http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/ Night Vision Shooting - Night Vision Equipment for Shooting at Night/ en-us Copyright (c) 2002 - 2008 night-vision-shooting.com general@night-vision-shooting.com webmaster@night-vision-shooting.com Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:26:24 GMT Night Vision news http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/9 Markland Technologies, Inc., a defense and homeland security company transforming advanced laboratory technology into real-world products, announced today that the U.S. Army amp;#8217;s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) has awarded the company amp;#8217;s wholly owned subsidiary EOIR Technologies Inc. new orders for technology products and services totaling 4.8 million and that the company finished the fiscal year ended June 30,2005 with 48.8 million in funded backlog. Robert Tarini, Chairman and CEO of Markland, made the announcement. The Army amp;#8217;s NVESD research and development group is one of the U.S. military amp;#8217;s most advanced technological leaders. Markland is working on a range of next-generation technology solutions for the NVESD, including night vision and advanced sensor applications, disposable sensors and other threat-detection systems. A portion of the current funding is being utilized for the continued development of technologies which may help to detect suicide bomber and weapons threats from stand-off distances. The 4.8 million in new orders come under an NVESD omnibus contract. The omnibus contract Option Year Four was awarded on July 15, 2005. EOIR Technologies Inc. omnibus contract awards for the previous Option Year Three which ended on July 14, 2005 had totaled 61.2 million. The ongoing Omnibus contract may provide a maximum ceiling amount of up to 80 million in fiscal year revenues for Markland. Many of the products and services being delivered on this contract utilize next-generation electro-optic and infrared sensor technologies that are being used in direct support of U.S. military combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The Army amp;#8217;s NVESD has been responsible for numerous key innovations in the fields of optical electronics and thermal imaging for weapons targeting, electronic surveillance and other mission-critical military applications. About Markland Technologies Markland Technologies, Inc. is committed to setting next-generation standards in defense and security through the provision of innovative emerging technologies and expert services. The Company is engaged in the identification of advanced technologies currently under development in laboratories, universities and in private industry, and in the transformation of those technologies into next-generation products. Markland amp;#8217;s solutions support military, law enforcement and homeland security personnel to protect the nation amp;#8217;s citizens, borders and critical infrastructure assets from the threat of terrorism and other dangers. Through strategic development, Markland focuses on the creation of dual-use technology and products with applications in both the defense market and civilian homeland security and law enforcement fields. The Company is a Board Member of the Homeland Security Industries Association, and is a featured Company on HomelandDefenseStocks.com; additional details can be viewed at http://www.homelanddefensestocks.com/Companies/MarklandTech. For more information about the Company and its products, please visit the Markland home page at http://www.marklandtech.com. Forward-Looking Statements Investors are cautioned that certain statements contained in this document as well as some statements in periodic press releases and some oral statements of Markland Technologies officials during presentations about Markland Technologies, are amp;quot;forward-looking amp;quot; statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the amp;quot;Act amp;quot;). Forward-looking statements include statements which are predictive in nature, which depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, which include words such as amp;quot;expects, amp;quot; amp;quot;anticipates, amp;quot; amp;quot;intends, amp;quot; amp;quot;plans, amp;quot; amp;quot;believes, amp;quot; amp;quot;estimates, amp;quot; or similar expressions. In addition, any statements concerning future financial performance (including future revenues, earnings or growth rates), ongoing business strategies or prospects, and possible future actions, which may be provided by management, are also forward-looking statements as defined by the Act. Some of the factors that could significantly impact the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to: a reduction in order rates from the Army amp;#8217;s Night Vision and Electronic Surveillance Directorate, difficulties integrating our acquisition of EOIR, insufficient cash flow to continue to fund the development and marketing of the Company amp;#8217;s products and technology; a rejection of the Company amp;#8217;s products and technologies by the marketplace, and; disputes as to the Company amp;#8217;s intellectual property rights. Forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and projections about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about Markland Technologies, its products, economic and market factors and the industries in which Markland Technologies does business, among other things. