Defense OEMs
Optex & AOC combine decades of U.S. DoD sensor integration experience to deliver turn-key electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR) solutions for detection, tracking, identification, and forensic analysis in layered air-defense networks.
Contents
1. Optex & AOC: DoD-Proven Optical-Mechanical Excellence
2. Sample “Drone Wall” Solutions
3. The OEM Reality: Where Programs Get Stuck
4. From Design Risk to Battlefield Readiness: The Value Optex Delivers to Defense OEMs
5. What Optex Brings to the Table
Manufacturing Capabilites for Stabilized EO/IR Gimbal Pods
Two-axis, prism-stabilized platforms for jitter-free imaging in rough conditions—proven technology
on U.S. Navy ships and Army command vehicles.
High-Resolution Thermal Sensors
Long-wave IR modules with sub-0.05° thermal sensitivity for detecting small UAS in clutter or low-
visibility environments.
Precision Security Filters
Custom multi-layer band-pass and neutral density filters to block laser dazzlers, minimize glare,
and enhance target contrast.
Day/Night HD Optical Cameras
10 MP low-light sensors with electronic shutter control for crisp day or night surveillance and
forensic review. Providing customized objective lens assemblies for the optical sub assemblies.
Defense leaders don’t choose Optex because we are convenient. They choose Optex because:
1. We understand how defense programs fail—and how to prevent it
2. We scale without losing precision
3. We speak the language of engineers, program managers, and field operators
4. We treat every optical assembly as mission equipment, not a commodity
Whether supporting next-generation armored vehicles, advanced ISR platforms, or legacy system
sustainment, Optex delivers one consistent outcome: equipment that is truly battle ready.
1. Real-Time Identification & Classification
2. Integrated EO/IR Sensor Network
3. Integrate with third-party radar/RF detection to cue optical sensors—reducing false positives and
accelerating response.
4. Deploy gimbal pods with synchronized EO/IR feeds, fused via our secure data-link to command
centers.
5. Record HD EO/IR footage for incident reconstruction and training library, improving counter-drone
tactics over time.
Defense OEMs face a familiar set of pressures:
1. Optical designs that work in theory but struggle in production
2. Qualification delays driven by manufacturing variability
3. Foreign sourcing risk and ITAR complexity
4. Field failures caused by coating durability, alignment drift, or assembly tolerances
5. Programs that stall because suppliers cannot scale without sacrificing quality
6. When these issues surface late, the cost is measured in missed delivery windows,
degraded mission performance, and increased lifecycle risk.
7. Optex exists specifically to prevent that outcome.
In today’s defense environment, speed to readiness matters as much as performance. Platforms
are becoming more complex, supply chains more fragile, and program risk less forgiving. For
large defense OEMs, the challenge is no longer just designing advanced systems—it’s getting
them built, qualified, and deployed at scale without surprises.
This is where Optex Systems delivers outsized value.
For customers such as DRS Technologies, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, General
Dynamics, and Rheinmetall, Optex is not simply a component supplier—we are a battle-
readiness partner trusted to solve the hardest opto-mechanical and manufacturing challenges
when failure is not an option.
Optex operates a 93,000-square-foot, Texas-based manufacturing campus purpose-built for
military optics and opto-mechanical assemblies. This is not a commercial optics shop adapted for
defense—it is a defense-first environment supporting:
1. Precision optical fabrication and assembly
2. Thin-film and protective optical coatings
3. Ruggedized mechanical integration
4. Environmental, shock, and vibration readiness
For OEMs, this means designs can move from engineering to production without changing
suppliers or requalifying processes.
Optex engineers engage early—often before optical architecture is fully locked—to identify and
eliminate downstream risks. This includes:
Design-for-manufacture feedback
Tolerance stack-up mitigation
Coating selection for abrasion, laser, and environmental exposure
Mechanical interfaces designed for long-term alignment stability
The result: fewer redesigns, smoother qualification, and predictable production ramps.
Optex has delivered over 50,000 periscope systems with a zero-warranty-claim record—a
statistic that matters deeply to OEMs supporting armored vehicles and mission-critical platforms.
That reliability is not accidental. It is the outcome of:
Controlled processes
Skilled optical technicians
Conservative engineering margins
Relentless quality discipline
When systems deploy, they stay deployed.
As OEMs rebalance away from high-risk international supply chains, Optex provides a secure,
U.S.-based alternative for optical subassemblies and complete systems.
This supports:
1. ITAR and compliance requirements
2. Long-term sustainment programs
3. Reduced geopolitical exposure
4. Trusted manufacturing for sensitive platforms
For primes and Tier-1 suppliers alike, Optex strengthens supply chain resilience without sacrificing
performance.
In an era where defense programs are judged on readiness, survivability, and reliability—not just
specs—Optex Systems stands as a strategic advantage.
We help defense OEMs move faster, reduce risk, and deploy systems that perform when it
matters most.
