Surveillance vehicles equipped with dual infrared imagers and laser rangefinders accounted for a large proportion of the latest awards.

LVSS: Mobile infrared imaging platform

LVSS: Mobile infrared imaging platform

Thermal imaging giant FLIR Systems said it has won a series of contracts with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the final sales may exceed 23 million U.S. dollars.

Including orders for surveillance vehicles, drones and related equipment, photonics-based technologies are the basis of the agreement, especially mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) imaging cameras.

A key element of the award for mobile surveillance is the contract to provide the next generation of FLIR's "Light Vehicle Surveillance System" (LVSS), which is designed to improve mobile surveillance capabilities. CBP has ordered 19 such vehicles for deployment on the northern and southern borders of the United States.

According to FLIR, each LVSS can track up to 500 objects simultaneously with a range of more than 10 miles. "LVSS is ideal for tasks that require speed, maneuverability and flexibility, including protecting remote borders, coastlines and forward operating bases," the company said.

FLIR added that an operator can deploy and operate the vehicle's 16-foot mast from the cab of a pickup truck in less than 30 seconds (see picture above). At the top of the mast is one of FLIR's "TacFLIR 380-HD" sensor units.

The company literature explains that each of these surveillance sensor units (also deployed in airborne and maritime applications) are equipped with MWIR cameras with native 1280 x 720 resolution, as well as high-definition CCD and SWIR cameras.

The MWIR camera is based on an indium antimonide (InSb) sensor that operates in the 3-5 µm wavelength range, and an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) sensor that covers the SWIR area.

Other core elements of Boson LWIR include a laser rangefinder with a range of 30 kilometers, a laser pointer, and 6-axis stability, providing the TacFLIR 380-HD with "unparalleled" geological locking and target tracking capabilities.

Roger Wells, general manager of FLIR's "Unmanned Systems and Integrated Solutions" business unit, stated in a company press release that the LVSS and other technologies ordered by CBP can provide "flexible, robust" even in the harshest environments. And reliable monitoring solutions".

In addition to the LVSS element, the broader contract also requires the delivery of FLIR’s “SkyRaider” drone tether kit and “StormCaster T” sensor payload, specifically for CBP’s “Official Low Altitude Autonomous Safety and Situational Awareness” (LASO) program .

StormCaster-T is a miniature uncooled "Boson" thermal imager based on FLIR. It is said that the long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensor can provide powerful object detection, recognition and recognition functions during the day and night, combined with a continuous zoom lens for long-distance surveillance and reconnaissance.