The Defence and Security
Accelerator (DASA) has awarded 13 contracts worth
a total of £2.3 million to develop improved Electro-Optics
and Infrared (EOIR) sensor capability, it was announced
today .
The Advanced Vision
2020 and Beyond competition, run on behalf of
the Defence Science and
Technology Laboratory (Dstl), sought innovation and
novel approaches from industry, including small and
medium-sized enterprises and academia.
Electro-Optic and Infrared (EOIR) sensors are a key
military capability used for surveillance, reconnaissance,
target acquisition, threat warning, target detection and
more.
Potential use cases of the innovative approaches being
developed include:
- Imaging in difficult environments such as through
clouds or smoke, low or no light, and through foliage or
camouflage
- Detecting and identifying small targets such as drones,
snipers, people, weapons, and vehicles
- Identifying objects more than 20km away and classify
friendly or adversary vehicles
Additionally, EOIR sensors offer a complementary approach
to radio frequency sensors, being able to detect objects in
environments where radar is challenged or to operate
against objects that have a naturally lower radar signature
so are harder to identify.
Andy Cole, Dstl project manager, said:
The ever evolving nature of military operations means
that we wish to invest in novel and resilient
technologies that can function in contested and congested
environments, that will extend the range, lower the cost
and size, and expand the range of targets that can be
addressed by EOIR sensors.
DASA associate delivery manager Katy Violet said:
DASA finds and funds the best innovative ideas and
solutions from the brightest minds in science,
technology, academia, and research to give our Armed
Forces and security services advantage over our
adversaries, while supporting brilliant UK companies from
start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, academia
right through to major employers.
Those awarded contracts are:
- Thales
- Teledyne e2v
- University of Strathclyde
- University of Exeter
- QinetiQ (2 funded proposals)
- University of Stirling
- Heriot-Watt University
- University of Bristol
- Iceni Labs
- Frazer-Nash Consultancy
- Living Optics
- Spectra Medical
