Off Duty, Technology - Army Times

Scope out these optics

The expression may be cliché, but it is so true: What you see is what you get. In a firefight, nothing is more important than the ability to quickly and accurately put your eyes on a target — and then take it out.

Optics, and those who make them, have made amazing advances in that regard.

Trijicon

Mounted atop a .50-caliber heavy machine gun, the Trijicon ACOG 6x48 is one sexy sighting system. This monster promises to enhance your ability to spot a target and your probability of nailing it — at a range of 1,200 meters. Its “bullet drop compensator” provides extra aiming points, and the trademark Bindon Aiming Concept lets you leave both eyes open as you stare down your prey.

It’s waterproof to 100 feet; you can drop this 39.3-ounce, forged aluminum ACOG in a puddle or bog and it’ll still work.

Cost: $1,925

http://www.trijicon.com

Aimpoint

The new Aimpoint CEU, short for “concealed engagement unit,” lets you see or attack an enemy even while you are safely behind cover. Capable of rotating 260 degrees, the CEU can peek around corners, under vehicles and over walls, so you can stay out of harm’s way; basically, it turns your rifle into a scouting instrument. Better still, it doesn’t monkey with your weapon’s impact point, meaning you’re free to take it off your gun and loan it to a squad mate.

Cost: $377

http://www.aimpoint.com

EOTech

With its powerful night-vision brightness range and seemingly endless battery life, EOTech’s 552 holographic weapon sight was already a popular number with troops downrange. Now wait till they get a chance to use the EOLAD 552 with integrated laser aiming device. It combines the sight’s speed with the laser’s precision for “pinpoint accuracy.” The laser’s diameter is just 8mm at 25 meters.

Cost: about $1,500

http://www.eotech-inc.com

Xenonics

There’s night vision and then there’s SuperVision, a new high-definition optics system from Xenonics that enhances ambient infrared light to produce a vivid black-and-white picture on its HDTV display.

Ideal for slower, static surveillance operations that demand high-resolution clarity, the hand-held SuperVision features a 2x to 8x digital zoom that can detect and recognize objects or activity with a range of 525 feet at 1,000 yards.

Cost: $1,400

http://www.xenonics.com