AVT Australia supplies world-leading reconnaissance technology into BAE Systems Australia’s STRIX UAS Launch

Melbourne-based Ascent Vision Technologies Australia (AVTA), a CACI Company, will show its world-leading CM234 sensor gimbal system as part of the STRIX Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) launch today at the 2023 Avalon Airshow.

 

STRIX is a significant Australian innovation developed by BAE Systems Australia and aerospace specialist company Innovaero. The STRIX prototype, currently under construction, will be an autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS for various tactical battlefield roles, predominately supporting ground and maritime forces. It can also be teamed with piloted helicopters over the battlefield.

 

Reconnaissance is a key capability for the STRIX concept delivering mission critical information for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and deep-strike capabilities. The CM234 sensor supplied by AVTA for the concept demonstration is of light-weight design and provides advanced optical, infrared scanning and laser targeting options.

 

“We’re delighted to be part of the design and development of the STRIX UAS concept model at Avalon 2023,” said AVTA Managing Director, Dale Heinken. “The CM234 offers a wide range of sensor capabilities and laser payloads in a small size, weight, and power.”

 

The AVTA sensor incorporated in the STRIX concept model also incorporates high definition electro-optical (EO), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), short-wave infrared (SWIR), a laser range finder (LRF), a laser target designator (LTD), and a laser pointer.

 

BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Officer Ben Hudson said AVTA’s technology was a fundamental part of the STRIX UAS platform on display at Avalon. “We are really pleased to be working with the team at AVTA and include the sensor gimbal system in STRIX,” Mr Hudson said.

 

“STRIX will add new capabilities for our customers on the battlefield. Its success is leveraged with our strong focus on building a future sovereign supply chain around the platform and incorporating the expertise of Australian SMEs.”

 

AVTA has been designing and manufacturing airborne gimbal systems in Australia for nearly 15 years and their national footprint includes operations in Victoria and NSW.

 

AVTA incorporates significant levels of local R&D by engineering all payload systems from conception to prototyping, production, and support in Australia. The global company has designated Australia as a research and development centre for gimballed ISR payload with more than 50 full time staff spread across Engineering, Operations and Production functions.

 

The company has made significant investments in sovereign defence industry capability in the form of dedicated design, test, verification, and calibration facilities in its Melbourne engineering hub, where employment opportunities for a broad engineering workforce are continually created to support product development.

AVT Australia Launches New CM62 Variants

AVT Australia is pleased to announce the launch of two new CM62 variants, a Tri-Zoom EO configuration and an Extended LWIR configuration, to offer increased multi-domain flexibility without sacrificing the superior ISR capabilities of the CM62 Micro Gimbal.

 

The CM62 Micro Gimbal is the first payload of its kind that delivers superior EO/LWIR capabilities in a miniature 260g system. The CM62 incorporates an innovative onboard video processor to provide high definition EO imagery with 25x zoom, along with a custom long-wave infrared (LWIR) core. For reliability in all-weather conditions and environments, the CM62 is ruggedised to an IP67 rating.

 

The new Tri-Zoom EO configuration has an intermediate lens for enhanced mid-range performance and a longer focal-length narrow lens, resulting in 42% more pixels on target compared to the standard CM62 configuration. This makes it perfect for situations when enhanced EO image quality is required for daytime operations. The system is configurable to either single stream continuous zoom (56° HFOV – 0.8° HFOV) or dual stream, with stream #1 providing 56° HFOV – 5° HFOV and stream #2 providing 5° HFOV – 0.8° HFOV.

 

The new Extended LWIR configuration has an 18° HFOV, resulting in 84% more pixels on target than the standard configuration CM62. This makes it perfect for situations where extended standoff distances are required.

 

AVT Australia will be presenting the CM62 family on their stand at the Avalon 2023 tradeshow in Geelong, Victoria. To learn more, visit ascentvision.com.au/cm62 or contact sales@ascentvision.com.