American technology firm Teledyne FLIR has been awarded a $500 million contract to produce and deliver its state-of-the-art Family of Weapons Sights – Individual (FWS-I) to the US Army.
The FWS-I is a lightweight, battery-operated thermal imaging system mounted on weapons to improve reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.
The system provides soldiers with the most advanced night vision equipment along with the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle–Binocular (ENVG-B).
Work for the contract is expected to be complete by April 2027.
Apart from Teledyne FLIR, the US Army has tapped Leonardo DRS to develop its version of the FWS-I for $579.3 million.
Additional Features
According to the US Army Program Executive Office (PEO), the FWS-I enables troops to engage targets effectively and conduct surveillance in low-light environments.
Additionally, the system can operate in adverse weather conditions and other obscurants such as dust and smoke.
The technology wirelessly transmits images to the helmet-mounted ENVG-B to better view targets.
The FWS-I is compatible with infantry weapons, including M16 rifles, M249 squad automatic weapons, M141 bunker defeat munitions, and M136 AT4 light anti-tank weapons.