A new series of rifle scopes and binoculars using miniature, cooled, infrared forward-looking systems allows you to get a clear, detailed image of a target several kilometers away in complete darkness.
The HISS-XLR sniper rifle scope (left) and RECON V thermal imaging binoculars (right) use 640x480 cooled MWIR (mid-wave infrared) detectors, from which a clear and detailed image of a target several kilometers away is displayed on miniature high-resolution displays.
At SOFIC in May 2014, FLIR Systems showed two new products for combat use. Unlike previous systems, which are mainly image intensifiers or uncooled thermal imagers, often limited in range, these two new systems use miniature cooled thermal imagers to provide high-resolution, detailed images from a distance of several kilometers.
The HISS-XLR Medium Wave Thermal Imaging Scope is a new range of tactical riflescopes from FLIR. This attachable thermal imaging sight allows snipers to detect and identify human-sized targets at ranges of over 2000 meters. This is a significant increase in target acquisition range (more than 25%) compared to previous models.
It uses a miniature cooled FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared System) 640x480 on indium antimonide coupled to 240mm long-range optics. All this is packaged in a compact device that is fully tested on small arms, up to 12.7 mm caliber. The use of the MWIR sensor allows the shooter to see the target in complete darkness, through smoke, fog and most of the equipment obstructing the view on the battlefield. The sight has a fixed field of view of f2.29 ° h x 1.72 ° v.
The sight has a built-in ballistic mode, which, when a laser rangefinder and a ballistic computer are built in, can instantly give a decision on the target. The HISS-XLR also has a built-in digital magnetic compass to provide bearing information. The high-resolution display displays text and symbols, as well as simultaneous display of images from daytime surveillance devices with an increase of up to x25 without image distortion. The image in the sight can be recorded on the built-in SD card for subsequent analysis of the combat mission. For real-time monitoring, the video signal can be directed to a monitor or via a radio to remote users.
The HISS-XLR mountable thermal imaging sight is designed to work with long-range daytime sights. It allows the sniper to hit targets at a distance of 1500-2000 meters in complete darkness, as well as through fog and smoke.
With a mass of 4 kg RECON V is classified as a hand-held device. The optical device has a magnification of x10, which can change from 2 to 20 degrees in less than 2 seconds
The sight can be controlled remotely from the control panel. The sight consumes 6 watts, two battery packs allow you to work for more than 4 hours. These units are "hot swappable", that is, the device can operate on one unit while fresh batteries are installed in another unit.
Another system recently unveiled by FLIR is the Recon V, a compact, rugged, ultra-lightweight, multi-sensor thermal imaging binoculars. The primary sensor is a cooled FLIR system based on an indium antimonide high resolution MWIR 640x480 sensor. The sharpness of the image formed by the detector is further enhanced by STACE technology, which digitally increases sharpness and contrast in order to obtain images with maximum detail. The device has a magnification of x10, which can change from 2 to 20 degrees in less than two seconds. The system also includes an eye-safe laser rangefinder operating in the 1.54 micron range. The binoculars can also be equipped with an optional laser pointer for marking targets, operating at a frequency of 852 nm.
For clear and stable images, a handheld device like the Recon V binoculars uses electronic image stabilization to display images without delay.
The system has a built-in three-axis gyroscope based on MEMS, GPS navigation and a digital magnetic compass, thanks to which it can determine the location and direction with high accuracy. The laser rangefinder of the system can operate at ranges of up to 10,000 meters, providing an accurate measurement of the distance to the target, while the geo-positioning of the target is calculated by the system's computer.
The system uses a high definition color video display; A simplified user interface without multiple buttons and complex multi-level menus makes the Recon V easy to operate. As with the HISS-XLR, images can be recorded to an SD card, storing at least 1000 high quality images. The system can operate continuously for six hours on four AA lithium batteries.
