A new generation of thermal imagers

The authors describe the principles of operation and the hardware techniques which are used to produce a new generation of thermal imagers based on the use of IRCCD detectors. The designs are optimised for use in harsh military environments and place a premium on reliable and maintainable techniques to give an acceptable cost of ownership. CONDOR and TIGER are required to provide high performance to enable the military to undertake the more onerous tasks which will be required on the battlefield at the end of this century and beyond. This modular design enables them to be tailored to the customer´s application to meet a range of requirements