Helmet-Mounted Beacon and Close Quarters Thermal Vision System
Steiner EOPTICS’ new product offerings on view for delegates to SHOT SHOW 2020 in Las Vegas this week include a Helmet Mounted Beacon (HMB) and Close Quarters Thermal (CQT) vision system.
The HMB was developed in response to Steiner’s perception “of a gap in the market space that would allow for a low-cost, high capability, mass producible beacon of the quality level that you would expect from a MILSPEC manufacturer and leader in this industry,” stated Matt Ohlson, Vice President for Sales at the company. To meet these emergent requirements this HMB operates on three different wavelengths: near-infrared, short-wave infrared and visible. The device can also be synchronized with other beacons in “an innovative new way,” Ohlson added, whereby the user needs only hold this HMB close to other beacons – hands free – “so you don’t have to touch them, push buttons, or engage in other activities.”
The new HMB’s footprint is more compact and about 30-35% lighter than the company’s previous offerings, with the new product also being further ruggedized to better support special and conventional forces in the ground and maritime domains.
Steiner EOPTICS’ new HMB is in test and evaluation by a number of different military forces in and beyond NATO. “None have contracted yet. We expect those procurements to start to happen by end of second quarter [April-June] of this year,” the Miamisburg, OH-based executive emphasized.
The company’s new CQT product was similarly reported to be a very innovative entry in this market. Ohlson noted the CQT combines both red dot and thermal sights into a single product. “This is the first kind of offering in the market. The holographic red dot sight is built for close to medium range [out to about 200m on human-size targets] engagements, but the real interesting thing about CQT, is it has a thermal camera image that is overlaid on top of the red dot sight,” he explained. “You are seeing at night, thermal, in a variety of different reticle sizes you can choose from, and it is good for engagements, day or night, through fog and other similar weather conditions. It’s a good day/night device and you don’t need to use night vision goggles. It’s built for close quarters engagements.”
Steiner, as a systems integrator, obtains content for CQT from a number of suppliers.
A number of the new CQT, which is now in production and available, are in testing within the US DoD. “There’s also very strong interest in NATO countries,” Ohlson added.
Marty Kauchak in Las Vegas for MON
