FLIR Surveillance has been awarded a $17.9 million for the procurement of Forward Looking Infra-red SAFIRE 380 systems for the Coast Guard, the Department of Defense announced Monday.
The contract includes parts, control units, installation, software, engineering and logistical support for the systems. 19 FLIRs will be procured for the Coast Guard's HC-27J surveillance plane fleet.
Work will be conducted in Wilsonville, Ore., and Patuxent River, Md. The contract is expected to be completed by June 2022. Funds will not be obligated upon award but will be given when delivery orders are issued.
The SAFIRE 380 FLIR is a long-range high-definition infrared camera system for night operations that is specially stabilized for flight on both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. Its digital video system also features embedded metadata for further analysis.
The HC-27J Spartan is a Coast Guard maritime turboprop surveillance plane. It has a surface search radar and specially designed large windows for visual searches. It has a flight endurance of 12 hours, making it capable of searching large expanses of ocean per flight.
The FLIR gives the HC-27J a more effective means of searching at night than night-vision goggles used in the past. The program is being undertaken in conjunction with the Naval Air Systems Command.
Amazon's Bezos asks for philanthropic ideas, gets plenty
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is asking for ideas to help the world through philanthropy – and is getting an earful.
Bezos, whose estimated $72 billion net worth makes him the third richest person in the world according to Forbes magazine, sent out a "request for ideas" in a tweet on Thursday, saying he was considering "a philanthropic strategy" for "the long term."
The billionaire said he … read more
