Eurosatory

The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) was introduced by Trijicon and originally designed for the M16 rifle and M4 carbine. They use a fixed magnification telescope with an illuminated reticle.

SIGHTING DYNAMICS

Variable magnification and laser range finding are two factors that have greatly improved weapon sighting for modern riflemen.

Stephen W. Miller

For much of history the primary focus of infantry firearms has been on improvements to the weapon and/or its ammunition. How these weapons are aimed has remained relatively unchanged with militaries relying on ‘iron sights’ well into the 1980s. Optical sights were generally limited to specially trained and tasked snipers or a designated marksmen of rifle squad/ platoons. Still for most soldiers engaging a target was a skill learned through hours of training and practice on the range.

RED DOT

The shift to intermediate calibres like the 5.56mm and 5.45mm optimised for engagements inside 400 meters coincided with the development of projected reticle ‘reflex’ sights (often referred to as Red Dot), reflecting the earliest designer Aimpoint. These non-magnified sights allow almost intuitive aiming with both eyes open. The shooter needs to merely place the dot in the sight onto the target and pull the trigger. They, and the similar holographic sights, allow faster target acquisition and engagement, particularly between 50-300m ranges, with minimal training. The reflex sight has been widely adopted by armies worldwide.

The US Army began fielding the Aimpoint Comp M2 as the M68 Close Combat Optic in 2000 and it used by NATO, Russian Federation and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) infantry. Manufacturers include the EOtech, Vortex, Trijion, Burris, Dagger Defense, Sig Sauer among others. Recently Meprolight introduced its MEPRO 2, a red-dot with a multi-pattern reticle that can be changed by the user based on the tactical situation.

FIXED MAGNIFICATION - ACOG

The Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) was developed and first offered by Trijicom in 1987. A prismatic telescopic sight with fixed (typically 4x) magnification and projected reticle it offers acquisition using both eyes with improved target identification. The ACOG design is light weight, often below 400 grams, making it well suited

for close quarters engagements to around 400-600 meters. It offers some capabilities of telescopic scope in a simpler and lower cost package. Its larger objective lens also collects ambient light which with tritium illuminated reticle provides improved low light aiming.

The benefits of the ACOG configuration have seen similar designs by other manufacturers including the Vortex Optics Spitfire. The design has been introduced into other militaries including the German Bundeswehr and Latvian with their G36 rifle, and by British, Irish, Finnish, and Spanish forces. Similar optics have also been fielded for the PLA’s QBZ-95 and Russian Federation’s AK-74 and AK-12.

A drawback of the ACOG is that the sight must be matched to the specific ballistic performance of the weapon it is used on. Thus, for example the M16A1 and M4, although both using the same 5.56mm ammunition, have different barrel lengths and thus different ballistics. As a result, two different TA11 ACOGs versions are required to account for the different trajectories despite their seeming identical appearance.

VARIABLE MAGNIFICATION

Traditionally magnified sights have been largely limited to specially trained rifleman designated to engage targets at extended ranges. The scopes, particularly variable magnification sights, were costly, required special handling and training. High magnification sights also have smaller field of view (FOV) meaning less area can be viewed through the scope. A lower magnification offers less detail but more surroundings (i.e. FOV) while a greater power shows more details but less surroundings. High magnification could be compared to ‘looking through a straw’. This is illustrated by comparing the 19 feet area seen at 5 power versus 3 feet at 30 power at the same range. It can be difficult to acquire a specific target. An advantage of a variable scope is the ability to select a lower magnification to search for a target and then switch to a more powerful setting to identify and engage. Advances in optics materials and improved manufacturing processes are providing more rugged scopes suited for broader soldier use.

