued to modernize equipment and procedures. As an organization, we’ve focused on continuously training our volunteer members on the newest technologies in their areas of expertise. This emphasis on training is critical, because the technology of aerial reconnaissance is constantly changing and improving.”

Civil Air Patrol, the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with almost 60,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 95% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members take a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the almost 25,000 young people currently participating in CAP cadet programs. CAP has been performing missions for America for more than 60 years.