DSS-IRST is developed in order to satisfy the requirements of a variety of missions, from surveillance in blue water, littoral and harbor environments to search and rescue.
It provides detection of a variety of targets, from sea skimming missiles to fast surface, aerial threats and MPADs. 
It works in an integrated way with radars in detection of multipath and low RCS targets. 

It can be mounted on a variety of medium and large platforms, from aircraft carrier, landing helicopter dock, amphibious ship to the multipurpose patrol vessel. The DSS-IRST has an open architecture configurable according to the customer’s needs. Its heads have been designed rugged, light and compact, made with materials capable to sail in the most challenging weather conditions. 

DSS-IRST allows a real 360° situation awareness with a very wide elevation coverage of 30°, with no blind angle sectors. This is possible thanks to the positioning of four static detection heads (Search Head Units-SHU), mechanically stabilized with pitch and roll compensation movement, light and compact, with an azimuth range of 90 °, each at high resolution. The DSS-IRST system is also equipped with three additional EO units (Directional Head Units-DHU), performing the automatic acknowledgement of the tracks coming from the SHUs and the target investigation.  

The system is capable of providing 24h/24h IR panoramic HD video with a cinematic quality frame rate and maintain the operational capability of multiple target discovery and tracking, generating 3D tracks for the Combat Management System (CMS), thanks to its Passive Ranging functionality. In addition to the four Search Head Units and the three Directional Head Units, the DSS-IRST is composed of two data and video management units and the local console unit (optional). In its typical configuration, the system operates integrated into the ship's CMS.