DRS Technologies to produce optical assemblies for the U.S. Army's Improved Target Acquisition System

PALM BAY, Fla., 20 Feb. 2007. The DRS Technologies Optronics division in Palm Bay, Fla., won an $11 million contract to produce and test Xenon Beacon Tracker (XBT) assemblies for the U.S. Army's Improved Target Acquisition System (ITAS), used for launching TOW (Tube-launched, Optically tracked Wire-guided) missiles.

The contract was awarded to DRS by the Network Centric Systems business of Raytheon Co. in McKinney, Texas. The Xenon Beacon Tracker is a major line replaceable unit (LRU) and is the heart of the ITAS, which tracks targets and furnishes guidance commands to the TOW missile.

The XBT converts the optical image of the flashing beacon to electronic signals that are subsequently processed by the internal computer. Guidance corrections then are relayed to the missile via the wire connections between the launcher and missile.

DRS Optronics is part of the DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems segment. Product delivery will commence in August 2008, with completion expected by May 2009. For more information contact DRS online at www.drs.com.