Military Infrared Systems

Find Military Infrared System manufacturers & suppliers of IR sensors, cameras & infrared countermeasures for defense; army, navy, marine and air force applications
Overview Military Infrared Systems
By Mike Ball Last updated: December 3rd, 2024

Infrared (IR) is a form of electromagnetic radiation that is invisible to the human eye. All objects emit radiation relative to their temperature, and most of this radiation is in the infrared spectrum. This means that infrared detectors can be used to distinguish objects such as people, living things, aircraft and vehicle engines, and weapons.

Infrared Cameras

Thermal imaging cameras such as forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras can be used to sense infrared radiation levels and map these to an image or video output. They may detect long-wave (LWIR), medium-wave (MWIR) or short-wave (SWIR) infrared, depending on the application.

IR cameras can be used for a wide variety of military applications such as ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), navigation and operating vehicles at night, and seeing through smoke, fog and dust. Thermographic cameras may be integrated into gimbals along with visible cameras to provide EO/IR (electro-optical/infrared) systems for aircraft, vehicles, vessels, and static defenses such as counter-UAS systems.

Infrared Sensors

IR sensors may be cooled or uncooled. Cooled systems use cryogenics to keep them at an extremely low temperature. They provide high-quality, low-noise imagery and are highly sensitive to minute temperature differences, but are more expensive than uncooled systems. Due to the extra cooling equipment, they also have a larger SwaP (size, weight and power) footprint.

Night vision goggles, binoculars and weapons sights may also use thermal imaging technology to capture infrared radiation, allowing ground troops and special forces to operate at night.

Infrared Jamming & Countermeasures

Infrared sensors are used on heat-seeking missiles to detect heat sources such as aircraft engines. These infrared homing missiles can then steer themselves towards the target by tracking this heat source. Infrared countermeasures include flares, which provide alternative IR sources to confuse the missile and cause it to miss its target, and infrared jammers, which aim to overpower the missile’s IR detector with high-powered signals.

Products (23)

HD80-AIM

AI-powered wide-area maritime surveillance gimbal for manned & unmanned aircraft

AI-powered wide-area maritime surveillance gimbal for manned & unmanned aircraft
... camera gimbal system designed to search vast areas of ocean efficiently and autonomously, massively...
HD95

Advanced tactical EO/IR gimbal payload purpose-built for US Army

Advanced tactical EO/IR gimbal payload purpose-built for US Army
...satile imaging system also incorporates a night vision-compatible laser pointer, a laser...
HD55

High-performance stabilized gimbal with advanced GPS-aided inertial navigation

High-performance stabilized gimbal with advanced GPS-aided inertial navigation
The HD55 is a class-leading EO/IR camera gimbal housed in a robust enclosure with environmental seal...
HD80

Large-format gimbal with LWIR and MWIR thermal imaging options

Large-format gimbal with LWIR and MWIR thermal imaging options
The HD80 is a powerful camera gimbal with best-in-class stability and a robust housing with environm...
HD25

Low-SWaP EO or EO/IR gimbal with geopointing capabilities

Low-SWaP EO or EO/IR gimbal with geopointing capabilities
The HD25 is Trillium's smallest and lightest camera gimbal, housed in a machined magnesium enclosure...
HD40

Drone camera gimbal with powerful zoom and integrated laser pointer

Drone camera gimbal with powerful zoom and integrated laser pointer
The HD40 is a lightweight and compact stabilized gimbal housed in a machined magnesium enclosure wit...
HD45

Durable low-SWaP gimbal with optical zoom-capable EO and IR cameras

Durable low-SWaP gimbal with optical zoom-capable EO and IR cameras
The HD45 is a lightweight and compact EO/IR camera gimbal housed in a machined magnesium enclosure w...
Neutrino SWaP Series

VGA and SXGA format MWIR camera modules in a SWaP-optimized footprint

VGA and SXGA format MWIR camera modules in a SWaP-optimized footprint
...l for unmanned systems, counter-UAS, ISR, targeting systems and more....
Neutrino Performance Series

