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02 Jul 24. Application Insight: Advanced IR Thermal Imaging Lenses for C-UAS Systems. Enhance threat detection and minimize false positives with Ophir’s high-performance IR continuous zoom lenses for counter unmanned aerial systems.
Ophir Optronics, an MKS brand and a leader in optical solutions, offers cutting-edge IR continuous zoom lenses designed to provide unparalleled performance in Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) applications.
These lenses are optimized for long-range detection, precise identification, and reliable tracking of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), ensuring superior operational effectiveness in the field.
The rapid proliferation of drones over the past decades has introduced significant security challenges for both civilian and military sectors. This escalation in potential threats has spurred the development of sophisticated C-UAS technologies aimed at detecting, identifying, and neutralizing these risks. Among the leading solutions, infrared (IR) thermal imaging plays a crucial role, especially when integrated into multi-sensor C-UAS platforms.
Ophir’s IR continuous zoom lenses offer advanced optical design and rugged construction making them an asset to modern defense systems tasked with countering the growing threat of sUAS. By providing precise, long-range detection and identification capabilities, these lenses enhance the operational readiness and effectiveness of military and security forces.
Delivering exceptional image clarity with a Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) close to the diffraction limit ensures crisp, clean imagery across the entire zoom range, facilitating accurate identification and tracking. The precision optics maintain focus throughout the full zoom capability, allowing seamless transitions between wide and narrow fields of view without losing sight of the target.
With capabilities extending beyond 8 kilometers, these lenses are engineered for long-range engagements, providing operators with the ability to detect and identify threats from significant distances. This extended reach is crucial for early threat detection and effective countermeasures.
Built to endure the most challenging conditions, Ophir’s lenses are ruggedized and compliant with US and European military standards for temperature, shock, vibration, and environmental sealing.
Features:
- High-precision optics with MTF close to the diffraction limit
- Continuous zoom providing adequate, focused pixels on target
- Focus maintained through the full zoom range/ entire field-of-view range
- Tight boresight retention
- Extended identification ranges exceeding 8km
- Ruggedized design for durability in the harshest environmental conditions
- Accurate Line-of-Sight (LOS)
- Focal length ranges from 21mm to 1350mm
- US and European military standard compliance for temperature, shock, vibration and
- environmental sealing including DIN 3140, IPC 620, MIL-PRF 13830, Mil-PRF 85285, MIL
- STD 810, MIL-C-48497, MIL-C-48616, ISO 10110 sections 1-19, ANSI\ASQ Z1.4.
- Available with high durability (HD) or hard carbon (HC) coatings
- (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
02 Jul 24. C-UAS Hub said today U.S. Air Force Issues RFIs for Radar and EO/IR Technologies. The Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) branch of the United States Air Force (USAF) is seeking information on radar and EO/IR camera technologies for countering the threat posed by small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) in groups 1 and 2, as detailed in Table 1 below and associated Request For Information (RFI) documents found on sam.gov.
A separate RFI was issued for both radar and EO/IR technologies. The requested data includes company information, general information, hardware information, system unclassified capabilities, software, price, and support. Both RFIs currently have a response date of July 31st, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. EDT.
For specific information on each RFI, please visit:
Counter small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) RFI regarding radar, EO/IR camera, and OTM technologies; and
Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) EO/IR Camera Request for Information (RFI). (Source: https://cuashub.com/)
03 Jul 24. C-UAS Hub said today Roke Announces Agile Counter-UAS Solution. Last week, Roke launched the Roke Agile Counter-UAS, a dynamic, portable, and deployable system designed to help military and civilian organizations address the growing and evolving threat posed by Unmanned Air Systems (UAS).
Roke Agile Counter-UAS provides a two-pronged defense against the rapidly evolving threats to people, assets, and infrastructure. This scalable and flexible solution includes a standalone C-UAS sensor system, RapidEO, a pioneering open-architecture, interoperable fusion, and an autonomous engine, the OMNISCIENT Decision-Making Module (DMM).
The AI-powered RapidEO sensor system is a versatile, all-in-one solution for detecting and confirming UAS threats. It is portable, lightweight, and requires minimal power supply, making it deployable at scale to protect vehicles, buildings, and people. Its unique sensing agility allows it to defend against swarms and multi-axis attacks even in cluttered environments, quickly raising the alarm and enabling decision-makers to respond rapidly.
