DRS Technologies Moves From Fifth to First in Core Infrared-Imaging Technology

PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwire - 09/01/09) - DRS Technologies, Inc. announced today it has become the world's number one supplier of uncooled infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs), jumping from fifth position in 2006, according to a new report by leading industry analyst Maxtech International, Inc. of Fairfield, Connecticut.
Uncooled FPAs are the core sensor technology found in critical equipment of soldiers on the battlefield such as thermal weapon sights, handheld thermal imaging cameras and Driver's Vision Enhancers (DVE). This technology enables the operator to penetrate battlefield smoke, dust, sand and fog across great distances in even the most extreme environments -- Day or Night.
"This achievement was to some extent a matter of being in the right place, with the right products, at the right time," said Chris Wright, senior vice president of Business Development for the Reconnaissance, Surveillance & Target Acquisition (RSTA) business group of DRS Technologies. "The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have fueled the demand for uncooled infrared-imaging devices such as Thermal Weapon Sights and Driver's Vision Enhancers. We were able to capture key U.S. military contracts for these products -- and in the case of the DVEs -- the sole supplier for the largest U.S. Army DVE program of record. These awards have been instrumental in propelling us from fifth to first."
Wright also attributes this success to DRS leadership, who realized early on that advanced uncooled FPA technology would proliferate if it could be made both affordable and reliable. "As a result, we've made significant capital investments in our detector technologies since 2007, including the expansion of our Dallas, Texas-based wafer fabrication, assembly and production capabilities. In addition, we have accelerated the development and fabrication of next-generation detector technologies. These initiatives have resulted in an increase of our production staff to meet the soaring demand for our detector modules," stated Wright.
DRS' management of these contracts has been equally important to the company's climb to the top of the market-share rankings, said Maxtech International's Gabor F. Fulop, Ph.D. "This company has done a wonderful job of developing electro-optical technologies and scaling up the manufacturing processes to address the needs of today's military users," Dr. Fulop said.
"We are proud of the role our technologies play in supporting the warfighter, as they detect and counter threats that can't be seen by the naked eye," said Terry Murphy, president of RSTA. "These products help save lives and help achieve the military's mission objectives. These are priorities we jointly share with our customer."
DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, is a leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica S.p.A. (FNC.MI) which employs more than 73,000 people worldwide. For more information about DRS Technologies, please visit the company's website at www.drs.com
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