Defense-Update News - Electro-Optics Channel

Northrop Grumman Introduces a new Weaponized Solid-State Laser

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:01:21 GMT

The new Firestrike 15kW laser source can be employed as stand-alone system or be stacked into high power directed energy weapon systems

Remote Eyepiece Displays Empower Thermal Weapon Sights

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:11:21 GMT

The U.S. Army has awarded Oasys Technology $26 million contract to provide 20,000 Remote Eyepiece Display-Imager (RED-I) display systems for thermal weapon sights (TWS) used by the Army. The head-mounted RED-I uses eMagin's OLED-XL micro-display technology. The RED-I system is designed for operation in extreme environmental and temperature conditions, while consuming minimal power to endure long combat missions.

Pathfinder Advanced Pilotage System enters Developmental Testing

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:52:14 GMT

Lockheed Martin reported progress with its Pathfinder advanced pilotage system, designed to improve situational awareness and flight safety of utility aircraft and helicopters through the use of helmet mounted displays facilitating 'heads-up', 'eyes-out' performance. Pathfinder utilizes modules of the Modernized Pilot Night Vision System (M-PNVS) developed for the AH-64D attack helicopter. Pathfinder recently entered the developmental testing phase, where pilots and flight engineers from the US Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) are evaluating its technical readiness level for application on cargo and utility aircraft.

Enhanced M-PNVS Could Transform Apache SItuational Awareness

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:14:42 GMT

Lockheed Martin recently is introducing a new sensor into the Modernized-Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-PNVS) sensor system used on the AH-64D Apache attack helicopter. The new Visible/Near Infrared (V/NIR) sensor will gain significant tactical advantages for Army pilots using the system, enabling the crew to better cope with night flying, targeting and coordination with friendly forces over light intensive environment, such as an urban area, by displaying visible or near-visible light sources that may not be clearly indicated by thermal imagers

AAI Implements Multi-UAS Integration via STANAG 4586 Compliant One-System

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:30:36 GMT

AAI and QinetiQ North America’s Technology solutions Group are cooperating in an effort to integrate the control of unmanned aerial and ground systems (UAS/UGV) in a single ground control station (GCS), based on AAI's One System, which is already used by the US Army and Marine Corps for the control of a number of UAS.

Controp Unveils Aerostat-Dedicated Stabilized EO Payload System

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:17:39 GMT

A new stabilized electro-optical payload system recently deployed with IDF units provides sharp, stable imaging even under difficult weather conditions. The system designated 'Speed A' facilitates advanced, automated image processing and functionality for homeland security and force protection

GeoEye-1 Imagery Satellite is in Orbit

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:24:49 GMT

GeoEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOY) announced the successful launch and deployment of GeoEye-1 Saturday (September 6, 2008). The new satellite is designed to provide the highest resolution products among currently deployed commercial Earth-imaging satellites. GeoEye-1 will simultaneously collect 0.41-meter ground resolution black-and-white (panchromatic) images and 1.65-meter color (multispectral) images. It will be capable of collecting, processing and transmitting up to 700,000 square kilometers of imagery per day in the panchromatic mode and 350,000 square kilometers in the multi-spectral mode.

Canada to Equip CP-140 Aurora With New Sensors for Overland Surveillance

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:06:53 GMT

Canada's fleet of CP-140 Aurora Maritime Surveillance Aircraft will be equipped with new sensors extending the aircraft overland surveillance capability. procurement of commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) components, procured through the US Navy Foreign Military Sale (FMS) and modified for use by the Canadian Forces.

Lightweight InGaAs-SWIR Camera Flight Tested on Scan Eagle UAV

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:16:43 GMT

Sensors Unlimited, Inc., a subsidiary of the Goodrich Corporation, announced the successful flight testing of an ultra-compact, high sensitivity SU640KTSX indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) shortwave infrared (SWIR) camera on a Boeing/InSitu ScanEagle unmanned aircraft. This compact (90 gram) 640 x 512 pixel solid-state camera is claimed to have lower power consumption, as it requres no cooling when operating at room temperature, offering good visibility through many atmospheric obscurants like fog, haze or rain during daytime or nighttime.

