EO / IR SOLUTIONS FOR RWS

As recent conflicts have shown, UAVs now pose a significant threat to deployed forces and can have a significant impact on the outcome of military operations. This can be in the form of “suicide drones” – or loitering munitions – that find targets and engage them with explosive payloads, or reconnaissance drones that cue other weapon systems such as artillery or air-launched precision-guided weapons. CONTROP’s SIGHT family can be deployed as part of an integrated counter-drone solution on a vehicle, working alongside other sensors such as radar and radiofrequency (RF) detectors and countermeasures. In such a system, the SIGHT provides positive identification of a drone threat, and can track the UAVs until a countermeasure is deployed. The SIGHT system provides excellent imagery for operators, utilizing both HD day camera and cooled infrared, and the tracking functionality reduces cognitive workload. SIGHT also has low size, weight and power requirements, meaning it can be deployed on small light tactical vehicles without being a burden on the vehicle’s components and electrical systems.

Reconnaissance and observation vehicles provide valuable intelligence on enemy forces and overall situational awareness to troops on the ground. Land forces often rely on dedicated vehicles to carry out this mission, with mast-mounted sensors that can see above terrain, foliage or buildings. CONTROP’s SIGHT family has successfully been used in this role owing to the sensor’s low SWaP demands and advanced capabilities that enable long-range observation day and night. The SIGHT 25 HD system can automatically track human-sized targets, and it also features enhanced image processing algorithms including local automatic gain control (AGC) that ensures superior image quality. The small form factor also means that the SIGHT can be fitted to unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), which are increasingly being used by land forces in a variety of roles, including for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

For many land and naval forces, it is important that personnel are not exposed when they operate a weapon system from a vehicle or vessel – they instead use an operator console and fire the weapon remotely via day and thermal cameras. This is known as a remote weapon station – or RWS. The RWS is also used by vehicle crews to conduct situational awareness, and commanders then use that information to determine whether to engage. CONTROP’s SIGHT family – which includes the SIGHT 10E, 25E , 25HD and 50HD – features high performance thermal sensors, HD color cameras and laser range finders to aid with accurate identification and engagement of enemy forces. Our flagship product the SIGHT 25HD is highly stabilized and can be bore sighted to various weapon systems for high levels of accuracy when firing, even on the move. The day and night SIGHT 25HD sensor can be used by both the gunner and commander in the vehicle for short- range to long-range target acquisition, and is able to withstand the shocks and retain line-of-sight from large weapon systems such as a 30mm chain gun. There is low latency between the SIGHT and the weapon system, which is important for highly accurate weapon engagement. The system can be used both for lightweight and portable weapon positions as well as for heavyweight weapon positions and approves stable and unstable solutions.