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SMASH 2000 Being Evaluated by the US Army Under Foreign Comparative Testing

Thursday, October 15th, 2020

SMASH 2000 underwent intensive live fire testing by U.S. Army at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG) to evaluate its Fire Control capabilities compared to standard rifle sights

[October 15, 2020]: Between the 14th and 24th of Sept, 2020, Product Manager Individual Weapons, under PM Soldier Lethality, supervised the live fire testing and evaluation of the SMASH 2000 fire control enabled rifle Sight. The testing at APG was funded by OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defense) under a Foreign Comparative Test program designed to determine if international mature technologies can fill U.S. military operation gaps.

Thousands of rounds were fired by soldiers at APG outdoor range for the purpose of recording data that compared the target hitting capability of the SMASH 2000 against standard U.S. Army issued optics. Targets ranged from 25 meters to 400 meters in a variety of fixed, pop-up, and moving target scenarios.

“Testing the SMASH 2000 is another example of how OSD continues to evaluate foreign technologies that could fulfil specific DoD operational needs,” said William Everett, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, who is responsible for sponsoring many such comparative tests. “We also sponsored a VIP day to give U.S. uniformed officers and Foreign dignitaries the opportunity to fire the SMASH 2000. That opportunity was well received and the event went well,” he added.

Bob Phung, Project Officer, Product Manager Individual Weapons: “Our job in the PM office is to look for and evaluate promising technologies to support our warfighters. The SMASH 2000 is one of those promising systems that could significantly improve the soldier’s lethality, especially under duress. We will have to collect the data and determine next steps.”

SMASH is a combat-proven family of Fire Control Systems which are designed, developed, and manufactured by SMART SHOOTER to ensure each round finds its target, in both day and night conditions, as well as keeping friendly forces safe. SMART SHOOTER’s proprietary target acquisition and tracking algorithms are integrated with sophisticated image-processing software into a rugged hardware solution, providing an easy to use and cost-effective solution that creates the required overmatch. SMART SHOOTER’s fire control solutions are designed to give soldiers and law enforcement officers a decisive tactical edge in almost every operational scenario, maximizing force lethality and operational effectiveness throughout every engagement.

Michal Mor, Smart Shooter CEO, added: “It’s very exciting to know that the U.S. Army is interested in our SMASH products to meet their individual weapons needs. SMART SHOOTER’s solutions are already in operational use by the U.S. Army in various missions, and we look forward to continued cooperation”.

www.smart-shooter.com

Posted in Army, International, Optics, Press Release | Comments Off on SMASH 2000 Being Evaluated by the US Army Under Foreign Comparative Testing

TNVC & Night Goggles Inc Present vSHOTT 2021

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

October 13, 2020, The Worldwide Web

[solemn voice] In these unprecedented times…

No one’s sick of hearing that, right?

TNVC and Night Goggles Inc. are proud to announce that in addition to attending the 2021 NSSF Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoors Trade (SHOT) Show at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, Nevada at our normal location in Booth 6502, for the first time ever, we will be hosting a virtual Shooting, Hunting, Outdoors, & Tactical Tele-Event: vSHOTT 2021.

The First Ever TNVC/NGI vSHOTT will consist of five days of online events starting on January 18th, 2020 beginning at 5:00PM PT/8:00PM ET until January 22nd, 2020 and will feature new product announcements and features, range and training tips, educational videos, and a daily, interactive live “Virtual Circle Bar” panel discussion event every night from Tuesday to Friday where participants can ask questions directly to the TNVC’s Staff and Special Guests! There will also be exclusive vSHOTT discounts, specials, and giveaways to include a Gen. 3 PVS-14 Monocular Night Vision Device, complete with TNVC and Night Goggles’ transferrable Lifetime Limited Warranty!*

With so many changes in the industry and indeed the world and the way business is done over the past several years, vSHOTT has been a concept that we’ve kicked around for many years—we have long recognized that not everyone is an “industry insider,” nor does everyone want to spend so much on travel, lodging, and other expenses, especially year after year, yet it does not mean that they are any less deserving of taking part in industry events and new product showcases.

The combination of circumstances that has so far typified 2020 and look like they will extend into January of 2021 provided the impetus to hit the gas and kick vSHOTT into gear for 2021, and we’re extremely excited to be able to open up vSHOTT 2021 to all audiences to participate and take part in this new media Tele-Event!

TNVC and Night Goggles Inc. will still be attending the NSSF SHOT Show in Las Vegas with staff available for in-person meetings at Booth 6502.

Stay tuned for more details!

For media inquiries and partnership opportunities for the TNVC/NGI vSHOTT 2021 please contact augee@tnvc.com

*ITAR restricted item, open to U.S. citizens residing in the United States only

Posted in Advertiser, Optics, Press Release | Comments Off on TNVC & Night Goggles Inc Present vSHOTT 2021

Eusebio Racks Up Titles, Sets Records with Bushnell Red Dots at World Speed Shooting Championship

Tuesday, October 13th, 2020

Pro Shooter Claims First Win for New Bushnell RXS-250 Reflex Sight

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – October 8, 2020 – Bushnell®, an industry leader in performance optics, congratulates KC Eusebio on his record-setting performance at the World Speed Shooting Championship held September 23-27 in Talladega, Alabama. Eusebio also became the first competitive shooter to win a championship with Bushnell’s new RXS-250 red dot.

