THE US NAVY HAS awarded US manufacturer Kollsman a $36 million contract to build 44 additional night-targeting systems (NTS) for the Bell Helicopter Textron AH-1W SuperCobra attack gun ships operated by the US Marine Corps.
The NTS, which was developed by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Kollsman, is an airborne electro-optical system designed to provide the SuperCobra with the capability to detect, acquire, track, and attack targets in day, night and adverse weather conditions using either TOW II or Hellfire anti-tank missiles.
The system integrates forward-looking infra red laser designation and laser range-finding, automatic bore-sighting, as well as an onboard videocassette recorder into an enlarged gunner's-cockpit.
In 1987, IAI's Tamam Precision was selected to develop the NTS for Israeli air force AH-1S and USMC AH-1Ws. As required by the USMC, Kollsman was added a year later as the US producer.
Source: Flight International