26 Jul 02. “We see our Electro-Optical segment as being a key growth area in our key U.SD and overseas markets for DRS in the coming years,” Mark Newman told BATTLESPACE at Farnborough. “We were sorry to lose the BGTI contract to Thales which we bid with Avimo but we believe that the work we did highlighted the DRS technology available to the U.K. The purchase of the raytheon optical segment has given us access to new technology which we hope to use for offering to the FRES requirement.”

DRS’s Electro-Optical Systems Group is a leader in Second Generation night vision sighting and targeting systems used on the most critical front-line U.S. Army ground vehicle and weapons platforms in existence and also provides advanced electro-optical systems for ground troop, airborne, maritime, and commercial applications. EOSG incorporates advanced, forward looking infrared imaging technology in armored and reconnaissance vehicles, helicopters and surface ships, dramatically increasing target detection and acquisition performance, stand-off ranges and crew survivability.

As one of only two key suppliers to the U.S. government for advanced night vision technology, EOSG produces multi-color infrared sensors for ground sighting,surface and air search, satellites and missile guidance systems. This technology provides clear visual imagery from long ranges, regardless of light level, smoke, dust and other battle space obscurants that can cripple the mobility, reactions and missions of heavy materiel. EOSG is also a leader in cooled and uncooled Focal Plane Array technology (FPAs),cryogenics and cooler assemblies, laser-based products, diamond-turned components, optical coatings and lenses/mirrors for military applications. The group provides state-of-the-art advanced electro-optical manufacturing services for commercial products, as well.