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and Markland Technologies has no specific intention to update these statements. More detailed information about those factors is contained in Markland Technologies filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/9 general@night-vision-shooting.com Night Vision news 2005-08-26 http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/1 MADISON, Wis. Wisconsin residents ignored passionate opposition from cat lovers and supported a plan that would allow hunters to take out wild felines that kill birds and other small mammals. Residents who attended the meetings of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress voted Monday night to allow hunters to kill cats at will, just like skunks or gophers something the Humane Society of the United States called cruel and archaic. A total of 6,830 persons voted for the plan and 5,201 voted against it. Fifty-one counties approved the plan, 20 rejected it, and one had a tie, according to results released last night by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). At the Monday night meetings, animal lovers held pictures of cats, clutched stuffed animals and wore whiskers as they denounced the plan. Katy Francis of Madison was one of about 1,200 people who attended the Monday evening meeting at Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. She wore cat ears, whiskers and a cat nose and held a sign that read, amp;quot;Too Cute to Kill. amp;quot; amp;quot;The cat hunting thing brought me out because it was very extreme, amp;quot; Miss Francis said. The congress, which acts as an advisory group to the DNR, asked residents in 72 counties whether free-roaming cats including any domestic cat that isn amp;#8217;t under the owner amp;#8217;s direct control or any cat without a collar should be listed as an unprotected species. If so listed, the cats could be hunted, as they have been for decades in South Dakota and Minnesota. Firefighter Mark Smith proposed the hunting idea at the La Crosse County congress last year, noting that feral cats killed small mammals and birds. Mr. Smith has faced death threats over the plan. Some estimates indicate that 2 million wild cats roam Wisconsin. The state says studies show feral cats kill 47 million to 139 million songbirds a year. The prospect of feral-cat hunting has more hurdles to clear and faces the considerable opposition of several national animal rights groups. The Humane Society of the United States called the proposal cruel and archaic. The DNR would have to ask the Legislature to support the change. Lawmakers then would have to pass a bill, and Democratic Gov. James E. Doyle would have to sign it. Republican Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, co-chairman of a powerful finance committee in the Legislature, vowed to amp;quot;work against any proposed legislation to legalize the shooting of feral cats. amp;quot; Ted O amp;#8217;Donnell, who gathered more than 17,000 signatures in an online petition to oppose the plan, said he wasn amp;#8217;t giving up, either. amp;quot;I can assure you that the campaign is undeterred and we will still be working tirelessly to defeat this in whatever form it takes, amp;quot; he said. The vote in Columbia County was a standing-room-only gathering of camouflage- and blaze-orange-dressed hunters in the Portage courthouse basement. Brian Sparks of Sparta said he is a hunter who has amp;quot;no real interest in shooting cats amp;quot; but thinks the proposal is a good solution to a serious problem. amp;quot;I think a lot of people have the conclusion we amp;#8217;re going to run out and shoot cats. ... This is just the first step we amp;#8217;ve got to take to take care of this problem, amp;quot; he said. The majority of the about 500 attendees at Franklin Middle School in Brown County amp;#8217;s Green Bay were women, and of 26 speakers, 21 were against the measure. Amy Kocha said she feared a hunt could harm innocent cats. amp;quot;Cats are a species that is often truly disliked, amp;quot; she said. amp;quot;There will be cats that are shot and injured and left to suffer. amp;quot; Bob Young of Green Bay noted that feral cats often killed other kittens. amp;quot;I amp;#8217;m not against cats. Feral cats, I amp;#8217;m against, amp;quot; he said. http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/1 general@night-vision-shooting.com Night Vision news 2005-04-15 http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/2 In general, I prefer amp;quot;partridge amp;quot; type (post n notch) type of iron sights on self-defense handguns. Of course, this is what I have used for over 25 years of speed pistol shooting competition, so naturally I an somewhat un-objective. I also prefer uncolored front and rear sights for outdoor shooting and I especially dislike three dot systems or any color or design on the rear sight. I have found that anything on the rear sight draws the eye(s) attention toward it which means loss of attention to the front sight which is of paramount importance to speed shooting. I have, at times, painted a color on the front sight like fluorescent orange