Thermal Image and Video

A thermal imaging (TI) and a video camera are mounted in a stabilised pod beneath the nose of the aircraft.

The thermal imaging system enables heat to be detected, particularly body heat. These images are shown on the police observer’s screen in the aircraft as a black and white picture. This is an invaluable tool used to assist officers on the ground in finding suspects, missing persons or during vehicle pursuits.

The images from these cameras, as well as the radio soundtrack, can be recorded using an on board video recorder. This can subsequently used as evidence in any court case. This evidence has often made the difference between an offender being convicted or acquitted. In some cases the sheer weight of the evidence gained by this equipment has resulted in an offender pleading guilty instead of not guilty, thus saving considerable expense in court time, costs and more importantly officers time.

A microwave downlink transmits live television pictures from the aircraft directly to force control rooms or to mobile-based receivers.

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