US Army Gets 3rd Generation FLIR Thermal Sighting System

The US Army took delivery of its first Raytheon-made 3rd generation FLIR sensor system on Wednesday.

“Raytheon Company has developed, manufactured and delivered the first-ever 3rd GEN FLIR sensor system under a US Army contract awarded in 2016,” the company said in a statement.

This latest Forward-Looking Infrared, or FLIR, system gives soldiers four fields of view and the ability to see across long- and mid-wave IR bands simultaneously with a stabilized line of sight.

Forward-looking Infrared is an advanced targeting system that uses heat, not light, to see through darkness, smoke, rain, snow or fog to perform targeting, reconnaissance and fire support. Second generation systems allow soldiers to see the battlefield with just two fields of view and far less clarity.

Existing Army platforms have second generation sighting systems designed for each vehicle. Raytheon's new 3rd GEN FLIR systems will support all next-generation interfaces, offering a common thermal sighting system across all vehicle types.