Exploring the role of thermal signature in combat zones
In this episode of Beer:30, Armin and Darko are joined by Marko Peljhan, co-founder and partner at C-Astral Aerospace, a globally recognised company that manufactures and services fixed-wing small Unmanned Aircraft Systems. They discuss the challenges of countering detection, the quest for effective camouflage, and the battle against heat signature technology.
T.REX ARMS has begun selling night vision devices! After spending several years using night vision, and producing educational materials about different devices, we are now partnering with Nocturnality to assemble and provide custom-built hardware for immediate fulfillment.
All tubes are thin-film white phosphor tubes from Elbit, which will meet or exceed OMNI VIII Mil-Spec minimums, meaning no less than 1600 FOM. Individual batch specifications will be posted on product pages, and every order will receive the original Elbit Systems spec sheets.
Individual products have been narrowed down to the ubiquitous PVS-14 for monocular use, complete with manual gain, IR illuminator, in an industry standard ITT Mil-Spec housing, and affordable binocular options that utilize the flexible and durable housings from AB Night Vision.
The Ruggedized Night Vision Goggle is nearly indestructible and has intuitive controls that include IR illumination and signaling capability, 16 hours of battery on a single CR123 with low power indication, and support for ANVIS-style battery packs.
The Ruggedized Panning Night Vision Goggle shares features with the standard RNVG, but with the added ability to pan the tubes out for a 65 degree field of view. Also, the pods can be detached from the bridge without tools and used as separate monoculars (with an additional battery adapter).
All products are ready to be used right out of the box, including batteries and basic accessories, and they are backed by a 10-year warranty.
In addition to security advisory services for government and the financial sector, Morningstar Strategic Services offers a variety of high end equipment solutions in Canada including Torraka cold weather clothing from Sweden as well as Stone Glacier.
They also specialize in precision target engagement and are the Canadian agents for Nightforce as well as being affiliated with Accuracy 1st Canada which offers Accuracy 1st courses on a 360 deg range in Western Canada.
InfiRay Outdoor had their range of thermal optics on display including the Thermal Imaging Riflescope Holo HL25 which features a 12 ?m 384×288 sensor.
It is Pic Rail compatible. Above you can see the 2.69”AMOLED display screen which has the capability of Picture in Picture display with the target at 2x magnification.
It also can integrate a laser range finder on the side Pic Rail and 32GB of Built-in Memory to store screen images.
This and other products shown at Rampart Range Day are available for unit and agency orders in Canada and the US through Rampart.
From the creators of the Flux Defense Raider comes a new company and new product.
From Antimatter Industries, the Scopeswitch is new type of optic mount allowing your offhand to control the zoom without taking it off the handguard.
During SOF Week, Thales showed their Soldier System concept. They’ve got quite a bit of experience working on various Future Soldier programs throughout NATO but rather than showing an entire system, they were discussing individual systems which can be used alone or all together.
Rather than concentrating on PPE, they are offering an ecosystem which will work with any equipage to make command and control and sensors more useful to the individual Soldier. This allows them to be more adaptive to a wider range of customers, particularly those who are looking for niche capabilities or do not want to make a wholesale change.
We’ll start at the top and work our way down.
Quad Night Vision Goggles – These should get a lot of notice, if for no other reason than aesthetics.
Heads Up Display – It’s a simple monocle device to display data from the End User Device.
IS1500 GPS Denied Navigator – Currently at TRL 6, this device utilizes bread crumbs and can reference them to correct errors.
Gun Shot Detection System App – Compatible with ATAK, it displays information from the gunshot detection system.
Pre-Shot Detection System – Although they didn’t go into details, this system looks for potential shooters.
XTRAIM Sight – The XTRAIM weapon sight we previewed at SHOT Show is now in production.
The operator can select direct view, full IR view, and outline mode. XTRAIM offers 500m target recognition with 250m PID of a man sized target. Those ranges are extended to 600m and 320m respectively when used in conjunction with a 3X magnifier. Here’s what the screen looks like in outline mode.
It features an uncooled sensor with 12 micron pitch and 640×480 resolution. Additionally, the operator can configure it in conjunction with a clip-on night vision (I2) sight.
