Lockheed Martin advanced rifle sight

[FPembleton]

Interesting article on something Lockheed may be working on for a rifle optic:

SAN DIEGO, 9 May 2010. Military optical sensor experts at the Lockheed Martin Corp. Mission Systems & Sensors (MS2) segment in Akron, Ohio, are developing an experimental advanced rifle sight that helps every soldier be a marksman by enhancing the ability to hit targets at ranges from 3 to 2,000 feet.

Lockheed Martin won a $3.9 million contract last week for the Dynamic Image Gunsight Optic (DInGO) program to develop an optical scope attachment for standard combat rifles like the M16 and M4 with field-of-view and angular magnification that can be automatically reconfigured and optimized based on the range to target.

Lockheed Martin experts will capitalize on recent developments in reconfigurable lenses, low-power large pixel-count digital imagers, foveated focal plane arrays, and low-power displays to produce revolutionary rifle sight capabilities.

Awarding the DInGO contract is the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, on behalf of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va.

Lockheed Martin optical systems integrators are being asked to produce a prototype rifle sight with rapid, seamless, automated, or hands-free actuation to enable soldiers to keep both hands on their weapons as they use the rifle sight.

The scope must allow for a wide field of view for close quarters battle, as well as sufficient magnification and resolution to hit moving targets farther than a quarter mile away. Lockheed Martin designers will compensate for bullet drop and moderate winds to enhance marksman accuracy at long ranges.

The optical resolution of the DInGO prototype will be sufficient to enable the user to recognize targets at ranges as far away as 1,000 feet between dawn and dusk.

The DInGO rifle sights will operate for as long as eight hours continuous operation -- or seven-day limited operation -- with two AA batteries. Ultimately, SPAWAR is asking Lockheed Martin to develop a rifle sight that costs less than $600 in quantities of 50,000.

 

[Stevo]

[Aussie accent]"A DInGo shot my baby!"[/Aussie accent]

 

[Scocou]

^^^ LOL, too close to DInGUS for me...

Sounds neat but a little vague, will be interesting to see where this goes.

An aside though: I guess "far away as 1000 feet" is supposed to impress me more than 300M, and "from dusk till dawn" is way longer than daytime-use only... ahhh marketing-speak.

 

[luke s]

That would be amazing, have a little LCD instead looking into a scope

 

[Crossbones]

Does it have x-ray vision? If it does I'm going to be a riot at my health club

 

[Ix]

Skunk Works usually brings cool stuff...

 

[Gunnerlove]

$600? they must have dropped a few zeros.

 

[Scocou]

^^^
"$600 in quantities of 50,000" would likely represent a volume discount...

 

[Gunnerlove]

It is a better price than the Mil list for ACOGs.

 

[blueblast]

$3.9 Million for guys to shoot at 3 feet? There's something wrong with the US training if guys can't hit a target at 3 feet! That's instinct and eye/hand coordination, and that should come free from evolution!

The other thing I can't understand is why they are making optics for the M4/M16 platform when they just ran the SOCOM SCAR competition and are starting to phase in new rifles, while also re-issuing the M14 as a squad DM rifle.

 

[tenexx]

Any on ebay yet? Or should I wait for the NCStar knock off?

 

[Scocou]

It is a better price than the Mil list for ACOGs.

OK, it's cheaper than an ACOG. Aimpoints are too... ACOGs aren't exactly cheap.

$3.9 Million for guys to shoot at 3 feet? There's something wrong with the US training if guys can't hit a target at 3 feet! That's instinct and eye/hand coordination, and that should come free from evolution!

The other thing I can't understand is why they are making optics for the M4/M16 platform when they just ran the SOCOM SCAR competition and are starting to phase in new rifles, while also re-issuing the M14 as a squad DM rifle.

I would assume it to be picatinny rail mounted and good for SCAR too. Just guessing though... but it does say "for standard combat rifles like the M16 and M4". I am pretty sure SCAR is a "combat rifle".

 

[Paul Morrison]

Daytime operation only means that it doesn't have NVG.

 

[Onthebeep]

sounds like a built in laser rangefinder and a mechanism to automatically adjust the magnification and offset for bullet drop based on that.

Could be a little disconcerting as it zooms in and out? Or maybe as alredy suggested you'll be looking at a little LCD instead of through a scope - I guess that'll make the video gamers more at home using a real rifle!!

No need for range time just play Call of Duty!!

 

[Scocou]

sounds like a built in laser rangefinder and a mechanism to automatically adjust the magnification and offset for bullet drop based on that.

Could be a little disconcerting as it zooms in and out? Or maybe as alredy suggested you'll be looking at a little LCD instead of through a scope - I guess that'll make the video gamers more at home using a real rifle!!

No need for range time just play Call of Duty!!

LOL @ COD... Yeah that's about how I saw it too, sounds kinda' cool I guess. Time will tell, maybe its similar to Barrett BORS.

Daytime operation only means that it doesn't have NVG.

Ya' think so?