AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. company General Dynamics has contracted BAE Systems to provide camera technologies for combat vehicle and tank operators to increase visual awareness.
Under the $45 million contract, BAE will supply its trademarked Check-6 camera system for integration with the Army's Stryker combat vehicles and M-1 Abrams tanks. The integration of the Check-6 thermal cameras' technology is part of an effort to offer combat crews the ability to monitor their surroundings while remaining inside the vehicle.
BAE officials said the Check-6 cameras are based on the company's thermal weapon-sights technology and are capable of operating at night and in poor weather conditions.
"Without the Check-6 system, the driver and crew cannot see what's behind them without leaving the protective cover of the vehicle," Manette Fisher, program manager for BAE Systems in Austin, Texas, said in a statement.
"Check-6 is a low-cost solution that gives soldiers much-needed rearward situational awareness while reducing their exposure to deadly threats. Reliable visibility also increases vehicle safety and can save lives."