The US Army is adopting a variable scope sight for the squad rifleman selecting the Sig Sauer TANGO6T scope. Called the Direct View Optic (DVO) this was already being used by the Army’s Squad Designated Marksman. TANG06T allows magnification from 1-6x power adjusted by the shooter. The DVO allows every rifleman to engage at greater ranges. The US Marine Corps have always stressed marksmanship (every Marine a rifleman) giving special attention to the sights used. When the Army adopted the Red-Dot, the Marines went a step further adopting a fixed optic in the ACOG. Now, in conjunction with fielding a new service rifle, the Heckler & Koch M27, they are moving to the Low-Power Variable Optic (LPVO). The system selected is a 1-8x variable-powered sight from Trijion designated the Squad Common Optic (SCO). It uses a milliradian front focal plane reticle that can be used on any rifle with a variety of ammunition. SCO will work on nearly every rifle or carbine and possible ammunition including current and near future.

The variable scope facilitates the push by some militaries to enable engagements at ranges greater than 600m and more by the squad rifleman. Yet, it should still provide for engagements inside 300m in close terrain and urban areas. In addition, access to the higher magnification offers the benefits of improving visual reconnaissance and sound target identification. These scopes also lend themselves for use on multiple weapons within the squad or small unit thereby allowing for a common optic.

Leupold & Stevens and Aimpoint have come together to offer a sight that combines attributes of the variable magnification scope and the Red-Dot. Their ECOS-O (Enhanced Combat Optical Sight – Optimised has a Mark 6 3-18x scope and Micro T-1 red-dot aiming system. It offers both eyes shooting to 30m and optically enhanced targeting between 300-1000m. The package can be fitted to a range of combat rifles and used with mated grenade launchers. The sight was ordered by the US Navy Surface Warfare Center Crane with last deliveries in 2018.

The introduction and widespread inclusion of Picatinny or tactical rail systems on individual weapons has offered a new level of adaptability by providing mounting points for various accessories. Rails can be sited on the top, bottom or sides of the weapon allowing multiple devices to be mounted, used, and changed. Rails have become a standard feature on most combat arms.

COMPACT LASERS

One of the most useful aids that can be rail mounted is the laser which can be used for range finding or aiming. With the latter, the laser’s ‘spot’ is adjusted to the bullet impact so that the shooter needs to simply place the spot onto the target and pull the trigger. Laser ranging provides the distance from the weapon to a target, information that is critical to reliably hitting a target, particularly as the range increases. Accurately knowing the range allows a shooter to compensate

The ACOG offers a simple sight picture which is matched to the weapon ballistics. The highlighted red “ˆ” is placed on the target to aim the weapon. The scene beyond the scope can still be seen.

The Picatinny (tactical rail) greatly enhanced the adaptability of the infantry weapon by permitting various sights and shooting accessories to be mounted on to the weapon. Here a Special Ops soldier weapon includes a reflex sight, scope, rangefinder and flashlight.

for the drop of the bullet caused by gravity and its loss of velocity. Today’s lasers using micro-electronics and digitalisation have become quite small. German optical technology firm Jenopik’s DLEM20 diode laser module, for example, is under 33 grams and is only 50mmx22mmx34mm in size yet has an accuracy of better than .5m for a mansize target at 2000m.

These advances have seen wide adoption of lasers on individual weapons. The key benefit of the laser sight is that it always indicates where the weapon’s muzzle is pointing allowing the shooter to get on target faster, an advantage in an unexpected engagement. It is also compatible with night vision goggles allowing the wearer to see the laser. It is not necessary to aim along the weapon as a target can be engaged by simply placing the “dot” on it. A laser dot, however, can be difficult to see at long ranges or in bright conditions, although green lasers are more visible than red lasers. They also generally do not provide for ballistic adjustment for windage and elevation tending to be zeroed for a set range. These attributes recommend the laser sight primarily where quick aiming at closer ranges is anticipated.

