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Elbit America Wins $500 Million Contract to Continue Supplying Night Vision to USMC

Thursday, December 7th, 2023

The Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle is lightweight, provides critical advantages on the modern battlefield

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – DEC. 7, 2023 – Elbit America received a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract from the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to continue producing the Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle (SBNVG). The competitive contract is worth up to $500 million, with an initial delivery order for nearly $127 million. The goggles will be produced in Roanoke, Virginia. The company has delivered more than 15,000 SBNVG systems to the USMC since 2019.

The SBNVG has proven to be a game-changer in modern warfare, as it is lightweight without compromising capability. The goggles currently provide image intensification, with an enhanced clip-on thermal imager. The set-up allows Marines to operate at night, or in dark buildings and tunnels where one’s situational awareness is challenged.

The SBNVG is a helmet-mounted system that provides Marines with increased depth perception, enhanced clarity through high-performance white phosphor image intensifier tubes, a thermal-imaging capability, and more. These features, along with extra-long run times, provide Marines an added edge on the battlefield.

“No matter the light conditions or environment, Marines are tapped for challenging missions. Equipped with Elbit America’s Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggles, Marines can quickly understand their surroundings and act,” said Erik Fox, Vice President of Warfighter Systems at Elbit America.

“Elbit America is proud of our long history supplying Marines with night vision and electro-optic innovations,” said Raanan Horowitz, the company’s president and CEO. “We continue to refine our portfolio, offering solutions that enable the networked Warfighter of the future with sophisticated decision aids and display systems that work in all operational environments.”

More details about Elbit America Night Vision are available at www.elbitamerica.com/night-vision.

Posted in Contracts, Optics, Press Release, USMC | 3 Comments »

Armasight Announces Handheld Sidekick 640 Mini Thermal Monocular

Wednesday, December 6th, 2023

For Immediate Release – Northbrook IL – Trailblazer and Category Leader in Thermal and Night Vision, Armasight announces the release of the Sidekick 640 handheld Thermal Monocular. The Sidekick is available immediately online and in select retail outlets.

The Sidekick 640 is the smallest fully multi-functional 12-micron 640 thermal imaging monocular on the market. This unit boasts a fast 60Hz frame rate for smooth operation and industry-best, outstanding visual acuity, based on Armasight’s Iron Wolf thermal technology platform. Weighing under 384 grams, the Sidekick can be used as a handheld mini-monocular or can be headset/helmet mounted utilizing the built-in mini-rail for hands- free operation. The high definition 1024 × 768 OLED display provides a crisp image, with iconography providing key information. The Sidekick utilizes simplified 3 button controls that allow for easy manipulation in the field and offers one-touch in-unit video recording.

The Sidekick 640 offers an extensive suite of features including video and image capture, USB video stream, USB-C interface for viewing your recordings and photos on external devices such as computers or televisions. Users will enjoy the functionality of multiple color palettes, intuitive simple 3 button controls, and compatibility with the Rayvn Rail Bridge Mount for helmet mounting with PVS-14, MNVD, or second Sidekick (sold separately).

Package Includes: Thermal Monocular, 2 × CR123A Battery, USB-C Cable, Battery Extender, Product Manual, Lens Cloth, Soft Case Designed and Assembled in the USA.

The Armasight Sidekick 640 is available for purchase at Armasight.com as well as through select dealers now.

Features:

-Multiple color palettes

-Intuitive 3-button control

-Dovetail Mini-Rail included for Helmet Mounting

-Works with Rayvn Rail Bridge Mount for helmet mounting with PVS-14, MNVD, or second Sidekick (sold separately)

-Video Recording & Image Capture

-USB-C Interface for External Devices

-Works with External Power Banks via USB-C

-Compass

-ULTEM Composite Body and Ergonomic Design

MSRP: Armasight Sidekick 640 – $3,299

www.Armasight.com

Posted in Optics, Press Release | 5 Comments »

4DT SOF Cap

Friday, December 1st, 2023

4DT recently released the SOF Cap, a soft mount for visual augmentation systems where bump or ballistic protection isn’t required. You may recall that it was mentioned by Galvion in their press release regarding the strategic partnerships of their BATLCHK offerings.

