The Real Picture: Gimbal Technology Suite delivers persistent, reliable, stable imagery

What began as a mission to give wildfire hotshot crews better aerial situational awareness has grown into a global capability. CACI’s Gimbal Technology Suite is built on decades of experience and is now deployed in more than 50 countries. Our gimbals currently support several critical missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, border security, law enforcement, disaster response, and critical infrastructure protection.

As electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging capability becomes increasingly vital across multiple domains, CACI’s modular, multi-sensor camera systems play a key role as U.S. defense expands with new investments in unmanned and autonomous systems. 

“New threats are emerging every day. Our adversaries are getting savvier and ongoing conflicts around the world are revealing a host of new threats and tactics. The urgency to deliver new solutions has never been more present,” said Brian Edgar, CACI Gimbal Technology Suite general manager. “Without eyes in the sky, unmanned vehicles serve no purpose. Our gimbals are critical to nearly every application one might do with a drone, and we take pride in the vital capabilities they provide.”

Battle-proven and multi-mission EO/IR 

CACI has two decades of experience providing lightweight, gyro-stabilized imaging systems that meet ISR, target classification, and acquisition requirements across air, ground, and maritime domains. CACI designs and builds complete gimbal systems – using mission-critical components from proven and quality-focused suppliers. All software and processing technology for these gimbals is developed in-house. 

When integrated onto a platform, our gimbals help defend against the rising threat of unmanned surface vessels and swarming drone networks, protect borders and critical infrastructure, fight wildfires, and even guard endangered species against anti-poaching operations. They are also key in classifying and designating targets on the battlefield, ensuring effective responses and limiting the risk of collateral damage. 

CACI’s current product line of imaging and optical gimbals are made of high-quality lightweight materials and are designed to meet military standards for use in rugged environments where product reliability can make or break mission success. Field-proven and multi-mission, these optical technologies are deployed worldwide to actively protect life and infrastructure:

CM41: A compact, lightweight system for ISR operations, the CM41 includes internal stabilization, object detection and recognition, and on-board video processing.

CM62 Micro Gimbal: Offering a long-endurance and lightweight EO/IR solution, the CM62 has HD EO sensors with 50X zoom, a standard definition LWIR sensor with digital zoom, and onboard video processing, all in a 260-gram package that is IP67. As a compact total system weighing just over half a pound, the CM62 is also ideal for small UAS. 

CM102: Designed for the evolving needs of ISR applications, the CM102 weighs less than two pounds and provides best-in-class high-definition (HD) EO/IR performance with a two-axis stabilized system to ensure high-quality imagery. It is also equipped with advanced onboard features such as AI-based object detection, recognition, and classification, and fully integrated video processing and encoding. An IP65 rating ensures reliable performance in harsh environments.

CM234: A seven-sensor innovative tactical payload with enhanced ISR accuracy and a laser range finder, target designator, and pointer, it is currently providing superior situational awareness to operators aboard Group 2-3 UAS.

CM262 Ground System: Combining four industry-leading sensor configurations, this 35-pound package provides warfighters with 24/7 ground-to-air on-the-move ISR and target acquisition capabilities.

Tethered drone technology partnership

When Hoverfly, a leader in the development and production of tethered UAS wanted to elevate their offerings and enhance their ISR capabilities, the company sought out a quality-first solution that aligned with the value of its own products. With CACI’s solutions standing out from the rest, Hoverfly partnered with CACI to bring military-grade, reliable, next-generation gimbals to its SENTRY and SPECTRE tethered drones.

“We offer the best possible EO/IR products and go-to market solutions, and that resonated with Hoverfly,” Scola said. “They have been in this business awhile and when they saw how our solutions were a leap forward from the rest, they quickly connected with CACI.”

On a Hoverfly tethered drone, lightweight and durable CACI gimbals such as the micro CM62 and compact CM102 extend performance and endurance well beyond what is possible on a battery-operated drone. The tether's integrated power and data link enable continuous operation and persistence surveillance to provide on-demand, long duration situational awareness for key personnel.

“The CM102 offers tremendous benefits like built-in AI vision and mosaic stitching for monitoring large swaths of terrain. We not only love the base EO/IR camera, but the additional features that come out-of-the-box with each of these sensors,” said Tyler Marple, senior manager with Hoverfly. “We offer the CM102 as a premier integrated sensor to our UAS customers both domestically and internationally.”