APG Avionics (APG), a global leader in the supplying of avionics and aviation equipment for para-military and military applications, has announced it has successfully installed Controp Precision Technologies Ltd’s (Controp) surveillance, infrared, thermal and electro-optical (SITE)-20 on the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) aviation unit’s Bell OH-58 helicopter. This is the first Controp line of SITE surveillance systems installed in the United States.
The helicopter will also be featured at the Florida International Air Show press party on Sept. 13, 2016, at 5 p.m. in the APG Avionics hangar on the Punta Gorda Airport.
APG will offer the following Controp line of SITE systems to the U.S. market: SITE-20, SITE-30HD and SITE-50HD. The SITE camera payloads are gyro-stabilized electro-optical instrument rating (EO/IR) day/night systems, which include a thermal imaging camera with a continuous optical zoom lens and proprietary state-of-the-art image enhancement features.
The high performance, low weight SITE systems are field proven and operator-friendly due to their superb gyro-stabilization and outstanding image quality. These features as well as additional functions make the line of SITE surveillance systems the most cost effective when compared to similar products in the market.
Controp was established in 1988 and has vast experience with installations on a variety of commercial helicopters including Bell 206, Bell 407, Airbus Helicopters AS350, and more. Controp also has extensive experience with installations on military helicopters including Mi-17, Mi-24, and more.
In addition, Controp EO/IR camera payloads fly on fixed-wing light aircraft (A/C) including Diamond, Cessna, Piper and other A/C, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and small UAVs.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to utilize this state-of-the-art system not only for patrol support and surveillance, but for search-and-rescue missions as well,” said CCSO chief pilot, Robert Steht. “Our aviation unit is excited to put our SITE-20 system to use.”
“We’re very pleased so far as the SITE-20 has exceeded our expectations,” said Dan IJpkemuele, APG Avionics general manager. “The video feed is crisp and stable in both day mode and IR, target tracking has been flawless.”
