On Monday, defense contractor Raytheon (RTN) announced that it has signed a contract to supply PhantomIRxr thermal biocular systems to the Finnish Defence Forces.
The biocular uses thermal imaging to pinpoint targets through darkness, smoke, and dust, according to the company.
No purchase price or indication of the number of units sold was provided in this week's press release. However, in a press release issued more than a year ago, Raytheon said it had won a "fixed-price contract with options totaling $19.9 million to supply the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) with PhantomIRxr thermal biocular systems." That contract was said to run from 2011 through 2014, and included both the thermal bioculars and spares, along with provision of a maintenance package.
Raytheon describes the PhantomIRxr as "the same battle-proven, state-of-the-art equipment that the U.S. Marine Corps has used since 2009" and says it "is one of the most fielded handheld, high-precision, low-cost, infrared systems in the world."
