BAE Systems begins production of new thermal sights

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- BAE Systems is to begin production of new thermal weapon sights for the U.S. Army under a $13.5 million order.

Under the low-rate initial production award, 100 systems will be made for individual soldier weapons.

The new production is part of a five-year contract for the Army's Enhanced Night Vision Goggle III and Family of Weapon Sight-Individual program.

"These advanced weapon sights will allow soldiers to conduct surveillance and acquire targets in any light or weather conditions, increasing mission safety and effectiveness," said Marc Casseres, director of Imaging and Aiming Solutions at BAE Systems. "This production order means that soldiers are one step closer to receiving this mission-critical technology for use in-theater."

The new thermal sights feature 12-micron technology, which makes the sights smaller and lighter than earlier thermal sights. It also provides superior image quality.

The clip-on, uncooled infrared thermal weapon sight allows soldiers to clearly view targets at more than 1,000 yards away. It can be mounted on a variety of weapons, including the M4 carbine, M16A4, the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M136 AT4 rifle, or M141 Bunker Defeat.