Army chooses airborne electro-optical sensor payloads for reconnaissance from L-3 Wescam
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. –Electro-opticalsensors experts at L-3 Communications will provide the U.S. Army with six Wescam MX-15D sensor turrets for reconnaissance and surveillance applications on helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.
Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., have announced a $7.4 million contract to the L-3 Sonoma EO segment in Santa Rosa, Calif., to provide the Wescam MX-15D sensor turrets and support equipment.
The MX-15 electro-optical sensor pod is for medium-altitude covert intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); search-and-rescue; and similar kinds of surveillance missions. It supports as many as six sensors simultaneously, including visible-light cameras, infrared sensors, and laser rangefinders.
The MX-15 has a zoom potter to enable the operator to balance magnification and field of view between moderately wide and ultra-narrow imagery. The system's high-resolution shortwave infrared (SWIR) camera provides imaging in haze and fog.
The MX-15's turret has a four-axis gimbal with internal inertial measurement unit, image stabilization, common operator interfaces and hand controllers, and a map-based sensor management package that enables operators to control sensors from an intuitive interface.
Related: L-3 WESCAM lands $90 million in electro-optics and infrared imaging sensor contracts
In addition to helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, the L-3 MX-15 electro-optical sensor pod also is for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and aerostats.
The system's color low-light and wide-angle zoom camera imager enhances its imaging capability under a wide range of illumination conditions, including dusk and poor weather conditions. Its high-resolution SWIR imager offers range performance at the limits of atmospheric visibility, including in haze and fog.
It has a four-axis gimbal with internal inertial measurement unit to stabilize its electro-optical sensor payloads. the system also has a map-based sensor management package for enhanced sensor control.
For more information contact L-3 Sonoma EO online at www2.l3t.com/sonomaeo.
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John Keller | Editor
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
