A robotically controlled steerable gimbal (30) mounted virtual broadband hyperspectral sensor (40) system and methods provide a highly mobile, rapidly responsive and innovative system of locating targets and exploiting hyperspectral and ultraspectral imaging and non-imaging signature information in real-time from an aircraft or ground vehicles (V) from overhead or standoff perspective in order to discriminate and identify unique spectral characteristics of the target. The system preferably has one or more mechanically integrated hyperspectral sensors (40) installed on a gimbal backbone and coboresighted with a similarly optional mounted color video camera and optional LASER (47) within an aerodynamically stable pod shell constructed for three-dimensional stabilization and pointing of the sensor on a direct overhead or off-nadir basis.