I’ve had a prototype for a couple of months but mine doesn’t have a chinstrap and was designed to be used without one. Believe it or not, with a counterweight I can cinch it down so that my bino NVGs don’t pull forward on my head thanks to Galvion’s dial fit band technology. That means when you do use a removable chinstrap, you don’t have to crank it down to attain stability. It feels more like wearing a hat than a helmet but you can add a crowned in addition to the chinstrap if you want.

Made from mesh material to facilitate ventilation, it’s available in Black, Ranger Green, MultiCam and ATACS Ghost.

The SOF Cap is also fitted with both the 4DT Low Profile Shroud and 4DT SECURE Tether Bungee System and they are available as accessories to modify helmets you currently have.

The Low Profile Shroud sits 3/8” closer to the face of the helmet than an L4 shroud. Construction is a High-Impact Polymer shroud with an Aircraft Grade Hard Anodized Aluminum insert.

The SECURE Tether Bungee System features locking mini carabiner attaching points that won’t disengage if you bump into something.

Posted in Helmets, Optics | Comments Off on 4DT SOF Cap

New Elite Exclusive Micro T-2/GBRS Group Lerna Mount Kit from Aimpoint

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

The GBRS Lerna is the first stand-alone optic mount designed for end-users that offers a 2.91” Optic Centerline for faster target ID, regardless of gear/equipment obstructions, ie. EarPro/comms headsets, gas masks/CBRN, and night vision use. This mount offers a more athletic posture and “heads up” attitude that allows for faster processing speed and increased situational awareness.

Check it out at aimpoint.us/micro-t-2-red-dot-reflex-sight-gbrs-group-lerna-mount.

Posted in Advertiser, Optics, Press Release | 9 Comments »

Rheinmetall Electronics UK’s Contract Award to Supply Trailblazer Camera System to UK Warrior IFVs

Sunday, November 26th, 2023

Rheinmetall has been awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to supply the Trailblazer driver’s view system for the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle fleet. Rheinmetall Electronics UK Ltd won the contract in an open competition and will now supply Trailblazers for a total of 359 Warrior infantry fighting vehicles. The order value is in the low double-digit million euro range.

The Trailblazer cameras will be used as a Rear Safety Camera System (RSCS) for the Warrior vehicle, providing a key safety feature for the driver to recognise terrain and personnel at the rear of the vehicle.

The camera proposed by Rheinmetall Electronics UK is also used as the PAX camera on the Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) – part of the vehicles complete local situational awareness system. The PAX model comprises an infrared camera with a 90° field of view giving coverage down to 0 Lux, allowing the driver a wide field of view across the width of the vehicle.

On the Boxer MIV programme, it has recently been independently confirmed that the Trailblazer system will be compliant to an internationally recognised functional safety standard (IEC 61508, within a SIL2 application).

Alongside delivery into the Warrior and Boxer MIV programmes, Rheinmetall Electronics UK are also providing the Driver Vision System on the Challenger 3 main battle tank programme. Boxer MIV and Challenger 3 represent two of the most important modernisation programs for the British Army. Selection of a common Trailblazer solution provides excellent coherence across the fleet.

As part of this programme, Rheinmetall Electronics UK will be delivering the latest, Third Generation Trailblazer solutions, which are fully software defined, Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA) compatible and have already been qualified to safety and EMC standards, reducing risks around integration. The cameras support continuous, incremental updates, ensuring the capability remains evergreen.

Wayne Cranwell, Rheinmetall Electronics UK Head of Sales said: “Our solution to the Warrior RSCS requirement was founded on the mature design we provide into the Boxer MIV programme ensuring effective and safe rearward operations. Great to see that DE&S identified our proposal as the best value offer in this competition – this will keep this important British Army capability current for the remainder of its in-service lifetime.”

Richard Streeter, Rheinmetall Electronics UK Managing Director said: “It is heartening to see coherence developing across the UK fleet vehicle vision. This approach drives down integration and delivery risk and timelines as well as the total cost of ownership for the UK MoD. The Trailblazer Gen 3 solution was specifically developed to meet the demanding requirements of the UK Army and it will be great to see this system now also supporting the safety needs of the Warrior platform.”

Brigadier Matt Wilkinson, Vehicle Support Team Leader, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), said: “This safety critical upgrade to Warrior is being delivered at pace and with the principals of quality, supportability, and value for money at its heart. The DE&S Vehicle Support Team look forward to working with Rheinmetall Electronics UK in integrating this leading-edge technology to our in-service fleet of Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles over the next 12 months.”

