With nearly four decades of expertise in the defence, space and communications markets, Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has been one of the top reliable brands globally in advanced electro-optic and microwave applications. EOS is a global market leader in remote weapons station domain. Counter UAS Systems (CUAS) and Remote and Autonomous Systems (RAS) are the two areas of significant growth in the current Defence Industry market and the current EOS product line gives the company a strong lead in these fields. In an interview with ARABIAN DEFENCE, Dr. Andreas Schwer, President EMEA & Delegate of Group CEO, EOS (Electro Optics Systems) talks about the company’s latest operations.
Could you talk about the major defence products and solutions of EOS?
Electro Optic Systems (EOS), an Australian-owned technology and manufacturing company, has been operating in the defence, space and communications markets for over 37 years. EOS’ products incorporate a range of technologies including advanced electro-optic and microwave applications based on core technologies in software, laser, electronics, optronics, gimbals, telescopes and beam directors, as well as precision mechanisms and high-end broadband radio transceivers and SATCOMon-the-move terminals. EOS owns all intellectual property along with complete vertical design allowing for long-term obsolescence management. Key products include next generation remote weapon stations, vehicle turrets, laser weapons (directed energy effectors), counter-UAS systems, lethality systems for remote and autonomous platforms, and battlegroup and below communications systems.
EOS has been developing remote weapon stations. Could you give details and who are major customers?
You are right, EOS has been the originator and inventor of this new class of weapon system many years ago. Since that time – and till today – EOS is a global market leader in this domain. We have an extensive list of foreign contracts with over 2000 systems in service around the world. Customers include the US Forces, Australian Defence Force, Indonesian Armed Forces, Netherlands Ministry of Defence, Republic of Korea Army, Singapore Armed Forces, Royal Thai Army, Saudi Arabian Ministry of the Interior and UAE Armed Forces.
What are the expansion plans of EOS?
There are two areas of significant growth in the current Defence Industry market. Counter UAS Systems (CUAS) and Remote and Autonomous Systems (RAS). The current EOS product line gives the company a strong lead in these fields.
Our obsession with precision and accuracy means that our systems are highly effective as CUAS effectors. The EOS Titanis CUAS system builds on our extensive CUAS R&D to provide a complete CUAS capability that is flexible and adaptable to any CUAS requirement or budget. The true flexibility of Titanis is its ability to be scaled and this is because any existing EOS weapon station can become part of an integrated and fully modular CUAS capability.
However, the backbone and highlight of our Titanis system forms the Directed Energy effector (DE), our High-Energy Laser Weapon System. EOS is quite unique in the global market with its NATO qualified DE-product, being already under serial production and ready for export. Titanis can provide full hemispherical protection to a small and highly mobile Special Forces patrol or a fixed facility covering many square kilometers. The UAS threat has caught many militaries off-guard, our Titanis system provides a fast, effective, low risk and low cost solution to this growing problem.
Two characteristics of the EOS weapon station family have made our systems particularly popular with the RAS community. They are the ability to mount highly lethal weapon systems in very lightweight packages and our simple and intuitive user interface. These two characteristics allow our systems to be easily adapted to RAS capabilities. Interfaces with communications bearers and Artificial Intelligence systems are straightforward and quickly implemented and our lightweight weapon stations allow small RAS platforms to carry very high levels of firepower. EOS has already provided lethality solutions to around a dozen different RAS platforms and the list is expanding.
The two growth areas above have also lead EOS to reach into new sectors. The backbone of the Titanis CUAS system is our own C2 application which we are hosting on our own C4I network. While we won’t be presenting these products at EDEX please keep an eye out for them in future product releases.
EOS is involved in the space domain also. Could you describe the major products and applications?
EOS produces highly accurate, real-time space intelligence products for Space Domain Awareness and Space Traffic Management, including Data-as-aService, for customers on satellite capabilities, orbital characteristics and potential conjunctions. This information can be used to enable safe satellite operations and fullyinformed decision making in the space domain. EOS strives to ensure both commercial and defence customers achieve the highest probability for their mission success. EOS is also on its way to become the operator of the first mobile satellite communication network using optical ground-tospace communication, called Spacelink. This system will offer from 2024 more bandwidth for secure governmental communication than any other existing satellite system. Most recently, we have placed the contract for the construction of the first generation of satellites.
What are the major products EOS offering to Egypt and what are the technologies and products showcasing at EDEX exhibition?
The focus of our EDEX display is our R150 and R400 weapon stations. These two systems fill unique positions in the international weapon station market and offer a broad range of capabilities. The R150 is a lightweight weapon station that can mount weapons from 5.56mm through to 14.5mm. The R150 is 3 axis stabilized and is equipped with EOS’s own high resolution/long range sensors and laser range finder. With a .50Cal machine gun and a full load of ammunition the whole system is under 200kg making it easily adaptable to even the lightest of platforms. The R150 maintains EOS’s signature accuracy and precision allowing it to serve as an effective CUAS capability when equipped with a simple 7.62mm machine gun. The R400 is the next system up in the EOS weapon station range and provides an unprecedented level of flexibility, firepower and precision. Mounting weapons from a single 5.56mm machine gun through to a multi weapon combination of 30x113mm cannon, 7.62mm machine gun and dual missile launcher, the R400 can bring medium AFV firepower to lightweight platforms.
The dual weapon equipped system is less than 500kg and provides highly lethal 30mm firepower out to 2000m. It can be equipped with an independent radar capability, and like the R150, the R400 is a highly capable CUAS system. While our EDEX presence will center around these two systems EOS representatives will be available to discuss and provide information on our R800 and Directed Energy systems as well as all the other elements of the EOS product portfolio.
