Leonardo DRS has launched Tenum® 640 Orbit™, an advanced uncooled Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) thermal camera module optimized for unmanned air, ground, and maritime platforms.
Debuted during the SOF Week exhibition in Tampa, Florida, the payload is built around an uncooled VOx microbolometer and configured for high-volume integration on Group 1-3 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), and Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). The module delivers 640 x 512 resolution with a 10 µm pixel pitch in the 8-14 µm spectral band.
By providing persistent high frame-rate thermal imagery, Tenum® 640 Orbit™ supports detection, tracking, navigation, and collision or obstacle avoidance. It is designed to extend the endurance of small unmanned systems in an ultra-compact footprint, functioning effectively in day, night, and degraded-visibility environments. The system supports 60 frames per second and delivers less than 20 mK thermal sensitivity.
Greg Christison, Vice President, Sensors & Aviation, at Leonardo DRS, commented, “Unmanned systems are fielding at scale. Integrators and operators need thermal cameras that are both mission-capable and integration-friendly. Tenum® 640 Orbit™ is a size, weight, power and cost (SWAP-c) optimized OEM camera module to help accelerate integration timelines and enable broader deployment across small, unmanned platforms without compromising performance.”
To streamline OEM integration, the technology is Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Camera Serial Interface (CSI) / Camera Command Set (CCS) compatible. It also features optional USB connectivity alongside configurable video outputs for scalable, cost-efficient deployment.
