Sensor PIRATE is a passive, rotating, cooled
infrared sensor with high resolution, which is also referred to as an imaging infrared sensor. PIRATE operates in two IR bands, 3–5 and 8–11 micrometres. The externally visible dome is only the azimuthally rotatable sensor head, which contains the tilting mirror. Both elements have been stabilized, the maximum azimuth and elevation range is probably 150 ° × 60 °. The sensor consists of a single Line-Replaceable Item (LRI), which in turn contains four subsystems: The sensor head module with the stabilized sensor head, the detector, the servo control processor, and the electronics for signal matching. The data processing computer to discover and tracking targets, the video processor to the imaging display of the infrared image on the HUD, HMD or MHDD. The sensor is connected to the MIL-STD-1553 to and connect to a STANEG 2910 bus. PowerPC processors were used for the signal processing. The sensor is 680 × 591 × 300 mm (L x W x H), and weighs 48 kilograms.
Operating Modes PIRATE is fundamentally a Track-While-Scan infrared search and track (IRST) system which also performs conventional navigation FLIR functions. It can track and prioritized up to 500 targets simultaneously. In the air-air role, the equipment passively detects, tracks, classifies and prioritizes multiple airborne targets under all aspects, look-up, look-down and co-altitude conditions. However, the weather conditions will affect the performance of the infrared-based target search and target tracking significantly. In 2013, the detection range of PIRATE was said to be further increased by software updates. ==References==