Special Operations Command chooses cameras from Leonardo DRS to help helicopter pilots see through brownout

MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., needed special cameras to help helicopter pilots operate in dust and debris. They found a solution from the Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical & Infrared Systems segment in Melbourne, Fla.

Officials of the Special Operations Command Technology Applications Program Office announced a $43.9 million sole-source contract Tuesday to Leonardo DRS to build and support AN/ASQ-250 brownout cameras for special-operations helicopters.

Helicopter brownout cameras typically use infrared sensors to capture thermal radiation that helps helicopter pilots to see through dust and darkness.

Helicopter takeoffs and landing in thick dust, such as that found in the Middle East, quickly can bring pilot visibility down to zero near the ground as helicopter rotors kick up massive quantities of fine dust that can blot out the sun. Such degraded visibility can hide the horizon and cause helicopter accidents. The same kind of phenomenon can happen in snowy conditions.

Synthetic vision

Helicopter brownout systems often use a combination of electro-optical sensors in so-called synthetic vision systems that blend sensor data from infrared cameras, light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors to create a synthetic view of the landing zone.

Special Operations Command is choosing Leonardo DRS for the AN/ASQ-250 camera job because the company is the only available source about to install and support these cameras for special forces helicopters.

On this contract Leonardo DRS will do the work in Melbourne, Fla/. and should be finished by April 2030. For more information contact Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical & Infrared Systems online at www.leonardodrs.com/locations/leonardo-drs-melbourne-fl, or U.S. Special Operations Command at www.socom.mil.