BAE Systems completed flight testing of a prototype lightweight, all-weather cable and obstacle detection system, which uses radar to identify cables and other obstacles and provides precise altimeter information to military helicopter pilots. The detection system weighs less than 8 pounds, can detect unknown obstacles at distances greater than 2.5 km, and is operational day or night and in all types of weather. BAE Systems estimates that equipping the U.S. rotary-wing fleet with this capability would save the military more than $500 million over 10 years. The company developed the flight-test program with input from multiple government agencies and performed the evaluation in Arlington, Tex., using Bell Helicopter’s new 430 test aircraft.