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Navy Tests Powerful Parasailing Sensor

David Mantey
1/27/2019 | 5 min read
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TALONS, DARPA's Towed Airborne Lift of Naval Systems, is essentially a powerful sensor that parasails behind Navy ships to boost the vessel's communication range and situational awareness by increasing the crew's ability to detect, track, and classify objects.

For the first time ever, TALONS was tested aboard a vessel commissioned by the U.S. Navy. The test happened back in March 2017, but for the first time we’re able to see actual footage of the test. 

The prototype is a low-cost, elevated sensor mast that flew above the USS Zephyr, a 174-foot Cyclone-class patrol coastal ship. TALONS can fly from 500 to 1,500 feet above sea level, and the crew evaluated the system off the Florida coast over the course of three days.

The test was a success. TALONS demonstrated safe and routine operation from the ship’s deck under a variety of sea and wind conditions without adversely affecting the ship’s operational capabilities. The system not only improved the ship’s ability to classify objects, but it also increased the communications range between the ship and remote platforms, like the Zephyr’s rigid hull inflatable boats. According to crew members, it was also relatively easy to deploy and retrieve.

TALONS, which was developed as part of a joint effort with the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research, can suspend intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance instruments and communications payloads (up to 150 pounds) much higher than any current ship mast. The next step for TALONS is upcoming work to fully automate the system’s launch and recovery. 

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