On the other hand, the laser rangefinder is a significant benefit for longer range shooting. Knowing the precise range to target is critical as the target distance increases. Smaller, lighter ranging devices can be mounted on virtually any weapon. The SAFRAN Optics 1 I-CUGR (Integrated Compact Ultralight Gun-Mounted Rangefinder) being fielded by the US Marines, is only 12 ounces (340g) with mount and battery and 152x71x45mm (6x2.8x1.8 inch). It provides not only accurate range of a man-sized target to 1300m and a vehicle to 2,500m, but also a visual or IR laser spot for aiming or target marking. Another is L3 Harris’s STORM (Small Tactical Optical Rifle-Mounted Micro Laser Rangefinder) being used by US Navy Special Operations. In addition to ranging and aiming, its digital magnetic compass allows display of a target geospatial coordinates. L3 Harris also offers a smaller lighter STORM-SLX. The price of laser rangers has reached a level that they are readily available and in wide use.

RIFLE FIREC CONTROL SYSTEMS

A Fire Control System (FCS) is an aiming system that takes various data that effects the ability to hit a target and combines it to calculate and present the human operator with a firing solution that assures a hit. These factors can include range to target, ammunition type, wind, temperature, meteorological conditions and can include inputs like barrel wear and other data. The FCS has been a standard feature on tanks, artillery, and even for heavy crew served weapons. It has, despite many development efforts, been too large, heavy, and costly for practical rifleman use. But miniaturisation, digitisation, and computing advances have now combined to allow FCS packages suitable for individual small arms.

Steiner’s Intelligent Combat Sight (ICS) integrates a laser rangefinder and ballistic calculator in a compact, 788g (27.8oz) 6x scope that offers first round hits to 800m. This integration of functional elements provides significant benefits for shooter

performance simply by combining the control of these in a single package. The ICS also automatically determines the necessary trajectory compensation based on the range input and displacing the aiming point in the optic. The shooter then only needs to place the aim-point on the target and fire. The sequence is simple and fast. Plus, the sight is extremely rugged being waterproof, fog proof and able to take a 750G shock. The company has also developed a sight with a built-in calculator and sensor suite and up to 28x power for extended 1000m+ range sniper engagements, the M7Xi 4 – 28x Intelligent Firing Solution.

Raytheon’s ELCAN Specter digital fire control sight integrates the rangefinder and ballistic calculator in a design that can be both adapted to the optical set-up as preferred by the customer and the specific weapon application. Mike Lewis, Rifle Sight Project Lead, explained that the Danish Army “selected our DR 1-4x for their rifles and light machine guns and our DR 1.5-6x for their heavy machine guns”. He added that the current design can accept up to “eight pieces of mission information including temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, range, weapon, ammunition, and weapon tilt, and reduces that down to a ballistic solution in a split second.” The adaptability and growth possibilities of Specter are illustrated by “our adding wireless communications and cameras to the sights to allow sharing of both images and information between units and command. Advanced software processing will also enable active target tracking and augmented reality capabilities.” Specter will also include a thermal night vision capability through the addition of devices like the TigIR thermal clip-on imager from Andres.

Vortex Optics and L3Harris have both been selected to provide advanced fire control sights for the US Army Next Generation Squad Weapons. In fact, their solutions outwardly appear similar. The Vortex uses a direct view 1-8x 30 variable power focal plane optic with an Active Reticle Fire Control, one kilometre laser rangefinder, on-board ballistic calculator, atmospheric sensor suite, and overlayed programable active-matrix micro-display. It has been described as a ‘red dot/1-8 Combo’. L3Harris has teamed with Leupold & Stevens for its Squad Fire Control (SFC) sight solution. It integrates the laser rangefinder, ballistic computation, inclination/cant and environmental sensors with a variable 1-6x optic to both increase accuracy and provide faster target engagement.

The direction of individual weapon sights is certainly linked to the availability of technology advances, with optics and electronics now packaged to accommodate most weapons. Recent combat experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan has influenced demands for increased engagement ranges including for the individual rifleman. There is also the challenge of determining how to make practical use of these capabilities given the realities of combat, where closer engagements often inside 200m can be more typical.

The Raytheon ELCAN Specter integrates ranging, ballistic computation, environmental correction and aim point adjustment to enhance firing accuracy.

