The Latest from Cactus Tactical: Weapons of the War in Afghanistan: Optics, Part III

Weapons of the War in Afghanistan

In the world of war, weapons and technology are ever changing, each war is characterized by the weapons and tactics used to fight it. As new environments and enemies are encountered, the parties to those wars develop new - more effective tactics, technologies, and weapons to counter and defeat their adversaries. The ingenuity seen in war has existed since (and most certainly before) the first wars of recorded history and continue to this very day.

Keeping with that theory, let’s take a look at the weapons that have characterized the wars and conflicts that the United States has been a party to over the course of it’s history. During the course of this series, I aim to breakdown the weapons used in each conflict by their classification, and to which party they were employed by. Having served in combat operations in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, I would like to start our series with the War in Afghanistan.

For our twenty-first installment let's take a look the most common optics used in the War in Afghanistan.

ELITE TACTICAL SYSTEMS AR-15 30 ROUND MAGAZINE w/ COUPLER

Part III - The United States

Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 6.5-20x50mm

The Leupold Mark 4 LR/T 6.5-20x50mm riflescope utilizes Leupold's 2nd Generation Argon/Krypton Waterproofing. Leupold's proprietary Argon/Krypton gas blends advantages are two fold: it nearly eliminates the effects of thermal shock, and the Argon/Krypton molecules are significantly larger than nitrogen molecules, reducing the diffusion of gases sealed inside your scope even more than their proven nitrogen technology already does. Blackened lens edges reduce unwanted glare and diffusion through the lens edges to provide better resolution, improved contrast and superior optical performance. Exterior lens surfaces are treated with DiamondCoat 2™, an ion-assist lens coating, for higher light transmission and the greatest level of abrasion resistance offered. The generous eyebox makes it faster and easier to get your eye behind the riflescope and achieve a full, clear sight picture. At high power, the longer eye relief and more generous eyebox gives you incredible head position latitude and an improved sight picture that fills the eyepiece completely.

30mm Maintube

3:1 Zoom Ratio

Flip Back Lens Covers (Mark 4)

Lockable Fast-Focus Eyepiece

M1 Adjustments

Side Focus

Super Fast-Focus Eyepiece

Tactile Power Selector

Twin Bias Spring Erector System

Waterproof/Fogproof

Xtended Twilight Lens System

Magnification---------------------- Low--------High

Actual Magnification---------------6.50 x____19.50 x

Linear Field of View (ft/100 yd)--14.30 ft___5.50 ft

Linear Field of View (m/100 m)--4.80 m____1.80 m

Eye Relief (in)---------------------4.40 in____3.60 in

Weight: 22.00 oz

Objective Clear Aperture: 2.00 in

Elevation Adjustment Range: 70.00 moa

Windage Adjustment Range: 70.00 moa

M8541 Scout Sniper Day Scope

The M8541 Scout Sniper Day Scope is a Schmidt and Bender Police Marksman II LP 3–12×50 modified by Premier Reticles. Starting in 2007, this model replaced the Unertl MST-100 10× fixed day scope. This day scope is mounted with Badger Ordnance USMC M40A3 34mm scope rings, which use a standard ring in the rear and a wider MAX-50 ring in front. The standard front ring cap is replaced with a SPA-Defense B634 34mm Male Dovetail, as a mounting platform for the Simrad KN200 Night Vision Weapon Sight. The scope and rings are mounted on a DD Ross 30-minute-of-angle lugged Picatinny rail.

A very versatile scope permitting to realize distances of up to 1500m. The reticle is located in the first focal plane permitting a distance evaluation in all magnifications.

EOTech Holographic Sight

The holographic sight uses laser-driven holographic technology. It constructs a 2 or 3-dimensional image of a reticle, and the laser illuminates the hologram. Then the viewer looking through the sight window can see the reticle image in the distance, at the target plane.

The projection of the reticle appears...

Only to the user
In the window of the sight

Onboard Computer Controls:

Holographic weapon sights (HWS) use state-of-the-art digital electronics, including an onboard microprocessor. These components give the operator precise control of the illumination laser, including...
Scrolling through brightness levels (to adjust for low light to bright sunlight)
Automatically checking battery power indicators
Programming auto shutdown features

Heads-Up Display:

In holography, all of the information required to reconstruct the reticle image is recorded everywhere in the heads-up display window. This is the technology that fighter pilots use for target acquisition. It creates an accurate image of a target even in poor-visibility conditions like rain, snow, darkness or cloud cover.
The heads-up display of a holographic sight provides the user with 2-eyes-open shooting. This eliminates blind spots and tunnel vision, and maximizes peripheral vision.

Durable Design:

Durability is an important function of HWS. The sights are designed and built to be resistant to water, fog, shocks and extreme temperatures.
Optical cavity – Enclosed and sealed with state-of-the-art aerospace composite material to keep out water and fog
Components – Hardened and corrosion resistant
Electronics – Encapsulated in shock-absorbing resin compound to remain fully operational and hold zero in Military Specifications (MIL-SPEC) drop tests
Acceleration Tested – Functions with 2,500 Gs of acceleration in less than 0.5 milliseconds
Heads-Up Display – 3-layers of laminate and glass, further protected by a rugged, roll-bar-style hood
Even if the window is shattered or is partially obstructed by mud, snow or rain, it can still function. As long as the operator can see through any portion of the window, the entire reticle pattern remains visible on the target.

No Revealing Light Signature:

All external optical surfaces of the HWS are flat and have anti-reflective coatings so no glare elimination filters are needed.
The projected reticle is visible to only the operator. Even GEN-III night vision equipment cannot detect the muzzle-side signature of the HWS operator’s position.

Night Vision Compatible:

There are 20 daylight brightness settings on an EOTech HWS. In addition, the night vision mode has 10 additional distinct brightness settings that compensate for...

Ambient environment
Variances in sensitivity of the image intensifier tubes
Differences in light-gathering sensitivity of the human eye, from user to user
Just as an EOTech HWS without night vision emits no muzzle-side signature, the EOTech HWS in night vision mode is also not detectable by enemy night vision surveillance systems, making it an effective stealth system.