SEPTEMBER 23--DRS Technologies Inc. (Parsippany, NJ; www.drs.com) has been awarded new contracts valued at $11.4 million, including options, to produce optically improved Standard Advanced Dewar Assembly II (SADA II) units and One-Watt Linear (OWL) cooler assemblies for use on US Army Bradley Fighting Vehicles. The initial awards, with a combined value of $3.8 million, were received by DRS from the US Army's Communications-Electronics Command (Fort Monmouth, NJ). Work for these orders will be performed by the company's DRS Infrared Technologies unit in Dallas, TX, and extend product deliveries through July 2004.
SADA II detector assemblies are an integral part of the US Army second-generation forward-looking-infrared (FLIR) technology for the Horizontal Technology Integration (HTI) initiative, providing armored vehicle crews with substantially increased detection ranges and improved survivability. These assemblies also play a key role in the second-generation FLIR Thermal Imaging System (TISS) and the Improved Target Acquisition System (ITAS), also produced by DRS. The OWL cooler assemblies provide cryogenic cooling for effective SADA II detector operation.
Said Fred L. Marion, president of the DRS Electro-Optical Systems Group, "Our technology has grown increasingly important in support of future operational capabilities used within the Army's Science and Technology Objective, specifically linked to improved target detection and force protection. It remains central to the Army's modernization strategy, as well as to DRS's core electro-optical systems business."
SADA II assemblies incorporate the latest optical improvement modifications, representing state-of-the-art FLIR detector performance. SADA II provides increased target detection, acquisition, recognition and engagement ranges during the day or night by providing greater detail of distant objects and offers the benefits of long-term cost reduction, lower production cycle times and easier implementation into the manufacturing process. Together with the OWL cooler units, these assemblies are used in the FLIR B-Kit, also produced by the company for the Army's HTI program. The B-Kit provides infrared imaging capabilities for several ground-based military platforms, including the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks and the M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, considered the most advanced ground combat vehicles in existence.
The OWL cooler is a low-power cooling engine that allows the SADA II to reach cryogenic temperatures required for optimum performance. A key component of the SADA II, the cooler assembly's design is patented by DRS Infrared Technologies and produces extremely low mechanical vibration and audible noise.
