The company said new shipping routes, territorial disputes and renewed activity by peer Arctic nations are increasing the importance of the region. It said strategic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance is critical because allied Arctic nations cannot protect what they cannot see.
L3Harris said Arctic domain awareness must be improved with technologies built for extreme cold environments. Its WESCAM MX-Series electro-optical and infrared sensor systems are intended to support persistent surveillance across all domains, including the Arctic.
Extreme cold can degrade routine operations by slowing mechanical components, reducing battery performance and challenging precision optics. Focus stability, sensor sensitivity and overall system integrity can also be affected.
Snow-covered environments make imagery difficult because they offer limited contrast and are dominated by whites, greys and pale blues. Whiteout conditions remove distinguishing features such as edges, shadows and texture, making object detection harder.
Infrared systems also face problems in cold environments because thermal contrast is compressed. Small temperature differences between targets and surroundings can make detection more difficult, while snow, ice and atmospheric effects may create reflections, false returns and reduced image clarity.
The company said these conditions can create a worst-case environment for optical sensors on long-duration missions in remote areas with limited support infrastructure. It said missions may also have to be conducted with limited connectivity and degraded navigation, making sensor resilience and platform independence critical.
L3Harris said Arctic operations require capabilities including maritime surveillance, sovereignty patrol, search and rescue, early warning, threat detection and counter-unmanned systems operations. It said the United States, Canada and allied nations have observed increased activity by non-NATO actors, including expanded infrastructure, refurbished airfields and a growing military presence along Arctic coastlines.
The company said persistent ISR depends on more than basic imaging capability. It requires long-range detection, advanced optics, multi-axis stabilisation, multi-sensor payloads, reliable cold-weather performance and secure real-time intelligence sharing with distributed forces.
WESCAM MX-Series systems combine high-definition electro-optical sensors with mid-wave infrared and short-wave infrared capabilities. L3Harris said these features support high-quality imaging in day, night and degraded visual environments.
The systems provide wide and narrow fields of view and long stand-off ranges. This allows operators to detect and monitor targets while remaining beyond visual range.
L3Harris described a scenario in which a long-range ISR aircraft detects a low-signature vessel moving through Arctic shipping lanes in low visibility. The sensor operator shifts to short-wave infrared and blended sensor views, identifies a faint thermal signature, locks onto the vessel with automatic target tracking and relays the contact to command as a potential threat.
The company said AI-enabled edge processing can further support advanced object detection and multi-target tracking. Emerging capabilities allow detection of very small objects, including drones, at minimal pixel thresholds, even down to 2×2 pixels.
L3Harris said this improves identification confidence in complex environments. Advanced stabilisation across internal components and gimbal systems is designed to keep images clear despite vibration, high winds and turbulence.
The systems also use platform-provided GPS coordinates to improve geo-pointing accuracy for target tracking, laser illumination and designation. L3Harris said the result is a ruggedised, combat-proven electro-optical and infrared system for fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing platforms, unmanned systems, ground vehicles and maritime vessels.
The company said the WESCAM MX-Series can be tailored for maritime surveillance, coastal infrastructure monitoring and tracking low-signature threats. It said the systems are designed to meet mission-specific requirements across multiple platforms.
L3Harris said counter-unmanned systems capabilities are becoming more important as low-cost drones spread into new operating regions, including the Arctic. It said WESCAM systems have supported counter-UxS operations since 2023, including detection, identification and engagement workflows.
The company said passive electro-optical and infrared sensors allow persistent surveillance because they do not emit signals. With AI drone detection software active, the system can alert an operator when a small object several kilometres away meets the conditions of a potential drone threat rather than a false target such as a bird.
The operator can then zoom in, use infrared sensors, lock onto the object and prepare the system for engagement. L3Harris said such capability is relevant for austere platforms operating in extreme cold, high winds and low-light conditions.
L3Harris said its VAMPIRE system integrates WESCAM electro-optical and infrared sensors with AI-enabled detection and both kinetic and non-kinetic effectors. The company described VAMPIRE as a flexible and combat-proven solution for counter-UxS missions in denied and degraded environments.
The company said Arctic conditions degrade both systems and certainty. It said mission success in the region depends on technologies able to deliver clarity when it matters.
