Defense contractor BAE Systems said Thursday it received a $49.9 million contract to develop a processor for a military surveillance system.
BAE said its electronic solutions sector will work on the advanced processor for the Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Infrared system, which is designed to conduct surveillance on battlefields and in urban areas. The ARGUS-IR system will be able to perform nighttime surveillance because of its infrared capabilities, and it is developed for compatibility with unmanned aerial systems.
BAE received the contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. It expects to perform the first flight test by the second quarter of 2012. The company is currently working on an early version of a similar device called the ARGUS-IS.