Public sector company Bharat Electronics Ltd said it will manufacture and export $33 million (Rs 230 cr) worth of optical and infrared imaging systems to Israel’s Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop Ltd (ELOP).
The systems are being manufactured under license from, and using the technology supplied by, the Israeli company.
“With this, BEL is in a position to manufacture and supply the complete range of EOIR payloads meeting the varied requirements of our armed forces and provide lifetime maintenance support to the users. In addition, BEL has also become a Global Supply Chain Partner of ELOP, Israel,” the Bangalore-based company said.
The two have been collaborating for the manufacture of these systems for the last six years, starting from domestic market customers.
The CoMPASS electro-optical infrared systems are, for example, being supplied by BEL to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd or HAL for the latter’s Advance Light Helicopter program.
The equipment, manufactured at the Chennai factory of BEL, comprises a stabilised turret assembly consisting of a day & night camera with a laser range finder which provides capabilities for day and night target detection, recognition and identification.
It also helps measure the distance to the target in various weather conditions and is designed as an advanced and low-weight system to be used in combat aircraft.
BEL said it is augmenting its manufacturing facilities in Chennai for meeting the upcoming requirements of variants of EOIR payloads for the domestic and export markets.
The latest variant of CoMPASS, called Rev III, includes a daylight camera, a 3rd generation medium wave IR sensor, Laser Target Designator and Range Finder (LTDRF), Short Wave IR (SWIR), internal GPS and automatic tracking capabilities. It also comes with command and control capabilities, said BEL, India’s largest manufacturer of defence electronics.
The CoMPASS Rev III “is distinguished by a wide variety of interfaces, enabling integration with various aircraft / helicopter systems, such as the mission computer, fire control, radar, GPS, data downlink and helmet-mounted tracking systems.
“Its small dimensions, low weight, high level of stabilizationand coverage angles make it an optimal choice for long-range, day-and-night surveillance, target tracking, fire control applications and search and rescue,” the Bangalore-based company said.
The latest revision has reduced weight, a high-degree of modularity and flexibility, space-saving packaging and advanced operational and video processing features.