or green. You can use fluorescent model airplane paint with a base coat of gloss white. For up close and quick shooting, on especially dark colored targets, a colored front sight can be very useful. A lot of self-defense guns have nuclear amp;quot;nite sights amp;quot; installed that cause some glare problems when shooting outdoors in bright light. They also suffer from the same problem as dots or outlines on the rear sight as they tend to draw the shooters attention to the rear sight. However, for dark or night shooting, they are a great asset to the shooter. One solution to having an optimum sighting systems for daylight and night shooting is having uncolored sights on the pistol coupled with companion amp;quot;Crimson Trace amp;quot; laser grips. The laser is incredible for night shooting and doesnt even require the pistol at eye level. The laser is not intended to replace the iron sights but is an auxiliary sighting system for times when the use of your iron sights isnt practical. These grips are extremely high quality that are easy to adjust and have proven to be very desirable. They dont require any modifications to the pistol as they simply replace the grip panels on most pistols. The Glocks must be sent to the factory for installation because of the one piece polymer frame. In general, I have found nothing better for night or low light shooting then the Crimson Trace laser grips. How about aperture sights for pistols? There are a number of companies offering optical metallic style sighting systems for pistols. I personally dont have enough experience with any of these to give a reliable opinion. I have shot a couple of shots with a students gun during a class because he wasnt able to group his shots during a slow fire exercise. It hit consistently for me at that time but a couple of shots isnt a real test. Bruce Gray, a top competitor, spent a lot of time and ammo testing an optical sighting system about a year ago. He found it worked good but not noticeably faster than post and notch system but sometimes shooting fast on steel plates he would miss shots that looked good. He stopped experimenting and is back using regular sights. Optical metallic sights may work for you but the only way to really find out is to purchase them and try them for yourself. Unfortunately, you might go to time and expense that may not pay any dividends. So until I really try out some of these new sighting systems that prove more effective, I will stick to post and notch metallic sights. http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/2 general@night-vision-shooting.com Night Vision news 2005-04-15 http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/3 Today amp;#8217;s head-mounted night vision systems allow pilots to operate safely at night, avoid obstacles and fly close to the surface by amplifying light from external sources such as the moon and stars. Rarely is infrared (IR) imagery piped to a night vision system from an external sensor. But tomorrow amp;#8217;s night vision systems promise more: a wraparound IR scene, synthetic terrain, advanced guidance aids, information fusion and weapons cueing. Most pilot night vision systems use analog image intensification (I2) technology to amplify external light. The sensors, or I2 amp;quot;tubes amp;quot; attached to the front of the helmet, resemble a thin pair of binoculars. The pilot looks through these amp;quot;goggles amp;quot; and focuses his eyes on a display screen where the image has been created. Special optics magnify the image about tenfold, allowing the pilot to see at night with approximately 20/40 vision. As many as 40,000 of these aviator amp;#8217;s night vision imaging system (ANVIS) goggles have been fielded to the U.S. aviation fleet, of which ITT Industries has supplied the lion amp;#8217;s share. With night vision goggles (NVGs) pilots can see terrain and objects close to the ground that can amp;#8217;t be perceived by the naked eye. At higher altitudes they also can see flares at up to 100 miles (160 km), aircraft lights at up to 50 miles (80 km), and vehicle headlights at 20 to 50 miles (32 to 80 km). But the field of view is limited, and range and quality decrease in overcast conditions. The goggles also reduce visual acuity, inhibit depth perception and lack color discrimination. Weight and forward head pressure are also issues. Panoramic Goggles The U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) has tackled the field of view problem with an NVG boasting a 95-degree-horizontal-by-38-degree-vertical viewing range, about double the standard 40-degree-circular view available today. Insight Technology, of Londonderry, N.H., will supply 400 of these panoramic night vision goggles (PNVGs) under an early production contract, and basic units will be ready early next year. The Air Combat, Materiel and Special Operations commands will get the first systems for A-10 tank busters, C-17 airlifters and special ops C-130s, says Lt. Col. Terrence Leary, commander of the Combat Systems Squadron. Versions have been flown more than 500 hours on F-16s and F-15C/E fighters, C-130 and C-5 transports, AC- and MC-130 special ops aircraft, KC-10 and KC-135 tankers, and MH-53 special ops helicopters, in addition to C-17s and A-10s. HH-60 pilots also will use the new