How DVE and LSA systems boost mission effectiveness, safety and survivability on today’s battlefield

Land forces Optronics

Thales’s DVE and LSA systems are internationally recognised for providing commanders, drivers and crews of tactical and combat vehicles with unparalleled sensitivity, image quality and situational awareness, allowing them to operate safely and effectively day and night, under severely degraded battlefield conditions.

Unit commander Adam’s infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is usually assigned to border patrol duties, the IFV’s on-board DVE/LSA capabilities helping to provide protection against insurgency and external infiltration. Tonight, however, following intelligence reports of a group of insurgents moving towards an urban area close to the border, the unit has been deployed on patrol duties on the edge of the city, in a sector comprising a mix of residential and industrial buildings. In addition to its three-man crew, the IFV is carrying a four-man infantry squad, also under Adam’s command.

Adam knows that he may need to leverage all of his vehicle’s speed, manoeuvrability and firepower to complete his mission. He has complete trust in his vehicle's optronic sensors – and in particular the Remotely Operated Driver Vision Enhancer (RODVE) and Remotely Operated Crew Vision Enhancer (ROCVE) – to help him achieve this. The modules, mounted on the front, sides and rear of the vehicle as part of a multi-sensor suite, give Adam as well as his driver, gunner and infantry passengers a real-time all-round view when “driving blind” during closed-hatch and high-risk operations. High-quality scene video with ultra-low latency is relayed to compact display and control modules (CDCMs) inside the vehicle.

 

Packed with features for all-round operational effectiveness

RODVE and ROCVE products are steerable vision enhancer modules with a fast, motorized panning mechanism which can be remotely controlled in pairs from a crew- or driver-operated CDCM. Both module types are equipped with high-performance uncooled thermal imagers (ideal for tactical range use). Other shared features include a wide field of regard for responsive battlefield scanning, day and night operational effectiveness, superb image quality and scene detail, and a hermetic design with no exposed moving parts.

 

Tactical Situational awareness

Adam’s IFV moves slowly along a darkened residential street with all hatches closed, using its thermal imaging sensors to scan down side roads, as well as ahead and behind the vehicle. Thanks to the sensitivity of the ROCVE sensor, Adam sees two trucks carrying armed insurgents approaching rapidly from the left. The trucks turn tail and head back towards the edge of town before Adam can engage them, leaving behind one of their number, who appears to have fallen from a truck, and is lying in the road.

Continuously evaluating the tactical situation from the safety of the IFV, Adam decides to stop and pick up the casualty, who appears injured yet alive. Before the infantry squad exits the vehicle – one of the most dangerous phases for any mounted soldier – Adam ensures that it is safe for them to do so by assessing the local area first, to check that no further threats are present. The squad is able to deploy safely to disarm and recover the injured prisoner, and the IFV can return to base, having shared information on the incident with local commanders as well as other units nearby.

 

Trust is key

Adam and his team know that their vision enhancer modules have helped to keep them safe and allowed them to complete their mission effectively. They were able to trust the live images in front of them to give them the information they needed, with no delay or black screen issues, enabling them to act fast, feel safe, and gain a crucial tactical advantage.

 

See more, see faster: gaining a key tactical edge with HD

In future, all of Thales’uncooled thermal imaging sensors will take a further step ahead of the competition by incorporating 1280 x 1024 -resolution HD detectors, a relative rarity in uncooled devices. HD detectors allow users to see better and further than the enemy., These next generation thermal imagers have 4X more pixels than VGA sensors, and hence greater image definition, so that they can identify and respond to threats more quickly in fast-moving symmetric or asymmetric scenarios, thereby boosting their safety and survivability.

 

Thales: the best choice for DVE and LSA solutions

Thales offers armed forces and integrators customisable, high-performance uncooled DVE and LSA solutions that incorporate the latest digital technologies. Thales has a long and successful history of collaboration with armed forces around the world, having sold more than 10,000 systems in 20 countries. This track record, combined with our comprehensive development facilities and integrated repair/logistics capabilities, makes Thales' DVE/LSA solutions the low-risk choice for our customers.

All types of armoured vehicles – infantry fighting vehicles, main battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers and protected patrol vehicles – can be equipped with sophisticated driver vision enhancement and local situational awareness solutions from the Thales portfolio.The Panoramic Above-Armour Gimbal (PAAG), for example, combines LSA, DVE and targeting/surveillance capabilities in a single device, allowing commanders and crews to see everything, decide quickly, and act precisely, while staying protected inside their vehicles.
The feature-rich PAAG system packs a powerful punch for a compact, self-contained module that can be easily integrated onto military vehicles of any size. Its capabilities include 360-degree day/night vision, continuous zoom, image fusion, smart processing for assisted target detection/identification, eyesafe laser rangefinding, long-range stabilised sighting, and seamless handover from commander to gunner screens for safe and accurate weapon aiming.
Antares is a breakthrough multifunction solution that combines local situational awareness and protection (via a built-in laser warning system) in a single sensor with 360-degree early threat detection capability, suitable for use in urban environments as well as open terrain.
The Minerva dual band sensor is a compact and versatile product, ideal for driver vision enhancement, rear or reversing camera applications, or general situational awareness. The module has a thermal imager integrated with a colour/low-light day camera, allowing enhanced visibility 24 hours a day in all weather conditions.
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