XQ EO/IR pod series

EO/IR Pod Systems: Stabilised Multi-Sensor Pods

8 models · 1.6 kg – 10 kg · 2-axis pods

The XQ series takes the stabilisation and imaging architecture of the compact HQ heads and scales it for larger airframes.

2-axis pods
1.6 kg – 10 kg
30x – 55x zoom
1280 × 1024 thermal

Request a quotation All product categories

An EO/IR pod scales the compact gimbal architecture up to platforms with a larger payload budget. Each uav camera pod in the XQ series carries a 30x to 55x daylight channel, an uncooled thermal imager and a laser rangefinder reaching 15 km.

A surveillance pod for maritime patrol or border work is usually specified by its ranging distance and its thermal lens, because those two numbers set how far out a contact can be identified. The multi-sensor pod layout is the same across the range — daylight, thermal and laser on one two-axis turret — so an eo/ir pod system can be swapped between aircraft without a new integration. Every camera pod below shares one control interface and one video pipeline.

Core capabilities

Three-axis stabilisation
≤ 100 μrad stabilisation accuracy with ≥ 60°/s angular velocity isolates the line of sight from airframe motion.
Continuous optical zoom
10x to 40x continuous zoom optics with autofocus and electronic image stabilisation at sub-pixel level.
Uncooled thermal imaging
640 × 512 (up to 1280 × 1024) long-wave infrared with NETD ≤ 40 mK, boresighted to the visible channel.
Laser rangefinding
1535 nm or 905 nm rangefinders from 5 m to 3 km turn video into georeferenced target coordinates.
Onboard AI detection
Person, vehicle, vessel and aircraft recognition runs locally, with no dependency on a data link.
Open integration
Ethernet video, RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL control, SBUS and MAVLink, with on-board 128 GB recording.

HITS QP-125TB gimbal camera pod with a daylight lens and a thermal channel in a spherical housing — Pod housing with a daylight lens and a thermal channel, the layout used across the XQ series.

White HITS gimbal camera pod on a display stand showing the front sensor windows — The same pod in the white finish, showing how little the outer body changes between configurations.

8 models in the XQ series

From a 1.6 kg pod for tactical airframes to a 10 kg turret for maritime patrol, every model shares one control interface.

EO/IR pod system for UAV surveillance missions

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-125T EO/IR Camera Pod OEM

The smallest pod in the XQ range: 30x zoom, a 35 mm thermal channel and 3 km ranging at 1.6 kg.

Full specifications →

Visible: 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm
Thermal: 640 × 512, 35 mm fixed
Laser: 30 m – 3 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤1.6 kg

XQ-155T 2-axis EO/IR camera pod for UAV with 5 km laser rangefinder

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-155T EO/IR Payload OEM

A 55 mm thermal lens and 5 km ranging for platforms that can carry 2.2 kg on the hardpoint.

Full specifications →

Visible: 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm
Thermal: 640 × 512, 55 mm fixed
Laser: 50 m – 5 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤2.2 kg

XQ-170TC 2-axis EO/IR camera pod for UAV with 5 km laser rangefinder

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-170TC EO/IR Camera Pod ODM

1280 × 1024 thermal on a 75 mm lens — the long-range imaging workhorse of the pod range.

Full specifications →

Visible: 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm
Thermal: 1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed
Laser: 50 m – 5 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤2.8 kg

XQ-180T 2-axis EO/IR camera pod for UAV with 6 km laser rangefinder

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-180T customized UAV EO/IR Payload

4K daylight imaging at 3840 × 2160 with 17.5x zoom and 6 km ranging.

Full specifications →

Visible: 3840 × 2160, 17.5x zoom 6.8 – 120 mm
Thermal: 1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed
Laser: 50 m – 6 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤4.1 kg

XQ-200T 2-axis EO/IR camera pod for UAV with 9.5 km laser rangefinder

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-200T EO/IR Payload Direct Factory

A continuous-zoom thermal channel from 40 mm to 220 mm plus 9.5 km ranging on a 5 kg pod.

