title: SITHON: An Airborne Fire Detection System Compliant with Operational Tactical Requirements.
abstract: In response to the urging need of fire managers for timely information on fire location and extent, the SITHON system was developed. SITHON is a fully digital thermal imaging system, integrating INS/GPS and a digital camera, designed to provide timely positioned and projected thermal images and video data streams rapidly integrated in the GIS operated by Crisis Control Centres. This article presents in detail the hardware and software components of SITHON, and demonstrates the first encouraging results of test flights over the Sithonia Peninsula in Northern Greece. It is envisaged that the SITHON system will be soon operated onboard various airborne platforms including fire brigade airplanes and helicopters as well as on UAV platforms owned and operated by the Greek Air Forces.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Space Applications and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens / Metaxa & Vassileos Pavlou Str, GR 152 36, Palea Penteli, Athens, Greece; E-Mails:  ik@space.noa.gr  (I.K.);  sifakis@space.noa.gr  (N.S.).
authors.forename: Charalabos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kontoes
authors.forename: Iphigenia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Keramitsoglou
authors.forename: Nicolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sifakis
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Konstantinidis