Canada's military forces are currently conducting an operational evaluation of Sentient's Kestrel software on board the CP-140 Aurora, Canada's primary Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft.
The CP-140 Aurora is primarily used in coastal surveillance and sovereignty patrols. To improve the aircraft's operational capabilities (in line with the Aurora Incremental Modernisation Project) the Canadian Forces (CF) Maritime Proving and Evaluation Unit (MPEU) has purchased a Kestrel Land and Kestrel Maritime license for evaluation purposes.
Kestrel is plug-and-play automated target detection software that processes in real time the aerial surveillance imagery from the CP-140 Aurora aircraft's EO/IR full motion video sensors. Automatically detecting small, moving targets such as vehicles, fishing vessels and dismounts on the ground, it will support CF commanders in their wide area surveillance tasks.
'The CP-140 Aurora's maritime and overland surveillance missions are of vital importance in protecting Canada's sovereignty,' stated Simon Olsen, sales manager at Sentient. 'Kestrel's unique ability to automatically detect and track small targets down to 2 x 2 pixels will enhance effectiveness of these missions. The software offers ISR operators/image analysts a clear understanding of the situation on the ground, assisting them in their security, counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling operations.'
Sentient is working with MPEU to ensure that Kestrel addresses all CF requirements, providing an advanced situational awareness capability for domestic and international surveillance.
