TEL AVIV — Students from the Israel Technical Institute, or Technion, have
developed an air-delivered reconnaissance and intelligence collection
system.
The stealth system was meant to collect intelligence deep in enemy
territory protected by air defense batteries.
The system was displayed at the Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace
Sciences. The two-day conference began in Tel Aviv on Wednesday and moves to
the Technion on the following day, Middle East Newsline reported.
The Technion said the new system was termed Air Launched Intelligence
System [Alis] and would be transported by a low-flying aircraft. The pod
would drop from the aircraft and would parachute into enemy territory.
Once on the ground, Alis would erect a three-meter mast that contained
reconnaissance systems, including a camera and microphone. The systems would
be able to record images and audio at all hours and in all weathers. The
data would be relayed to a ground station via satellite. The system could
operate for 100 continuous hours or at specified intervals over a four-week
period.
The adviser of the project, Professor Benny Landkof, said the key
advantage of the system was its ability to survive and the low cost of the
mission. Landkof said Alis could operate in areas protected by enemy air
defense systems designed to detect aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Technion said Alis, a two-meter pod, could be installed on a range
of aircraft. The system could be mounted on points along the fuselage or
wings. The Technion said the system could be delivered in single units or in
clusters. Each unit was estimated to cost $13,800.
