Leonardo DRS, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRS) announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM, C5ISR Center to support the Delivering Unmatched Thermal Capability Hastened, or DUTCH, initiative.
Supported by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Critical Technologies, the DUTCH initiative is focused on accelerating the development and transition of next-generation uncooled thermal infrared (IR) sensing capabilities for defense applications. The initiative is intended to advance high-performance, affordable thermal-imaging technology that can support rapid integration across a broad range of platforms and operational environments.
Under the award, DRS will demonstrate high-definition, high-frame-rate uncooled thermal camera cores engineered to deliver advanced sensitivity, image quality and responsiveness. Potential applications include unmanned aerial systems (UAS), counter-UAS, missile and rocket seekers, weapon sights, night-vision systems, ground-vehicle sensing and targeting, unmanned surface vessels and other emerging applications.
“DRS is committed to meeting the rapidly growing demand for high-performance thermal imaging solutions across the defense enterprise,” said Jerry Hathaway, senior vice president and general manager of Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business unit. “Our selection for the DUTCH initiative reflects the depth of our uncooled IR technology portfolio, our understanding of operational needs and our ability to transition advanced sensing capabilities into scalable production.”
DRS has established experience in uncooled IR sensing through sustained investment in advanced detector, camera-core and system technologies. The company’s portfolio is designed to provide thermal-imaging performance, size, weight, power and cost, or SWaP-C, advantages for crewed and uncrewed platforms, as well as fixed and mobile systems.
The company is also expanding its capacity and resiliency to support increased demand for thermal sensing products. DRS maintains dual-site camera assembly and test facilities in Dallas, Texas, and Melbourne, Florida, and continues to broaden its supply base across key components. This production approach is designed to strengthen supply-chain continuity and support scalable delivery of mission-ready IR sensing products.
“Today’s operational environment requires thermal-sensing solutions that can be produced at scale, integrated efficiently and perform reliably in the most challenging conditions,” Hathaway added. “DRS is investing in the technology, manufacturing capacity and supply-chain resilience necessary to remain a trusted, go-to provider of high-performance, cost-effective IR sensing solutions for the warfighter.”