Kestrel (surveillance system)

Kestrel is a wide-area motion imagery (or persistent surveillance) system used on aerostats at U.S. forward operating bases in Afghanistan to monitor the surrounding areas.^[1] Developed by Logos Technologies, the system is equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras, providing day/night force protection and overwatch to troops.^[2]

Kestrel has its roots in Constant Hawk, a wide-area sensor suite developed by Logos Technologies as well, ^[3] in 2006, for use on crewed U.S. Army aircraft.^[4][5]

In late 2010, the ISR Task Force and Army requested a version of Constant Hawk for aerostats. Contracted through the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, the Kestrel program delivered four units^[6] the following year.^[1] However, these first four Kestrels lacked an infrared capability,^[1] and by June 2012, were replaced by 10 day/night systems and six spares.^[6]

In 2017, Logos Technologies unveiled its even lighter Kestrel Block II wide-area motion imagery system at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference, in Abu Dhabi. This new sensor saw its first sale to a military customer the following year.^{[7] [8]}

Kestrel employs six cameras housed in a gimbal, providing a 360-degree panoramic view of “a city-sized” area” ^[6] in medium resolution.^[9] The system allows operators to track multiple suspects at once^[2] and can automatically monitor user-designated zones.^[1] Kestrel transmits imagery to the user in real time and can also record up to 30 days of events.^[9]

The next-generation Kestrel Block II shares those same capabilities, but in a smaller and lighter form factor (less than 85 pounds, or 40 kg, versus 150 pounds, or 68 kg).^[10][11]

The Kestrel system also has applications for border security. In March 2012, the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security conducted a seven-day demonstration of Kestrel in Nogales, Ariz.^[9][12][13] Kestrel was mounted on an aerostat and worked in coordination with a high-resolution full motion video camera.^[13] The purpose of the test was to see how well Kestrel could detect and track illegal entrants, drug smugglers and gunrunners crossing the U.S.-Mexican border.^[9]

Since its deployment in Afghanistan and testing along the U.S.-Mexico border, Kestrel has led to the development of other wide-area sensors, such as Simera. Also an aerostat-mounted system, Simera is composed of 13 electro-optical cameras and weighs only 40lbs. However, unlike the original Kestrel system, Simera is exportable to non-U.S. countries. Four units were used by Brazil’s Ministry of Justice at the 2016 Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro.^[14][15]

• Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS-IS)

• Constant Hawk

• CorvusEye 1500

• Gorgon Stare

• Redkite

• Wide-area_motion_imagery