Programmes for the US Army’s Readiness Recovery
The US Army is optimising sensors for its platform and individual soldiers, with FLIR having been a part of these service efforts for more than 20 years. At the time of writing the Wilsonville, OR-based company was delivering products for various service weapons platforms and the individual soldier.
This overarching programme has delivered medevac aircraft to the US Army, US Army National Guard and foreign military sales customers.
Elsewhere in the US Army programmes portfolio, FLIR has supported US Army Special Operations with its AN/ZSQ-3 Laser Designating system since the mid-2000s.
On the land side, FLIR has provided its Star SAFIRE and TACFLIR surveillance sensors for the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) and US Army Force Protection programmes since 2005, while more recently providing ground detection radars as well. In another part of the land domain, FLIR provides its V4000 thermal targeting system for the US Army STRYKER 30mm turret and has delivered several hundred RECON V handheld thermal imaging systems and a number of long-range HISS-XLR thermal sniper scopes for the dismounted soldier.
As significant, FLIR was recently selected to provide SeaFLIR maritime imaging systems as part of the initial Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSV(L)) programme. MT readers will recall that Vigor Works in Clackamas, OR, is on contract for the MSV(L) engineering and manufacturing development phase and subsequent production and deployment phase. The programme will deliver the first new army watercraft in decades.
At the individual level, this May, FLIR announced it had received a contract to deliver an order for BLACK HORNET Personal Reconnaissance Systems for the army’s Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) Programme. Mr Tucker concluded: “The army will purchase the units as part of the first programme buy of the SBS programme.”
Beyond SBS, FLIR is also focused on the next-generation Improved Rotary Wing Electro-Optical Sensor programme, using its newest, compact, qualified, and battle-proven Star SAFIRE 380 technology.