For networked and multi-sensor applications, Roke’s OMNISCIENT DMM offers full interoperability, allowing users to integrate a variety of sensors to address specific challenges best. Unlike other closed and siloed solutions, this introduces a new level of flexible capability to the market.
As the UAS threat evolves and sensor technology advances, decision-makers are not locked in—the solution allows users to adapt deployment faster than other solutions to dominate new threats. The OMNISCIENT DMM works with a range of sensors from Roke’s ecosystem of technology partners.
“The increasing sophistication and threats posed by UAS are presenting a major challenge for both civilian and military organizations,” said Paul MacGregor, Managing Director at Roke. “Roke Agile Counter-UAS is our new market-leading response to an environment where it is more important than ever to be flexible, resilient, and future-proof and to be able to deploy solutions at speed and scale.” (Source: https://cuashub.com/)
02 Jul 24. C-UAS Hub said today Sentrycs Releases New Update to Counter Drone Threats. Sentrycs has released the most recent software update for their protocol analytics-based anti-drone technology, version 4.7 to counter new drone threats. The most recent update includes the following:
- Addition of the most recent Autel drones and protocols
- Addition of the most recent DJI FPV, OcuSync 3, and Ocusync 4 protocol-based drones
- The introduction of multi-site management capabilities for geographically distant sites
- Capability to analyze the activity of drones suspected to be performing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
For more information on the Sentrycs protocol analytics-based anti-drone technology, visit the Sentrycs website. (Source: https://cuashub.com/)
01 Jul 24. Leonardo DRS, Inc. (NASDAQ: DRS) has provided the 1,000th advanced sensor package which is at the core of BAE Systems’ 2-Color Advanced Warning System (2CAWS), a next-generation missile warning and hostile fire detection system. The system is designed to protect U.S. Army pilots and crews from new and emerging missile threats.
The advanced DRS 2-color infrared detector package is integrated into BAE Systems’ 2CAWS system for the U.S. U.S. Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) Quick Reaction Capability program.
The 2CAWS technology provides a foundation for the Army’s current and future threat detection needs by giving aircrews advanced 360-degree threat detection capabilities to enhance survivability.
“We are proud to have reached this important milestone and be partnered with BAE Systems to have developed this critical lifesaving technology for aircrews,” said Jerry Hathaway, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business unit. “The challenges in Ukraine emphasize how important it is to have this capability on aircraft today on the battlefield to maneuver and conduct operations.”
The system was designed to provide threat information to the aircrew and integrates with countermeasure systems to protect against shoulder-fired and vehicle-launched infrared surface-to-air missiles.
U.S. Army and BAE Systems program officials recently visited the Leonardo DRS facility to celebrate the delivery of the 1,000th 2CAWS for the LIMWS program, and to congratulate employees on their dedication to keeping our frontline pilots and aircrews safe.
The Leonardo DRS has an extensive installed base of electro-optical and infrared technology across the U.S. military. Advanced sensing capability is a key strategic focus for Leonardo DRS providing world-leading sensing and laser technologies for a range of aircraft protection and mounted and unmounted sensors supporting the men and women of the U.S. armed forces.
28 Jun 24. Skynode S: Auterion autonomy kit lets attack drones fly through jamming. Just announced on Thursday but already quietly combat-tested in Ukraine, the palm-sized Skynode S card makes small drones much less dependent on an uninterrupted wireless link to a human remote controller.
The Ukraine war has shown the lethal power of drones. It’s also proven their vulnerability to even brief disruptions in their wireless links back to their human operators, with Ukraine losing thousands of drones a week to electronic warfare.
But now Auterion, a US-Swiss firm that works for the US, Britain, Holland and Ukraine, with production lines in Texas and Kyiv, says they’ve solved a big part of that problem. The company’s Skynode S upgrade kit, announced Thursday but already combat tested in Ukraine, is meant to make small drones smart enough to perform some crucial functions on their own.
“We’re not picking targets autonomously, because that is a whole new set of ethical considerations,” said Lorenz Meier, Auterion’s founder and CEO, in a call with Breaking Defense. You designate the target, [that] is a human decision, but everything from there is fully automated. … The whole terminal guidance is all fully automated and can’t be jammed, doesn’t rely on GPS, and also works on moving targets.”
Autonomous terminal guidance is a complex technical problem that the Russians have already tried — and, so far, seemingly failed — to tackle with their own Lancet drone. It matters so much militarily, for both sides, because the trickiest time for attack drones is often the final approach to their targets.
