BURLINGTON, Ontario, August 15 -- Wescam has been awarded a contract to develop and incorporate a laser designator into its new step-stare sensor system supporting the US Army's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs. The total contract is valued at C$8.2 million, of which C$4.8 million is funded, with the balance expected to be funded in 2003. Wescam is contracted to deliver the prototypes in 2004. Wescam has successfully developed and delivered three variants of its step-stare sensor system, incorporating unique payload configurations, to meet the Army's key mission objectives, including high-resolution broad-area reconnaissance coverage, persistent surveillance and multispectral mine detection. The step-stare sensor system with laser designator will further enhance Army UAVs' operational versatility with target designation capabilities. This step-stare gyrostablized system provides the Army with the capability to methodically capture extremely high-resolution digital stills at high speeds and combine them into a large, high-resolution composite image covering 300 Km2 per hour. The system digitally maps terrain and troop movements dramatically faster than a typical surveillance system today, the company said.