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The latest Thermal weapon sights & Night Vision equipment on show

  • Date: 26th August 2010
  • Company: Qioptiq

Qioptiq, the renowned global photonics company and design and manufacturer of VIPIR thermal and KITE image intensified night vision equipment, demonstrates Dragon and Merlin, its latest products, at Eurosatory on .

Enter the DRAGONS

Qioptiq unveils 2 new Thermal Weapon sight Products at the Eurosatory show in Paris

DRAGON Compact

DRAGON Compact (C), winner of the “Best Lightweight Soldier Technology” award at the Soldier Technology Conference in London, is the first of the new series to be unveiled. DRAGON C is the latest, lightweight, multi-use thermal weapon / observation sight targeted for Dismounted Close Combat & Special forces users.

DRAGON C is primarily designed to be used as an in line “Clip On” thermal weapon sight, allowing the user to retain his existing day sight on the weapon. Weapon zero is unaffected due to the X1 collimated optical design of the DRAGON C unit. The design has been optimised to work with a number of optical day sights from international manufacturers and will operate nicely around the X2-X4 magnification region.

DRAGON C can also be used as a stand alone lightweight thermal weapon sight, providing Magnification settings of X1, X2, X4, along with on board aiming mark selection & zeroing capability. It is also very useful as a hand held Thermal Surveillance Scope and can easily be stored in a pouch or pocket when not in use.

DRAGON Long Range

Also being shown for the first time at an International show is the DRAGON Long Range (LR) Thermal Weapon Sight. The LR is primarily aimed at section level & heavy support weapons looking to operate out past the 2km range mark. With an overall weight of less than 1400g, the DRAGON LR presents a lightweight solution for its role. DRAGON LR has a base system magnification of X2.7 (with X5.4 / X10.8 available via E-Zoom).

An Infra Red Laser Aimer can be integrated, along with the ability to fully control the sight from a remote location (such as the weapon handguard / softmount etc) via the use of full I/O capability.

MERLIN Image Intensifier

The new MERLIN family of in line Night Vision Sights is also demonstrated at the Soldier Technology show. MERLIN comprises 3 variants designed for the Assault Rifle, Sharpshooter Rifle and Sniper Rifle Users, so named Short Range (SR), Medium Range (MR) and Long Range (LR).

As with the DRAGON C product, the MERLIN family has been developed to deliver a system capable of retaining boresight even when subjected to the harsh shock impacts produced by modern 5.56, 7.62 and 8.39 mm rifles, for single shot, semi and full automatic firing modes.

The MERLIN family will sit alongside the existing KITE family of stand alone Image Intensified Weapon Sights to provide a greater choice for the customer wanting reliable, robust weapon sight solutions.

Conclusion

Qioptiq is totally committed to reducing the weight and burden of our ultimate customers – the end users of our nations that are tasked with undertaking dangerous operations in harsh environments. 2010 is shaping up to be an extremely busy and challenging year for Qioptiq as we continue to push forward and challenge technical boundaries.

Notes for Editors

Dragon C

The sight weighs 430g, and utilises a 320x240 25u uncooled thermal core. Power is provided by 2AA batteries providing a run time of approximately 5 hours with an overall power consumption of less than 1.5W. Dragon C has a range performance of approximately 400-600m.

Dragon LR

DRAGON LR utilises a 640x480 25u uncooled thermal core coupled with a 9 degree field of view lens to provide a long range DRI capability. It can detect man sized targets at ranges in excess of 3km.

Qioptiq will be unveiling a wider range of DRAGON variants in due course.

Merlin

The MERLIN units provide different size / weight / performance charactaeristics, all offering simplistic MMI, common accessories and a power supply of 1 standard AA battery. With static boresight retention of less than 0.5MoA, MERLIN is poised to deliver accurate results to users who require the flexibility of a modular sighting system approach.

About Qioptiq:

Qioptiq designs and manufactures photonic products and solutions that serve a wide range of markets and applications in the areas of Defense and Aerospace, Industrial Manufacturing, Medical and Life Sciences, as well as Research and Development.

The company is known for its high-quality standard components, products and instruments, its custom modules and assemblies, its leading-edge innovation, its precision manufacturing and its responsive global resourcing.

Through a series of acquisitions, Qioptiq has an impressive history and pedigree, and benefits from having integrated the knowledge and experience of LINOS, Point Source, Spindler & Hoyer, Gsänger, Optem, Pilkingtons, and others.

Qioptiq has a worldwide presence with locations throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and the US, employs over 2,300 people and generated revenues of approximately US$400 million in 2009.

 

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