U.S. troops get better eyes on battlefield with Raytheon leap-ahead thermal sighting system.

Raytheon has developed, manufactured and delivered the first-ever 3rd-generation FLIR sensor system under a U.S. Army contract awarded in 2016. This latest Forward-Looking Infrared, or FLIR, system gives soldiers four fields of view and the ability to see across long- and mid-wave IR bands simultaneously with a stabilized line of sight.

Raytheon's latest FLIR system gives soldiers four fields of view and the ability to see across long- and mid-wave IR bands simultaneously with a stabilized line of sight (Illustration source: Raytheon)

Forward-looking Infrared is an advanced targeting system that uses heat, not light, to see through the darkness, smoke, rain, snow or fog to perform targeting, reconnaissance and fire support. Second-generation systems allow soldiers to see the battlefield with just two fields of view and far less clarity. "Making the leap from 2nd to 3rd Generation FLIR is like moving from a standard tube television to high-definition 8K," said Sam Deneke, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. "This breakthrough technology enables U.S. and allied troops to own the night with more detail and precision than ever before."

Existing Army platforms have second-generation sighting systems designed for each vehicle. Raytheon's new 3rd-gen FLIR systems will support all next-generation interfaces, offering a common thermal sighting system across all vehicle types. Raytheon has provided FLIR sensors to the U.S. and allied nations for over 50 years.