US Centrom

The civilian ship MV Mercer Street was attacked on 29 July by at least three Iranian UAVs, the third of which killed two crewmen the US State Department confirmed.

TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY

The attack on the MV Mercer Street by Iranian ‘one way explosive UAVs’ illustrates how loitering munitions are now being widely considered for battlefield use.

Andrew White

On 29 July, the commercial vessel MV Mercer Street was attacked as it transited through international waters in the North Arabian Sea. According to the US State Department, the vessel was attacked by “one-way explosive UAVs”. The attack killed two innocent people onboard the vessel and was conducted by Iran with a “lethal capability (that) it is increasingly employing throughout the region”.

The attack illustrates the growing proliferation of one-way explosive UAVs, often referred to as weaponised UAVs or in some cases, loitering munitions or missiles (LMs) which are able to conduct intelligence-gathering before being directed to conduct a precision attack on a selected target.

LM technology was also employed during the 2020 conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the latter using ‘precision strike assets’ according to a report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), published on 22 October, 2020.

“That a country such as Azerbaijan was able to effect precision strikes at operational depth – once thought to be the sole preserve of great powers – by using a range of relatively cheap tools to substitute for its lack of a robust air force is strategically noteworthy,” the RUSI report warned, before confirming LMs employed during the conflict included Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Harpy and Harop air vehicles.

However, it is not just smaller state actors around the world who have identified the operational effectiveness of LM technology. This type of weapon is being hotly pursued by special operations forces (SOF) and multiple NATO members already have procurement programmes to equip forward deployed units.

Examples include the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) which is in the process of rolling out its Ground Organic Precision Strike System (GOPSS) programme.

Addressing the SOF Industry Conference on 19 May, outgoing Program Manager of USSOCOM’s Program Executive Office - SOF Warrior, Colonel Joel Babbitt described the current state of the GOPSS programme, highlighting three technology areas of interest for the command.

GOPSS Echelon ‘0’ comprises an effort to equip US SOF operators with a man-packable LM capability. According to Babbitt, a working group will continue to consider options over the course of FY2021.

Echelon ‘1’ remains the most mature capability at present, focused on man-packable and crew-served LM capabilities. USSOCOM has already procured an undisclosed number of Switchblade 300 (SB300) and Hero 30SF LMs, manufactured by US company Aerovironment and Israeli company UVision.

Product development was initiated in FY20 with a combat evaluation currently ongoing and scheduled to finish by the end of FY22, Babbitt confirmed.

Finally, Echelon ‘2’ is focused on providing US SOF with a light, vehicle-mounted and crew-served capability in the future, with Aerovironment Swichblade 600 (SB600) and UVision Hero 120SF LMs having already been procured and due to undertake a combat evaluation over the course of FY21-22.

SB600 has also been selected to support USSOCOM’s Maritime Precision Engagement-Munition (MPE-M ) programme which aims to provide a LM capability for Naval Special Warfare’s (NSW’s) inventory of Combatant Craft (Assault, Medium and Heavy) surface vessels.

According to Babbitt, MPE-M is designed to give the Combatant Craft an “organic, UAS-like capability to provide kinetic fires payloads against maritime and littoral targets without breaking NSW Combatant Craft signature survivability in medium to high detection threat environments”.

Initial concepts will see the 33lbs (15kg) MPE-M fired from a Future Munitions

A US Marine Corps rifleman launches an AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitiion during a training exercise at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, 7 July, 2021.

Module Launcher on board the Combatant Craft Medium (CCM), providing operators with 75 minutes endurance on station at maximum ranges up to 120km (74 miles).

Additional requirements call for a ‘cold launch’ capability as well as reductions in size, weight and power; and finally, capability to switch targets when airborne.

Systems integrator FLIR Systems is charged with integrating and evaluating the MPE-M capability between FY2023-24. USSOCOM aims to achieve an Initial Operating Capability for MPE-M by FY2024 with Full Operating Capability (FOC) scheduled to be met two years later.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Speaking to Armada International, UVision’s chairman, Yair Ramati described how the ground, maritime and airborne precision guided munition market is “blooming”.

