EELTEX provides cost-effective emergency egress lighting solutions and lighting expertise to the defence industry.
The company has over 50 years of experience in the design and manufacture of lighting equipment and supplied solutions to Western armed forces for various military platforms.
Emergency egress lighting systems for military applications
EELTEX’s Egret system is known in the UK as a vehicle escape lighting system (VELS) and in the US as an emergency egress lighting system (EELS).
EELS / VELS are crucial aids to crew survivability, specifically designed to guide personnel to vehicle exits in the aftermath of an incident. The Egret lighting system is designed to optimise crew safety while requiring minimal maintenance, with negligible through-life costs.
The full vehicle egress lighting system consists of multiple standard modular elements, including robust alert lights, an impulse detector, water and rollover sensor, and batteries. Components are designed to comply with defence standards and MIL-STD requirements and the modular design enables compatibility with various military vehicles.
The military has previously used photoluminescent tape within armoured vehicles to highlight egress / escape, aiming to assist crew with spatial disorientation. However, several trials have shown that the tape is not fit for purpose through smoke and water, and that LED lights operate more effectively in turbid environments.
Customisable EELS / VELS solutions for defence requirements
EELS is constructed with modular elements to ensure compatibility with military land platforms. Designed to operate from the vehicle’s power, defaulting to its own primary source in the event of a power failure, or the system can be optionally supplied with its own robust rechargeable battery supply.
The EELS / VELS alert lighting arrangement utilises the standard configuration derived from helicopter trials. An inverted U illuminated with white lights is used around egress / escape points for rapid spatial orientation. Red lights are normally used to indicate locks and green lights indicate door opening levers. All LED lights utilised within the system are of the highest specification to ensure that they can be seen in extreme conditions.
Bespoke wiring configurations can also be supplied to ensure that the Egret system fully integrates with the vehicle’s on-board electrical system and to facilitate tactical blackout mode.
Military specification LED lights
EELTEX manufactures and supplies a range of high-specification, cost-effective, ruggedised LED lighting solutions for many military platform applications.
The company’s LED solutions offer enhanced reliability with a higher mean time between failures (MTBF) when compared to traditional fluorescent and incandescent lighting. LED lighting offers improved energy efficiency and can help reduce costs and component weight.
The EELTEX lighting range includes commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products for both retrofit and new-build programmes, in addition to bespoke design, prototyping, testing and manufacturing services. A dedicated team of experienced specialist engineers is available to offer informed advice and knowledge to help you with your requirements.
EELTEX’ range of military vehicle lights includes:
- Cabin lights (low profile interior)
- Night-vision and infra-red lights
- Convoy lights
- Navigation lights
- Task lights
- Vehicle searchlights
The company also supplies rapid deployment LED lighting, including TACT4 Festoon Lighting Systems and temporary portable solutions for military shelters, ground stations, communication posts and filed hospitals.
Bespoke military lighting solutions
EELTEX has earned a first-rate reputation in the defence industry for its bespoke design services. The team has vast experience in the provision of creating solutions for lighting and control systems such as incorporating dimming control and a tactical blackout mode into vehicle lighting systems. If you have a specific requirement, please contact EELTEX to speak directly to an experienced engineer.