DARPA Wants Aircraft Flying 460 MPH at 40,000 Feet to Create 3D Images of What’s Hidden Underground

Automatically curated summary from The Debrief.

According to The Debrief, DARPA has released a solicitation for a self-contained radio-frequency sensing system capable of creating 3D subsurface images from aircraft flying at 40,000 feet and 460 mph. While DARPA states the program aims to detect critical minerals, the project's rapid timeline, modular design, and stand-off requirements suggest potential military reconnaissance applications. However, significant engineering challenges remain regarding high-power requirements and ground penetration, and DARPA declined to provide details beyond the public solicitation.

Context and limitations

Speculation that the program targets underground military facilities or specific foreign sites is unconfirmed by DARPA, and the technical feasibility of high-altitude subsurface RF imaging against deep rock remains unverified.