RNLAF F-16 Deploy to Afghanistan with Symetrics’ PRISM-IDM
RNLAF F-16 Deploy to Afghanistan with Symetrics’ PRISM-IDM
Melbourne, Florida - 13 Jun 2005Symetrics Industries announced today that the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-16 aircraft have recently deployed to Afghanistan to support coalition operations with the new Photo Reconnaissance Intel Strike Module (PRISMTM) installed in their MD-1295: Improved Data Modem (IDM-302). The PRISMTM allows the pilot to capture, compress/decompress and transmit/receive frames of video information over existing VHF/UHF Combat Net Radios for the purposes of supporting “on-the-fly” mission changes and battle damage assessment (BDA).
This new imagery transmission capability for the F-16 was made possible by two contract awards from the RNLAF to Symetrics for a total value of approximately $3.0M. These contracts were for the procurement of 120 shipsets of PRISMTM modules and cockpit control units for the fleet of RNLAF F-16 aircraft, modification kits for the IDM-302, ground station equipment, and technical support. The modifications to the aircraft and the IDM-302 were and will continue to be performed by the In-country F-16 Depot for the RNLAF.
The utility and added advantage of the PRISMTM for the warfighter in combat operations was recently described in these After Action comments provided by a RNLAF pilot following action in May of this year in Afghanistan:
“ In the morning, a Dutch convoy was attacked in north Afghanistan during a patrol. A bomb had exploded next to a vehicle, and two man were injured and were being taken directly to the hospital. The F-16s were just landing from their morning sortie when the “Alpha scramble” arrived from headquarters. The tasking was to be airborne ASAP and give top cover over incident area.
At Operations, a Powerpoint slide with the scramble information and two satellite images of the area from Intelligence were assembled. After the aircraft had completed their refueling and were airborne again, Operations transmitted the Powerpoint slide and the satellite images to both pilots via the PRISM over the existing onboard radios.
Over the incident area the pilots captured images with the PRISM of the vehicle, the surrounding area, the vehicle recovery operation, and the some of the force protection that was in the area. These images were then sent back “over-the-air” to Operations, who then sent the images via secure e-mail to Headquarters, where they were received while the aircraft were still airborne.”
The imagery functionality of the Symetrics’ PRISM can be easily inserted into all configurations of Symetrics’ Family of IDM products (LRU or single CCA). In all instances, the equipment is completely interoperable with the entire family of other PhotoTelesis imagery products that are found around the world. A unique attribute of the PRISM is that unlike other systems that advertise that they perform imagery (when in fact they are merely transferring image files), is that the PRISM performs the entire range of imagery functions, like capture, crop and compression before transmitting.
“Just as Network Centric Warfare (NWC) describes the evolutionary concept of applying new Information Age technologies to meet the needs and requirements of today’s and future Warfighters, the Symetrics’ PRISM-IDM represents a manifestation of this concept by increasing warfighting capabilities by an order of magnitude,” said Mitch Garner, Symetrics’ President and CEO. “This order by the RNLAF represents their recognition that having imagery transmission capability in-the-cockpit for the warfighter is a requirement and not a luxury, and Symetrics appreciates the opportunity to provide this advanced capability at an extremely affordable price.”