SCD secures $40 million in new MWIR contracts as global demand accelerates for high-performance infrared at Scale

Misgav, Israel, October 07, 2026 – Semi Conductor Devices (SCD), a global leader in the development and manufacture of advanced infrared detector technologies, today announced three new contracts totaling approximately $40 million for its Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) solutions. The contracts span airborne, space and homeland security applications, with deliveries beginning in 2027.

The contracts come as MWIR technology is becoming increasingly critical across the modern battlefield. The rapid proliferation of UAVs and emerging aerial threats, together with growing requirements for border protection, tactical maneuvering systems and long-range stand-off detection, are driving global demand for high-performance infrared sensing across a much broader range of platforms.

This shift is changing the requirements from infrared technology. Customers increasingly need HD performance, extended detection and identification range, compact SWaP-C, affordable system-level integration and, critically, the ability to deploy these capabilities at scale.

SCD is positioned to address this need through a broad portfolio of field-proven MWIR products, mature High Operating Temperature (HOT) MWIR technology, and established high-volume manufacturing capabilities. Together, these capabilities enable customers to move rapidly from system selection and integration to deployment and volume production.

The new contracts build on growing global demand for SCD’s MWIR portfolio, including Sparrow, Sparrow-HD, Mini Blackbird and Crane, addressing applications ranging from compact tactical systems to high-performance airborne and space platforms.

“MWIR is no longer a capability reserved only for a limited number of high-end platforms,” said Kobi Zaushnizer, CEO of SCD. “The modern battlefield is creating a much broader need for high-performance infrared sensing – from detecting drones and protecting borders to enabling tactical maneuvering and stand-off detection at extended ranges.”

“The challenge is therefore not only to achieve outstanding detector performance. The industry must be able to deliver HD MWIR with the right SWaP-C and cost, with proven reliability, and in the quantities and timeframes required for operational deployment. This is where SCD’s combination of technology, mature products and industrial scale makes a real difference. We are ready to support our customers as MWIR moves from a specialized capability to a broadly deployed operational capability.”

Sparrow is SCD’s compact, low-SWaP-C MWIR solution designed for tactical and multi-domain applications. Since its introduction in 2020, accumulated sales and orders have exceeded 8,000 units worldwide. Based on SCD’s mature HOT MWIR technology, the Sparrow family is designed for integration across airborne payloads, tactical UAVs, loitering munitions, remote weapon stations, perimeter security and other high-volume applications.

Sparrow-HD extends the Sparrow family with a 5um pixel pitch, delivering more pixels on target and enhanced detection, recognition and identification performance while retaining the compact architecture and integration flexibility required for tactical platforms.

Mini Blackbird 1280 HFM provides high-definition MWIR performance for airborne and tactical payloads, combining long-range imaging capability with compact size, low power consumption and a mature architecture designed for demanding operational environments.

Crane, SCD’s 5-megapixel, 5um MWIR detector, addresses applications requiring extremely high resolution and extended-range detection and tracking, including advanced airborne missile warning and threat-detection systems.

Together, these product families demonstrate SCD’s ability to provide MWIR solutions across a wide operational spectrum – from compact tactical sensors deployed in large quantities to sophisticated, long-range airborne and space systems.

photo courtesy SCD