Photron Awarded White Sands Contract

SAN DIEGO, March 22 -- Photron USA Inc., a manufacturer of advanced high-speed, high-resolution imaging systems, has been awarded a contract from White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) to supply its Ultima APX-RS line of high-speed digital camera systems to replace 16-mm and 35-mm high-speed film cameras currently in use there.

WSMR is a US Army installation in New Mexico that provides US armed services, NASA and other government agencies and private industry with services for testing, research, development and training.

The initial contract for twenty-six cameras, for over $2 million, will begin the process of replacing up to 75 high-speed film cameras at WSMR. Seventeen color Ultima APX-RS cameras and nine black & white APX-RS cameras will fulfill the first order. the Ultima APX-RS is equipped with Gigabit Ethernet and 16 GB of memory for 12 seconds of record time at 1000 frames per second (f/s).

The open procurement guidelines from WSMR invited high-speed video systems manufacturers to provide quotes for digital high-speed cameras with baseline specifications of megapixel (1000 x 1000) resolution at 1000 f/s with a minimum record time of at least 8 seconds and with Gigabit Ethernet compatibility. WSMR purchased cameras from three finalists for evaluation and independent field testing by WSMR engineers; NewTec, the contractor for range operations at WSMR; and an independent testing house, Electro Optical Industries, of Santa Barbara.

Mark Green, president of Digital West Imaging, Photron's strategic partner and distributor for New Mexico, said the company's long-range plan is to replace all 16-mm, 35-mm and 70-mm high-speed film cameras at WSMR with new digital high-speed systems.

For more information, visit: www.photron.com