The fundamental physics problem is that small drones can only carry small amounts of explosives, so even a small mistake can mean a miss. But small drones — at least, ones without Skynode S — can’t perform precise maneuvers on their own: They need a human pilot flying them by remote control. That means an unskilled, exhausted or just unlucky operator can fumble the strike at the last minute. Or the enemy can force a fumble by jamming the control link, which requires less and less power as the drone gets closer and closer to the target.
To dispense with that human guidance, you need a drone with electronic eyes sharp enough, and a digital brain smart enough, to distinguish the designated target from the background clutter and home in on it autonomously. But while computers have gotten pretty good at identifying static images of cute kittens, puppies and consumer products, they have a harder time with three-dimensional objects, especially when they’re camouflaged, partially hidden behind cover, poorly lit, or moving.
Meier is emphatic that Skynode S has solved this problem well enough to give Ukrainian drones an edge in combat, without needing exquisite sensors or bulky on-board computers.
“It has been hard, and there were setbacks, and it was a very intense six months to get to this point,” he told Breaking Defense. “[But] we’ve made sure that we have a really, really good computer vision tracker” that can follow the designated target “even if it moves, if it turns, if anything changes.”
Open Architecture: The Path To Infinite Upgrades
SkyNode S also allows drones to navigate accurately over long distances when GPS is degraded, jammed or otherwise unavailable, Meier said. The same circuit board that runs the target-tracking algorithm can also be linked to jamming-resistant GPS antennas, electromagnetic sensors that triangulate the drone’s position off radio beacons and computer vision algorithms that match the terrain below the drone against high-res satellite maps.
None of this means the drone can identify and choose its own targets, Meier emphasized. That’s a much more complex problem, not only technologically but legally and morally.
However, the company is working on an electronic warfare upgrade to Skynode S that, instead of using computer vision to track targets, would home in on radio and radar signals. It should be possible to program such an EW drone with a library of distinctive enemy transmissions, then launch it in the general direction of a radar, jammer or communications node with the order to find and kill it.
Such “Homing Anti-Radiation” capabilities have existed in high-end missiles systems since the 1980s, as with the American AGM-88 HARM. But putting them in much cheaper drones could proliferate them dramatically across the battlefield, at least at shorter ranges.
Remarkably, all these capabilities run off an electronics card smaller than a human hand, as Meier demonstrated by holding one up during his video call with Breaking Defense. “I have one of these avionics units here, so you see … it’s ridiculously small.”
These cards are also adaptable enough that they can be installed on drones from multiple manufacturers and run apps developed by other companies. This design approach is known as Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA), where different companies agreed to common technical standards so their software applications and hardware components can plug-and-play together.
“We’ve done a lot of MOSA for real, in real systems, with real things that deploy,” Meier said. “We’ve built an app store. [It’s] the Android of drones.”
The openness of the system was put to the test in a recent hackathon in Poland run by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit. Teams from more than a dozen different companies and universities were able to whip up navigation apps to run atop Auterion’s operating system and field-test them on real drones.
In fact, DIU’s Blue sUAS program — a curated list of small unmanned air systems approved for military use — uses Auterion open-source software and the MavLink communications protocol that Meier developed as a graduate student in Zurich before founding Auterion. That makes it easier for Auterion to work with other companies from many countries.
“We’re working with American drone companies, European drone companies, and Ukrainian drone companies,” he said. “We’re powering systems in DoD inventory, in Dutch inventory, in British inventory.”
When Meier began working on autonomous drones back in 2008, “that was in a more peaceful world, where I was personally focused more on disaster recovery and urban navigation,” he told Breaking Defense. “But since then, the world has become a more dangerous place, and the freedoms that we’re taking for granted need to be protected.”
“There is a moral obligation to not withhold our technology from defense,” he said. “If we feel we make the best operating system for drones, it would be the wrong thing to withhold it, even from lethal applications.” (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
01 Jul 24. BlueHalo Selected for US Army Next Generation C-UAS Missile.
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (CCDC AvMC) Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC) has down-selected BlueHalo as one of two vendors to move forward for the development of the Next-Generation Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System (C-UAS) Missile (NGCM).
BlueHalo is leveraging a long corporate heritage in proven C-UAS technologies to expand its layered defense solutions with a long-range missile–entering the kinetic interceptor market space and providing an agile and alternate prime within the industrial base to counter the rapidly evolving threats.
