Family of Weapon Sights (FWS)
Abstract
FWS is a family of weapon sights that enable combat forces to acquire and engage targets with small arms and to conduct surveillance and Enhanced Target Engagement under day/night obscurants, no-light, and adverse weather conditions. The family utilizes advancements in thermal and low light level sensors to produce Individual (I), Crew-Served (CS), and Sniper (S) weapon sights operable in-line with a day optic or in stand-alone mode. This project integrates a smaller pixel focal plane array in multiple large format sizes to improve sensitivity, clarity, and range, while simultaneously reducing the size, weight and power consumption of both the Crew-Served and Sniper variants. The FWS-I variant is a weapon mounted long-wave infrared sensor that enables Soldiers to fire quickly and accurately from any carry position and with significantly reduced exposure to enemy fire by providing a wireless zeroed weapon aim point in the Soldier's goggle. Leveraging the success of the Individual variant development, the FWS-CS variant operates as the primary sight; it includes a wireless Helmet Mount Display (HMD) and provides the Soldier, with input from a laser rangefinder device, a more accurate aim point that adjusts automatically for range, ammunition characteristics, and vertical angle. The FWS-S variant mounts in-line with the Sniper’s direct view optic providing a thermal imagery capability to the host weapon at the weapon’s maximum effective range, plus 20% overmatch. FWS-S provides Snipers a large format display with increased pixel density that enables accurate long range engagements while maintaining day sight, extending the lethality and providing exceptional observation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Source ID
- 4670f7c0e7f723db07cbd69990d27a62