AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 20, 2009 – BAE Systems, specializing in defense and aerospace, will equip US Army Stryker combat vehicles and M-1 Abrams tanks with thermal cameras so that combat crews can “see” outside while remaining inside the vehicles.
The company received a $45 million contract from General Dynamics to produce the cameras. 
The BAE Systems Check-6 ground vehicle vision system provides day, night and all-weather vision to ground vehicle crews, offering enhanced vision capability from within the protective armor of their vehicles. It offers a direct replacement to the lamp housings, providing a field-upgrade capability to existing and new vehicles. Image courtesy of BAE Systems.
The BAE Systems Check-6 system, derived from the company’s work in thermal weapon sights, features an infrared camera installed inside the vehicles’ taillight housings. The system provides day, night and all-weather visibility.
“Without the Check-6 system, the driver and crew cannot see what’s behind them without leaving the protective cover of the vehicle,” said Manette Fisher, program manager for BAE Systems. “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.”
Integrated in the existing vehicle taillight with no drilling or welding, the Check-6 system easily can be installed on more than 300,000 current and planned US Army vehicles.
Deliveries are set to begin in April. BAE Systems expects to deliver more than 12,000 of the systems over the next decade.
For more information, visit: www.baesystems.com