Optical sights
For daytime operations in clear weather, riflescopes remain the preferred choice as they guarantee maximum resolution and allow you to see more detail that even the most advanced digital system of comparable weight and size cannot see, at least not today.
At Milipol 2019, the Swedish company Aimpoint presented its new closed-type CompM5b collimator sight, which has interchangeable correction flywheels for NATO cartridges of 5, 56 and 7, 62 mm in six intervals of 100 meters, from 100 to 600 meters. A reflex sight with an aiming dot measuring 2 MOA (minutes of arc) is designed to work with both eyes open. In its standard configuration, it weighs 254 grams, of which 180 grams falls on the scope itself. Together with the Aimpoint CompM5b, the position of the active mark can be instantly adjusted to compensate for bullet drop, depending on the distance to the target. The sight has a built-in wind and slope correction mechanism. CompM5b is waterproof up to 45 meters and is compatible with all known night vision goggles and magnifiers. The backlighting of the red mark can be removed, 10 different brightness settings are available, four of them are designed to work with night devices. The device is powered by an AAA format power supply that provides 5 years of continuous operation at high brightness modes and more than 10 years at low / night modes. Aimpoint is looking forward to its first customer, the CompM5b scope will be available on the market in spring 2020.
Trijicon, another leader in the field, unveiled its new VCOG 1-8x28 (Variable Combat Optical Gunsight) scope last spring, designed to meet the demands of the US military who need a rugged scope with higher magnification and aperture than the existing VCOG 1- 6x24. The field of view of the new device ranges from 20 ° to 2.5 (compared to 18 ° -3 ° for the 1-6x24 model). The sight, made of 7075-T6 aviation aluminum alloy, can withstand immersion to a depth of 20 meters and has a built-in adapter. The VCOG 1-8x28 sight in sizes 274, 3x71, 1x71, 1 mm weighs 893 grams without the holder and battery. The first crosshair in the focal plane allows a quick assessment of the distance to the target, while the illuminated circular, segmented reticle, available in arc minutes or milliradians, can be adjusted within 120 arc minutes, corrected for wind and elevation - one division of the flywheel the introduction of corrections corresponds to 0.25 arc minutes or 0.1 milliradian. The brightness of the red circle can be selected from 11 different levels - two for night vision and nine for daytime, with one super bright for use in strong light. Power is supplied from one AA battery, which guarantees more than 630 hours (more than 26 days) of operation in mode No. 6. The new scope is currently offered on the market without restrictions.
Meopta recently introduced its MeoForce DF 4x30 riflescope, adding it to two other family members, the DF 5x40 and DF 3x20. The former is designed for use with long-barreled weapons such as sniper rifles and light machine guns, while the latter is designed for use with assault rifles. These scopes have the same body, the difference is in lenses, fields of view, respectively 4 ° and 7 °; weight with battery, mount, covers and light shield is 475 and 350 grams. The AA battery guarantees 300 hours of operation with the crosshairs illuminated at medium brightness, with 12 different brightness levels available. The new DF 4x30 scope is packaged in the same body, but has a 5.3 ° field of view and weighs 385 grams. According to the Czech company, it was created taking into account the needs of some potential customers who need an average scope between the two existing models.
Meprolight, part of the SK Group (which includes Israel Weapons Industries, among other companies), has in its portfolio a wide variety of weapon sights, optical, image intensifying and thermal imaging. Some of them have specific characteristics that are not found in similar products currently available on the market. One of them is the Mepro Foresight optical sight weighing 280 grams, developed on the basis of the Mepro M5 electro-optical collimator sight. The optical system has been replaced by a transparent display that allows various information to be added to the screen, thereby increasing functional flexibility. Meprolight's idea was to solve all possible problems and add some elements at the same time. Thus, Mepro Foresight is an open system that can be easily updated using a smartphone app that connects to the scope via Bluetooth. One scope profile can contain up to five different selectable and extensive baselines, all with the same zero setting. The application can store up to 10 profiles, each of them is designed for a specific weapon; when switching from one weapon to another, the operator loads the corresponding profile and the sight is reset to zero. If different ammunition can be used in the same weapon, then in the same profile it is possible to use the built-in function of adjusting the zeroing of the crosshair for different cartridges.
