The miniaturization trend of optoelectronic gimbal cameras, makes laser guided w

hpangel79

Talking about the laser guided weapons are outdated topic, we believe it is not entirely correct, and not entirely wrong. Judging from the current US military precision guided weapons, joint guided attack weapons, such as JDAM and JSOW, have become the mainstream. These weapons are characterized by low cost and high lethality. Due to the use of INS inertial navigation and GPS guidance modes, therefore, it is not affected by the climate and does not need to be checked after launch.




The reason why JDAM missiles are easy to modify is because guidance heads are added to the original unguided weapons MK-84\82. The 2000 pound JDAM sells for only $37000. At the same time, compare the latest version of the laser guided bomb GBU-24 Gem Path III price is up to $137000, which is actually one of the reasons for "outdated".


Another major factor is that laser guided weapons are affected by the weather and cannot be used in dense fog, and there is no need for continuous lighting after launch, which undoubtedly increases the risk of fighter plane.






However, compared to JDAM, laser guided weapons also have its advantages. It’s flexible and high accuracy, especially when attacking moving targets. Because the latter one used GPS guidance, the fighter's airborne fire control radar will import coordinate data into the bomb before launch, and it cannot be modified after launch. Although there are currently some versions that can be modified, the operation is very laborious.


In order to achieve better combat effectiveness, the US military has created JTAC, full name is Joint Terminal Attack Controller. They typically carry a multi band radio, binoculars with built-in laser indicators, and "wearable computers" for digitizing and coordinating near ground support.



As stated earlier, laser guided weapons are more suitable for attacking moving targets, and these types of targets generally appear immediately during cruise. At this time, it is necessary for the JTAC to inform the pilot of the coordinates and laser code. The pilot can synchronize the laser code of the higher fighter with the JTAC. After reaching the target area, the JTAC will guide and attack the target, and the combat aircraft can quickly leave the theater.






With the strengthening of current situation awareness, JTAC is also increasingly replaced by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which have a small body and low noise, and can track targets or collect information for a long time. This Russia-Ukraine conflict also shows that for general UAVs like TB-2, no matter western or Russian anti-aircraft missiles can effectively attack them at present.

Spears and shields are mutually exclusive. The miniaturization of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and the miniaturization of optoelectronic gimbals have become the mainstream. Miniaturized UAVs gimbal camera can be used in a wider range of environments. Soldiers like JTAC will use small optoelectronic gimbals on UAVs and synchronously transmit images to eyeglasses as display screens, which can increase their combat range and effectiveness in a single soldier state. At close range, it is possible to use its own individual equipment to conduct complete reconnaissance and obtain target information. At slightly distant locations, it is possible to use UAVs for phased tracking. This system is not far away, Topotek's new system will be come out soon.


As mentioned above, one important reason why the US military is equipped with JDAM bombs in a large area is that they are cheap. Therefore, the miniaturization of the optoelectronic gimbal camera must also follow the route of high quality and low cost. The recently launched 3-axis and 2-axis optoelectronic gimbal with lightweight less than 200 grams, which is very suitable for individual soldiers. Such as the 3-axis KHP290G609, integrating 1080P visible light +640 * 512 pixels thermal imaging, is very suitable for installation on UAVs, The DYK290G609 2-axis are more often equipped on small unmanned equipment such as helmets, artillery shells, patrol missiles, and so on. In fact, UAVs are consumables, which is said by the chief designer of Rainbow UAVs. I agree with this point of view, because from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, UAVs are indeed consumables. In reconnaissance, rescue and other tasks, 10x optical zoom single light is more appropriate. The KIP10S35 and KHP10S90 series gimbal created by Topotek are mainly aimed at low-end consumer markets, with 10x optical zoom and 9x digital zoom, giving UAVs a pair of eagle eyes and low cost, KIP10S35 only costs $440. It can meet large-scale consumption in battlefield, rescue, and reconnaissance. Meanwhile, many Topotek optoelectronic gimbal camera support customized, which means it can be integrated laser rangefinder, AI tracking, and other functions. Topotek is a professional company specializing in the research and develo** drone gimbal, has definite technology strength and it is in an absolutely leading position.