# ATHENA Aerial ISR
**Aliases:** ATHENA
**Entity class:** Army high-altitude aerial-ISR experimentation program
## Definition
**ATHENA** is an Army high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance experimentation line used to develop sensors, data processing, crew concepts, and operating methods relevant to the future [[wiki/HADES|HADES]] program.
## Relationships
- **training support:** [[wiki/Virtual Aerial Systems Trainer|VAST]].
- **Fort Bliss unit:** [[wiki/204th Military Intelligence Battalion|204th MI Battalion]].
- **successor relationship:** informs [[wiki/HADES|HADES]].
- **managed through:** [[wiki/Project Director Sensors-Aerial Intelligence|PD SAI]].
## Sources / Provenance
- [U.S. Army — VAST, ATHENA, and HADES](https://www.army.mil/article/285641/pd_sai_delivers_first_virtual_aerial_systems_trainer_classroom_to_the_army)