That doo-hickey on the side of that big *ss sniper rifle is the U.S. Marines’ latest tech: the Integrated-Compact Ultralight Gun-mounted Rangefinder (I-CUGR). They USMC selected the small, lightweight, tough-as-nails device for their Sniper Range Finder (SRF) program, so a Marine can call in precise artillery and airstrikes without . . .
taking their hands off their rifle. Safran Optics 1 Inc. won the contract; starting with a 2018 Q1 delivery of 315 units. If all goes well, Uncle Sam plans to buy an additional 1,524 more systems this year.
Safran’s building the I-CUGR in the good old USA, at the company’s New Hampshire factory. The defense contractor has lots of experience building less portable military “pointers.” One assumes they’ve incorporated proven tech into the rifle-mounted unit.
While there are plenty of civilian laser rangefinders, I reckon it’s only a matter of time before Safran’s system hits the civilian hunting/plinking market. Not to mention the market for mil-spec-seeking operators operating operationally.