During the competition, Eusebio set multiple world records and became the first competitor to shoot under 60 seconds with a rimfire pistol. Eusebio used the Bushnell First Strike 2.0 red dot to win first place Overall and to take the Open Title as well as first place in the .22 Rimfire Pistol division. He then used the new RXS-250 to earn the Carry Optics title.

“The World Speed Shooting Championship has always been important to me,” Eusebio said. “I started competing in the match at the age of nine and fell in love. I was able to take home my seventh World Speed Shooting title in Open and it’s one of the best feelings to achieve such a coveted title. In addition to the Overall win, I had the honor to take first place in Carry Optics and .22 Rimfire Pistol. The RXS-250 worked perfectly as a slide ride on my Carry Optics pistol. As we know, the slide-mounted optic takes the harshest force of all optic platforms but the RXS-250 held up to its name. Over the thousands of rounds I trained for this competition, I didn’t have one issue. In fact, the RXS-250 is now one of my favorite optics made by Bushnell. Big thank you to Bushnell for stepping their red dot game up!”

The RXS-250 is designed to deliver top-shelf performance and exceptional durability. It represents a new class of high-performing reflex sights with its impact-resistant design, clear 4-MOA dot, user-adjustable brightness settings and True Tone coatings that deliver a vivid, clear view free of distortion. The new red dot is standard with a top-loading CR2032 battery compartment and is compatible with the DeltaPoint® Pro footprint for direct mounting to optics-ready pistols.

Eusebio, who is no stranger to standing atop the leader board with his Bushnell First Strike 2.0, noted that the reflex sight also gave him a competitive advantage. “Shooting a red dot optic changes the playing field in your favor,” he explained. “You’re faster, more accurate and more confident in your marksmanship. The First Strike 2.0 has been my choice of optic for the past two years and I absolutely love it.”

Featuring a massive objective lens, the First Strike 2.0 is extremely versatile and lets users quickly find their target. It includes a weaver-style mount and is at home on both shotguns and flat-top MSRs. It can also be fitted to customized Open Class pistols. It features an industry-leading battery life that lasts up to 50,000 hours and a bright 3-MOA dot.

The World Speed Shooting Championship is hosted by the United States Practical Shooting Association and Steel Challenge Shooting Association.

Eusebio is a professional pistol shooter with multiple world and national championships. For more information on his competitive record and other accomplishments, visit www.kceusebio.net.

For additional information on Bushnell red dot sights, visit www.bushnell.com/red-dots/pistol.

Posted in Optics, Press Release, Shooting Sports | Comments Off on Eusebio Racks Up Titles, Sets Records with Bushnell Red Dots at World Speed Shooting Championship

SightMark – Mini Shot A – Spec Reflex Sight

Friday, October 9th, 2020

– NOW SHIPPING –

The Mini Shot A-Spec (SM26045 and SM26046) is a versatile and compact reflex sight with a 2 MOA red or green dot, designed for use on a variety of firearms including shotguns, pistols, and AR’s. The Mini A-Spec includes a riser mount and low-profile mount, allowing shooters to choose the right one for the firearm it will be mounted on.

• Included AR riser mount AND low-profile mount
• 2 MOA red (SM26045) or green (SM26046) reticle
• 10 reticle brightness levels
• User-friendly ambidextrous digital switch brightness controls

• Steel protective shield
• Low power consumption
• True 1x magnification
• Waterproof, dustproof and shockproof

sightmark.com

Posted in Optics, Press Release | 5 Comments »

Sensor with 100,000 Times Higher Sensitivity Could Bolster Thermal Imaging

Friday, October 9th, 2020

Better detecting microwave radiation could improve thermal imaging, electronic warfare, radar

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Army-funded research developed a new microwave radiation sensor with 100,000 times higher sensitivity than currently available commercial sensors. Researchers said better detection of microwave radiation will enable improved thermal imaging, electronic warfare, radio communications and radar.

Researchers published their study in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. The team includes scientists from Harvard University, The Institute of Photonic Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, and Raytheon BBN Technologies. The Army, in part, funded the work to fabricate this bolometer by exploiting the giant thermal response of graphene to microwave radiation.

“The microwave bolometer developed under this project is so sensitive that it is capable of detecting a single microwave photon, which is the smallest amount of energy in nature,” said Dr. Joe Qiu, program manager for solid-state electronics and electromagnetics, Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s Army Research Laboratory. “This technology will potentially enable new capabilities for applications such as quantum sensing and radar, and ensure the U.S. Army maintains spectral dominance in the foreseeable future.”

