The fighter jet camera that can read the time on Big Ben from the Isle of Wight



A new fighter jet camera which can read the time on Big Ben from the Isle of Wight has been hailed as a breakthrough for fighter pilots in Afghanistan.



The RAF Tornado GR4 technology - known as a Raptor - is used to zoom in on Taliban hideouts and snipers. It is one of the most advanced reconnaissance sensors in the world today.

The pod, which is just under two metres long, is fixed underneath the jets, enabling pilots overhead to see precise detail from miles in the air. It contains a dual-band sensor using both visible light and infrared, so can be used both day and night.

The Raptor pod can be seen attached to the underbelly of the Tornado GR4

Test flights showed the raptor can spot tiny details 75 miles away

Speaking at Kandahar Air Field, Wing Commander James Linter, officer commander 12 (Bomber) Squadron, said: 'It brings great flexibility to us and is particularly useful in Afghanistan.



'We have had them since July 1 - since then we have been able to deliver high quality imagery from amazing distances.



'One of the early testers flew over the Isle of Wight to test it. They were able to take a shot of the face of Big Ben.'

First used during the 2003 invasion of Iraq in Operation Telic, the RAF now has eight Raptor pods and two ground stations.



Raptor, standing for Reconnaissance Airborne Pod for Tornado, is built by BF Goodrich Aerospace. The infrared sensor offers superior haze-penetration in poor weather conditions, while the night time imagery can reveal details such as the fuel levels in storage tanks on the ground.

The camera has both visible light and infrared sensors so can be used during day and night missions

A Tornado GR4 is fitted with Raptor in Afghanistan

The pictures received by the pod can be transmitted via a live data-link system to image analysts at a ground station, or can be displayed in the cockpit during flight. It can also record for post-flight analysis.

The pod is capable of imaging over 200 separate points on any one flight.

Squadron Leader Jon Nixon said: 'The thing about Raptor and its strategic capability is that it can take a huge amount of imagery in a short space of time.'

In the past many reconnaissance pods have been designed to operate with the aircraft either overflying or passing very close to the target, but the Raptor works differently.

'The stand-off range of the sensors also allows the aircraft to remain outside heavily defended areas, thus minimising the aircraft’s exposure to enemy air-defence systems,' an RAF spokesman said.

The Raptor transmits data from the camera to a ground station (pictured) for advanced analysis