“As we’ve seen in Ukraine, Jordan, Israel, and the Red Sea, drone attacks are increasing in number, sophistication, speed, and size–representing the fastest evolving threat vector of the modern era,” said Jonathan Moneymaker, BlueHalo Chief Executive Officer.
“Adding the increased range, reduced time-to-target, and rapid launch capabilities of our technically superior NGCM to BlueHalo’s operational, industry-defining RF and directed energy C-UAS solutions gives unmatched, layered protection to our warfighters, allies, and assets. We are honored to work alongside AMTC to expand our nation’s kinetic C-UAS capabilities and continue BlueHalo’s legacy of delivering next-generation defense technology into the hands of the warfighter.”
Last fall, BlueHalo revealed its NGCM in response to the U.S. Government request for a more advanced C-UAS missile technology to meet the pacing threat. NGCM goes beyond current capabilities to increase lethality and range against Group 3 UAS and other larger air threats while –enabling a rapid delivery timeline to get the technology to the frontlines quicker and more cost-effectively than alternatives.
“BlueHalo’s NGCM provides an agile, disruptive, technically superior interceptor to the munition industrial base, delivering unmatched protection to our warfighters and transforming our nation’s air defense systems at mission speed,” said Jimmy Jenkins, General Manager, Defense Sector, and a former air defender in the US Army. (Source: UAS VISION)
01 Jul 24. Cuashub.com said today that Lithuania Considering Acquisition of Anti-Drone Systems. According to LRT, Lithuania is currently assessing the need to acquire anti-drone systems due to its proximity to the Russian Federation’s borders and Russia’s close ally Belarus.
“Now we are assessing what capacity is needed. I will go to the prime minister; I will talk about what kind of investments are needed here to get this thing moving because there is a world of drones and there is a world of anti-drones,” Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas said on LRT TV’s program Dienos Tema (Topic of the Day) last week.
Kasčiūnas contended that developing anti-drone capabilities should occur concurrently with the advancement of drone technology.
Earlier this year, in response to Russian aggression, six NATO nations agreed to construct a “drone wall” along the alliance’s eastern flank, spanning from Norway to Poland. This initiative aims to protect Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland from threats posed by Russia and its close ally Belarus.
The drone wall is one of many measures being taken by NATO member nations in response to the threat from the Russian Federation. On October 13, 2022, defense ministers from 14 NATO allies and Finland (Finland was not a member of NATO at the time) convened in Brussels to sign a letter of intent to develop the “European Sky Shield Initiative.” Led by Germany, this initiative aims to establish a European air and missile defense system by jointly acquiring air defense equipment and missiles among European nations. This collaborative effort is designed to enhance NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense capabilities.
(Source: https://cuashub.com/)
29 Jun 24.US DoD programme to fly uncrewed aircraft in civil airspace gets underway. Project ULTRA, an uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) cargo transport initiative, has completed its first simulation.
Last month, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) issued the project’s first task order, which uses USD2.5 m in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 funding that Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven secured as a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee. The order directs Project ULTRA to begin simulating the movement between military installations of cargo payloads of at least 25 kilograms over 100 kilometres using unmanned aircraft.
A task order is expected to be issued this autumn using funding Hoeven included in FY2024 appropriations legislation, to conduct a demonstration flight between Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Space Force Station.
Project ULTRA builds collaborative research between the DoD, NASA and the Northern Plains UAS Test Site, which helped lay the foundation for this new initiative.
“Project ULTRA is underway,” said Senator Hoeven on June 27. “We provided the funding, helped build the partnerships and got the contract with DoD in place. Now with this first simulation, the project partners are preparing to demonstrate the practical UAS applications they’ve been tasked with, the first being moving cargo between military installations using unmanned aircraft.”
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Brent Ingraham said the long-term goal of the project is safely integrating DoD’s uncrewed systems into the US national airspace.
Project ULTRA will demonstrate a variety of UAS applications that will benefit Grand Forks Air Force Base, while also providing a template for UAS activities at installations across the country. This includes development of practical UAS applications like supply delivery, base inspections and installation security.
