Sponsored by Blighter Surveillance Systems
www.blighter.com
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14 June 22. HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH and THEON SENSORS SA are establishing a joint company called HENSOLDT THEON NightVision GmbH. The company is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany. HENSOLDT with THEON SENSORS will appoint the managers.
Both companies are already successfully cooperating within the framework of a bidding consortium for a contract to manufacture and supply 9.550 pairs of night vision goggles, (5.000 for the German and 4.550 for the Belgian armed forces) on behalf of the armament agency OCCAR. Now both partners are complementing their capabilities in the field of thermal imaging and night vision systems. Specifically, new products are to be created on the technological basis of THEON’s night vision goggles and HENSOLDT Optronics’ weapon-adapted night vision attachments.
At the signing of the contract with THEON SENSORS CEO Christian Hadjiminas at EUROSATORY 2022 in Paris, Andreas Hülle, Head of the Optronics & Land Solutions Division and Managing Director of Optronics GmbH, said: “The merger with THEON SENSORS to form HENSOLDT THEON NightVision GmbH is directly related to HENSOLDT’s growth strategy. The current conflict situation in Ukraine shows how important high-performance sensor technology and optical systems are for equipping our armed forces in line with the times.”
Christian Hadjiminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS and President of EFA GROUP, added: “The global geo-political challenges are creating a new focus on the performance and accountability of night vision and thermal imaging systems world-wide. This new joint company HENSOLDT THEON NightVision GmbH will drive new insights and solutions as leading companies, HENSOLDT and THEON SENSORS, with complementary capabilities work together to meet the common goal of establishment of strong inter-European defence links.”
By combining capabilities from both parent companies, future product requirements can be developed even faster and in a more targeted manner and made available in a user-oriented manner. Existing products from both parent companies will serve as an innovative basis for further and new development.
For HENSOLDT THEON NightVision GmbH, the production site in Wetzlar is of central importance. In addition to the long-standing cooperation with the German Armed Forces and armed forces of associated nations, HENSOLDT also offers an excellent basis for logistical support. By combining technology, production and logistical services, the added value for customers is significantly increased and new jobs are created at the location. In the medium term, solid growth is planned for the new company due to the demand for state-of-the-art thermal imaging and night vision systems.
13 June 22. Aimpact Defence will present for the first time its service offer and a new very long range camera developed by Key Technologies. A impact represents in France and Europe the first brick of its ISR offer to respond in an efficient and competitive way to the major challenges of securing borders, events and critical infrastructures.
Aimpact Defense offer
– Supporting managers to optimize their company’s development
– Detection of technological companies in France and abroad and support in raising funds and in commercial development
– Identification of companies to aggregate products and services in order to offer a competitive and efficient ISR offer on the market for the major challenges of securing countries and companies.
Key Technologies
THEIA. The development of Theia’s long-range surveillance solutions is based on the analysis of feedback from systems delivered to security forces and used for homeland security, border protection and coastal surveillance applications. For example, most long-range surveillance cameras require an operator to control the camera and analyze video streams in the vicinity.
Theia’s long range camera offers unique technical features on the market today:
– Optical stabilization of the lens allowing the surveillance of a distant target
– Dual VIS & MWIR long range optics
– Night vision thanks to a high sensitivity sensor
– IR laser illuminator for target illumination in total darkness
– Dual GNSS unit and laser rangefinder
– Target geolocation
– Full remote control via public or private 4G/5G network or private IP radio network
– Unmanned operation and ITAR free
– Active cooling system
The French company Aimpact SAS
Based in Paris, Aimpact SAS offers services to support the development of technology companies.
Since January 2022, the company has set up a defense department and an international innovation center whose vocation is to address safety and security issues by aggregating disruptive, proven, French and international technologies, adapted to a continuous surveillance mission and more economical than existing solutions.
14 June 22. Elbit Systems Introduces COAPS-L, Converting the Acclaimed Sight into a Lightweight ISTAR Payload. COAPS-L provides light platforms with the ISTAR capabilities and situational awareness of Armored Fighting Vehicles.
Elbit Systems unveils COPAS-L, a new Electro-Optical (EO) payload for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR). COAPS-L is a miniaturized configuration of the Company’s Commander Open Architecture Panoramic Sight (COAPS) that is in service onboard Main Battle Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV) around the world.
The new payload will be showcased for the first time during the Eurosatory 2022 as part of the Elbit Systems’ display (Hall 6, D567) and integrated onboard an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) as part of the Roboteam presentation (Hall 5B, A-35B).
With small dimensions and weighing only 40kg, COPAS-L provides light platforms such as light tactical vehicles, UGVs and surface vessels with AFV-level ISTAR capabilities. The COPAS-L payload operates either as an independent ISTAR payload or combined with the platform’s weapon station.
