BOSTON, March 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army is funding two new projects to expand its use of night-vision technology to detect improvised explosive devices (IED).
EOIR Technologies received delivery orders totaling $58 million for the Near Term IED Detection System and the Wide Area Surveillance and Improvised Explosive Device Detection System.
EOIR's parent organization, Boston-based Technest Holdings, said in a release late Thursday that the orders covered at 18-month period and were issued by the Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate. San Diego-based SAIC (Science Applications International Corp.) will act as a subcontractor.
"We are pleased to be able to continue the advancement of our sensor technologies used in threat detection," said EIOR's Larry Bramlette. "These technologies will help provide U.S. soldiers and peacekeepers with the most advanced and efficient equipment available to safely carry out their missions.''
Technest said details of the projects were "sensitive" in nature and could not be discussed; however EOIR's products include permanent and semi-permanent night-vision devices designed for perimeter surveillance. Night-vision equipment can be used along with other imaging technology to locate signs that the ground in a specific area has been recently dug up and could be hiding a buried IED. Civilian police have used such methods for years to hunt for unmarked graves.
