Marine Corps selects DRS Technologies for thermal binoculars

Nov. 1, 2005
DRS Technologies Inc. won a $660 million U.S. Marine Corps contract to produce Thermal Binocular System Tactical Range Thermal Imagers.

By Ben Ames

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - DRS Technologies Inc. won a $660 million U.S. Marine Corps contract to produce Thermal Binocular System Tactical Range Thermal Imagers.

The Tactical Range Thermal Imagers are lightweight, handheld, battery-operated, infrared binoculars for military long-range observation and reconnaissance.

Awarding the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract was the Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM), Infantry Weapons Branch, in Quantico, Va.

For the initial award, DRS will deliver more than 3,800 systems. The company will produce in excess of 28,000 systems over the life of the contract, if all options are exercised.

The company’s DRS Optronics unit in Palm Bay, Fla., DRS Infrared Technologies unit in Dallas, and DRS Nytech Imaging Systems unit in Irvine, Calif., will perform all work on this contract. Product deliveries are to be completed by September 2010.

“The award of this important contract to DRS affirms our position as an industry leader in uncooled, high-performance thermal-imaging solutions, builds on our success with the Thermal Weapon Sights II program, establishes a significant hand-held thermal imager product and increases our production volume of uncooled thermal-imaging products,” says Fred L. Marion, president of DRS’s Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group. “The new Tactical Range Thermal Imager program extends our soldier-systems customer base and initiates a baseline for growth in the handheld infrared sensor line.”

The Tactical Range Thermal Imagers produced by DRS will leverage the technologies in a family of Thermal Weapon Sights, also produced by DRS under a $375 million U.S. Army program received last year. In applying these technologies, DRS officials say they will maximize affordability and life-cycle efficiencies.

The Tactical Range Thermal Imagers will incorporate state-of-the-art advancements in night-vision technology for an easy-to-use, robust, and reliable system. They will utilize 640-by-480-pixel uncooled thermal-imaging technology for maximum performance and advanced electronics to ensure low power requirements and a long operational life. For more information contact DRS online at www.drs.com.

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