MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's Shvabe optical electronics company, part of the Rostec state corporation, and the Russian Helicopters company have produced the first Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopter fitted with a GOES-321MK optoelectronic imaging system enabling the vehicle to carry out attacks in complete darkness, local media said Monday.
"GOES-321MK is based on a high-resolution Full HD camera and a highly sensitive thermal imaging mid-infrared frequency sensor. The thermal sensor captures heat radiated by objects such as tanks or other equipment and heat produced by the human body. In turn, the highly sensitive low-level camera allows additional surveying capacities in low lighting," Sergey Popov, Shvabe’s deputy CEO for innovation development told the Izvestia newspaper.
The device is a significant breakthrough in imaging, he added, stressing that such a multifunctional system, which allows helicopter pilots to navigate in the most challenging situations, did not previously exist in the country.
So far, only the United States has been able to fit similar systems on a large number of its military helicopters.
The helicopter was presented by Russian Helicopters at the Army-2016 forum, which kicked off on Tuesday and finished on Sunday.
The forum was held in the military-themed Patriot Park in Kubinka near Moscow and in a number of locations in Russia's military districts. The event brought together hundreds of representatives from the Russian defense industry, research institutes, universities, as well as foreign companies and delegates.