“Loitering munitions as an emerging sector in this market received global recognition as an important element on the modern battlefield. This market segment is enjoying worldwide recognition for its innovative technologies, sophistication, and flexibility.

“Dominated by the West, recent conflicts have made everyone realise and recognise that precision guided munitions are essential and very important and this is due to increasing levels in accuracy,” Ramati explained before promoting how LMs combine together intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and precision attack capabilities in a single, more cost effective solution.

“Loitering munitions must be low cost and affordable, operated up to platoon levels,” Ramati added. “Most platoon commanders are not rocket scientists,” and so, must have to be able to operate “state-ofthe-art technology as if it were a smartphone”.

“No Israeli Army soldier cannot operate a smartphone within a couple of hours”, he stated adding that long lead-in training programme for LMs must be avoided.

Ramati explained that LMs were proliferating beyond SOF towards more conventional forces. “It’s a long process, like the adoption of UAVs which happened one or two decades ago. This is what we are seeing right now, especially with the Nagorno conflict illustrating that LMs will play a key role in the defeat of the enemy”.

AeroVironment

AeroVironment’s new Crysalis ground control system (GCS) will be able to control any of the company’s UAV products.

Describing future improvements to UVision’s family of LMs, Ramati described how “flexibilty remains the name of the game”.

“Our family of products, which include the Hero 30; 120; and 400 are being carried by vehicles and sometimes Hero 30 is man-packed by the soldier. Hero 120 also has a dual mission capability allowing it to be integrated on the back of the JLTV,” he continued.

The Hero 30, according to UVision literature, can be deployed within minutes and is capable of travelling up to 40km (24 miles) in Line of Sight from an operator. With a top speed of 100kts (185km/h), the Hero 30 has been optimised to conduct anti-personnel missions with a 1lb (0.5kg) warhead and endurance of 30 minutes.

The Hero 120 has been designed for anti-tank missions or other strategic objectives, according to UVision literature. Featuring a 10lb (4.5kg) warhead, the Hero 120 can also operate up to 40km (24 miles) LoS with endurance up to 65 minutes. Similar to the Hero 30, the Hero 120 is also canister-launched.

“We have a next generation of products on the way but all the family continue to be developed in an innovative way,” he continued.

Finally, Ramati confirmed UVision was pursuing all US Department of Defense (DoD) programmes of record which include the Long-Range Precision Munition (LRPM); MPE-M; and Air Launched Effects (ALE). Additional customer requirements being pursued by UVision internationally include the UK’s Royal Marines, Italy’s SOF Command, and the German Ministry of Defence.

Aerovironment continues to upgrade its family of LMs which include the SB300 and SB600. The SB300, currently the US Army’s Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS), comprises a tube-launched solution which has a maximum operating range of 9.6km (six miles) and is man-portable.

The SB300 can be used in an ISR mode before acquiring a target and engaging with an integrated warhead. The solution also includes a wave-off feature which allows the LM to be ditched to avoid collateral damage. The SB300 is also available as a six-strong Multi Pack Launcher which can be integrated onboard a ground vehicle.

The latest addition to the AeroVironment family of loitering missiles is the SB600 which has been designed to provide reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition, features high-precision optics and has more than 40 minutes endurance.

Featuring an anti-armour warhead for engaging ‘larger, hardened targets at greater distances,’ SB600 is man-portable solution which the company states “includes everything required to successfully plan and execute missions and can be set up and operational in less than 10 minutes”.

It has high-resolution EO/IR gimbaled sensors and advanced precision flight control, It is tube-launched and can fly, track and engage non-LoS targets and light-armoured vehicles with lethal precision. It also features a “wave-off and recommit capability [which] allows operators to abort the mission at any time and then re-engage either the same or other targets multiple times based on operator command”, according to AeroVironment.

Speaking to Armada, a company spokes-