Advanced Thermal Scope Enables Snipers to Stay Undetected During Operations

Imagine a world where snipers can take out targets from unprecedented distances without revealing their location. This is no longer a figment of imagination, thanks to defense contractor Teledyne FLIR. At the recent annual SHOT Show in Las Vegas, a hub for the shooting sports, hunting, and firearm industries, they introduced the HISS HD, a revolutionary sniper sight.

For those unfamiliar with the world of sniping, let’s break it down. Snipers are often the unseen heroes of armed forces, strategically positioning themselves at a distance or in concealed locations. They use high-precision, ultra-high-tech weaponry to eliminate targets from miles away.

However, there’s a catch. When you’re miles away, how do you ensure your aim is accurate? Enter tracers, bullets that contain a small pyrotechnic charge that burns brightly enough to be seen with the naked eye.

But there’s a downside. If you can see the tracers, so can the enemy. And naturally, they might start retaliating. So, what’s the solution?

For some time now, the answer has been “cooled thermal sights”. These are specialized cameras that track fired rounds with a thermal sight, cooled to cryogenic temperatures – below 120 Kelvin, or -153°C (-243.4°F).

While this might seem excessively low, considering bullets average between 50 and 90°C (122 to 194°F) after leaving a gun, it’s done for a good reason. It reduces thermal noise, allowing for increased image resolution. Zachary Fuller, senior sales manager for weapon sights and handhelds for Teledyne FLIR, explains, “The bullet leaves the barrel at extreme speed – close to 2,500 feet per second in the case of a 7.62mm machine gun. You don’t see it for the first few meters, but once the bullets decelerate a bit, you can see all of them.”

The HISS HD is not the first sight to use this technology, but it stands out due to its superior image clarity and the distances at which this clarity can be maintained. According to Forbes, it’s like “being able to see an enemy soldier’s arm move across a weapon at over a mile away, day or night.”

With its waterproof, lightweight, and autofocusing features, the HISS HD is “the unmatched choice for precision shooters,” says Teledyne FLIR. But it’s not just a tool for super-soldiers. It can also be used separately from a weapon for surveillance and video export for evaluation.

“Even deconfliction,” Fuller adds, “knowing who the friendlies are, knowing who’s armed or unarmed all gets easier.”