A team from Raytheon and the U.K. Royal Air Force 5 Squadron conducted six CAM tests to assess and prove the operational capabilities of the ASTOR system. The tests built on one another in complexity to demonstrate how the system would work in an actual mission scenario.

"The system will provide vital information and intelligence on the modern battlefield," said Bill Chrispin, leader of the defence ministry's ASTOR integrated product team.

"The results emerging from the CAM tests have boosted confidence that the system will provide the ground surveillance capability required by our commanders in the field."

The team tested airborne components of the system on the ASTOR Sentinel aircraft. The team also tested tactical ground station aspects within the defence ministry infrastructure and rated the overall performance of the surveillance system.

"Our objective is to provide the Royal Air Force, the Army and the Ministry of Defence with the confidence that the ASTOR system is ready for operational deployment," said James Klein, acting vice president for the Raytheon Mission Systems Integration group.

"The successful CAM tests signify a culmination of industry and customer efforts to develop and mature ASTOR."

Klein said the testing not only verified the operational capabilities of ASTOR "but also helps us stretch the limits of the technology, ultimately allowing higher performance and raising the capability of the system."

"ASTOR provides the Royal Air Force and the British Army with world-class capabilities: near real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and a net-enabled capability to disseminate the information to warfighters," said Brian McKeon, chief executive and managing director of Raytheon Systems Limited, the company's U.K. subsidiary.

"The timely and successful completion of the CAM tests reflects the team's dedication and commitment to execute on this program."

The ASTOR system employs five Bombardier Global Express airplanes. Dubbed Sentinel R Mk 1 in ASTOR service, each is equipped by Raytheon with dual-mode (synthetic aperture and ground moving target indicator) radars.

Integrated platform workstations aboard each aircraft permit mission management, imagery exploitation, and transmission of the imagery by secure data link to the brigade and divisional/joint level ASTOR ground stations. The system includes eight ground stations -- six for tactical purposes and two at the operational level -- and full mission support capability from Raytheon Systems Limited.

Raytheon Systems Limited is a prime contractor and major supplier to the U.K. Ministry of Defence and is involved in numerous, high-priority programs for the U.S. Department of Defense.

RSL designs, develops and manufactures a range of high technology defense and commercial electronic systems at its facilities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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