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Topics & Features:
Armored Fighting Vehicles
C4ISR
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Electronic Warfare
Fire Support
Future Combat Systems
Homeland Defense
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Imaging (Visual / IIR)
Precision Guidance System
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Imaging sensors were used with
precision guided weapons since the early 1970. Until recently,
lack of processing power and datalink capacity have limited the
use of such guidance techniques to relatively short range direct
attack weapons (such as Maverick) and medium range strike missiles
(such as Have Lite and SLAM). With the introduction of powerful
thermal imaging sensors and signal processors, autonomous (fire
and forget) missiles are now available for anti-tank uses. Similar
capabilities are also provided to support standoff aerial weapons,
both for autonomous and guided weapons. These weapons offer high
precision, and inherent battle damage assessment capability which
cannot be provided by GPS, SAL
or radar directed weapons.
Furthermore, EO sensors enable important functions which are
becoming essential for modern warfare – such as positive,
automatic or manual identification of targets, engagement of
moving targets, and dynamic aimpoint selection even with
autonomous weapons, with the use of target recognition and
tracking (ATA/ATR). While "man in the loop"
capability of EO guided weapons is extremely useful, deployment of
many such weapons in simultaneous attack require significant
investment in bandwidth and datalink coordination and support,
which can complicate the execution.
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