Army places Rs. 700-crore orders for versatile device

                              It can act as a range-finder, camera, GPS and compass

The Army has placed orders worth Rs. 700 crore for a novel versatile device developed by the Instruments Research and Development Establishment (IRDE), Dehra Dun. The Integrated Multi-Function Sight (IMFS) can be used for surveillance and speedy engagement of targets, among other functions.

The IRDE is a laboratory that comes under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Ravi Gupta, Director of Public Interface, DRDO, said the IMFS was an amalgam of a thermal imager, a laser range-finder, colour charge-coupled-device (CCD) camera, a global positioning system (GPS) and a digital magnetic compass.

The range-finder can compute the location co-ordinates of a target. The thermal imager is a night-vision device, while the CCD camera is capable of executing a digital imaging of the target. The GPS is another independent system in the IMFS.

“As its name suggests, it is an integration of various devices” and can perform multiple functions, said Mr. Gupta. With its diminutive size — just over a foot long and weighing 3.5 kg — the device could offer a big advantage in the battlefield, he said.The IRDE designs and develops, among others, state-of-the-art night vision devices and thermal imagers, compact laser-based instruments, integrated electro-optical surveillance and fire control systems.

The Hindu