Meprolight has added a digital compass and quadrant to the scope; other indicators, such as Bluetooth status, battery power, etc., can be seen in the scope, although the operator can customize them, leaving only the necessary information. The Mergo Foresight can be mounted on a wide variety of weapons, including police non-lethal grenade launchers, which require accuracy along with functional flexibility, while taking into account the widest choice of models and types of ammunition for them. In this regard, Meprolight has also added a reticle that allows distance estimation using shoulder width, since non-lethal effectors are used at relatively short distances of up to 30 meters. In addition, she is currently developing a software update that will add a shot counter to the scope. Mergo Foresight is powered by a non-removable rechargeable battery, rechargeable via USB-C cable; it guarantees 50 hours of continuous operation in full function mode, which can turn into several hundred hours using only the crosshair. Also for military use, a version with AA batteries was developed, but today there is no customer for this solution.
Enhancing the brightness of the image
Image enhancement technology maintains a firm footing in the field of night scopes. One of the latest innovations released in Europe is the new Photonis 4G + image intensifier. Already mass-produced, it is a refinement of the 4G image intensifier, released several years ago. The minimum Q-factor (Q-factor is the product of the signal-to-noise ratio and the limiting resolution (line pairs / mm)) was increased by more than 20%, up to 2200, while the typical Q-factor increased by 5% and amounted to 2300. V The handset uses the same technology as the previous 4G variant, power consumption remained constant, while the cost increased slightly.4G + is available with P43 (green) or P45 (white) phosphor. The new tube began production in spring 2019 and is installed in the QuadEye panoramic night vision device from Night Vision Lasers Spain (NVLS). Later, they will begin to install it also in the sights of weapons, since the better quality factor allowed to increase the detection / recognition / identification ranges.
Excelitas Qioptiq recently introduced the Merlin-LR 2 detachable riflescope, designed to be mounted on assault and sniper rifles up to 12.7mm caliber. It is equipped with a high quality mirror lens and wide aperture collimator optics. The device is compatible with a variety of daytime magnifiers for medium and long range shooting. The sight is available with green or white phosphor image intensifier tubes. The company did not disclose detailed specifications for its device. The Merlin-LR 2 sight has passed factory tests and is ready for mass production, which is to begin in March 2020, then detailed information about it will become known.
Longwave thermal imaging
Let's move on to thermal imaging. When weight and cost are key parameters, microbolometers work in the long-wave (near) infrared region of the spectrum, that is, in the range of 8-12 microns. These systems, usually in the form of scopes or detachable devices, are used at shorter ranges. Steiner eOptics (part of Beretta) showcased the latest addition to their portfolio at DSEI, the CQT Close Quarter Thermal scope. The CQT riflescope combines the advantages of collimator optics with those of thermal imaging devices. The thermal second channel is based on one of the latest sensors from FLIR - a 320x256 matrix with a pitch of 12 microns and a refresh time of 60 Hz. The sight can operate in three different thermal modes: contour, noise suppression, and fully thermal. In the thermal imaging mode, the field of view is 16 ° x12 °, the window dimensions are 31x22.5 mm. The sight can be used in conjunction with night vision devices; for work at long distances it can be equipped with a x3 magnifier. The sight has a length of 133 mm and a width of 77 mm, the height from the rail to the center of the window is 53 mm, and the weight with batteries is 390 grams. The sight is powered by two CR123 batteries, which provide 4 hours of operation in thermal imaging mode and 160 hours in collimator mode at maximum brightness.
Numerous potential buyers are showing increased interest in the CQT scope. However, this configuration is not yet final, that is, the above data refers to the newest pre-production model shown at the London exhibition.
The newest addition to the Excelitas Qioptiq portfolio of uncooled devices is the Dragon-S 12 detachable scope. Compared to the Dragon-S model, it features a 640x480 sensor with a 12 μm pitch (provides much higher resolution compared to a 320x240 sensor and a 25 μm pitch on the Dragon-S). The image is displayed on a full color OLED display with a size of 1280x1024, the horizontal field of view is 5.3 °. The detection range of a human-sized target exceeds 2.5 km, recognition - about 1 km, and identification - 500 meters. The dimensions of the Dragon-S 12 sight are 191x88x103 mm, without the lens cap, case and batteries, it weighs 850 grams, that is, less than its predecessor. Power is supplied from three AA batteries providing over 7 hours of continuous operation. The Dragon-S 12 is intended for low-level shooters who operate 400-500 meters from their targets. The Dragon-S 12 sight, released in early 2019, is in serial production and has already been ordered by several unnamed customers.
