Operationally capable lidar

The Airdrop Ballistic Winds (ABW) team, within the Air Force Research Laboratory, Sensors Directorate, Electro-Optic (EO) Sensor Technology Division, Multi-Function EO Branch (AFRL/SNJM), at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is preparing to flight test a 2 micron laser radar (lidar) inside a modified C-130 fuel pod. This system, called the Operationally Capable Lidar (OCL), is designed to provide real-time, 3-Dimensional maps of wind fields between the aircraft and the ground, and is expected to significantly improve airdrop accuracy from high altitudes. This paper briefly describes the wind profiling system, the Precision Airdrop Simulation (PADS), and upcoming flight test activities, including the Precision Airdrop Integrated Demonstration which will be conducted at Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG), Arizona, from 29 August through 12 September 1998.