L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics provides thermal imagers for MK46 optical sight system

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. - Officials of the Kollmorgen Corp. Electro-Optical segment in Northampton, Mass., needed thermal imagers for the MK46 Optical Sight System (OSS) on the U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers.

They found their solution from the L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics (L-3 CE) subsidiary of L-3 Communications Corp. in Mason, Ohio.

Kollmorgen awarded L-3 a contract to upgrade the existing system, which includes the L-3 CE NightConqueror 640 thermal imager. L-3 CE has been providing OSS thermal imagers to Kollmorgen since 2002.

First installed aboard a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in 1992, Kollmorgen’s MK46 sight system is the industry standard for electro-optical tracking and fire-control systems.

The system includes a daylight high-resolution three-chip color camera, a 3-to-5-micron thermal imager, an eye-safe laser rangefinder and stabilization accuracy to 30 microradians. In addition, the system features built-in-test capability.

L-3 Communications will provide the thermal imagers for the MK46 Optical Sight System on the U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers.

Deliveries continue for L-3 CE’s NightConqueror IR thermal imaging sensors being installed on the Burke-class destroyers as a replacement for the original midwave imager on the existing fleet. The sensor being supplied under these contracts consists of a folded optical dual field of view telescope, the infrared sensor, cooler, drive electronics and all necessary hardware/cables to interface the electronics to the weapons director.

The MK46 Optical Sighting System MOD 0 is installed on all Burke-class destroyers as part of the MK 34 Gun System. The modular design allows the system to be configured or upgraded to provide for special missions and ensures the system can be maintained as current state-of-the-art, L-3 officials say.

In 1997, the U.S. Navy and Kollmorgen began a series of upgrades to provide operators with more capabilities, including a new eye-safe laser rangefinder, a color television camera and utilization of the standard UYQ-70 Console.

For more information contact L-3 Communications Cincinnati Electronics online at www.cinele.com.