Full specifications →

Visible: 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm
Thermal: 640 × 512, continuous zoom 40 – 220 mm
Laser: 50 m – 9.5 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤5 kg

XQ-225T 2-axis EO/IR camera pod for UAV with 9 km laser rangefinder

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-225T EO/IR Pod Manufacturer

55x daylight zoom and a 275 mm thermal reach for identification at the edge of the envelope.

Full specifications →

Visible: 1920 × 1080, 55x zoom 4.25 – 234 mm
Thermal: 640 × 512, continuous zoom 20 – 275 mm
Laser: 80 m – 9 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤7 kg

XQ-254T 2-axis EO/IR camera pod for UAV with 15 km laser rangefinder

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-254T Thermal EO/IR Camera Pod Supplier

The long-range pod: 15 km ranging and a 254 mm turret for maritime and border patrol aircraft.

Full specifications →

Visible: 1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm
Thermal: 640 × 512, continuous zoom 40 – 220 mm
Laser: 100 m – 15 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤10 kg

XQ-255T 2-axis EO/IR camera pod for UAV with 9.5 km laser rangefinder

2-axis · EO + IR + LRF

XQ-255T EO/IR Payload ODM

55x daylight zoom with dual continuous-zoom optics for the largest airframes in the range.

Full specifications →

Visible: 1920 × 1080, 55x zoom 4.25 – 234 mm
Thermal: 640 × 512, continuous zoom 20 – 120 mm
Laser: 80 m – 9.5 km (± 1 m)
Weight: ≤10 kg

Compare the range

Model	Axes	Configuration	Visible camera	Thermal imager	Laser rangefinder	Weight
XQ-125T	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm	640 × 512, 35 mm fixed	30 m – 3 km (± 1 m)	≤1.6 kg
XQ-155T	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm	640 × 512, 55 mm fixed	50 m – 5 km (± 1 m)	≤2.2 kg
XQ-170TC	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm	1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed	50 m – 5 km (± 1 m)	≤2.8 kg
XQ-180T	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	3840 × 2160, 17.5x zoom 6.8 – 120 mm	1280 × 1024, 75 mm fixed	50 m – 6 km (± 1 m)	≤4.1 kg
XQ-200T	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm	640 × 512, continuous zoom 40 – 220 mm	50 m – 9.5 km (± 1 m)	≤5 kg
XQ-225T	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	1920 × 1080, 55x zoom 4.25 – 234 mm	640 × 512, continuous zoom 20 – 275 mm	80 m – 9 km (± 1 m)	≤7 kg
XQ-254T	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	1920 × 1080, 30x zoom 4.3 – 129 mm	640 × 512, continuous zoom 40 – 220 mm	100 m – 15 km (± 1 m)	≤10 kg
XQ-255T	2-axis	EO + IR + LRF	1920 × 1080, 55x zoom 4.25 – 234 mm	640 × 512, continuous zoom 20 – 120 mm	80 m – 9.5 km (± 1 m)	≤10 kg

Engineering detail

Built for larger airframes

From 1.6 kg to 10 kg, the XQ range covers long-endurance fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and heavy multirotors. The 254T pairs a 254 mm turret with 15 km ranging for maritime and border patrol work.

One integration across the range

Every pod speaks the same control protocol and video pipeline as the compact HQ heads: RS-422 / RS-232 / TTL control, Ethernet video in H.264 or H.265, and the same AI detection and multi-target tracking module.

Designed and manufactured by HITS

Optics, servo hardware, stabilisation firmware and the AI tracking module are developed in house, and every unit is assembled, calibrated and environmentally tested on our own line before it ships.

HITS engineer testing a stabilised gimbal camera payload on the test bench before dispatch

Production line assembling stabilised gimbal camera payloads at the HITS factory

Engineer assembling the internal components of a HITS stabilised gimbal camera payload

Environmental and calibration test bench for UAV gimbal camera payloads at the HITS factory

Request information or a quotation

Send the platform, the operating altitude and the identification range you need and we will size the pod. Contact us with your requirements.

Request a quotation
All product categories