FLIR Systems today will unveil three new products aimed at making its increasingly broad range of gimbaled sensors ever smaller and ever more capable.
On display at its booth is the all-new Cobalt 90, a 3.5in, 1.5lb, gimbaled turret including a stabilized, electro-optical camera; uncooled infrared sensor and laser pointer, says product manager Eric Balch.
By offering three payloads in the same package, the Cobalt 90 should allow military operators for micro unmanned air vehicles to avoid a difficult decision. Previous sensors in this size class included only one payload, forcing operators to choose either a daylight or infrared camera for each mission, Balch says.
The first prototypes of the Cobalt 90 are scheduled for delivery next month, he adds.
Secondly, FLIR will also show the seven-payload Cobalt 190 turret, a 17lb, 7.5in sensor for small UAVs. Compared with the previous Cobalt 195, the Cobalt 190 features more payloads, including four improved cameras, laser rangefinder, laser designator and laser pointer, Balch says.
"The [original equipment manufacturers] are very, very interested in this type of sensor," says Tom Milligan, vice-president of business development. "It allows them to do a lot in a very small package."
The FLIR exhibit also includes the updated Talon LD sensor, which packages the previously three-payload Talon with four additional systems. A key improvement for the 9in-diameter gimbaled turret is the ability to designate targets with a laser, Balch says.
The Talon LD reuses the same designator already packaged in FLIR's Britestar-2 system.
Source: Flight Daily News
