Elbit displayed two new lightweight optical systems in support of soldier weight burden reduction at the Eurosatory exhibition in mid-June: a new lightweight version of its Coral CR thermal viewer and a pistol-sized laser target designator.
Adi Dar, executive vice-president and general manager of Elbit Systems Elop, told Jane's that the new viewer, known as Micro Coral, offers the same functionality as the Coral CR system, but with a more compact housing. It is lighter, weighing 1.5 kg with batteries (compared with 3.4 kg with batteries).
Unlike Coral CR, it has a monocular layout to reduce the size of the package and can easily be held with one hand. It also lacks the laser designator of the Coral LR, but Elbit's new pistol grip version of its Rattler designator could address that.
The pistol version of Rattler can be used to designate main battle tank-sized targets for other weapon systems out to ranges of 3 km, or mark them at twice that distance. However, using it at those ranges would be unusual, according to Dar, who said that it would typically be used for far shorter-ranged tactical engagements, mostly to hand-off targets to assets such as Apache attack helicopters.
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