A New Generation of Drone-Ready Thermal Cameras
The rapid fielding of unmanned systems is exposing a basic constraint: traditional cooled thermal cameras are often too heavy, too power-hungry, and too complex for small drones. Leonardo DRS is targeting that gap with its new Tenum 640 Orbit, an uncooled long-wave infrared camera module unveiled at SOF Week. Built around a VOx microbolometer, it delivers 640 x 512 resolution with a 10 µm pixel pitch in the 8–14 µm band—performance tailored for drone thermal imaging rather than repurposed from larger platforms. Crucially, the module is optimized for size, weight, power, and cost, enabling integration on Group 1–3 UAVs as well as unmanned ground and surface vehicles. By simplifying integration through MIPI CSI/CCS compatibility and optional USB connectivity, Leonardo DRS is signaling that uncooled thermal cameras are no longer niche components but standard payloads for high-volume unmanned fleets.
Why Uncooled Thermal Cameras Fit Small Drones
For military drone surveillance, every gram and watt matters. Cooled infrared systems typically require cryogenic components, adding bulk and complexity that shorten flight times and limit which airframes can carry them. Uncooled thermal cameras like the Tenum 640 Orbit remove that cooling burden, significantly reducing power draw and overall payload weight. This allows small UAVs to stay airborne longer while carrying additional mission equipment. Leonardo DRS’s module delivers persistent high frame-rate imagery—up to 60 frames per second—with thermal sensitivity under 20 mK, enabling drones to detect subtle temperature differences without sacrificing endurance. Because the camera is designed as an OEM core, integrators can tailor lenses, gimbals, and processing stacks around it, rather than redesigning aircraft to accommodate oversized sensors. The net effect is broader deployment of thermal imaging across more platforms, raising the baseline night and bad-weather capability of everyday tactical drones.
From Imagery to Targeting: Integrating Thermal and Geospatial Intelligence
High-quality thermal imagery is only part of the equation. To be useful in combat, what the sensor sees must be precisely tied to ground coordinates. BAE Systems’ GXP organization and Vantor are tackling this challenge by pairing video with high-accuracy thermal targeting systems. Their joint capability integrates Vantor’s Raptor vision-based software suite with the GXP software ecosystem. At its core is Raptor Sync, which georegisters live full-motion video from a drone camera against an onboard 3D terrain database in real time. By injecting corrected metadata directly into the video stream at the edge, the system can achieve geolocation accuracy better than three meters, even with degraded onboard sensors. When combined with drone thermal imaging payloads, this approach promises not just clear pictures, but reliably mapped targets that support real-time engagement decisions without relying entirely on vulnerable GPS signals.
Fighting Through GPS Jamming and Degraded Conditions
Modern battlefields are saturated with GPS spoofing and jamming, turning traditional video-based intelligence into a liability when positional data cannot be trusted. Analysts describe “targeting paralysis” when drones deliver crisp imagery that cannot be confidently tied to specific locations. The BAE–Vantor solution addresses this by aligning sensor video with a 3D terrain model to correct inaccurate or missing coordinates before data reaches exploitation tools. At the same time, uncooled thermal cameras like Tenum 640 Orbit extend drone utility beyond clear daylight, offering detection, tracking, navigation, and obstacle avoidance in degraded visibility and full darkness. Together, resilient georegistration and all-weather thermal sensing let operators maintain operational tempo despite contested electromagnetic environments and low-cost drones with modest sensors. Instead of relying on a single vulnerable input, the workflow fuses onboard processing, terrain data, and thermal imagery to keep military drone surveillance effective under pressure.
Toward Standardized Thermal Payloads on Military Drones
The convergence of lightweight uncooled sensors and robust targeting software is pushing thermal imaging from specialized asset to standard feature on military drones. Systems like Tenum 640 Orbit, designed for scalable integration with common interfaces and compact footprints, make it practical to field thermal payloads across entire fleets of Group 1–3 UAVs and other unmanned platforms. Meanwhile, geospatial tools such as Raptor Sync and the GXP ecosystem are transforming raw video into trusted targeting information, preserving accuracy even when GPS or other sensors are compromised. For commanders, this means more drones can contribute actionable intelligence, day or night, in cluttered urban terrain or bad weather. As uncooled thermal cameras become easier to integrate and more cost-efficient to deploy, defense organizations can standardize on thermal targeting systems that deliver persistent surveillance, precise geolocation, and faster, more confident decision-making in contested environments.