equipment. A wide field of view enables the pilot to scan the outside world by simple eye movements, rather than head movements, increasing safety. And the pilot can pick up altitude or velocity cues from outside objects via peripheral vision while going into a landing or a hover. The PNVG widens the pilot amp;#8217;s side view by doubling the number of image intensification tubes found on standard goggles from two to four. To save weight, the system uses tubes measuring 0.63 inch (16 mm) vs. the typical 0.71 inch (18 mm) in diameter. (ITT currently is the only supplier of these tubes.) The projecting elements are a little shorter than on today amp;#8217;s ANVIS-9 goggle. This improves the center of gravity and lessens the strain on the head. But what amp;#8217;s really new is the ability to put the tubes close together and optically generate something pilots can use, says Martin Andries, PNVG lead engineer. There are four sets of high-resolution optics. But the lenses associated with the inner and outer channels are amp;quot;joined together amp;quot; to allow the I2 images to be amp;quot;blended together. amp;quot; The resolution of all four channels is identical. The program also has developed a prototype ejection-safe PNVG, which will be tested next year. The amp;quot;safe-separation amp;quot; goggle is intended to automatically release from the head as a result of the acceleration imparted by the ejection process. Current equipment, by contrast, is removed manually, if time permits. A second growth area identified by the PNVG program is video or map display. A miniature display could be placed in the amp;quot;right inboard channel amp;quot;--in front of the right eye--to present video or maps of a target area transmitted from a surveillance or command and control aircraft. And a camera could be added in the amp;quot;left inboard channel amp;quot; to record the fight scene. The recording would be used in post-mission debrief and analysis. ASC has developed a prototype but has shelved it until a customer is identified. The display feature, if carried forward, would go beyond the current ANVIS head-up display (HUD) offered by Elbit Systems, which allows pilots to see information such as the artificial horizon, heading, altitude, velocity, engine data and aircraft warnings together with I2 night scene. Night Vision Cueing The Air Force amp;#8217;s PNVG program also is looking for night vision cueing--the pilot amp;#8217;s ability to aim sensors and weapons at night by pointing his head, rather than turning the aircraft, toward the target. This feature is absent in the currently fielded amp;quot;look and shoot amp;quot; helmet, called the joint helmet-mounted cueing system (JHMCS). Employed on F-15s, F-16s and F/A-18s, JHMCS permits cueing in visual conditions. The monocular display system provides a 20-degree-circular field of view and can amp;#8217;t present video. Some F-15 pilots use JHMCS rather than goggles at night, but that amp;#8217;s so they can see the airspeed and altitude information in front of them, while using their own eyes to pick up glints and glares, Leary says. But this won amp;#8217;t do for an A-10 tank killer flying close air support on a dark night. In the Air Force PNVG/JHMCS integration, the PNVG camera will record what the pilot sees in the left inner channel and provide that to JHMCS for recording. Cueing and display data will be captured in the right inboard channel. The Air Force is testing development prototypes now but has not chosen a final production design. The Air Force and Navy are extremely interested in night vision cueing and display and want to add it to JHMCS. But the services have followed different paths--the Air Force with Insight Technology and the Navy with Vision Systems International (VSI). (VSI, which produces the JHMCS, is a joint venture between Rockwell Collins and Elbit amp;#8217;s subsidiary, EFW Inc.) The Navy has announced the advanced development phase of its Night Vision Cueing and Display (NVCD) program for JHMCS. VSI, the contractor for the program amp;#8217;s first two phases, has adapted a goggle developed by Kollsman--an Elbit subsidiary-- to the JHMCS system. Known as amp;quot;quadEye, amp;quot; the goggle achieves a 100-by-40-degree field of view, projecting the display to the pilot amp;#8217;s dominant eye. VSI also has developed an interface to JHMCS and integrated a complete NVCD system. In the current competition for the third phase of NVCD, the Navy is understood to seek a mature, testable prototype. A contract award was expected in late 2004 or early 2005. The Air Force, meanwhile, is expected to mount a separate competition and award a contract this summer to obtain representative test units. Leary says the two services are working together on potential future strategies, but how closely their priorities and timelines mesh is not clear. Digitization Another step for night vision goggles will be direct digitization of the I2 scene. Digitization is important because these images can be enhanced and transmitted electronically. Today image-intensified output is digitized by bonding the tube to a solid state camera, or charge coupled device (CCD), explains Larry Curfiss, ITT Night Vision amp;#8217;s vice president and director of business development. More direct