L-3 Communications WESCAM (L-3 WESCAM), a wholly owned subsidiary of L-3 Communications, announced today that it has received an order from the National Armed Forces (NAF) of the Republic of Latvia to provide four MX-15i electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) systems for installation on their Mil Mi-17 (or Mi-8MTV1) helicopters. Delivery of the first unit will take place in December 2006, and one unit per year is scheduled thereafter.
The imaging capability of the MX-15i will enhance the Latvian Air Forces’ (LAF) ability to “see first and act first.” While their primary mission requirements are Search and Rescue (SAR) and Medevac air lift, the LAF will also use the MX-15i to perform large-scale crisis response and emergency rescue operations and to participate in international peace-keeping operations.
Qualified to military standards, the MX-15i’s advanced stabilization and impressive sensor technology will provide LAF with long-range subject detection and identification capability and true 24/7 EO imaging. Even in the most extreme weather conditions, superior imaging capability will be achievable by using the MX-15i’s Dual Channel Day and Night Spotter.
The MX-15i’s evolutionary features have created an installed system weight reduction of 25 percent.
This significant reduction was achieved by miniaturizing the off-board electronics and incorporating them in the turret. As a result, initial installation complexity has been reduced, cabin and storage space is expanded and LAF’s mission endurance will be increased.
Each LAF system will include an Improved Digital IR camera that boasts a 20 percent increase in IR range, allowing night-time missions or those taking place in poor weather conditions to result in a higher SAR success rate. The units will also contain WESCAM’s MX-GEO Gen. 3 package. This combination of new technologies, including Automated Video/GEO-Tracking and Adaptive-GEO, will aid in delivering maximum geographic location accuracy and significantly reduce operator fatigue in demanding and stressful SAR operations.
“This order pairs a very capable SAR helicopter with the most advanced EO/IR sensor to provide the vital capability required for this life-saving mission,” said John Dehne, president of L-3 WESCAM.
