Equipment and software developer Bertin Technologies SAS has been chosen by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to supply their troops with its Second Sight MS standoff detectors. The Second Sight MS is a remote gas-detection system employing an IR sensor in real time and designed to detect threats such as chemical warfare agents or toxic industrial gases. Second Sight MS permits the stand-off detection, identification and full visualization in real time of a gas cloud at ranges up to 5 km. Bertin’s Second Sight MS standoff gas-detection camera. Courtesy of Bertin. The equipment has been certified by third party agencies as conforming to the requisite standards for military use in terms of its capacity to detect chemical warfare agents, water-and dust-proofing, electromagnetic compliance and resistance to vibration and shock. The system makes it possible to gain the advantage of early warning of a chemical threat and to gather all the data needed to manage the attack with the type of gas, location of source, extent and spread of contamination. “The Second Sight is composed of different modules, providing it with unrivalled flexibility of use and versatility as well as compactness, deployability and operability,” said Romain Verollet, manager of the defense and security product range at Bertin. “Another key advantage of our equipment is its ability to detect unexpected chemical threats in an asymmetric warfare scenario, no matter [what] is the type of gas used or the location of its dispersal.” Bertin develops, produces and markets systems and equipment in the fields of systems and instrumentation, consulting and engineering, risk management and ergonomics, information technology, pharmaceuticals and biotechs.