Leonardo DRS completes Australian sniper thermal sight deliveries

Australian Army snipers have finished receiving clip-on thermal weapon sights from Leonardo DRS, the U.S. company said on Oct. 5, completing deliveries and operator training under the first tranche of Australia’s LAND 159 small arms program.

The sight, the Improved Night/Day Observation Device (INOD) Block III, lets snipers and special operations troops find and engage targets in darkness, smoke, haze and bad weather. Leonardo DRS did not say how many sights it delivered or what the contract was worth.

The INOD Block III mounts on the rifle in front of the sniper’s existing daytime scope. Because the day optic stays in place, the shooter keeps the scope’s zero and does not need to re-sight the rifle when switching between day and thermal use. The company says the sight works with scopes from 5x to more than 25x magnification.

At its core is a 640-by-480 mid-wave infrared sensor with a miniature cooler. Cooled thermal sensors are generally more sensitive than the uncooled sensors found in many cheaper thermal sights, which helps at the longer ranges snipers work at. The micro-cooler keeps the size and power demand down enough for a rifle-mounted sight.

The sight runs on lithium batteries that can be swapped without shutting it down, and it can draw external power for long periods of static surveillance. Controls include a rear-facing focus knob, a wired remote and one-handed operation designed for use with gloves.

According to Leonardo DRS, Australian snipers will now carry the same generation of thermal sight that U.S. Army special operations forces use. The company also supplies individual weapon sights and thermal targeting systems to the U.S. Army, including under the Family of Weapon Sights program.

“Completing delivery and training for the Australian Army is an important milestone for our team,” said Jerry Hathaway, senior vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business unit. “The INOD Block III provides a thermal sighting capability intended to support sniper operations in demanding conditions, and the training helps ensure personnel are prepared to operate and maintain the system.”

Leonardo DRS staff trained Australian Army personnel to operate and maintain the sights as part of the deal.

LAND 159 is the Australian Army’s program to replace and upgrade soldiers’ small arms and related equipment, including sniper systems. Australian defense company NIOA is the prime contractor for Tranche 1 and handled local program management and delivery logistics for the Australian Army, with Leonardo DRS supplying the thermal sights.