The graphene bolometer sensor detects electromagnetic radiation by measuring the temperature rise as the photons are absorbed into the sensor. Graphene is a two dimensional, one-atom layer thick material. The researchers achieved a high bolometer sensitivity by incorporating graphene in the microwave antenna.

A key innovation in this advancement is to measure the temperature rise by superconducting Josephson junction while maintaining a high microwave radiation coupling into the graphene through an antenna, researchers said. The coupling efficiency is essential in a high sensitivity detection because “every precious photon counts.”

A Josephson junction is a quantum mechanical device which is made of two superconducting electrodes separated by a barrier (thin insulating tunnel barrier, normal metal, semiconductor, ferromagnet, etc.)

In addition to being thin, the electrons in graphene are also in a very special band structure in which the valence and conduction bands meet at only one point, known as Dirac point.

“The density of states vanishes there so that when the electrons receive the photon energy, the temperature rise is high while the heat leakage is small,” said Dr. Kin Chung Fong, Raytheon BBN Technologies.

With increased sensitivity of bolometer detectors, this research has found a new pathway to improve the performance of systems detecting electromagnetic signal such as radar, night vision, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and communication. It could also enable new applications such as quantum information science, thermal imaging as well as the search of dark matter.

The part of the research conducted at MIT included work from the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies. The U.S. Army established the institute in 2002 as an interdisciplinary research center to dramatically improve protection, survivability and mission capabilities of the Soldier and of Soldier-supporting platforms and systems.

By US Army CCDC Army Research Laboratory Public Affairs

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Optics | 6 Comments »

Steiner Optics – Close Quarters Thermal

Saturday, October 3rd, 2020

The Close Quarters Thermal from Steiner Optics has been out there for about a year now.

It is a long-wave infrared sensor in the 8-14 ?m range. What makes it different, is that it combines the 320 x 240 pixels, 12 micron sensor, with a red dot reticle overlay.

It runs in three thermal modes: outline, patrol and full.

The CQT features a selectable reticle 2.5 MOA red dot.

It uses two CR-123A batteries which runs the thermal for up to eight hours and the red dot for over 1000 hours.

Sounds great, but there are a couple of limiting factors. It runs just under $10,000, weighs about a pound, and has an effective range of only about 12 yards. Remember, it’s a CQB sight.

www.steiner-optics.com/imaging-systems/cqt

Posted in Optics | 2 Comments »

Viridian Debuts New E-Series Laser Sight for Taurus TX 22

Friday, October 2nd, 2020

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – October 2, 2020 – Viridian Weapon Technologies is proud to announce the arrival of the E-Series Laser Sight for the Taurus TX™ 22.. The new red laser sight will add versatility and speed to the TX 22, Taurus’s in-demand semiautomatic rimfire.

Viridian is one of the largest independent providers of weapon-mounted technology and the leader in equipping gun-specific products for the top firearms brands. The Taurus TX 22 E-Series Laser Sight will add a new dimension to the popular plinking platform and will offer a dynamic stand-in for those who want to train with a semiautomatic without the increasing expense of centerfire ammunition.

“Taurus makes exceptional firearms,” said Viridian President and CEO Brian Hedeen. “We are proud to work with Taurus’s product development team to offer Taurus customers lasers tailormade for their guns. With its performance trigger and exceptional ergonomics, the TX 22 offers shooters a tremendous amount of potential, and this new laser will add even more to the platform.”

Viridian’s E-Series line is purpose built for everyday carry and home defense and is equally useful on the range. The E-Series Laser Sights easily mount to the trigger guard and rail of the TX 22, and feature an ambidextrous on/off button that is readily accessible with the trigger finger. Each laser has a 5-minute auto shut off to help preserve battery life.

For information about the Taurus TX 22 and the E-Series Laser, visit ViridianWeaponTech.com.

Posted in Optics, Press Release, Weapon Accessories | Comments Off on Viridian Debuts New E-Series Laser Sight for Taurus TX 22

Helion 2 XP50 Thermal Monocular from Pulsar NV

Friday, October 2nd, 2020

The Helion 2 XP50 Thermal Monocular is a powerful addition to Pulsar’s line of products. With an enhanced NETD <40mK thermal sensor, the XP50 can detect an adult-sized object in total darkness or adverse weather conditions up to 2,000 yards away, which is a 900-yard improvement from the Helion 1. With Picture-in-Picture mode on a spotless 640×480 AMOLED display, the Helion 2 XP50 is ideal for law enforcement, hog and varmint hunters and security professionals.

Features:
-Full color 640×480 AMOLED display
-Enhanced thermal sensor up to 2,000 yards
-8 color palettes
-Built-in recorder and camera
-Wi-Fi connectivity
-Up to 8 hours operation time on single charge
-16 GB memory
-Operates from -25C to 50C
-IPX7 waterproof rating
-Rechargeable IPS7 battery

pulsarnv.com

Posted in Optics, Press Release | Comments Off on Helion 2 XP50 Thermal Monocular from Pulsar NV