General Atomics has commenced production of subsequent units for commercial sales. The new SAR will enhance the surveillance capability of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems UAVs and other reconnaissance aircraft, which previously were equipped only with cameras, infrared sensors and older generation SAR equipment. Fine-resolution image SAR radar is perfect for these circumstances because it can 'see' in the dark and peer through clouds and fog. Flying at an altitude of 25,000 feet, the Lynx SAR can produce one-foot resolution imagery at standoff distances of up to 55 kilometers. The radar operates in Ku-band with a center frequency of about 16.7 GHz, although the precise value can be tuned to prevent interference with other emitters.
Lynx introduces several new characteristics and functions.
In addition to being very light weight, the radar can detect very small changes in a scene by using a technique called coherent change detection. It will also be able to detect moving targets. Sandia and General Atomics worked to make Lynx as much like an optical system to use as possible. The radar forms an image covering an area larger than that displayed, storing it in cache memory. This allows the operator to pan around within the total scene in order to concentrate on a particular area of interest.