Lockheed
Martin UK, the Scout
SV turret sub-contractor, will integrate
the sights onto the turret for the Scout
SV programme.
"General
Dynamics UK has selected the most advanced and appropriate
systems for Scout to give our soldiers the best equipment
they can possibly have," commented Steve Rowbotham,
vice-president of General Dynamics UK. "Our choice
of suppliers on the SV programme reflects our dedication
to delivering the best vehicle for the end user. In the
case of the primary and secondary sights for the Scout
turret, Thales UK’s sight technology was judged
to be the best for the job."
The
primary sight is mainly for the use of the vehicles’
commander. It enables the commander to maintain a 360°
view of his surroundings has a thermal imager to identify
targets and has a Wide Area Search And Detect (WASAD)
capability that automatically detects and tracks potential
targets from their thermal signature, alerting the crew
to their presence. The primary sight also includes provision
for an optional Laser Target Designator (LTD) and the
Scout SV demonstration phase will
mark the first use of a vehicle-mounted, under-armour
LTD by the British Army.
The
secondary sight is for the gunner and gives him the ability
to detect and identify targets at extended ranges and
accurately engage targets at the full range of the main
armament. It also includes a high-definition colour TV
camera for daylight use, as well as a long-range day optical
channel.
Both
sights are integrated with a Sensor Processor Unit which,
combined with the sights’ stabilisation systems,
enables the vehicle’s turret to be rapidly traversed
onto the target whilst on the move, providing an unsurpassed
hunter-killer capability for vehicles in this class. Both
sights have fully digital video outputs, in accordance
with the UK MoD’s new Vetronics Infrastructure for
Video Over Ethernet (VIVOE) standard, facilitating connection
into the vehicles’ electronic architecture for onward
distribution.
Alex
Cresswell, managing director of Thales UK’s land
defence business, said: "Thales UK looks forward
to working closely with General Dynamics UK to deliver
this significant capability into service on schedule and
to specification."
The
Scout reconnaissance vehicle will
be a key variant in the British Army’s SV fleet
when it goes into service. It will serve alongside other
SV variants including Protected Mobility, Repair and Recovery
vehicles, all based on the common-base platform developed
by General Dynamics UK.