Initially, Project ULTRA received an open contract valued at up to USD18.25 m and can continue to receive funding in subsequent years. The project partners include GrandSky, the Northern Plains UAS Test Site ,Simulyze, Scientific Applications and Research Associates (SARA), Modern Technology Solutions International (MTSI), Perikin, and Aura Networks. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
01 Jul 24. SkeyDrone collaborates to secure Belgian airspace during summer festival season. SkeyDrone has today announced its collaboration with several Belgian police districts, responsible for security at major music festivals. The Police Districts of Rupel, Lokeren and Limburg Capital Region will use SkeyDrone’s drone detection system in an effort to keep the airspace above the festivals in their districts safe.
Belgium hosts many music festivals during the summer. In recent years, the use of drones has increased significantly, posing potential risks to large public gatherings.
SkeyDrone will provide continuous, real-time monitoring of the airspace around the festival sites, using technology that is designed to detect drones and automatically distinguish between authorised and unauthorised flights. Upon detection of any unauthorised drone activity, SkeyDrone’s system can instantly send alerts. It also locates the drone pilot, enabling the immediate confiscation of illegal drones by the police.
The system covers all critical areas of the festivals, from stages and camping sites to parking and entrance zones.
SkeyDrone has previously deployed its drone detection technology at large music festivals such as Tomorrowland, where 12 illegal drones were confiscated by the local police in 2023. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
27 Jun 24. Sierra Nevada Corporation is to deliver the Finnish Border Guard’s new surveillance aircraft based on the Bombardier Challenger 650. The Finnish Border Guard’s Dornier 228 surveillance aircraft are coming to the end of their life cycle. The aircraft will be replaced by two new multirole aircraft, the supplier of which has now been selected. The aircraft will be manufactured by Canadian Bombardier, and the system integration will be carried out by American Sierra Nevada Corporation.
Sierra Nevada Corporation has been selected as the supplier of the following multirole aircraft for the Finnish Border Guard. The procurement contains two aircraft solutions based on Bombardier’s Challenger 650 business jet, which Sierra Nevada Corporation will modify to suit the operational needs of the Finnish Border Guard. The Agreement was signed in Helsinki on June 27, 2024. The aircraft are planned to enter service in 2026 and 2027.
In the final stage of the bidding competition, two Prime candidates submitted bids by the deadline. In the evaluation of the tender for the MVX Program, Sierra Nevada Corporation’s solution met the capability requirements set by the Finnish Border Guard. The selection was based on the supplier’s experience and demonstrated ability to implement complex aircraft modifications, as well as the ability to deliver the aircraft within the set deadline.
“The new surveillance aircraft will significantly increase Finland’s capability in border security and maritime security tasks, which is important in our difficult-to-predict security environment,” says Major General Matti Sarasmaa, Chief of Border and Coast Guard Division.
The leader of the MVX Program, Brigadier General Jari Tolppanen, is confident now that the Program is progressing to the production phase. “The set performance goals are achieved within the budget frame. The Agreement is balanced. Sierra Nevada Corporation is a very capable and experienced supplier of surveillance aircraft,” states Tolppanen.
Modern, cost-effective performance: The Border Guard’s Dornier 228 surveillance aircraft are about to be decommissioned. With the new aircraft being acquired now, not only will the DO fleet be replaced, but also significant improvements will be achieved in the performance and capability of the Finnish Border Guard. With the new Challenger 650s, there will be significant improvement in operating time and greater transport capacity. In addition, the aircraft will be equipped with advanced technical systems and modern surveillance sensors. The new aircraft guarantee high-class performance and are designed to perform in various different tasks and conditions.
“The Finnish Border Guard is about to have a capability whose performance and wide range of sensors is state of the art, even in international comparison. It is a world-class multirole aircraft that is capable of operating in the Finnish Border Guard’s demanding operating environment,” says the MVX Program Manager, Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Rosenqvist.
The Finnish Border Guard’s specialists have evaluated the equipment and systems to be procured in a major evaluation phase in 2023. In this way, it was ensured that the acquired entity meets the requirements and is suitable for its intended use. The total cost of the acquisition is some 163 m euros. The Finnish Parliament allocated funding for the acquisition in the 2023 budget. The financing covers two aircraft with their systems, as well as the training of the necessary personnel, technical support for commissioning and spare parts. The bidding process with its many phases proved that the solution offered by Sierra Nevada Corporation was cost-effective and capable.