digitization of the I2 signal is expected to reduce the length of the image intensification tubes and improve the helmet amp;#8217;s balance. ITT is developing a prototype sensor for the U.S. Army amp;#8217;s Night Vision Lab under the Electronic Image Intensification (EI2) program. ITT is embedding a chip-based, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) detector in the I2 tube--an approach that promises to reduce power consumption, compared with a CCD. The CMOS detector, which digitizes the image intensification output, will replace the screen that is used to convert the electronic I2 signal into light. This would shorten the tubes by up to 0.39 inch (10 mm), or almost half their 1-inch (25.4-mm) length. While the estimated weight savings would be only 0.7 ounce (20 grams), the reduced forward projection of the helmet would increase ejection safety and equalize weight distribution, exerting less forward pressure on the pilot amp;#8217;s head. The tube sensor and camera assembly also can be moved to the side of the helmet, further reducing the equipment amp;#8217;s forward projection. ITT expects to deliver a prototype digital I2 sensor to the Night Vision Lab next summer or fall. Sensor Fusion ITT also is pursuing sensor fusion. The company completed a development program with the Army. Now, teamed with Raytheon, it is bidding on the Army amp;#8217;s Enhanced Night Vision Goggle (ENVG) program, which will fuse long-wave, 8-12-micron infrared and I2 images. Although the program focuses on the dismounted soldier, observers in the back of helicopters probably will use the monocular device, with the door slid open so that the glass does not absorb the IR energy. The ENVG program, which encompasses as many as 44,000 units over a four-year period, is worth as much as 400 million. A contract is expected in the first quarter of 2005. Pixel-by-pixel fusion won amp;#8217;t be attempted at first, Curfiss says. ITT envisions an amp;quot;optical overlay amp;quot; where IR and I2 images are coupled together in a one-for-one registration. Infrared will supplement I2 output in truly lightless conditions, and both sensors can complement each other in spotting targets in semi-obscured, wooded terrain. The company also is developing a digital enhanced NVG under the Army amp;#8217;s Digital Enhanced Night Vision Goggle program. ITT plans to deliver a prototype early next year that fuses I2 and thermal signals at the pixel level. The challenge will be to reduce the power and weight required to perform this task, Curfiss says. amp;quot;To do pixel-by-pixel fusion takes a lot of software--you amp;#8217;re beginning literally to put computers into these goggles. amp;quot; Synthetic Vision Goggles Two projects in Canada suggest a path toward more intuitive helicopter night vision systems--with the addition of synthetic terrain and advanced flight guidance displays. The National Research Council (NRC) several years ago developed an experimental helicopter vision system for potential Canadian Forces search and rescue (SAR) applications. The enhanced and synthetic vision system (ESVS) projected synthetic images on wide field of view goggles. Smaller images based on infrared or visible-light cameras could be inserted into the synthetic scene. Cameras mounted on top of the test helicopter were slaved to the movement of the helmet, recalls Dave McKay, program manager for human factors engineering with CMC Electronics. CMC provided image fusion expertise and CAE developed the synthetic imagery. The scenario was an aircraft down in the Gateneau Hills outside of Ottawa. The ESVS-equipped helicopter pilot would conduct a search pattern, identify the crash location, and fly to it. The experiment was instructive. amp;quot;We learned that the concept of synthetic vision and sensor viewing on a head-mounted system has the potential to be effective, amp;quot; McKay says. But better resolution and lower latencies were considered necessary, going forward. The Canadians, teamed with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), now are applying some ESVS concepts to more off-the-shelf gear. A UK goggle equivalent to the U.S. ANVIS-9 was modified with daylight filters, a display module and a miniature camera to record what the pilot saw. In addition to navigation data from the flight instruments, the system displays see-through, amp;quot;wireframe amp;quot; terrain imagery and pathway-in-the-sky guidance cues, as well as hazard markers, landing/hover markers, waypoint markers, and a amp;quot;hover arrow amp;quot; symbol developed by Qinetiq. The symbology helped to give an impression of depth to the night scene. A trial on a variable-stability Bell 205 helicopter was conducted last year to assess the symbology in simulated, degraded conditions during low-level maneuvers. Flights, however, were restricted to an accurately surveyed field. This flight test, according to a technical paper, showed that a careful systems integration approach can achieve low processing latencies and usable conformal symbology. The pathway in the sky guidance, for example, improved the pilot amp;#8217;s control of track and height. A second set of flight tests took place recently in unsurveyed, hilly terrain. Although results are not yet available, pilots were able to fly