Thermal Weapon Sight Undergoes Durability Tests

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The U.S. Army has successfully completed airborne drop testing of its next-generation, compact thermal weapon sight, aimed at checking its durability. Soldiers have recently conducted more than 40 static line airborne test trials with the Army’s Family of Weapons Sights-Individual, or FWS-I, a breakthrough in soldier weapons targeting gear designed to communicate wirelessly with the service’s latest Enhanced Night Vision Goggle.

The FWS-I gives soldiers the ability to wirelessly transmit the sight reticle into the wide display screen of the helmet-mounted Enhanced Night Vision Goggle III and quickly fire at enemy targets, according to military.com.

But before the FWS-I can be fielded, Army testers must prove the system is rugged enough to survive demanding combat operations such as airborne insertions.

Mike Tracy, branch chief of the Personnel Special Operations Test Branch, said: “Individual paratroopers, as well as vehicles and cargo delivery systems, are bristling with technology, and technology can be frail at times. To ensure these systems are both suitable and effective for issue to airborne forces often requires a technical approach.”

After the airborne operations, the soldiers performed function checks on the systems to ensure that the sights were still bore-sighted to the weapons.

The Army plans begin fielding 36,000 FWS-Is in early 2019.