DARPA Awards $1.75 Million to Develop Advanced Infrared Detectors

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:46:02 GMT

Israel's SemiConductor Devices (SCD) will develop a new type of infrared sensor technology called "XBn", in which the hetero-structure detector elements are fabricated of depletion layers within wider bandgap barrier material, rather than narrow depletion layers used in conventional semi-conductor elements. The new detector will be capable of operating in relatvely higher temperatures, in the region of 150K, without degrading the detector's performance, relative to homo-structure devices with a similar photo-response operating at lower temperatures.

Lockheed Martin Awarded $8.9 Million Thermal Camera Contract

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:45:58 GMT

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received an $8.9 million production order to supply 150 Integrated Dewar Cooler Assembly thermal cameras from Gyrocam Systems. These cameras are destined for integration into Gyrocam's Vehicle Optic Sensor System (VOSS) installed on US Army's on route clearing vehicles.

Defense Update Announce Weekly Topical Feeds

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:45:23 GMT

Defense Update continues to innovate, with the introduction of the first topical news feed focusing on Military Electro-Optics. Defense Update introduced the first news feed in 2006, with the publication of an RSS news feed aggregating current news. Earlier this year we enhanced the news feed with the inclusion of feature articles, and today we launch our first topical feed, focusing the EO field. This feed enable readers interested in a specific field to get more detailed information, including news, articles, solutions, technologies as well as companies, relevant to military electro-optics applications. This feed will cover different aspects, such as night vision technologies, observation and reconnaissance systems, lasers, IR, I2, L3TV, CCD, FLIR, SWIR, LWIR and MWIR devices, multi-sensor payloads, multi-spectral and hyper-spectral sensors, image processing systems and applications etc. Among the systems to be covered are weapon sights (for all platforms), weapon seekers and guidance systems, targeting systems, target designators, helmet sights and displays, eyepieces, illumination devices, laser radars, (LADAR/LIDAR), fiber-optical systems, combat identification systems, image processing, storage and dissemination, countermeasures, directed energy weapons etc. This section will cover different aspects of the EO field, including research and development, new science and technology implementations, new products, contract awards, teaming agreements, military systems, applications, tactics, technics and procedures etc. We invite people and companies interested in this field to send us news, tips, information and comment to be included in our report. This feed will be updated on a monthly basis or when breaking news are available. If you are interested in military EO technology, please subscribe to this feed by Email or visit our EO news page.

Laser Guided JDAM Debuts in Iraq

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:33:35 GMT

Earlier this month the U.S. Air Force dropped the first 500 lb Laser Guided Joint Directed Attack Munition (LJDAM) on a target in Iraq. Boeing won the LJDAM U.S. Air Force contract worth $28 million to modify JDAM weapon in May 2007, fielding a laser seeker developed by Elbit Systems, a seeker which has already been proven on other aerial guided weapons. The contract funded modification of 600 laser seekers to the existing 500-pound JDAM bombs. The first unit was equipped with the modified weapon in May 2008.

U.S. Army Sponsored Team Demonstrates Airspace Deconfliction of Multiple UAVs

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:13:04 GMT

In a recent test sponsored by the U.S. Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, a team lead by Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) demonstrated how the flight paths of multiple, small UAVs could be planned, safely separated and dynamically deconflict, with minimal communications and processing resources. SkEyes, a team mate in the program, provided key avoidance sensor capabilities, including forward-looking, conic, laser radar and acoustic sensors.

The U.S. Army's Tactical High-Energy Laser Weapon is Underway

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 17:10:25 GMT

The US Army has awarded Boeing $36 million phase II contract funding continued development of a technology demonstration mobile high-energy solid-state laser weapon system, as part of the Mobile High Energy Laser Technology Demonstration (HEL-TD) program. Boeing is one of two teams competing for a future US Army program to develop a laser based weapon system countering threats of rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds (CRAM).