Airborne Video Systems for Air-to-Air Refueling.
Vision systems for mission critical operations.
© Airbus Defence and Space | State-of-the-art camera technology, day & night, LWIR: For any lighting and weather conditions, covert operations
Enhanced AAR vision system for the A330 MRTT tanker
Kappa’s Enhanced Vision System for air-to-air refueling combines rugged design refined through experience in harsh environments with mission proven state-of-the-art technology continuously developed and optimized in the AAR Vision System of the A330 MRTT tanker. With more than 10 years of experience in equipping air tankers, enhanced vision systems from Kappa have consistently proven their value while continually raising the state of the art for AAR Vision.
Kappa’s systems feature modular architecture that enables customized system design conforming to AAR configuration. They offer panoramic view for probe & drogue, HDU, or boom AAR configurations, are equipped with cameras (day, night, LWIR), illuminators including a covert operations mode (MIL-STD-3009 compliant) and an infrared mode to adapt to mission specifics.
Kappa AAR Vision Systems are perfectly suited for various tanker platforms. They have already been installed on the A330, A310, KC135, and are equally well suited for KC130, A400M, KC10, KC390 and more.
Video: Operation Air-to-Air Refueling
© Airbus Defence and Space
Continued technological development with field experience – even at night
Kappa continues to develop system characteristics and components. Applying users’ field experience in recent years, management of image data has been optimized in connection with other system data to adapt to different customers and their specific application profiles and procedures. Vision technology has advanced, e.g., with active imaging. New February 2019: The tanker aircraft Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) will be upgraded to improve its in-flight refueling operations, even at night. Kappa optronics develops innovative panorama solution for proven Boom Enhanced Vision System. It encompasses vision systems for day and night vision and ergonomics are significantly improved.
AIRBUS awards 'Best Innovator Overall' 2019 for Defence and Space business to Kappa optronics
Kappa optronics receives the Best-in Class supplier award for its innovation activities on the A330 MRTT Boom Enhanced Vision System. The award winners had been selected from more than 10.000 AIRBUS suppliers. Thank you AIRBUS for the great recognition!
Enhanced AAR Vision System Components
AAR MRTT A330 with Kappa Cameras
| Cameras, day & night, LWIR: For any lighting and weather conditions and covert operations |
|---|
| Military rugged design |
| Single-frame latency |
| DO178 DAL C |
| Panoramic and 3D displays: High resolution for more details |
|---|
| Full HD resolution for either panoramic or 3D view |
| Low latency |
| Dynamic image stitching to ensure permanent alignment of the panoramic and 3D images |
| Commercial off-the-shelf |
| Management unit/recorder: Can include mission-critical overlays and recordings for debriefing and training purposes |
|---|
| Low latency |
| Customizable software design that enables mission-critical overlays |
| Data encryption in accordance with the most recent certification standards (AES256, RSA2048) |
| D0178 DAL C |
© Airbus Defence and Space | AAR Kappa Enhanced Vision System, MRTT System components
Technical Highlights
| Full HD progressive Video |
| 60-millisecond glass-to-glass latency |
| Open modular architecture with upscalable capabilities and module’s obsolescence management |
| State-of-the-art sensor technology with daytime color and nighttime monochrome images, both under various lighting and weather conditions. LWIR for covert operations. |
| Low-latency, high definition enabling machine vision algorithms for Automated ARR. |
| Customer Specific Overlay Processing |
| COTS sensor-based cameras provide the best price-toperformance ratio with high resolution, frame rate and image quality under all conditions, while their modular technology ensures efficient obsolescence management. |
| IR-Illuminators for night operations and LWIR for covert mode |
Kappa Certifications
| EN/AS 9100 |
| MIL STD 704 |
| DO-178 |
| DO-254 |
| DO-160 |
| FFF retrofit design /FAA Form 8130-3 |
| In preparation: certification for Part 21 Subpart G, EAS Form/FAA Form 8310-3 |
| IPMA certified Project Managers |
| IPC-A-610 |
| IPC-A-600 |
| IPC J-STD-001 |
