AFRL and Leidos to collaborate on electro-optical sensing technology
NewsJanuary 10, 2018
RESTON, Va. Engineering/science/IT company Leidos won a prime contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to provide sensor technology under the Electro-Optical Combined Hyperspectral Imaging, Infrared Search and Track, and Long Range Imaging (EO-CHIL) program. The single-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract has an 87-month performance period and a total contract ceiling of $47 million.
The key mission of the EO-CHIL program, according to Leidos company documents, is the defeat of adversary anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) threat environments by the use of extended-range high-resolution imaging, hyperspectral sensing, and close-in imaging with expendable sensors. The scope of the ARFL program encompasses ways to investigate, develop, and demonstrate concepts, components, and systems technologies to improve imaging performance for standoff high-resolution imaging (SHRI), hyperspectral sensing, infrared search and track (IRST), and sense and avoid (SAA) technology.
The joint AFRL/Leidos effort will cover advanced research in focal plane arrays; optics, spectrometers, and optical systems; test targets; collection of field and flight algorithms; simulation of operational imagery; novel sensor concepts; and reduced SWaP-C (size, weight, power, and cost) technology.
Mike Chagnon, Leidos group president, said of the contract win: "The program fits within our portfolio of sensor, signal, and data processing programs across EO, hyperspectral, ladar, radar, synthetic aperture radar, and sonar sensing."
