HARD COPY RECONSTRUCTION UNIT
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HARD COPY RECONSTRUCTION UNIT

Image Graphics adapted its patented electron beam film recorder technology into a world class Hard Copy Reconstruction Unit (HRU) for military satellite imagery applications. IGI was a prime contractor to the USAF Systems Command Defense Dissemination Program Office and NIMA and a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin for the development, manufacture, and support of the HRU over a 15 year period to support the Warfighter during the Cold War and beyond.

The HRUs were deployed to Military Central Command and Control Centers located around the world. The near real time high resolution images (27,200 X 35,400 pixels) recorded with the HRU on 5" wide Processless Electronic Recording Media (Perm) and Silver Film were used for reconnaissance, image exploitation, cruise missile targeting, and mission planning for a number of military conflicts such as Grenada, Libya, Haiti, Desert Storm, Somalia and Bosnia.

From the Document "Record of Achievement (a/o 12 Mar 98)" published by the Defense Dissemination Program Office:

bulletHardcopy Imagery Recording Technology. DDS provided near real time, near original quality locally available film based imagery without the need for special couriers.
        ....
bulletProcessless Electronic Recording Media (PERM). PERM increased volume and speed of access by analysts to critical imagery. PERM eliminated need for toxic chemicals and dark rooms usually associated with conventionally processed film-based images. With the advent of PERM, imagery was routinely placed on the light table faster at Receive Locations in the field than at the exploitation facilities in the Washington D.C. area.
bulletHardcopy Reconstruction Unit (HRU). The HRU was the first ever electronic beam recorder to achieve over 6000 dots per inch. The HRU wrote imagery on PERM as well as conventionally processed film. The HRU used 5 inch wide film instead of 9.5 inch film. The higher dot density and smaller media drastically reduced material consumption--saving cost and film storage space.

DDS III. DDPO fielded DDS III Receive Locations (RLs) as the first transportable Near Real Time/Near original Quality (NRT/NOQ) electronic digital imagery dissemination systems for the Army's V, VII, and XVIII Airborne Corps. Using new image compression, communications, and film technology, the DDPO dramatically improved the image throughput and timeliness of its image products. DDS III included the ability to transmit compressed imagery through military and commercial satellite and terrestrial dedicated lines. DDS III used highly specialized computer hardware to achieve an amazing processing throughput of 10.5 Megabits/second to both hardcopy and softcopy exploitation systems. DDS III also provided the ability to duplicate and enlarge PERM images onto normal processed film and print materials.

 

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Last modified: August 23, 2002