World military infrared markets grew slowly in 2015 to just under $7 billion mainly because of budgetary pressures in the U.S. and Europe. However, defense budget spending limits in the U.S. and many European countries are beginning to ease as the priority of new security threats outweighs budgetary pressures. In addition, increased spending in the Middle East and Asia and a number of new programs in the U.S. are expected to revive growth over the next five years. By 2020, world infrared markets are expected to reach $8.5 billion.
Seek Thermal (Goleta, California) is ready to go into production with a new uncooled core based on Wafer-Level-Packaged (WLP) 320 x 240 VOx microbolometers with 12 micron pixels, a significant upgrade over the company’s existing 206 x 156/12 microbolometers.
UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) has acquired N2 Imaging Systems (Irvine, California). N2, which will stay at its current location, will be part of the UTAS intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) business, which includes Sensors Unlimited and Cloud Cap Technology (Hood River, Oregon).
The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. However, DRS’s stake in N2 was also acquired, thus making UTAS the sole owner.
The U.S. Patent Office has ruled in favor of FLIR Systems in a patent infringement suit in which Leak Surveys (Early, Texas) claimed that FLIR’s gas finder (GasFindIR) cameras infringed on their patents.
However, Leak Surveys is now appealing that decision in Federal Appeals Court.