BAE Delivers 100,000th Uncooled Infrared Thermal Imager

(Lexington, Massachusetts, June 10, 2009) -- BAE Systems recently delivered its 100,000th MicroIR(r) uncooled thermal imager, which will be installed in the U.S. Army's Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS II).

The 100,000 uncooled imagers produced since 1996 are used on products such as soldier thermal weapon sights, combat vehicle thermal imagers, and thermal cameras used by firefighters. They are designed and manufactured at BAE Systems' facility in Lexington, Massachusetts.

"BAE Systems leads the industry developing and producing this innovative, low-cost technology that has proved so valuable to protecting our men and women in combat," said Mike Lewis, the company's vice president and general manager of soldier and vehicle solutions.

The thermal imagers detect heat from people, vehicles, and other sources enabling soldiers to identify targets while remaining protected inside their vehicles. The MicroIR(r) devices work in darkness and in smoke, fog, and other visibility-obscuring conditions. Unlike other infrared sensors that require cryogenic cooling to maintain the necessary thermal sensitivity, the MicroIR(r) devices require no cooling - and therefore are smaller, lighter, and use less power.

Source : BAE Systems PLC (LSE: BAES.L)