Northrop Grumman Corporation demonstrates Silent Watch Electro-Optical Infrared Distributed Aperture System

A team of Northrop Grumman Corporation engineers recently successfully demonstrated the capability of the company's Silent Watch Electro-Optical Infrared (EO/IR) Distributed Aperture System (DAS) to enable a surface vessel to sense and track threats. The Silent Watch EO/DAS was originally designed and developed by Northrop Grumman to provide 360-degree situational awareness for F-35 pilots, but the innovative threat warning system may soon provide invaluable situational awareness for manned and unmanned surface and submarine platform applications. The maritime applications of the EO/DAS involved the strategic placement of multiple EO/IR sensors onboard the Sperry Star III research vessel, a Northrop Grumman Naval and Marine Systems surface ship test platform. The test demonstration proved that, when employed at sea, high resolution, near-real-time images generated by Silent Watch can be displayed and relayed to friendly forces.