Rockwell Scientific wins $15.5 m FPA contract
This program will leverage RSC investment in its new Camarillo production facility to manufacture large-format, small pixel, dual-band (two-color) infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs).
The underlying dual-band FPA technology represents a significant improvement in the Army s ability to detect and identify battlefield threats at increased range with greater accuracy.
The major objective of the DBFM program is to develop improved manufacturing processes for dual band cooled staring focal plane arrays. The primary goal of this 42-month program is to increase the yield of high performance dual-band FPAs to reduce the cost per unit tenfold.
The DBFM Program will prepare the Army and industry to transition into System Development and Demonstration and Low-Rate Initial Production phases.
Rockwell Scientific will lead a team that includes CMC Electronics Cincinnati and Jazz Semiconductor in Newport Beach CA.
"This award enables us to build upon many technologies pioneered at RSC over the last 15 years, particularly our HgCdTe MBE growth capability and our more recent success in large-area dual-band FPA technology " said Jeff Johnson, program manager and project leader at Rockwell Scientific.
"With the team we have assembled and the capability afforded by our great new facilities, I am confident that we will achieve our goal to become the Army s merchant supplier of choice for meeting their future production needs of 3rd generation sensors."