The highly stabilized COAPS-L includes a Medium Wave Infra-Red (MWIR) or a Long Wave Infra-Red (LWIR) channel, thermal channel, High Definition (HD) color day camera, eye-safe laser range finder, and an automated target tracker, providing 360-degrees, long-range ISTAR capabilities, day and night, on-the-move or stationary. In addition, COAPS-L features Artificial Intelligence video analytics enabling Automatic Target Recognition and classification, Video Motion Detection and enhanced image processing. The COAPS-L open architecture supports integration with command and control systems and with other onboard sub-systems.
13 June 22. Leonardo is expanding its spectrum of surveillance technologies with Tactical Multi-Mission Radar (TMMR), the new multi-domain radar presented at Eurosatory 2022 – the international exhibition for land and air defence and security. The new Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, designed and developed to detect, classify and track small and fast-moving aerial threats, supports armed forces in an integrated way, guaranteeing complete situational awareness for scenarios where there is a profusion of both land and air platforms, such as mini and micro unmanned tactical systems.
Fully digitalised and in C-band, TMMR is a dual-use technology that can be used not only as a counter-drone (C-UAS) and Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) system, but also for short-range air defence, surveillance and protection of platforms and vehicles, borders, territories and critical infrastructure. The coverage range, which can be extended up to 360°, and the detection range which varies from 7 to 25 km depending on different targets, allow complete and immediate surveillance during asymmetric operations.
The TMMR is easily transportable and deployable within rapidly changing contexts, thanks to its weight of less than 50 kg, its small size and state-of-the-art technology that requires low energy consumption. These features and the all-in-one design deliver the perfect combination of high performance and ease of use for operators.
With an eye towards to constantly evolving tactical-strategic scenarios, Leonardo has continued to invest in the development and design of cutting-edge solutions such as TMMR, aiming to meet the requirements of interoperability, digitalisation and rapid response, while leveraging proprietary AESA technology.
The Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology on which the new TMMR is based is developed and produced entirely in Leonardo’s own foundry and represents a distinctive European asset in the field of microelectronic components.
Spanning Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) solutions for the digitalisation of the battlefield and for real-time sharing of tactical information, through to systems for land and air defence, Leonardo returns to Eurosatory 2022 to present a complete offer for the efficient management of all operational phases at all decision-making levels.
13 June 22. Elbit Systems Unveils a Simultaneous Multi-Mission Tactical Radar System. “Not relying on target prioritization, the DAiR system aligns the radar capability with the imperatives of multi-domain warfare”
Elbit Systems launches DAiR, an innovative simultaneous multi-mission tactical radar. The system makes target prioritization redundant enabling a step change in the effectiveness and efficiency of tactical terrain dominance, protection against Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and border security. The new radar will be presented during the Eurosatory 2022 as part of Elbit Systems’ display (Hall 6, D567).
The DAiR is an X-band software defined radar system that incorporates hundreds of digital receivers, sophisticated algorithms and computing cores with Artificial Intelligence capabilities. The system is capable of simultaneous detection and tracking of thousands objects of various sizes and velocities, with no need for target prioritization. These unique radar capabilities enable a tactical force to use a single radar system for handling of a very large number of targets of various types and ranges including: humans, small quadcopters, helicopters and UAS, vessels and artillery. Small drones are detected from up to 12km and humans from up to 15km. The DAiR radar systems is compatible with the All-purpose Structured EUROCONTROL Surveillance Information Exchange protocols (ASTERIX) enabling seamless sharing of information with C4I systems.
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Blighter® Surveillance Systems (BSS) is a UK-based electronic-scanning radar and sensor solution provider delivering an integrated multi-sensor package to systems integrators comprising the Blighter electronic-scanning radars, cameras, thermal imagers, trackers and software solutions. Blighter radars combine patented solid-state Passive Electronic Scanning Array (PESA) technology with advanced Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) and Doppler processing to provide a robust and persistent surveillance capability. Blighter Surveillance Systems is a Plextek Group company, a leading British design house and technology innovator, and is based at Great Chesterford on the outskirts of Cambridge, England.
The Blighter electronic-scanning (e-scan) FMCW Doppler ground surveillance radar (GSR) is a unique patented product that provides robust intruder detection capabilities under the most difficult terrain and weather conditions. With no mechanical moving parts and 100% solid-state design, the Blighter radar family of products are extremely reliable and robust and require no routine maintenance for five years. The Blighter radar can operate over land and water rapidly searching for intruders as small a crawling person, kayaks and even low-flying objects. In its long-range modes the Blighter radar can rapidly scan an area in excess of 3,000 km² to ensure that intruders are detected, identified and intercepted before they reach critical areas.
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