Officials of the Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., announced a $16.2 million order Wednesday to the Raytheon Missile Systems segment in McKinney, Texas, for the modification of the third-generation forward looking infrared B-Kit engineering, manufacturing, and development contract.
In March 2016 the Army awarded a $56.7 million contract to Raytheon for engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) of B-Kits for the third-generation forward looking infrared program.
B-Kits consist of common components that will be integrated into combat vehicle sights for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. These B-Kit upgrades will provide combat vehicle crews with a common picture across all host vehicles.
Common components include high-definition mid-wave infrared and long-wave infrared dual-band focal plane array, Dewar Cooler Bench (DCB), optics, and electronics to convert thermal radiation into video images.
Third-generation FLIR technology is replacing second-generation FLIR sights, starting with those in the Army's M1 Abrams main battle tank and the Bradley fighting vehicle. Third-gen upgrades may extend to the Long Range Advance Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3) and other current or future ground or aviation sights, Army officials say.
On Wednesday's order Raytheon will do the work in McKinney, Texas, and should be finished by March 2021. For more information contact Raytheon Missile Systems online at www.raytheon.com, or the Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground at http://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-apg.
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