The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded a prime contract to engineering company Leidos for sensing technology.

With a total contract ceiling of $47m, the single-award indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has a performance period of 87 months.

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The delivery will be carried out under the electro-optical combined hyperspectral imaging, infrared search and track, and long-range imaging (EO-CHIL) programme.

The primary aim of the programme is to defeat adversary anti-access and area denial (A2 / AD) threat environments through extended-range high-resolution imaging, hyperspectral sensing, and close-in imaging with expendable sensors.

Leidos group president Mike Chagnon said: “The EO-CHIL award continues our collaborative role with the AFRL on leading-edge research and development programmes in key military and intelligence sensing technologies.

“The programme fits within our portfolio of sensor, signal, and data processing programmes across EO, hyperspectral, ladar, radar, synthetic aperture radar and sonar sensing.”

“The programme fits within our portfolio of sensor, signal, and data processing programmes across EO, hyperspectral, ladar, radar, synthetic aperture radar and sonar sensing.”

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The EO-CHIL programme focuses on investigating, developing, and demonstrating concepts, components and systems technologies in order to enhance imaging performance for standoff high-resolution imaging (SHRI), hyperspectral sensing, infrared search and track (IRST), and sense and avoid (SAA) technology.

The scope of the programme covers advanced research in focal plane arrays, optics, spectrometers and optical systems, test targets, field and flight collections algorithm development, as well as simulation of operational imagery. It also includes novel sensor concepts and low cost, size, weight and power technology.

Leidos has also been awarded an initial task order under the EO-CHIL programme.

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