The US military is putting a hi-tech optical sight on its semi-automatic snipers
WASHINGTON, (BM) – Several sources confirmed that on this year the US troops began to put a high-tech super modern optical sight on its semi-automatic snipers, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.
Read more: US is already ahead of its competitors with several tests of ‘smart’ sights
The new Mark 5HD will replace the older Leupold Mark 4 LR / T 3.5-10 × 40, which originally came with the M110. The M110 rifle should not be confused with the M110A1 manufactured by Heckler & Koch, which is equipped with a SIG Sauer Tango6 1-6 × 24 scope.
Like all Leupold riflescopes, the Mark 5HD will be manufactured at the Beaverton factory. The Leupold Mark 5HD 3.6-18 × 44 will be coated with FDE and use the Mil-Grid patented reticle. Also, the sight will be equipped with a Leupold Mark IMS mount.
The sight differs from classmates primarily in the small mass [737 g]. The sight is also characterized by high-quality optics with a special coating of DiamondCoat 2 lenses and a Twilight Max HD backlight control system.
Each Leupold riflescope was tested for 5,000 hits on a recoil simulator, where the strength of each hit is 3 times greater than the recoil from a shot in .308 Win caliber. Waterproof, anti-fog, dust and dirt resistant, the Mark 5HD sights are backed by a lifetime warranty.
Read more: A New Rifle Sight of Raytheon ELCAN Offers “a Much Clearer and Less Grainy Image”
Semi-automatin sniper M110
M110 is an American sniper rifle developed by the Knight’s Armament Company based on the MK11 mod. 0 to supplement and replace the M24 sniper rifle in the US Army
The requirements for the new army rifle were formulated by the US Army Armaments Research, Development & Engineering Center, the center for research, development and design of small arms of the US Army and consisted of the following:
- effective destruction of enemy manpower at a distance of up to 1000 m;
- the possibility of using cartridges M118LR and M993 AR (armor-piercing);
- the probability of normal functioning without EFFs [Essential Function Failures – critical failures, unrecoverable by the shooter] when shooting 300 rounds under normal conditions with a day-time optical sight – at least 90% [98% is optimal];
- the probability of normal functioning without EFFs when shooting 100 rounds in combat with a daytime optical sight is at least 90% (98% is optimal).
US is already ahead of its competitors with several tests of ‘smart’ sights
As we reported on June 19 the US ground forces at the Syrian base at Tanf have tested the latest SMASH 2000 sight for downing drones. Similar sights were previously used only by the Israel Defense Forces. US SMASH 2000 was tested in Syria for the first time. “US Special Forces bought this system for use in real-life combat situations,” said Dr. Abraham Mazor, one of the founders of Smart Shooter Ltd.
In the past, Mazor worked for Rafael [an arms manufacturer, one of the four largest Israeli arms and military exporters], including many years of work in the Spike ATGM team.
Abraham Mazor declined to say what kind of military operations this technology is being considered in the U.S. Army, but handouts issued by the United States Army underscores the usefulness of sights as a means of fighting unmanned aerial vehicles, writes Daily Mail. According to him, this product is 100% manufactured by Smart Shooter Ltd. “Our company is in direct contact with the US Special Operations Command [SOCOM], working with US special forces and the IDF”.
Before moving on to testing the scope in Syria, the U.S. Army first bought 98 SMASH 2000 from Smart Shooter Ltd. and in August 2019 conducted their preliminary tests at Beale Air Base near Yuba, California.
The manufacturer of the sights – the Israeli company Smart Shooter Ltd. – Offers a whole line of SMASH sights, which are actually fire control systems [LMS]. Developed in close collaboration with the Israeli army,
The SMASH system allows the shooter to open fire only when the system evaluates the hit on the target as highly probable. Moreover, it takes into account all possible external conditions.
In other words, the shooter first takes aim and fixes [marks] the selected target by pressing the red button on the weapon handle. After that, presses and holds the trigger. A shot is fired only at the moment when the sight “is convinced” of the perfect aiming of the weapon at the target.
However, when a soldier is ready to fire, the system determines whether his target is true, and if the target is “disabled”, SMASH 2000 will not allow to shoot, even if you press the trigger.
“The new sight automates the guidance process and increases the probability of hitting the target from the first shot four times. For this, the principles of display recognition and auto tracking algorithms that were previously used in homing missiles and fire control systems of military equipment are used,” Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, explained to Gazeta.ru.
The built-in sight computer stores the necessary data from various types of small arms. According to the manufacturer, the system allows you to increase the probability of hitting from the first shot from 100 m to 80%, which practically equalizes inexperienced and experienced soldiers.
Read more: L3 Technologies Received an EOTech Optics Contract from USSOCOM
As the source of “Gazeta.Ru” said, since the first appearance of such a sight, the system has been constantly evolving and now Smart Shooter Ltd. offers two scope options: SMASH 2000 and SMASH 2000 Plus. The second model is equipped with a mode to combat unmanned aerial vehicles. It allows shelling air targets in the daytime at heights of up to 200 m. Typical distances of firing at fixed and moving targets in the daytime are 300 m.
While the daytime display is available on the transparent screen of the mirror sight, in night mode it is displayed on video displays for low light. The system consists of an aiming unit and a fire blocking mechanism, which is built into the pistol grip with a safety bracket, which replaces the original handle on a particular weapon.
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