US Navy places $50M order with FLIR

27 Sep 2013

Coast Guard and Navy agree five-year contract with the thermal imaging company.

Infrared imaging firm FLIR Systems has won a $50 million, five-year deal with the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, to provide thermal imaging systems for the US Navy and Coast Guard services.

The agreement supports the Patrol Boat Electro-Optics System (PB-EOS) program, and will use a variant of the Oregon company’s “SeaFLIR” high-definition infrared imagers designed for maritime applications.

The primary mission of the PB-EOS program is to provide enhanced visual imagery to augment existing electronic sensors, specifically to enhance operations such as low visibility and night navigation, maritime interception and coastal observation.

“SeaFLIR is a long-range, gyro-stabilized, thermal imager that provides high-resolution infrared images in daylight as well as in total darkness,” FLIR says, pointing out that the system is able to detect small targets on the horizon.

The systems are said to enhance navigation, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance at sea, with applications ranging from collision avoidance and iceberg detection to anti-terrorism.

Existing versions of the platform include the highly regarded SeaFLIR 230 model. Based on a 9-inch diameter gimbal, it combines a cooled 640x480 thermal camera featuring an indium antimonide sensor with an 18x optical zoom and an optional 852 nm laser pointer.

Andy Teich, recently installed as the new CEO at FLIR following the retirement of long-time predecessor Earl Lewis, said of the deal:

"Winning this contract proves the benefits of our commercially developed, military qualified model to our customers, which includes rapid mission-critical solution development, high product quality, superior customer service, and rapid delivery at a price that yields exceptional value.”

"This will further strengthen our already leading presence in the maritime EO/IR market,” Teich added.

Work relating to the latest award is expected to be performed out of FLIR's facility in Billerica, Massachusetts, and should be be completed by September 2018.

SeaFLIR capability (corporate video)