WHAT’S THAT BLOB DOING? Te first


implementation of FLIR gave


the Army a limited ability to detect objects on the battlefield at night. Users were able to see “glowing, moving blobs” that stood out in contrast to the back- ground. Although detectable, these blobs were often challenging to identify. In cluttered, complex environments, dis- tinguishing nonmoving objects from the background could be difficult.


Tese first-generation systems were large and slow and provided low-resolution images not suitable for long-range target identification. In many ways, they were like the boom box music players that existed before the iPhone: Tey played music, but they could support only one function, had a limited capacity, took up


a lot of space, required significant power and were not very portable. Tird Gen FLIR was developed based on the idea that greater speed, precision and range in the targeting process could unlock the full potential of infrared imaging and would provide a transformative capability, like the iPhone, that would have cascading positive effects across the entire military well into the future.


Because speed, precision and accuracy are critical components


for platform


lethality, 3rd Gen FLIR provides a significant operational performance advantage over the previous FLIR sensor systems. With 3rd Gen FLIR, the Army moved away from a single band (which uses only a portion of the light spec- trum) to a multiband infrared imaging


system, which is able to select the opti- mal portion of the light spectrum for identifying a variety of different targets.


Te Army integrated this new sensor with computer software (signal process- ing) to automatically enhance these FLIR images and video in real time with no complicated setup or training required (similar to how the iPhone automatically adjusts for various light- ing conditions to create the best image possible). Tird Gen combines all of these features along with multiple fields of view (similar to having multiple cam- era lenses that change on demand) to provide significantly improved detec- tion ranges and a reduction in false alarms when compared with previous FLIR sensor systems.


Using its wider fields of view and increased resolution, 3rd Gen FLIR allows the military to conduct rapid area search. Tis capability has proven to be invaluable


in distinguishing


combat- RAPID AREA SEARCH


U.S. Army Spc. Roland Merrill of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division watches over tanks in his unit with a 3rd Gen FLIR-equipped Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System during Decisive Action Rotation 18-01 in October 2017 at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, California. With its wider fields of view and increased resolution, 3rd Gen FLIR allows Soldiers to rapidly search an area and identify objects with a much higher degree of confidence than older infrared imaging equipment. (U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Horace Murray, NTC Operations Group)


ants from noncombatants and reducing collateral damage. Having all of these elements within a single sensor allows warfighters to optimize their equipment for the prevailing battlefield conditions, greatly enhancing mission effectiveness and survivability. Current and future air- and ground-based systems alike benefit from the new FLIR sensors, by enabling the military to purchase a single sensor that can be used across multiple plat- forms and for a variety of missions. Tis provides significant cost savings for the military by reducing the number of dif- ferent systems it has to buy, maintain and sustain.


Tird Gen FLIR was effective in imple- menting the three key ingredients mentioned above


(requirements, exper-


tise and available resources). A closer look explains how the 3rd Gen FLIR program


ASC.ARMY.MIL 205


SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / DASA(R&T)


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