The French procurement agency DGA has awarded EADS a g22 million ($25 million) contract for research and development of an airborne optronic measuring system. It will be used by the military flight testing centre at Istres in co-operation with the electronic arm- aments centre, the Landes test centre, the national aerospace research centre and EADS.
The system, made up of multi-spectral very-high-performance sensors carried on an Airbus A300 or A310 freighter, will measure the optronic signature of aircraft, helicopters, unmanned air vehicles and missiles.
The DGA says the system will help establish the signatures of France's own airborne materiel as well as those of adversaries and will help in the development of optically stealthy technologies and countermeasures. It will also be made available for use in international programmes or research projects.
Source: Flight International