Page 131 - Australian Defence Magazine Sep-Oct 2022

US military conducted a separate con- test to come up with a new optical sight to maximise soldier ability to hit targets, especially at longer range. This was won by US company Vortex with its M157 Fire Control Unit (FCU).
This isn’t derived from any existing Vortex optic – it was developed from the ground up for the NGSW program. At its heart is a conventional 1-8 x 30 scope but there’s much more.
The FCU features an integrated ballis- tics calculator, laser range finder, visible and IR aiming lasers, digital compass and environmental sensors, presumably for temperature and maybe wind speed and air pressure, along with ability to wire- lessly network with other soldiers.
Many of the fine details remain clas- sified, including weight. Vortex says it weighs less than a comparable optic with weapon mounted rangefinder.
The company says their scope passed the full range of US military durability tests. It says ease of use was a key design consideration – to range a target, the soldier simply presses a button and the scope calculates holdover and windage, displaying aiming point on the reticule.
The US military is looking to acquire 250,000 units.
ADF REQUIREMENTS
So, will the ADF follow the US and in the fullness of time, adopt the new cartridge and SIG weapons? The answer would ap- pear to be, likely the cartridge, not neces- sarily the US weapons, and at our own pace.
Australia took more than decades to move fully to the 5.56 cartridge. The ADF has also twice chosen weapons other than US designs as our primary infantry rifle.
However, barring the appearance of superior challengers and assuming the M5 works as promised, it would be a very serious contender, which their Aus- tralian distributor Victorian company Aquaterro will be pitching for Tranche 2 of Land 159.
For self-sufficiency and national sov- ereignty, Australia would want to manu- facture weapons and their ammunition locally, well within the capabilities of the Thales small arms factory at Lith- gow and munitions plants at Benalla and Mulwala.
The Steyr rifles remain good for anoth- er decade or more, allowing a considered and orderly transition. ■
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