Uncooled-infrared-array grou¥receives funding boost

The Consortium for Infrared Uncooled Sensors, headed by Loral Infrared & Imaging Systems (Lexington, MA), has been awarded an $11.8 million Technology Reinvestment Project contract by the Advanced Research Projects Agency aimed at reducing the manufacturing costs of uncooled infrared sensors. The program`s goal is to standardize design and manufacture of specialized infrared focal-plane arrays and their basic optical and electronic components. The 24-month effort will result in product demonstrations in night vision, process monitoring, and quality control. Loral will focus on its uncooled microbridge-detector imaging sensors and cost reductions in focal-plane arrays and electronics. SSG (Waltham, MA) and Optimax Systems (Webster, NY) will deal with design and cost of optical components. Honeywell Military Avionics (St. Louis Park, MN), AGEMA Infrared Systems (Secaucus, NJ), and Econolite Control Products (Anaheim, CA) will test cameras built by Loral and conduct end-user demonstrations.