Tel Aviv. The growing operational need to get more details of a combat zone even under harsh conditions brought Israeli company Elbit Systems to develop an upgraded version of one of its optical payloads.

The Israeli company has unveiled the next generation of its Advanced Multi-Sensor Payload System (AMPS NG), adding Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) technology to the existing day CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) TV sensors, and a unique highly capable dual FLIR sensor design.

Packed in the widely fielded two line-replacement unit (LRU) AMPS pod, the AMPS NG offers extended capabilities in all conditions, dramatically extending observation performance in limited visibility conditions, using its SWIR channel to effectively overcome high humidity, smoke or dust.

According to Elbit Systems, in recent flight tests that were conducted in Israel, the new system was able to produce high resolution imagery of a football game in MWIR channel from a distance of 25km and aerial target tracking of the Hermes 900 in SWIR channel from dozens of kilometers.

AMPS NG is fully qualified to extreme operational conditions and is in final integration stages and flight tests onboard an Unmanned Aircraft for a European Air Force.

Similar to the legacy AMPS, the new system is optimized to enhance and increase the throughput of target intelligence production which is facilitated by autonomous navigation with an inertial system and GPS, as well as highly accurate geo-pointing and geo-location capabilities.

AMPS NG is also suitable for a range of airborne intelligence Stand-off and Stand-in mission profiles and is ideal for use of both manned as well as unmanned aircraft (MALE & HALE UAS).

-The writer is International Roving Correspondent of the publication