BAE Systems will provide second-generation thermal weapon sights to the Canadian Army under a $14 million multi-year contract for the widely used infrared sensors, already in service with the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The sights are lighter, quieter, and use less power than the first-generation units, reducing the load on soldiers and enabling them to accurately conduct combat missions in obscured-visibility conditions, the company said in a statement.
The weapon sights are used on rifles, machine guns, and mounted weapon systems to provide day and night surveillance and target acquisition.
“Men and women in combat urgently need this capability to see deep into the battlefield and detect, identify, and engage targets at longer ranges,” said Dennis Long, international thermal weapon sight program manager for BAE Systems. “Our sights will help Canadian soldiers achieve their missions and return home safely.”
BAE Systems has delivered more than 75,000 thermal weapon sights to meet U.S. Army fielding requirements to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.