Rafael Advanced Defense Systems (Chalet N51) is unveiling the MicroLite lightweight electro-optical infrared system for wide-area persistent surveillance missions at the Singapore Airshow. The compact intelligence, surveillance, targeting, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) system is designed for small aerial platforms including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), manned aircraft, unpowered balloons, and powered airships.

MicroLite is capable of providing around-the-clock wide-area persistent surveillance through simultaneous scanning with high-resolution, mid-wave infrared and visual, high-definition color sensors. MicroLite may also be equipped with a laser designator for sensor-to-shooter loop closure.

Applying a gimballed-turret design that enables a horizon-to-horizon field of regard, MicroLite includes an onboard data processing and storage unit for real-time advanced image processing as well as an advanced suite of cyber defenses. It has been integrated onto Aeronautics’s Orbiter-4 UAV for flight testing, marking a “tight synergy” with Aeronautics, which Rafael acquired last year. The MicroLite-equipped UAV is on display at Rafael’s booth.