The 82nd Airborne Division, along with the 3rd and 10th Special Forces Groups, is in the final stages of testing the Family of Weapons Sights – Individual (FWS-I). This program aims to equip Soldiers with advanced thermal sights for individual weapons, enhancing their capabilities during static line and military free fall airborne operations.
The FWS-I provides Soldiers with enhanced thermal imaging, allowing them to see further into the battlefield and improve their surveillance and target acquisition capabilities, day or night. “The FWS-I gives Soldiers the capability to see farther into the battlefield, increase surveillance and target acquisition range, and penetrate day or night obscurants,” said Lashon Wilson, a test coordinator for Project Manager Soldier Lethality. Staff Sgt. Derek Pattle, a Test NCO with the Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate (ABNSOTD), emphasized the importance of mastering night vision devices and targeting systems for Army paratroopers and Special Operators, particularly during forced entry parachute assaults.
Conducting operations during daylight hours can expose paratroopers to enemy fire and counterattacks, making night-time operations and the use of advanced targeting systems crucial. According to Capt. Joseph Chabries, a Plans Officer at ABNSOTD, the key question for military equipment used by Army paratroopers and Special Operations is its survivability during airborne infiltration. “Ensuring these systems are both suitable and effective for issue to airborne forces often requires a more technical approach,” Chabries noted.
Staff Sgt. Dalton Carter, a weapons squad leader with the 82nd Airborne Division, praised the FWS-I’s operational features, viewing it as a significant advancement for Army night vision capabilities. Similarly, Sgt. David Brown, a fire team leader participating in the static line testing, highlighted the FWS-I as a potential force multiplier during limited visibility conditions or obscured battlefields.
Post-drop operations included assembling jumpers to perform system function checks and collimation using the Mobile Boresight Collimation Station (MBCS). This station evaluates the bore sight retention and repeatability of the FWS-I before and after airborne operations, determining any displacement of the boresight reticle due to shocks from aircraft exit, parachute deployment, or landing.
Jacob Boll, ABNSOTD’s Operational Research Analyst, noted that ABNSOTD is uniquely equipped with a mobile bore sight collimation capability, a critical asset for post-drop weapons testing. The instrumentation section of ABNSOTD trained extensively to conduct these tests, ensuring that the FWS-I remains operational and effective.
Maj. Joshua Cook, Deputy Chief of ABNSOTD’s Test Division, underscored the importance of operational testing in ensuring that new systems are effective and suitable for Soldiers. Headquartered at West Fort Cavazos, Texas, the mission centers on ensuring systems perform optimally in real-world environments. Direct feedback from test units and Soldiers is crucial in refining these systems for enhanced military readiness.
The Fort Liberty, North Carolina-based ABNSOTD, part of the U.S. Army Operational Test Command, plays a vital role in planning, executing, and reporting on operational tests and field experiments for Airborne and Special Operations Forces. This testing provides essential data for the development and fielding of new equipment and systems, contributing to the Warfighter’s effectiveness and readiness.
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