Airborne Video Down Link Missions

A picture is worth a thousand words

Sonora Systems low-cost video down links bring real-time video from surveillance aircraft to mobile users on the ground.  Video down links are idea for covert airborne surveillance for Law Enforcement as well as time critical Civil Support missions like wild fire suppression and search and rescue (SAR).

Live airborne video on the ground averts mistakes and ensures mission success.

Counter Drug and Law Enforcement Support

In Drug Enforcement Sonora video down links maximize the benefits of airborne surveillance investments.  Covert ground units who rely on surveillance aircraft can now share the airborne picture, real-time, in their hand, while remaining safely and securely out of sight.  Sonora video down links have been shown to increase mission success rate and reduce coordination errors that plague voice-only communications.

Sonora video links broadcast daylight electro-optical (EO) or night-time infrared (IR) video in either Standard Definition or High Definition format.  The units are rugged, reliable, easy to use and employ AES or BCRYPT digital encryption for broadcast security.   The link can also deliver meta data and audio from the airplane intercom along with the video imagery.  Meta data is aircraft position and camera position data, which when tracked on a moving map to provides ground observers valuable view angle context of their live video imagery.

Wild Fire Surveillance and Suppression Support

Up to the second airborne video in the hands of forest fire ground crews helps keep them aware, safe and effective when conditions can change as quickly as the wind.  Video down links simultaneously broadcasts to all users, so the command post has the same assessment as well as up to the minute fire maps delivered via the meta data channel.

Search and Rescue

Real-time airborne  video in the hands of disaster relief authorities allows them to coordinate assets and direct air surveillance crews unfamiliar with the environment.  These systems have been used successfully in flood levy assessment and asset protection, as well as search and rescue.

Homeland Security

Video down links are routinely used in airborne border surveillance to apprise ground agents and command authorities of the locations and nature of intrusions.   Sea surveillance video imagery conveys a wealth of information about vessels and their conditions that voice descriptions often miss.

In times of natural disaster or terrorist threat, real-time airborne video helps decision makers on the ground determine where and how to deploy ground support elements.  This same video is what those ground personnel need to assess the nature of threats and appropriate response.