New developments in thermal targets

Part of basic training for every soldier is firearms training, during which soldiers learn to master the principles of firearm operation, proper posture, and correct use of weapons including constructing and servicing the weapon. The main objective of this training is to improve their skills with small arms using different targets in different weather conditions. A particularly difficult part of this training is shooting at night. In night conditions, shooting is carried out using optoelectronic sights: night vision and thermovision. The principle of operation of a night vision sight is based on the reinforcement of residual visible light. Thermovision sights for imaging need infrared radiation in two basic so-called 3-5 μm and 8-14 μm windows. Therefore, targets used for daytime shooting, visible in the normal visible range, can't be seen at night using these sights. Of course, these targets could be lit with reflectors of visible light and would then be visible without the use of night sights, but clearly these are not conditions that occur during real military operations. A variety of heated targets are used, but it is easy to damage (cut) them while shooting, especially the power cables used in their construction. As a result, the target immediately stops working. A consortium consisting of MIAT and OPTIMUM undertook the development of new target solutions, whose utility parameters will be much better than previously used targets. As a result of this project, three types of non-heated targets for both night and daytime shooting, and a heated target were developed. This paper presents both the concept of these targets and testing results of their models.