Based on its innovative distributed dual-mode mesh radar technology, MatrixSpace has been awarded a $1.9 million tactical funding increase (TACFI) contract to develop the radar for United States Air Force (USAF) base protection. AFWERX is an arm of the USAF, within the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), that connects military and commercial engineering platforms and efforts. The radar development project is expected to last 22 months.
The Phase II Sequential TACFI targets low-airspace surveillance for the USAF 87th Security Forces Squadron. The scalable mesh radar will provide base protection (see image above) against low-flying objects such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and one-way attack vehicles.
Matthew Kling, vice president of Intelligent Systems at MatrixSpace, said, “This TACFI project addresses a core requirement in new force protection, which is providing an enhanced level of awareness in complex, challenging environments, quickly. A distributed radar sensor mesh has the ability to detect and identify previously undetected objects, making it essential for the new world of battlespace awareness. This project enables MatrixSpace to demonstrate our product for field use.”
The mesh radar hardware is highly effective for and against beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) uncrewed, autonomous, and tethered aircraft, and overall general airspace awareness and security.