Production has begun on the first airborne tactical hyperspectral sensor system developed by Raytheon for the US Air Force (USAF).
Raytheon announced at the Paris Air Show that the contract for the Airborne Cueing and Exploitation System Hyperspectral (ACES HY) will provide the USAF with ‘low-risk technology’ in the form of a nine units of the infrared sensor system.
Flight testing of the system was completed last September when the company and the USAF tested the sensor on a manned Twin Otter aircraft, which the company said was a surrogate for the MQ-1 Predator UAV that the system will eventually