Posted in Contracts, International, Optics, Press Release | Comments Off on Rheinmetall Electronics UK’s Contract Award to Supply Trailblazer Camera System to UK Warrior IFVs

USSOCOM Science and Technology Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 24.4 Release 1 Pre-Release

Friday, November 24th, 2023

The USSOCOM Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program will soon be accepting submissions for the following technology areas of interest:

PHASE I:
SOCOM244-001: Small Unmanned Ground Robotic Systems
SOCOM244-002: Thermal Reflex Sight

The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program stimulates a partnership of ideas and technologies between innovative SBCs and non-profit Research Institutions. By providing awards to SBCs for cooperative R/R&D efforts with Research Institutions, the SBIR and STTR programs assist the U.S. small business and research communities by supporting the commercialization of innovative technologies.

On 28 November, SOFWERX will host a virtual Q&A session for the area of interest. RSVP to the Q&A session on the event webpage.

Submissions Open 05 December 2023.

events.sofwerx.org/sbir24-4r1

Posted in Optics, Research, Robotics, SOF | Comments Off on USSOCOM Science and Technology Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 24.4 Release 1 Pre-Release

Griffin Armament Announces NEW Optics Lineup

Monday, November 20th, 2023

Watertown WI, Nov. 16th, 2023 –

For 18 years, Griffin Armament has aimed to provide our customers with the highest quality silencers, rifles, parts, and accessories at affordable prices for the majority of gun owners. With the release of the first two products in their new optics lineup, Griffin is meeting this objective by bringing quality, duty-ready optics to consumers at extremely competitive prices.

Developed, and tested by former army snipers in Watertown, WI, the Griffin lineup of optics currently has two offerings, with more coming soon: the 1-8x ICO™/MIL FFP LPVO and the Griffin Micro Sight™ Red Dot.

1-8x ICO™/MIL FFP LPVO

The Griffin 1-8x Ideal Carbine Optic™ (ICO™)/MIL LPVO provides users with a practical, advanced target engagement optic for use in all light conditions, at a variety of ranges, at a competitive price point. This optic features Griffin’s proprietary Ideal Carbine Optic™ MIL/BDC reticle that allows ranging of 19” targets out to 700m. Windage and bullet drop compensation marks allow accurate shot placement for a variety of common centerfire cartridges, including 5.56mm, 7.62x51mm, and 6.5 Creedmoor. The Griffin 1-8x ICO™ LPVO is a first focal plane optic that utilizes 1/10th MIL adjustment increments for precise optical adjustments and has 11 brightness settings for use in low light conditions.

Griffin Micro Sight™

The Griffin Micro Sight™ (GMS™) leads the compact lineup by supplying 50,000 hours of battery life, 1 MOA adjustments, 10 brightness settings, and 90MOA elevation & windage adjustments. The GMS™ comes equipped with a clear, non-distorted sight picture for an ideal viewing experience, parallax-free @25yds. Additional features include IPX7 water resistance, a 3MOA dot size in red or green illumination, and auto-off/shake-to-wake functionality. These sights are ideal for use on short-range carbines, handguns, and as backups for magnified optics enabling rapid transition to close-range targets, and improved ability to rapidly acquire distant targets at higher levels of magnification.

“Filling a void in the LPVO category for a functional rapid engagement reticle in an FFP optic, is what brought Griffin into optics. Having used a variety of optics in combat environments, I sought to deliver practicality, features, and value. The goal of this optics lineup was to incorporate custom reticles with increased functionality into popular product segments that have a lot of versatility. Optical technology has progressed significantly in the past decade, so the timing is right for us to deliver. I’m excited to put our real world experience into the development of the Griffin optics line into the future. Look for more from us on this, we are excited to offer 18 years of brand equity and great customer service behind this optic program.”

– Austin, Product Development Manager, Griffin Armament

1-8x ICO™/MIL FFP Key points :

• Aircraft aluminum grade body

• Illuminated (11 Brightness Levels)

• First Focal Plane (FFP) MIL/BDC Reticle (Ideal Carbine Optic™)

• Parallax fixed @ 150 yds

• 1/10th MIL Adjustment Increment

• 24mm Objective Diameter

• 1-8x Magnification

• Perpetual Lifetime Warranty (Mechanical) 2-Year Warranty (Electronics)

1-8x ICO™/MIL FFP LPVO Specs:

• DIMS: 11.0”L x 30mm tube diam.

