Snipers operating in daylight could find it harder to stay hidden as Thales introduced a pocket-sized spotter designed to pinpoint the location of long-range shooters.
The “Modular Counter Sniper System” looks out for reflections from sniper scopes, binoculars, and even cameras.
The system uses goggles fitted with two selectable filters, alongside a beam shaper that can be mounted on any kind of pointing laser, allowing operators to actively scan for hostile optics.
According to Tom Saunders, Product Line Manager at Thales Sensors and Missile Systems, early testing showed the system was effective at ranges of “close to a mile.”
“This is designed to help you see who’s going to be shooting at you,” he told National Defense.
“For example, if you are out in the woods and you shine a flashlight around at night, you see deer, you see coyotes and other animals looking at you. This does the exact same thing, except that it identifies optics that are looking at you.”
‘Compact’ Spotting System
Thales said the counter-sniper solution builds on an earlier system that could spot similar threats from a kilometer’s distance.
However, Saunders said the earlier setup proved impractical, as it was simply too large to carry.
“We took the core aspects of that system and generated a new solution that utilizes pieces of equipment that many people are already carrying,” he noted. “We have basically shrunk the capability down to two filters that fit onto your night vision goggles during daytime only.”
The new system is focused on daytime missions, as low-light detection is already covered by existing counter-sniper technologies.
While details about production timelines were not disclosed, Saunders said the company is refining a market-ready version with the goal of getting them into soldiers’ hands “as soon as possible.”
