Firefighters, forestry departments, and other agencies face an escalating threat from wildfires. But technological advances are delivering powerful new tools for helicopter operations — particularly through a combination of next-generation infrared sensors and evolving mapping capabilities. Vertical Valor spoke with industry experts to explore the latest developments.
Teledyne FLIR
Teledyne FLIR Defense produces a range of sensors with firefighting applications, notably the Star SAFIRE 380-HDc multi-spectral imaging system — used by customers such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Infrared sensors are well-suited to firefighting thanks to their ability to penetrate smoke, said Brian Spillane, airborne law enforcement sales director at Teledyne FLIR Defense. This capability has advanced significantly in recent years through key innovations.
First, Spillane pointed to the incorporation of shortwave infrared (SWIR) detector technology, which offers several advantages, including minimizing “blooming,” an effect caused by excessive heat that can obscure critical details.
“Short wave minimizes that blooming so that you can determine details like people, vehicles, and structures, gaining more insight into what’s going on behind that smoke,” he explained.
Spillane also highlighted improvements in resolution. In the past, infrared imagery could appear blotchy, but now, “it’s incredibly detailed — the resolution in terms of small temperature variations is so good that users can find hot spots before they break out into full-blown fires.”
This capability has been strengthened by the integration of moving map technology. Teledyne FLIR is now embedding this directly into its sensor systems, Spillane said.
Together, these advancements are delivering a pre-emptive capability that was previously out of reach — and has become invaluable, he added. The benefits are widespread, and there’s growing potential for adoption beyond traditional fire “hotspots.”
While current systems operate in HD, higher-resolution 2K and 4K sensors are on the horizon. The jump to HD has already delivered significant gains, but Spillane said the next generation will represent “quantum leaps forward in image quality.”
He also sees potential in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly in areas like image recognition. With enough data, future systems could be trained to identify people or objects within a fire. It’s still early, he acknowledged, but the potential is promising.
“There could be a fire that’s about to break out that the human eye misses on first pass, but the technology can analyze those pixels and tell us to look at it again,” he said. “That would be a quantum leap forward — and maybe it’s not as far off as we realize.”
L3Harris
L3Harris’s primary offering for firefighting missions is its Wescam MX-Series of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) systems, said Mike Spina, head of global sales and business development. The systems are used worldwide for imaging solutions in firefighting and search-and-rescue operations.
Spina highlighted recent advancements in automatic video tracking technology, which enable the MX-Series to follow two or more targets simultaneously. This enhances situational awareness and reduces operator workload by helping crews identify potential threats or high-value targets faster.
“This is accomplished through advanced algorithms and computer vision technology that can identify moving targets across wide search areas, process the imagery, and provide relevant information on multiple objects for quick decision-making,” Spina said.
He added that the technology’s long-range zoom and dual-mode capability — switching between infrared and electro-optic views — allows for flexible operation in daylight, low-light, or through smoke and haze.
Operators can use the system for fire spotting, hotspot detection, and risk assessment, while livestreaming imagery to other teams for real-time reconnaissance.
“Teams use the sensor system to assess the strength of a fire or hotspot, with the ability to see the difference of half of a degree from a mile away,” Spina noted. “That information helps teams find hotspots, identify imminent threats to humans or property, and scout safety zones or escape routes.”
Recent enhancements to the Wescam MX-Series include augmented reality overlays — with street names, addresses, and points of interest (POIs) displayed on high-resolution video — and support for multiple sensor inputs to boost intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and object detection.
Spina also pointed to L3Harris’s partnership with Overwatch Imaging, which integrates new automated sensor operator (ASO) software into EO/IR gimbals. This software automates data collection, analysis, and reporting.
“ASO significantly improves the speed and accuracy of data processing over manual operation, making it ideal for time-sensitive aerial surveillance and mission-critical operations,” Spina said. “In complex environments, the ability to automate manual, repetitive and focus-intensive tasks is an invaluable and immediate tactical force-multiplier.”
As automation continues to evolve, he said, it will dramatically reduce operator workload and increase system effectiveness — driven by ongoing improvements in object detection algorithms and computing hardware.
Many wildfire protection and firefighting support units are now combining the Wescam MX-Series with advanced mapping solutions. Spina said the systems integrate with Kinetic’s real-time mapping tools, paired with software such as CarteNav’s moving map or L3Harris’s own Widow mission management system.
