Nav Notes
Written by / Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
CGF 2009 Volume: 1 Issue: 1 (November)
Scheduled to open in 2010, the Technical Support Services Center is a 22,000 square-foot, two-story facility that will contain hangar space and a turnkey radar maintenance repair and upgrade center. The center will also have state-of-the art computers and displays to simulate the radar operator’s environment.
“Telephonics is totally committed to the U.S. Coast Guard mission success,” said Joseph Battaglia, president of Telephonics. “Our commitment to a long-term lease and a multimillion-dollar facility will shorten our supply chain and improve our overall responsiveness and interface with the Coast Guard’s Air Logistics Center.”
EAGLE SUPPORT
General Dynamics Information Dual-Band Camera Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics, will provide enterprise information technology (IT) support to the U.S. Coast Guard under a five-year, $140 million task order awarded through the Enterprise Acquisition Gateway for Leading-Edge Solutions (EAGLE) contract.
The company will provide a range of enterprise IT support services to select Coast Guard organizations administered through the U.S. Coast Guard Telecommunication and Information Systems Command (TISCOM). The enterprise engineering, operations and maintenance support services span both the unclassified and classified elements of the computing environment for land-based and mobile telecommunications, electronics and information systems.
“General Dynamics understands how extensively the U.S. Coast Guard depends on reliable, effective and efficient IT operational support to meet critical readiness and response requirements in protecting the safety and security of our citizens,” said Marcus Collier, senior vice president of General Dynamics Information Technology’s Civilian/Homeland Security Solutions division.
CELEBRATING A MILESTONE
Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit recently marked a major milestone in the history of the company’s role in radar technology with the celebration this year of the 60th anniversary of the launch of its first marine radar. Sperry Marine’s heritage in marine radar dates back to August 1949, when the U.K.-based Decca Marine Group introduced its first commercial marine radar product, the Type 159. The Decca brand product lines later became incorporated with Sperry Marine under Northrop Grumman ownership.
“We are delighted to take advantage of this important milestone to honor the long tradition of engineering innovation and customer service embodied in our radar product lines,” said J. Nolasco DaCunha, vice president of Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine. “Our new-generation VisionMaster FT family of integrated bridge systems is the heir of this great tradition of innovation,” said DaCunha.
DUAL BAND CAMERA
FLIR Systems, a specialist in thermal imaging, infrared (IR) cameras, and night-vision systems, and Sofradir, a provider of advanced infrared detectors for military, aerospace, and commercial applications, have announced that they will collaborate on state-of-the-art, thirdgeneration, dual-band detectors and camera cores to create thermal cameras with enhanced capabilities for military and commercial applications. Sofradir brings its detector technology and mass production capacities; FLIR will design cameras and insert them into both U.S. and international developed systems.
“FLIR Systems and Sofradir share a common goal to supply the global sensor market with leading-edge technology,” said Bill Sundermeier, president, FLIR Systems Government Systems division. “This relationship reinforces the confidence that our customers have in our increased technological capabilities.” “We are pleased to be working side-by-side with FLIR, whose reputation for product quality is recognized worldwide,” added Philippe Bensussan, chairman and CEO at Sofradir. “Together we’ll be offering the best dual-band product on the market.”
This collaboration comes at a point when dual-band detectors are just beginning to become available after a long period of materials development in several countries. The applications include not only military and security imaging systems but also thermographic and scientific cameras. The detectors offer the possibility of precise noncontact temperature measurement with automatic compensation for unknown material emissivity. Sofradir’s IR detectors are integrated into military-grade systems deployed to detect, observe, and identify objects at great distances, day and night, through fog, smoke and dust. The dual-band thermal camera will operate in the midwave and longwave bandwidths, allowing users to switch spectral bands depending on the particular object to be identified or surveyed. The companies say the longwave bandwidth can optimize detection at cooler temperatures and be beneficial on a battlefield in the presence of dust, smoke or fog. The midwave bandwidth will enhance performance in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. The cameras will also enable efficient image fusion between the two bands, as the images will be naturally registered. ♦