2018 Surface Navy Association Day 1 (January 9) Conference Report
Mönch US correspondent Marty Kauchak is attending the 2018 Surface Navy Association 30th Annual National Symposium in Arlington, Virginia, USA. He files this report with highlights from the exhibition floor and conference rooms.
Wilsonville, Oregon-based FLIR Systems, Inc. (booth #314) is present at this year’s SNA conference and with good reasons, according to Gene Ager, FLIR Systems’ Director of Business Development for Navy Programs. The industry expert pointed out: “FLIR Systems is a world leader in the development and manufacture of electro-optic and thermal imaging systems for maritime applications. Our systems are installed on numerous US Navy and US Coast Guard (USCG) vessels and aircraft, and provide mission critical persistent surveillance in the most challenging mission environments. The Sea FLIR, BRITE Star and Star SAFIRE product lines perform superbly across the full spectrum of military and life-saving operations.”
Company programmes of particular interest to SNA delegates would include: Combatant Craft FLIR with over 400 FLIR Systems sensors installed onboard Naval Special Warfare and Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Craft; and MarFLIR II, which has provided over 140 sensors in support of USCG. Mr. Ager continued: “We are also the primary provider of stabilized gimbals to the USCG with 375-plus sensors installed across all CUTTER-classes. Our systems are forward deployed aboard the US Navy’s CYCLONE-class Coastal Patrol vessels supporting both situational awareness as well as precision laser targeting for the [Raytheon] GRIFFIN Missile System.”
Beyond systems, FLIR Systems is focusing on partnering, hosting MARTAC (Maritime Tactical Systems Inc.) in its booth. “They manufacture a range of highly capable unmanned surface vessels and integrate our optical sensors on them for military and non-military applications,” Mr. Ager concluded.
