A Cyprus-based supplier has signed a multinational procurement contract with a European armament cooperation organization for delivery of next-generation IRIS-C thermal clip-on modules to two armed forces. The initial order value is approximately €50 million (about USD 58.7 million), with an optional extension clause worth up to €150 million (about USD 176 million). Delivery and fielding are scheduled across 2026–2027, with production and sustainment carried out in partnership with a Germany-based industrial collaborator that will also perform maintenance and support services. The IRIS-C is a clip-on thermal imaging module designed to mount to existing optical weapon sights and provide fused thermal and low-light imagery. It is compatible with both origin-brand and third-party night-vision devices, producing combined visual overlays to improve target detection, recognition, and tracking across degraded lighting and environmental conditions. When integrated with the supplier’s Smart Battery Pack or Smart Gateway, the unit can present augmented reality overlays — including friend-or-foe indicators, target recognition cues, and mission data — and supports connectivity with established Battle Management Systems for higher-tier situational awareness. The procurement reflects a modular upgrade strategy favored by many forces: increase sensor capability while preserving installed optics and reducing platform replacement costs. The contracting arrangement assigns maintenance responsibility to a local industrial partner to ensure life-cycle support and minimize logistics friction. Overall, the program prioritizes rapid capability insertion, sensor-network integration, and sustainment planning, delivering combat-relevant imaging enhancements to small-unit and platform-level optics while enabling data linkage into broader command-and-control architectures.
