Surveillance equipment specialist L-3 Wescam brought the newest member of its hugely popular MX stabilized turret series to the Helitech event in Amsterdam, marking the European debut of the system, unveiled at the AUSA (Association of the United States Army) show in October. With an 8.3-inch-diameter turret ball and 11-inch-ground-clearance plane, the MX-8 is the smallest of the family, yet has a four-axis system offering an exceptional 35-μrad stabilization. Such a level is particularly important in the smaller platforms for which the turret is primarily intended.

MX-8 is targeted at UAVs and small manned platforms. Weighing 15 pounds, the new turret offers a significant weight-saving compared to the MX-10, the previous “baby” of the L-3 Wescam line. The reduced weight will also appeal to users wishing to add a second sensor system, such as radar, to a SWaP-limited platform. MX-8 has the same interface as the larger members of the family, which range from the 10-inch MX-10 to the 25-inch MX-25. All share common integration and training. The company had prototyped an even smaller seven-inch ball, but after trials and consultation with potential customers concluded the eight-inch ball offered the optimal weight/performance tradeoff.

Four sensor systems are incorporated into the turret, including a 3- to 5-μm cooled staring array thermal imager with a field of view from 2.75 degrees to 28.9 degrees, and a color lowlight continuous zoom camera with a field of view from 1.53 degrees to 30degrees. The electro-optic set is complemented by an eye-safe laser rangefinder and 150 mW Class IIIb laser illuminator. The turret features an embedded GPS receiver and has image-blending and autotracker capabilities. An e-zoom feature allows for 2x and 4x magnification.

Although the MX-8 is engineered to meet military specifications and defense forces such as the U.S. Army are seen as key customers, the turret offers a significant reduction in cost compared with the larger systems, making it a more aattractive option for non-military operators, such as law enforcement agencies and emergency medical services. The MX series has already gained significant traction in the law enforcement market; L-3 Wescam has sold 49 MX-10s to police forces this year already.