Leonardo launches SLX-SuperHawk thermal imaging camera with long-life cooler

Rome. Leonardo has announced the launch of its latest Infra-Red (IR) camera called SLX-SuperHawk, which is on display for the first time at the DSEI exhibition in London, UK (10-13 September). The SLX-SuperHawk makes use of the company’s SuperHawk detector, which is made up of more than a million individual infrared pixels, each less than 1/12th the thickness of a human hair. This advanced detector, used in concert with the camera’s built-in image-processing, makes it highly capable in meeting long-range surveillance and targeting requirements in challenging environments.

The SLX-SuperHawk boasts an engine life of 40,000 hours, which is four times that of an average medium-wave infra-red thermal imaging camera. Vastly increased engine life offers the user an attractive through-life cost of ownership by reducing the need for regular maintenance and replacement parts.

Able to produce 1280×1024 resolution High Definition (HD) images in total darkness, the camera captures images by sensing temperature differences as small as 1/50th of a degree. Creating a sharper image is important when confronted with operational scenarios that rely on making quick, informed decisions. For example, a blurry image might only show that a person is holding a ‘long object’, while a sharper image would be able to differentiate a shovel from a rifle. From these images, Armed Forces are able to make better-informed decisions, reducing the risk of harming a civilian.

SLX-SuperHawk qualifies for use in both military and civil applications, including border surveillance, missile guidance, policing, customs control, coastal security and asset protection. The camera can be provided as a stand-alone sensor or integrated as part of a complete surveillance system such as the Company’s Nerio family of stabilised multi sensor mounts. Leonardo has previously provided night vision and vehicle situational awareness cameras for the British Army and Italy’s Forza NEC battlefield digitization programme and is currently working to upgrade the majority of the Danish Army’s land vehicles.