at about 200 feet above ground level (AGL)--below the tops of the hills. The goal is to get about 50 feet AGL, says Sion Jennings, an NRC research officer. Officials now plan to integrate mission-planning software with conformal symbology by October 2005. Beyond that, the object is to improve software reliability and develop a flightworthy package. Joint Strike Fighter The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) helmet-mounted display (HMD) uses embedded low-light level sensors for night vision. The binocular system also will display wraparound infrared imagery from the JSF amp;#8217;s distributed aperture system (DAS). VSI and BAE Systems have developed slightly different designs. But both companies employ a double-visor system: a clear, optical visor for imaging and cueing, plus a retractable, tinted visor for daytime use. The helmet will be the primary display on the aircraft, says Marty Gunther, VSI amp;#8217;s director of business development. The HMD is a virtual HUD. When pilots look forward--where a HUD normally would be--they will see the artificial horizon, pitch ladder, velocity vector, airspeed and altitude data. If desired, the VSI helmet could even display a 360-degree horizon with DAS imagery, Gunther says. It provides a field of view measuring 50 degrees horizontal by 30 degrees vertical, compared with BAE amp;#8217;s 40-by-30-degree system. Funded by MoD, BAE amp;#8217;s system is based on its Striker family of HMDs. The basic helmet is flying in the Gripen and recently was flown in the Typhoon. The BAE helmet uses two, independent night vision cameras that digitize the output of traditional I2 tubes. These cameras are mounted on each side of the HMD. (VSI amp;#8217;s day/night camera, by contrast, is mounted in a location above the forehead.) The use of two independent I2 cameras enables the brain to process the random electronic amp;quot;noise amp;quot; better, so that the pilot perceives much better resolution, asserts George Lim, business development manager for helmet systems. Experts argue about camera placement. The BAE approach, which mounts two cameras on the same plane as the eyes, is said to be easier on the pilot, reducing the disorientation and nausea that can be experienced when the eyes view objects the brain knows are on a different plane from the eyes. But others contend that placing two cameras on the sides of the helmet creates the problem of fusing their output into a single image and produces a confusing horizontal offset view. BAE amp;#8217;s design has more than 100 hours of human factors flight trials under its belt. The company delivered a lab model to Lockheed in August of 2004. Networked Night Vision Engineers at the Human Effectiveness Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Research Lab, meanwhile, aim for a network centric, night vision system using solid state sensors. The research is at too early a stage to be designated for fixed- or rotary-wing use. Much will depend on developments in sensors and networking beyond the project amp;#8217;s control. amp;quot;We see a device that can give the warfighter 24-hour a day vision enhancement, amp;quot; says Peter Marasco, an adviser of the Battlespace Visualization Branch. The key idea is amp;quot;information fusion. amp;quot; Rather than limiting the pilot to a single sensor, this digital vision enhancement device aims to draw information from other onboard sensors as well as those on unmanned air vehicles, satellites and aircraft outside of the pilot amp;#8217;s immediate cluster. Researchers are eyeing 2D, 1-2-micron staring sensors and visual light sensors. The windscreen does not absorb IR energy at that wavelength, and these sensors can provide higher resolution than mid- and long-wave detectors, asserts Marasco. The goal is a body-mounted system, including a head-mounted sensor and display and a wireless link to aircraft systems. But it will be another 18 months before technologies are selected and two years before a demonstrator is built. Night Vision Sensors Core infrared (IR) sensors for thermal imaging applications are progressing, too. Elbit Systems amp;#8217; subsidiary, El-Op Electro-Optics Industries, for example, has developed an IR sensor in the 8-to-12-micron range that can be used on the company amp;#8217;s Compass IV multisensor stabilized electro-optical payload. Compass IV is a candidate for the UK Watchkeeper unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system. A version of the system was used on Elbit amp;#8217;s Hermes 450 UAV in a U.S. border surveillance program in Arizona. Compass IV can include a second-generation forward-looking infrared (FLIR), laser rangefinder/designator, target illuminator and laser spot tracker. Sensor output can be slaved to a helmet. The company amp;#8217;s new 8-to-12-micron FLIR includes amp;quot;continuous zoom, amp;quot; says Gabby Sarusi, El-Op amp;#8217;s chief scientist. This allows pilots to switch automatically or manually between a narrow and wide field of view, something that amp;#8217;s available in the visible realm but not in the 8-to-12-micron regime. El-Op is finalizing a similar system in the 3-to-5-micron range. http://www.night-vision-shooting.com/night-vision-news/3 general@night-vision-shooting.com Night Vision news 2005-04-15