L A N D Safran
W A R F A R E
Multiple sensors covering near infrared, MWIR and visible wavelengths coupled with laser, GPS, DMC (Digital Magnetic Compass) and inclinometer sensors and a variety of interfaces to provide connectivity are packed into the Safran’s JIM Compact observation and targeting device.
similar advantages to the Warrior HWH but in a smaller, lighter package. It’s 640 x 500 element chip provides images in the same 700µm to 1700µm band and uses a 25mm lens and provides more than two hours of continuous operation on a pair of CR123A batteries. Like its larger sibling it can be handheld or mounted on a helmet or weapon rail. It features a digital zoom capability and can save still images and video to an internal memory card. The US Government subjects products with SWIR sensors to its International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
than any device in their class, according the spokesperson: “They address a large spectrum of users including dismounted infantry (and) also special forces and joint fire units such as JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controllers) or Forward observers.” Weighing less than two kilograms/kg (4.4 pounds/lb), the JIM Compact also features a cooled MWIR (Medium Wave IR) thermal imager from Sofradir, which it jointly owns with Thales, providing fields of view that match those of the colour TV camera and a 640 x 480 element detector. The JIM Compact is also fitted
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Smaller Detectors While the industry standard is around 15 microns, Sofradir now offers detectors with a pixel pitch of ten microns in the form of the Daphnis-HD MW, a MWIR detector. The company claims better performance than comparable ten micron detectors along with up to a 55 percent improvement in the Detection, Recognition and Identification (DRI) range over the previous generation of Sofradir
Multi-Sensor Systems Packing multiple sensors into handheld devices is a goal furthered by the latest CMOS cameras, whose extended spectral response is reducing the need for separate devices to track laser spots. Two of the latest to benefit from this are Safran’s JIM Compact lightweight, longrange multifunction binoculars and the Moskito-TI multi-purpose target locator from the company’s Vectronix division: “Their most innovative function is their capability to see spots from laser pointers or even designators without adding weight,” a Safran spokesperson told AMR. The JIM-LR contains two CMOS cameras, one being a 15 megapixel daylight colour television sensor offering a wide field-ofview of 13.5 degrees and a narrow fieldof-view of 4.5 degrees, the other sensor is a low light camera with respective fields of view of 6.2 degrees and 4.5 degrees. Both are designed to provide lower weight and broader capabilities
with an eye-safe laser rangefinder with an effective range of more than twelve kilometres (7.5 miles), a digital magnetic compass, inclinometers and an embedded GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. Weighing less than 1.3kg (2.9lb), the Moskito-TI has a sensor suite that includes a direct view optical channel with a field of view of 6.1 degrees and six times magnification, which provides a daylight observation capability that does not require electrical power: “Also, Safran’s products include advanced connectivity such as Ethernet interfaces and picture/video streaming that contribute to increase efficiency in the battlefield,” the spokesperson continued. There are two main thrusts of development with the cooled detectors used in such systems. The first of these is producing focal plane arrays with individual elements placed closer together to provide greater resolution in the same physical envelope or to preserve resolution while miniaturising the system.
Sofradir’s Daphnis MWIR high definition cooled thermal camera core embodies two key advances for lightweight systems: a ten micron pixel pitch to shrink the detector and a 120 degree Kelvin operating temperature to allow use of a smaller cooler.
| Asian Military Review |