Leonardo DRS on Tuesday announced $800 million in electro-optical and infrared sensors contracts from the Pentagon, including a $231 million deal to deliver a new tripod mounted laser designator rangefinder to the Army.
The Army in September awarded Leonardo DRS a 10-year deal to potentially deliver 2,700 next-generation Lightweight Laser Designator Rangement (LLDR) for forward observers to assess calls for precision-guided munitions.
“The LLDR is a crew operated forward observer system. It’s basically a tripod mounted system that can be used in a forward operating area so you can do targeting,” Doug Ransom, Leonardo DRS’ vice president of business development, told Defense Daily. “This is all next-generation technology. So we’re putting the state of the art sensor technology inside of the LLDR. We’re refreshing the laser designator for that system.”
Leonardo DRS was also awarded a $30 million deal on Sept. 6 to provide advanced infrared components for Horizontal Technology Integration Second-Generation FLIR for the Army’s ground vehicle sighting systems.
“The systems provide armored vehicle crews with the ability to see clearly, regardless of light level, adverse weather conditions, and battlefield smoke and dust,” company officials said in a statement.
The contract has a potential total value of $435 million if all options are picked up.
In September, Leonardo DRS also received a $44 follow-on contract from the Army to move to low-rate initial production for its advanced infrared Family of Weapon Sights-Individual and a new $19.8 million deal to provide stabilized infrared camera sensors for the Army’s Assault Breaching Vehicles.
The Naval Surface Warfare Center on Sept. 25 awarded Leonardo DRS a new deal worth up to $69 million to continue producing the Improved Night Observation Devices Block 11 thermal weapon sight for Special Operations Command and Marine Corps Snipers.