Australian defense company NIOA is the prime contractor for LAND 159 Tranche 1. It managed local program coordination and delivery logistics on behalf of the Australian Army.
The Improved Night/Day Observation Device (INOD) Block III is a clip-on thermal weapon sight for snipers and special operations forces. It is designed to help them detect, identify and engage targets in low light and degraded visual conditions, including darkness, smoke, haze and adverse weather.
“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 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.”
Training and interoperability
Leonardo DRS said it provided hands-on training to Australian Army personnel to support operation and maintenance of the systems. The company said Australian snipers will carry the same generation of thermal sight currently fielded with U.S. Army Special Operations Forces.
According to Leonardo DRS, this strengthens interoperability with Australia’s primary alliance partner in joint and coalition operations. The company described the acquisition as a step-change in long-range lethality for the Australian Army.
Technical specifications
The sight is mounted in front of an existing direct-view optic and is designed to preserve the operator’s zeroed scope. It is compatible with magnifications from 5x to greater than 25x.
It uses a micro-cooled, 640-by-480 mid-wave infrared focal plane array to provide thermal imagery and target discrimination. Power comes from lithium batteries with hot-swap capability, which allows battery changes without interrupting operation, or from an external source for extended static-surveillance tasks.
The sight has a rear-facing focus knob, a wired remote control and glove-compatible, one-handed operation. Leonardo DRS supplies individual weapon sights and thermal targeting systems to the U.S. Army, and the INOD family is part of its thermal sighting portfolio, which also includes the Family of Weapon Sights program.
Leonardo DRS did not disclose the number of sights delivered or the value of the contract. It also gave no delivery date.
