Logos wins hostile fire detection and location work

Logos Technologies will develop technology to detect and locate hostile gunfire and explosive denotations under a $9.7 million contract awarded by the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) announced on 30 July.

The work will involve further development of the Optical Gunfire, Rockets and Explosive Flash Detection (OGRE) system, which uses high-speed cameras to capture the signature of a fired weapon or detonation and provide precise source coordinates to ground troops.

Coupled with an existing acoustic sensor developed by the Army's Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC), the resulting system, called Serenity, creates a dual-threat-validation process that significantly reduces false positive identifications. The system works in combination with full-motion video and wide-area surveillance sensors to locate and identify the locations of hostile fire.

OGRE's enhanced wide-area capability provides forces with real-time operational intelligence, with the integration of visual and acoustic technology increasing detection ranges and accuracy.

Serenity will be integrated with Logos Technologies' aerostat-based Kestrel sensor system, allowing operators to see attacks as they happen, and access DVR-like forensic playback when necessary. Serenity will detect flash events such as rocket and mortar launches and explosive detonations making it uniquely suited to protect forward-deployed bases.

OGRE provides personnel constant protection against fire threats without further draining manpower resources. The system is also adaptable to unmanned and fixed-wing platforms, allowing these aircraft to closely support land forces in the face of heavy enemy fire.