The RAAF has awarded IAS Asia Pacific a contract to develop an advanced prototype for a next generation Network Expendable Optical Sensor (NEOS).
NEOS is designed to explore how a rapidly deployable, agnostic advanced optical sensor can make major platforms more efficient, effective and survivable, while providing coverage over wide areas of both land and ocean beneath the sensor.
“Australia is currently tendering for unmanned aircraft systems for the Navy, the Army as well as the Air Force," Simon Olsen, VP Business Development and Strategy, IAS Asia Pacific, said. "The core consistency of these platform requirements is the need to resolve complex ISR challenges in contested and challenging environments.
"IAS is looking forward to providing optical search payload solutions that ensure that each of our services retains a fundamental ISR advantage in the battlespace, regardless of where they are called to operate."
IAS is supported by X-TEK for the proposal, who will provide critical missions system support through the customised integration of its XTAtlas exploitation tool to drive the NEOS sensor.
IAS will be providing the RAAF with the first variant prototype capability during the middle of 2021.