Widow, he explained, “provides a common operating picture by intelligently combining video feeds, imagery, geospatial data, and maps.” Its modular, scalable design allows users to tailor their interface for various missions and system demands.
Trakka Systems
Trakka offers a range of multispectral imaging systems under its TrakkaCam brand, including HD mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensors, which are “ideal for detecting heat signatures such as fire lines, hotspots, and human activity in low-visibility environments,” said Corey Stafford, Trakka’s director of marketing. The company has also expanded into HD SWIR sensors, which are gaining popularity in aerial firefighting — particularly when visibility is hampered by thick smoke.
Stafford emphasized the integration of these sensors with the TrakkaMaps TM-100 mission management system, which functions as a central command hub. It fuses live sensor feeds — including EO/IR and SWIR — with mapping overlays, GPS, and other mission-critical data.
“This real-time integration gives crews a clearer, more actionable picture of the entire operating environment,” he said.
The mapping functionality improves the ability to accurately pinpoint fire lines and hotspots, enhancing coordination and speeding up response times. The TM-100 also serves as a mission and video management system.
“Operators can switch between augmented reality, 3D terrain, street, satellite, and custom map views — all precisely geo-referenced,” Stafford said. “This reduces workload by eliminating the need to interpret multiple disconnected systems and helps crews make faster, more informed decisions, whether they’re tracking fire movement, navigating low visibility, or coordinating with ground teams.”
Shotover
Shotover’s flagship offering is the M2 — a six-axis EO/IR imaging system that supports both SWIR and MWIR sensors. SWIR is especially effective for seeing through smoke, while MWIR excels at detecting people and heat sources, said CEO Tom Churchill. Recent improvements have boosted both resolution and pixel pitch, enhancing detail and clarity.
Churchill said the company focuses on both infrared sensors and mapping. The M2 system integrates with the OSCAR mission computer and AirScape mapping solution. AirScape can display nearby aircraft using ADS-B, as well as ground team positions via team awareness kit (TAK) software and mesh-network systems.
“Additionally, with real-time orthomosaic generation, it can build high-resolution, accurate fire maps — and when paired with a datalink or Starlink terminal, can transmit that data directly into ground-based situational awareness tools,” Churchill said.
He noted that firefighting teams in Colorado use Shotover’s ARS multi-mission augmented reality mapping system to identify and geo-mark hotspots directly on live video feeds for follow-up action. Simultaneously, they can map fire perimeters to monitor spread and share that data with command centers in real time.
Looking ahead, Churchill said low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks like Starlink, OneWeb, and Amazon Kuiper will become increasingly important.
These satellite constellations will provide the bandwidth, low latency, and high uptime needed to support changing concepts of operations, he said.
“The aircraft may still be piloted by a human, but the operator will be able to be on the ground, using larger and less expensive displays, while improving safety and allowing longer mission times,” Churchill added.
CarteNav
CarteNav’s mission system is designed to support real-time situational awareness in firefighting operations by integrating inputs from onboard sensors — including infrared cameras — and overlaying key data on terrain maps, said Scott Richardson, vice president of product. This allows users to track helicopter position and visualize mission-specific intelligence, such as fire perimeters, even through dense smoke using thermal imaging.
“Data from ground teams and other deployed assets can also be brought into the system, supporting a comprehensive operational picture for aerial supervisors and pilots,” Richardson said.
CarteNav’s AIMS-ISR mapping system has been used in multi-mission roles, including live fire mapping. When integrated with EO/IR sensors, the system enables crews to quickly trace fire lines and relay geo-referenced, time-stamped images to ground teams in near real time.
“This significantly improved situational awareness and coordination during active incidents, while also reducing post-mission workload by minimizing reliance on full-motion video review,” he explained.
Richardson said some of the most significant recent advances have come through improvements in high-bandwidth connectivity — such as mesh radios and satellite services like Starlink — alongside steady gains in sensor performance and analytics.
Looking ahead, CarteNav expects AI to play a growing role in predictive decision-making and in reducing reliance on manned aircraft for firefighting and other operations. He also pointed to the increasing importance of edge computing, which will allow individual operators to manage multiple assets and assemble a more detailed, tactical mission picture with greater efficiency.
“AI will also assist in identifying critical insights that may otherwise be missed, further increasing safety and mission effectiveness,” he said. “The focus is on creating technology that’s not just more powerful, but more intuitive and impactful in high-stakes environments.”