Hostile Fire Detection for Parapublic Operations

This paper presents the results achieved, to date, through a collaborative technology project of Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. and AAI Corporation, an operating unit of Textron Systems Inc., to develop and demonstrate a hostile fire detection system (HFDS) for rotorcraft. This includes an assessment of the potential application of an airborne gunshot detection system for rotorcraft conducting parapublic operations. Law enforcement (LE) can locate and react to gunshot incidences with increased urgency and decreased response times by using an HFDS. This project leverages the AAI Projectile Detection and Cueing® (PDCue®) gunshot detection system originally developed for ground vehicles. The HFDS enables solutions providing azimuth, elevation, and range information. The HFDS can provide continuous target location information and target tracking when coupled with a remote weapon system, camera, or other sensor device. Flight tests have confirmed the ability of the HFDS to detect, identify, and locate hostile fire in a rotorcraft downwash environment.