Amongst the products on show will be Qioptiq’s DRAGON Compact (C), winner of the “Best Lightweight Soldier Technology” award at the Soldier Technology Conference in London. DRAGON C is the latest, lightweight, multi-use thermal weapon/observation sight intended 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 and X2, 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 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 control fully 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 will also be demonstrated at the show. MERLIN comprises three variants designed for the Assault Rifle, Sharpshooter Rifle and Sniper Rifle Users, which are designated 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 Qioptiq’s existing KITE family of stand alone Image Intensified Weapon Sights to provide a greater choice for the customer wanting reliable, robust weapon sight solutions.
Steve Rickard, Business & Product Development sums up when he stated “Qioptiq is totally committed to reducing the weight and burden of our ultimate customers – the soldiers and security forces of our nation and its allies that are tasked with undertaking dangerous operations in harsh environments. 2010 has been an extremely busy and challenging year for Qioptiq as we continue to push forward and challenge technical boundaries.”