High-resolution MWIR camera modules with fast frame rates

High-resolution MWIR camera modules with fast frame rates
.... Designed for systems integrators, these modules are ideal for ground/airborne ISR, WAMI and...
Tau 2 Series

High-performance LWIR camera modules with radiometry options

High-performance LWIR camera modules with radiometry options
Teledyne FLIR's Tau 2 LWIR thermal imaging camera modules offer an unparalleled combination of featu...
Boson

Low-SWaP uncooled thermal imaging module for OEMs

Low-SWaP uncooled thermal imaging module for OEMs
Teledyne FLIR's Boson LWIR camera modules feature industry-leading performance in an ultra-low SWaP ...
Boson+

Low-SWaP uncooled thermal imaging module with industry-leading sensitivity

Low-SWaP uncooled thermal imaging module with industry-leading sensitivity
Teledyne FLIR's Boson+ LWIR camera modules feature industry-leading performance in an ultra-low SWaP...
Boson+ CZ

Low-SWaP uncooled thermal imaging module with integrated 5x continuous zoom lens

Low-SWaP uncooled thermal imaging module with integrated 5x continuous zoom lens
......s ideal for OEMS of drones, targeting systems, soldier sighting systems and more....
LightIR 10-135mm f/3.6

Low-SWaP MWIR continuous zoom lens for tactical imaging payloads

Low-SWaP MWIR continuous zoom lens for tactical imaging payloads
...ange of camera systems....
LightIR 16-180 mm f/3.6

Compact & lightweight VGA format MWIR continuous zoom lens

Compact & lightweight VGA format MWIR continuous zoom lens
...ange of camera systems....
LightIR 18-225mm f/3.6

MWIR zoom lens with vehicle detection range exceeding 16 km

MWIR zoom lens with vehicle detection range exceeding 16 km
...ange of camera systems....
SupIR 25-150mm f/1.4

LWIR zoom lens with vehicle detection range exceeding 8.5 km

LWIR zoom lens with vehicle detection range exceeding 8.5 km
The Ophir SupIR 25-150 mm f/1.4 is a continuous zoom LWIR lens optimized for 1280x1024 SXGA format u...
SupIR 40-300mm f/1.5

Rugged continuous zoom lens with vehicle detection range exceeding 12.5 km

Rugged continuous zoom lens with vehicle detection range exceeding 12.5 km
The Ophir SupIR 40-300mm f/1.5 is a continuous zoom LWIR lens optimized for 1280x1024 SXGA format un...
FoldIR 30-450mm f/3.4

Folded optics lens for air, land and sea gimbals and payloads

Folded optics lens for air, land and sea gimbals and payloads
...UAVs, unmanned systems, and other aerial, land- and sea-based tactical payloads and gimbals....
SupIR 60-1200mm f/4.0

MWIR continuous zoom lens for surveillance & counter-UAS at ranges exceeding 28 km

MWIR continuous zoom lens for surveillance & counter-UAS at ranges exceeding 28 km
...ge observation systems and counter-UAS....
SWIR & NIR 25-250mm f/5.5 (NFOV) f/4.0 (WFOV)

Rugged low-SWaP SWIR & NIR lens with detection range exceeding 26 km

Rugged low-SWaP SWIR & NIR lens with detection range exceeding 26 km
...l for unmanned systems and aerial thermal imaging gimbals....
SupIR 25mm f/1.2

LWIR XGA imaging lens for high-resolution thermal imaging and sensing

LWIR XGA imaging lens for high-resolution thermal imaging and sensing
The Ophir SupIR 25mm f/1.2 is a fixed-focus LWIR lens optimized for 1024x768 XGA format uncooled det...
SupIR 75mm f/1.2

Manual focus imaging lens for 1024x768 XGA format uncooled LWIR cameras

Manual focus imaging lens for 1024x768 XGA format uncooled LWIR cameras
The Ophir SupIR 75mm f/1.2 is a manual-focus LWIR lens optimized for 12 μm 1024x768 XGA format unco...

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