Sophie ULTIMA handheld thermal imager – They displayed one other item. Although not worn on the Soldier, the Sophie ULTIMA handheld thermal imager is a cooled, 4-in-1 handheld target locator weighing 5.5 lbs. It can identify a tank at 6 km at night and at 7 km during the day.
In addition to a day capability it adds MWIR and their patented VisioLoc system offers GPS-denied Cat1 targeting. The VisioLoc Resilient Positioning Navigation (RPN) system uses an embedded goniometer combined with Geographic Information System (GIS) data. You use the camera to capture three points of interest and the system will determine your geo-location within five minutes.
Development of these systems continues, with new capabilities constantly under development. We will keep you posted as additional information becomes available.
Aimpoint unveiled the latest iteration of their Fire Control System line of sights for use with crew served weapons at SOF Week in Tampa, Florida.
The FCS14 Dynamic Universal Reflex Sight (DURS) is designed to be used on multiple weapon platforms such as M240, M2, Mk19 and even M3 Carl Gustav as well as future systems.
FCS14 is a Direct View Optic which and incorporates a laser range finder and can be used in concert with helmet mounted Image Intensification (I2) night vision systems for low light work. However, you may notice something new on the FCS14 not seen on previous models and that is the Dual Sensor Attachment mounted to the top which is a thermal and CMOS day camera unit. The DSA is powered by FCS14. The DSA offers optical zoom and ranging and firing reticles based on the system’s ballistic calculations. This firing solution compensates for speed, tilt, terrain angle, target range, atmospheric pressure / temperature, and propellant temperature.
San Antonio, Texas (May 9, 2023) – Liemke, a leader in high-definition thermal imaging for hunting, is pleased to introduce the premium Luchs line of thermal optics. Made in Wetzlar, Germany, the Liemke Luchs (or Lynx as translated in English) incorporates the latest in thermal technology in these versatile devices that can be clipped onto any daytime riflescope or used as a handheld monocular.
Fast and quiet with a startup time of only five seconds for both Luchs models, and a standby mode for immediate activation, the Luchs-1 has a 35mm lens with heat signature detection range of up to 1,750 meters while the Luchs-2 has a 50mm lens with heat detection up to 2,500 meters.
Luchs thermals have a whisper-quiet calibration procedure with a rapid refresh rate of 50 Hz and are easy and intuitive to operate. Both models feature a 1024×768 OLED color display and a 640×512 12 µm VOx sensor for high contrast and detailed images. The Luchs-1 delivers a large field of view of 22 meters at 100 meters and an image that completely fills within the daytime riflescope at 2x magnification. The Luchs-2 has a field of view of 15.4 meters at 100 meters. Two image modes provide optimal detail rendition in varying weather conditions and there are five color modes, including an Extra Dark mode setting for glare-free images at night.
Easy and intuitive to operate, the Luchs thermal units have internal memory of 32 GB and a Wi-Fi function for live streaming via an app. Users can capture photos and videos of their hunt on the internal memory even while streaming live, and these can be transferred later via USB-C port. The built-in rechargeable battery has a run time of up to 9 hours and the three-position switch – On/Standby/Off – can be used to extend battery life in the field.
“Liemke is the top thermal optics brand in Germany, and the new German-made Luchs line raises the bar even higher when it comes to quality and performance,” said Jason Evans, CEO Blaser Group USA. “American hunters will recognize and appreciate the premium Made in Germany construction, advanced thermal technology, and high-definition performance the Luchs thermal optics deliver. Aptly named after the lynx, the Luchs-1 and 2 models deliver outstanding thermal night vision for hunters.”
Settings are easily adjusted on the Luchs units, and the hunter’s preference is saved when the device is turned off and available every time the device is restarted. The tough, shock-resistant aluminum housing is rain and dust protected in accordance with IP67, and the objective lens is protected by a scratch-resistant Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating for extra protection in the field. The Luchs-1 weighs 20.5 ounces and Luchs-2 weighs 22.4 ounces.
For more information, visit LUCHS-1.
MSRP:
Luchs-1 $5,554.00
Luchs-2 $6110.00
