US Army orders RVIS systems from NIITEK

The US Army has awarded a contract to NIITEK for the supply of remote visualisation (RVIS) system for integration into the existing Husky mine-detection / road clearance vehicles in Afghanistan.

Under the terms of $18m contract, the company will deliver a total of 102 RVIS systems, along with contiguous US (CONUS) technical support, CONUS / outside of contiguous US (OCONUS) training, as well as logistics data in support of operation enduring freedom (OEF).

The RVIS systems are designed to enable remote viewing of the Husky-mounted detection system (HMDS) graphical user interface (GUI) display in a follow-on vehicle during route and area clearance missions.

NIITEK president Juan Navarro said the RVIS system would serve as a complimentary technology to the HMDS currently deployed in Afghanistan.

"RVIS provides the HMDS operator another set of 'eyes' by transmitting real-time detection information to a secondary display being monitored by others," Navarro said.

"This enhanced capability allows HMDS and remote operators to quickly analyse and verify threats, ensuring improved mission execution in a minimal amount of time."

In addition to enabling additional operations from another vehicle, the system provides Husky operators with an ability to see and manipulate the HMDS GUI, and also offers increased situational awareness to the route clearance package (RCP).

The HMDS uses an advanced ground penetrating radar (GPR) for detection of both non-metallic and metal-cased buried threats, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with pressure-activated trigger mechanisms, unexploded ordnance (UXO), landmines and weapons caches.

Since early 2008, the system has successfully detected numerous pressure-plate IEDs prior to their detonation in a wide range of road surfaces and soil conditions.

Deliveries under the contract are scheduled to be complete by January 2013.