On 29 November 2022, Safran Electronics & Defense announced that they had signed a contract with Leonardo to supply the Euroflir 610 optronic sight for the Eurodrone medium-altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme. The start of manufacturing for the first Eurodrone prototype equipped with the Euroflir 610 is planned for 2024.
The Eurodrone programme is led by the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), and will provide over 60 MALE UAVs for France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Developed as a European collaboration and ITAR-free. Derived from the Euroflir 410 architecture, the Euroflir 610 is a 63.5 cm (25 inch) optronic sight developed by Safran in collaboration with Hensoldt. It is intended for mounting on aerial platforms, to provide them with day and night observation and target designation capabilities. The sight is equipped with a day TV camera and thermal cameras in several different infrared bands, as well as a laser rangefinder and laser target designator. It is provided with line-of-sight stabilisation, and is capable of conducting target geolocation. The Euroflir family has previously been selected for the HIL and Tiger Mk3 helicopters.
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