AUSTIN, Texas, 20 Feb. 2009. BAE Systems will equip the U.S. Army Stryker combat vehicle and M-1 Abrams tank with a thermal weapon sight, enabling combat crews to view outside the vehicles while remaining safely inside. The company received a $45 million contract from General Dynamics to produce the military infrared camera systems.
The BAE Systems Check-6 system, derived from the company's work in military thermal imaging weapon sights, features an infrared camera installed inside the vehicles' taillight housings. The system provides day, night, and all-weather visibility, says a company representative.
"Without the Check-6 system, the driver and crew cannot see what's behind them without leaving the protective cover of the vehicle," says Manette Fisher, program manager for BAE Systems in Austin, Texas. "Check-6 is a low-cost solution that gives soldiers much-needed rearward situational awareness while reducing their exposure to deadly threats. Reliable visibility also increases vehicle safety and can save lives."
Integrated in the existing vehicle taillight with no drilling or welding, the Check-6 system can easily be installed on more than 300,000 current and planned U.S. Army vehicles.
Deliveries are set to begin in April. BAE Systems expects to deliver more than 12,000 Check-6 systems over the next decade.
