5 minute read
OPTICAL INNOVATIONS SECURING TOMORROW'S DEFENCE SYSTEMS
The defence industry demands unprecedented optical performance:
Superior durability in extreme military environments
Ultra-precise wavelength control for targeting systems
Advanced coatings for multi-spectral imaging
High damage threshold optics for laser applications
Specialised IR filters for thermal detection
Space-qualified components for satellite systems
Reliable performance in battlefield conditions
As defence technologies advance toward more sophisticated surveillance, targeting, and communications systems, Andover Corporation delivers mission-critical optical solutions that enhance everything from thermal imaging to laser-guided systems.
Andover Corporation’s specialised optical technologies and custom solutions enable critical defence capabilities across:
Thermal imaging and night vision
Target acquisition systems
Missile guidance
Reconnaissance platforms
Secure optical communications
Hyperspectral imaging
Laser rangefinding
Space-based surveillance
From tactical field systems to advanced aerospace platforms, Andover Corporation’s reputation is built on advancing national security through precision optics. Andover Corporation delivers mission-critical components from ultra-durable IR filters and high-transmission coatings to custom dichroic beamsplitters and radiation-hardened optics. Their military-grade components ensure superior performance and reliability when failure is not an option.
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CASE STUDY
In the rapidly evolving world of defence technology, targeting pods play a pivotal role in modern military operations. These advanced systems provide critical capabilities for target acquisition, surveillance, and reconnaissance, enabling precision strikes and enhancing situational awareness. At the heart of these pods are sophisticated optical components, and Andover Corporation is proud to celebrate a long history as a top-rated supplier for the manufacture of targeting pods in the defence industry.
Enhancing Target Detection And Clarity
Optical interference coatings, such as bandpass filters, are critical components in targeting pods, selectively allowing specific wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking others. This capability is crucial for improving target detection and tracking, particularly in challenging conditions like low visibility or nighttime operations
Andover Corporation optics are engineered for high performance and reliability. With industry-leading customer satisfaction and exceptional coating expertise, we ensure that each filter provides the precise wavelength isolation required for optimal performance. The filters are used extensively in defence applications to isolate infrared wavelengths, enhancing the thermal imaging capabilities of Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors, and allowing for accurate detection of heat signatures from vehicles or personnel, even in complete darkness or adverse weather conditions.
LENSES, MIRRORS, AND PRISMS
Targeting pods rely on a combination of advanced optics elements to provide precise real-time data, enhancing the ability to acquire, track, and engage targets effectively.
Lenses:
Objective Lenses: These lenses focus incoming light onto sensors, ensuring clarity and accuracy over long distances and through various environmental conditions from bright daylight to atmospheric interference.
Zoom Lenses:
These allow for dynamic changes in magnification, offering flexibility for wide-area searches and close-up target tracking. This adaptability is essential for operators to meet different mission requirements effectively.
Mirrors and Prisms:
Optical Mirrors and Beam Splitters: These components are designed to handle multiple sensor inputs simultaneously, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in targeting. Andover Corporation produces high quality mirrors and beam splitters with antireflective optical coatings that optimise light paths within the pod’s optical system.
ADVANCED FILTERS AND SENSORS
Modern targeting pods incorporate several advanced optical technologies, and Andover Corporation excels in crafting these vital components to ensure superior operational performance.
Infrared (IR) Filters and Sensors:
FLIR Sensors: High-performance Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) sensors can provide thermal images even under low-visibility conditions.
IR Filters: Complementing FLIR sensors, these filters must ensure maximum transmission and durability in even the most demanding operational environments. Our IR filters are meticulously engineered to allow only specific infrared wavelengths to pass through, enhancing thermal signature detection for night vision and thermal imaging applications.
ADVANCED TARGETING COMPONENTS
Modern targeting pods incorporate several advanced optical technologies using cutting-edge lasers, light sensors, and stabilisers.
Laser Designator and Rangefinder:
Laser Designator: These components use highly-specialised bandpass filters for YAG lasers to guide munitions precisely to their targets, ensuring high accuracy and effectiveness in missions.
Laser Rangefinder: We provide components optimised for laser rangefinders, crucial for determining the exact distance to a target and enhancing precision-guided strike capabilities.
Visible Light Sensors:
CCD and CMOS Sensors: Both CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) imaging sensors are used in conjunctions with optical filter coatings that maximise image clarity and sensitivity in all lighting conditions. These filters and coatings are tailored to enhance daylight operations while ensuring power efficiency and durability in challenging environments.
Optical Stabilisation Systems:
Gyroscopes and Stabilised Platforms: Stabilisation systems help to maintain steady and clear images, even during high-speed manoeuvres. Hybrid solutions are designed to perform under dynamic conditions, ensuring reliable data capture in critical moments.
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The effectiveness of targeting pods hinges on the quality and performance of their optical components. Our commitment to precision and service drives us to produce optical elements that provide superior clarity, faster data processing, and precise target identification, all of which are vital for mission success.
As the defence industry continues to demand higher precision and versatility, the need for top-quality optical components grows.
At Andover Corporation, we are dedicated to meeting these evolving requirements, building on our extensive experience in defence applications, such as our involvement in Lockheed's Sniper ATP system, and Wescam's MX-Series Airbourne Surveillance and Reconnaissance Pods.
Thin-film coatings on advanced IR substrates such as chalcogenides, as well as our superior binding techniques for optimal adhesion, are just a few examples of our long history as a preferred optics partner to the defence industry.
Rick Shagoury, Marketing Manager, Andover Corporation
To discuss your defence/security application, please get in touch with us here at Quantum Design UK and Ireland by email or call (01372) 378822.
