Written by Francesco Adriani
The Swedish Ministry of Defence has awarded a $50 million worth public tender to Leonardo DRS for the supply of thermal weapon sights. The American company will provide Sweden with more than 4600 infrared Individual Weapon Sights (IWS), including weapon-mounted sights, designed both for small guns (3,100 units) and for long-range arms, such as heavy machine guns and sniper rifles (1500 units).
As part of the deal, DRS will deliver 1100 units within the first thirty days from the contract conclusion.
The New Jersey-based company states that their latest Electro-Optical Infrared Systems (EOIS) technology enables eyesight in every climatic/environmental condition, allowing soldiers to acquire and strike targets in a day and night time, and with smoke or fog, and, according to DRS, they operate silently and with low levels of heat/radio emissions, thus making them harder to detect for the enemy. As the company’s website, these devices are designed to improve situational awareness and rapid decision-making capacity which can save lives, time and money on the battlefield.
A glimpse into DRS Individual Weapon Sights Technology. The IWS manufactured by DRS employ advanced technology: their image sensors enable human recognition from more than 950 meters, and they use vanadium oxide, whose high thermal resistance allows sights not to shut down when exposed to light. They are also easy to carry, with an overall weight of 525 grams, and offer great operational capabilities as they are functional within six seconds from power on and can operate within a temperature range varying from -40° to +49° and require minimal maintenance. A last, crucial aspect, concerns interoperability capacity of DRS’ Weapons sights: by employing a Picatinny MIL-STD-1913 NATO/STANAG mounting, these IWS ensure a high degree of interoperability within the Atlantic Alliance Armies.
Bibliography
FWS-I: Family of Weapon Sights-Individual. (n.d.). Retrieved from Leonardo DRS: https://www.leonardodrs.com/media/15142/mr-2021-09-708_fws-i_revi.pdf
LEONARDO DRS ADVANCED IWS FOR SWEDISH MOD. (2022, August 31). Retrieved from Joint-Forces: https://www.joint-forces.com/defence-equipment-news/57166-leonardo-drs-advanced-iws-for-swedish-mod
Loewenson, I. (2022, August 31). Sweden awards $50M deal for thermal weapon sights to Leonardo DRS. Retrieved from DefenceNews: https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2022/08/31/sweden-awards-50m-deal-for-thermal-weapon-sights-to-leonardo-drs/