Providing support to other authorities: The most important tasks of the Finnish Border Guard’s aircraft are monitoring of land and sea borders, search and rescue, identification of ships travelling the Baltic Sea, and detection of maritime environmental damages and leading their response operations. The aircraft also support other authorities in monitoring the state and situation of the Baltic Sea and in monitoring Finland’s territorial integrity. In addition to the Finnish Border Guards’ systems, the systems of the Finnish Defense Forces and the patient transport capability of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will be integrated into the aircraft. Moreover, the aircraft can participate in international cooperation.
The new aircraft will significantly improve Finland’s border security. The modern system body adapted to the operational needs of the Finnish Border Guard and the conditions of the operating environment is protean and agile. The MVX aircraft are strategic assets for the Finnish Border Guard and the entire Finnish society for the next 30 years. The multi-phase project is a combination of history and the future
The MVX Program started with a preliminary assessment in 2019. The project received funding in 2022. Initially, nine suppliers were invited to the bidding competition. As the project progressed, the number of Prime candidates was reduced from nine to four based on the preliminary solutions offered. The Finnish Border Guard and its experts evaluated the offered solutions and systems, and based on the results, two suppliers were invited to the final stage of the tender. After the final negotiation phase and overall consideration, Sierra Nevada Corporation was chosen as the aircraft supplier.
Over the years, the Finnish Border Guard’s aircraft have been registered almost without exception in alphabetical order. The first surveillance aircraft, VL Sääski II, was designated OH-MVA. The current Dorniers have the registrations OH-MVN and OH-MVO. Since the new jet-powered Challenger aircraft represent a big step forward and a new era in the aviation of the Finnish Border Guard, it has also been decided to take a bigger leap forward in the registrations. Therefore, the first new aircraft to be commissioned will be registered OH-MVX, and its sister OH-MVY.
(Source: www.joint-forces.com)
28 Jun 24. Photonis, part of Exosens, the world leader in amplification, detection and imaging technologies, has supplied cutting-edge Micro Pore Optics (MPO) detection technology to the SVOM (Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor) mission, to aid in the study of the most distant explosions of stars, the gamma-ray bursts.
Launched on June 22nd by the Chinese Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang launch base, the SVOM mission is the result of the collaboration of two national space agencies; the Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES) of France and the China National Space Administration (CNSA), accompanied by contributions from leading research institutions and universities.
The SVOM mission’s sub-payload features The MXT Telescope (Microchannel X-Ray Telescope), used to observe gamma bursts in the soft x-ray range. The MXT is equipped with 40µm sized Micro Pore Optics plates, a state-of-the-art detection technology developed by Photonis, a leading brand of Exosens, alongside the University of Leicester and the CNES. The optic built with those MPOs is coupled to a focal plane camera equipped with X-ray sensitive pnCCD. The MXT instrument will utilize the technology to capture high-resolution images and spectra of gamma-ray bursts, which will provide valuable insights into this phenomenon.
The Micro Pore Optics manufacturing requires high-precision glasswork carried out by Photonis. According to François Gonzalez, SVOM project manager at CNES, “Making regular micro-channels of this size in glass has been a big challenge. The industrial process requires more than 50 manufacturing steps, each as complex and delicate as the next. Photonis’ expertise in glasswork was essential in overcoming this challenge.”
“Exosens is delighted to have contributed to the SVOM mission’s success, harnessing our expertise in high-performance optics. Our Photonis brand has designed and manufactured the Micro Pore Optics that enable the MXT telescope to capture high-quality images and spectra of gamma-ray bursts, advancing our understanding of these cosmic events.” said Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Exosens.
The power that emerges from a gamma-ray burst is considerable, which makes them visible at very large distances. The SVOM mission aims to study these events in unprecedented detail, capturing high-resolution images and spectra that will shed light on their origins, composition, and behavior.
The mission’s findings will have significant implications for our understanding of the universe.
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Echodyne is a U.S. designer and manufacturer of advanced commercial radar solutions for defense and national security applications. The company’s proprietary metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA®) architecture, a rare breakthrough in advanced radar engineering, leverages a physics-design approach to adapt conventional materials and deliver unexpected and beneficial behavior. The result is a solid-state, low-SWaP unit coupled with advanced software capabilities that delivers superior radar performance and unparalleled data integrity, radically improving system performance and enhancing safety for people and machines. With leading positions in counter-UAS, force protection, base security, and portable ISR, Defense Agencies and Suppliers rely on Echodyne radar for extraordinary accuracy and consistent, reliable operation. For more information, please visit: Echodyne.com.
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