Airborne MTADS Demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground

Abstract : The second demonstration of the Airborne MTADS took place at Aberdeen Proving Ground in July 2002. Surveys were conducted on five sites containing different ordnance types and densities. Topographies varied from flat, mowed grasslands to trees and brush, wetlands, freshwater ponds, and marine offshore areas. Inert ordnance was seeded into three of the sites, including one area that had not previously been used as a range. Detection of the seed targets varied from very good on the airport site to near zero on a highly cluttered range. Detection of ordnance (81-mm and 105-mm) was difficult in the freshwater ponds, but straightforward in the offshore areas populated by larger targets. Surveying over water without fixed pontoons on the helicopter is limited to small ponds or rivers, or to very shallow water. Extensive, preexisting targets were dug on one of the highly cluttered ranges; more than 30% of the recovered targets were ordnance. The Airborne MTADS performance was measured against seeded targets. The Airborne MTADS production rate on these small sites was about 35 acres/hour.