Laser Designators Technology

Laser designators are becoming an operational requirement for ground forces, helicopters and unmanned air systems (UAS) that are participating in antic terror operations. TAMAM, a division of Israel aerospace industries (IAI) is offering a variety of solutions.

Usually these designators are installed and interoperable with the TAMAM optronic payloads.

One program in which the Israeli company was a major partner was the installation of upgraded payloads on the US army and marines RQ-7 Shadow – 200 UAS.

This UAS was initially equipped by TAMAM’s POP-200 electro optical payload. Later a decision was made to enable the UAS to designate targets with laser.

Sources say that the laser designators on the Shadow-200 will enable designating targets for the Hellfire missiles that are being carried by the Apache helicopters of the US army and the Cobra W of the US navy. It will enable using the Hellfire missiles in the two modes of operation – lock before launch or launch before lock.