UK surveillance specialist Chess Dynamics has been selected by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) to provide a Category 1 Target Location Error (TLE) vehicle-mounted surveillance system for its Observation Targeting and Surveillance Systems (OTAS) programme, the UK surveillance specialist announced on 2 October 2023.
The OTAS programme involves integrating a mast-mounted observation and surveillance system onto a CV90 tracked reconnaissance vehicle. The resulting platform is intended to provide timely and accurate targeting data, a persistent surveillance capability, wide-area situational awareness, and radar detection and tracking.
To meet these requirements Chess Dynamics has developed the Hawkeye Modular Mission Pod (MMP), which consists of a thermal imaging camera, a high-powered daylight camera, a laser rangefinder with a 30 km+ range and a laser pointer. Combined with Chess’ advanced geodata algorithms, the system achieves the required Category 1 TLE rating: the highest standard of accuracy, enabling it to observe, target and understand the battlespace out to ranges of 20 km+.
The system is integrated into a wide-area battlefield information system (BIS) or, in the absence of a BIS, into a local combat management system (CMS) developed by Chess.
“Combined with Chess’ cutting-edge AI target classification and tracking tools, the system provides the end user with unparalleled situational awareness,” the company stated in its press release.
Rupert Grinling, land sales manager at Chess, was quoted by the company as saying, “As battlefields become more complex and adversaries take advantage of ever more advanced technologies, persistent surveillance is becoming increasingly important. Our Hawkeye MMP delivers the highest-fidelity surveillance and targeting accuracy levels with the added flexibility of operating from a vehicle.”
Mounted on combat vehicles operating in the harshest climates and traversing the most arduous terrain, the MMP has been electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) verified and environmentally tested to withstand a temperature range of -30 to +40° C.
Additionally, the system can be fitted to a Chess Modular Integrated Pod System for use with a variety of vehicles equipped with a flatbed, allowing both mounted operation and, via a fast dismount capability, dismounted remote operation.
The Hawkeye MMP is part of a modular product family designed to operate independently or as an integrated system. Other modular components include a ‘target designation pod’ as well as a jammer pod to provide a counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capability.