• Weight: 19.0 oz

• Eye Relief: 100mm (3.94”)

• MSRP: $599.95

Griffin Micro Sight™ Key points :

• Acro® mounting footprint (ACRO® is a federally registered trademark of Aimpoint® Inc.)

• Fully-housed aluminum body

• Shockproof (1200Gs) and Fog proof

• 50,000 hours of battery life

• Auto-off & Shake Awake functionality

• IPX7 Water Resistance

• Parallax-free @25yds

• Perpetual Lifetime Warranty (Mechanical) 2-Year Warranty (Electronics)

Griffin Micro Sight™ Specs:

• DIMS: 1.85”L x 1.38”W x 1.27”H

• Weight: 2.5 oz

• Dot Size/Color: 3MOA (Choice Red or Green)

• Brightness: 10 Levels

• MSRP: $269.95

To find out more on Griffin Armament’s entire product line, please visit their website at www.GriffinArmament.com. For attendees of the 2024 SHOT Show, Griffin Armament will be exhibiting the Optimus, along with the rest of their product line. Booth #20458.

Posted in Advertiser, Optics, Press Release | 4 Comments »

SIGHTRON Announces the New S-TAC 1-6×24 AR1 Riflescope

Wednesday, November 15th, 2023

Youngsville, NC- (November 14, 2023) – SIGHTRON, a global precision riflescope company, announces the launch of the new S-TAC 1-6×24 AR1 LPVO riflescope, an excellent choice for modern sporting rifles chambered in .223 / 5.56mm.

“We are laser-focused on developing best-in-class riflescopes at excellent prices,” says John Long, National Sales Manager, SIGHTRON. “The S-TAC 1-6×24 AR1 employs Japanese optical glass and camera-grade multi-coatings to provide the best possible viewing experience in the sub-$500 price point.”

At the core of the design are 13 meticulously crafted Japanese optical glass lenses. Combined with SIGHTRON’s exclusive MC-333 multi-coating technology, each lens gets 3 layers of camera grade multi-coatings applied to both sides for a combined 6 layers on each lens. That is a total of 78 layers throughout the optical design for the best possible light transmission, contrast, and clarity. This means you can locate and stay on target in the harshest lighting conditions.

The NEW throw lever design lets you reposition the “Fin” to one of 16 positions on the magnification dial; set the position of the fin at 1x, 6x or any position in between. This makes it easy for right or left-handed users to customize this scope to work best for their style.

The S-TAC AR1 reticle is purpose-built for modern sporting rifles chambered in .223 and 5.56mm. The illuminated halo helps with fast target acquisition at close range while the illuminated center dot ensures accurate mid-range target placement. The non-illuminated, easy-to-see drop bars indicate holdovers between 300-600 yards with additional indicators for 5 and 10mph crosswinds.

Never experience reticle drift again. SIGHTRON utilizes their exclusive ExacTrack erector tube system to deliver consistent, reliable, and repeatable adjustments, even at the extreme edges of the scope’s adjustments. This means 1/4 MOA click values are the same at 50 MOA as they are at zero.

The scope is crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum, weighs only 22.4 oz and is shock-rated to 1,000G’s for more than 10k cycles. It can handle large caliber rounds and is Airgun rated. Of course, it meets IPX7 waterproof standards and is nitrogen-charged to prevent fogging of the interior glass elements, even when moving from a warm car to sub-zero temps.*

The new S-TAC and all SIGHTRON riflescopes are backed by a Lifetime Performance Guarantee.

Exclusive Features:

• New Japanese Optical Design

• MC-333 Camera Grade Multi-Coatings

• ExacTrack Windage & Elevation System

• 16-Position Magnification Fin Lever

• Retail: $499.99

* Fogging of the exterior lens surface is still possible

For more information on the new S-TAC 1-6×24 AR1 riflescope and the complete product line from SIGHTRON, please visit sightron.com and

Posted in Optics, Press Release | Comments Off on SIGHTRON Announces the New S-TAC 1-6×24 AR1 Riflescope