The test mission of the OPALE system at the Norwegian training area Rena Range impressively demonstrated that this system that was jointly developed by Diamond Aircraft and Rheinmetall Defence Electronic fulfils challenging requirements even in the initial implementation phase. The DA42 OPALE (Optional Piloted Aircraft Long Endurance) has repeatedly demonstrated its enormous potential as a platform for surveillance and reconnaissance. By its participation in a NATO exercise from September 1 thru 14, 2007 in Norway it achieved another success – the confirmation of its capabilities at a challenging international level.

OPALE was deployed in Norway in the framework of a demonstration project “Trial Quest 2007. The intent of this demonstration was to support the NATO exercise “BOLD AVENGER, the largest NATO aviation exercise in 2007, with intelligent surveillance and reconnaissance as well as so called ‘Command and Control’ elements in a realistic operational environment. A total of 13 nations and the NATO C3 Agency  (NC3A – NATO Consultation, Command and Control Agency) participated. The major objectives of the demonstration included:

• demonstration of the advantages of an integrated deployment of a variety of sensor systems in scenarios such as anti-terrorist combat, NATO defense missions and overseas operations of multinational units
• demonstration and validation of joint standards
• demonstration of the advantages and capabilities of joint use of NATO information

The OPALE system was embedded into the MAJIIC architecture, an international project that is to guarantee the integration of a multitude of different information sources. It had to perform various reconnaissance tasks that were defined by reconnaissance plans. To this end real time standardized images and video sequences of the infrared sensors were produced and fed into the joint data bases, enabling the military users to evaluate the reconnaissance results both at Rena, the location of the Land Component Command as well as the remote location of the Air Component Command.

OPALE was able to deliver an impressive proof of its capabilities in combination with Canadian ground based sensors and the French GMTI (Ground Moving Target Indicator). The objective was to test and combine the advantages of concurrent deployment of various sensors and systems such as GMTI, infrared and electro-optics. OPALE was not only always at the right location at the right time. The sensor quality and reliability of data transfer were also impressive. In combination with the other sensors, OPALE succeeded in the early detection of convoys, etc.

Currently OPALE is in preparation for other sensors. Thus it will make a further great contribution towards the enhancement of the spectrum of mission capabilities of ISR sensors (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) in standardized, networked systems.