ROCKY HILL, Conn., 8 Feb. 2009. Axsys Technologies Inc. in Rocky Hill, Conn., won a $15.3 million order from BAE Systems to produce dual-field-of-view military infrared sensor lenses as part of the U.S. Army's Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) program.

The CROWS program seeks to upgrade Army machine guns and grenade launchers by using aerospace thermal imaging sensors to enable these weapons to operate remotely on combat vehicles, and with larger ammunition supplies than manned weapons have.

CROWS provides a remote mounting system for the MK19 grenade machine gun, M2 machine gun, M240B medium machine gun, and the M249 squad automatic weapon (SAW). With larger combat loads, the weapon requires reloading less often and helps keep the crew inside the vehicle.

The modular, open-architecture system uses drives, controls and sensors for improved aiming accuracy, and is for the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). Inside, the gunner engages targets he sees on a 15-inch color monitor inside the vehicle. He controls the gun with a joystick.

"Superior surveillance and targeting capabilities are increasingly vital for success on the battlefield," says Scott B. Conner, President and Chief Operating Officer of Axsys Technologies. For more information contact Axsys Technologies online at www.axsys.com.