JIM-LR

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The JIM-LR in Steel Beasts Professional (if it looks like a pair of generic binoculars to you, you just need to squint a little harder)

JIM-LR: Hand-Held Observation and Targeting Device

Quick Start Shortcut Key list

Select JIM-LR: F7 to go to Commander view; F1; Numpad +
Focus: Numpad / to focus closer or Numpad * (Numult) to focus farther away
Zoom: N (or Shift + N to zoom out)
Change thermal view polarity: Numpad - (Numpad Sub)
Lase target: Right mouse click
Toggle UTM coordinates to/from LAT/LONG: R



Statistics

• Weight < 2.8 kg


General

The JIM-LR (Jumelle Infrarouge Multifonction [Fr: Infrared Multifunctional Binocular-Long Range]), manufactured by Safran Electronics and Defense (formerly Sagem Défense Sécurité), is a hand-held or tripod mounted (not modeled in Steel Beasts Professional PE) individual observation device in a binocular format employed for threat detection, target identification and fire control purposes. It combines a digital day channel with a cooled thermal imager, eye-safe laser range-finder, laser pointer (not modeled), digital magnetic compass and GPS to provide self and target location capabilities. In the real world the system can be supplied with the capability to merge day and thermal imagery to penetrate camouflage. This capability and its standard recording (internal and USB) and connectivity features are not modeled in Steel Beasts Professional PE. As of October 2019 over 9000 units have been supplied to military customers and the system is standard issue in the Danish, French, and UK armed forces. In Steel Beasts Professional, the JIM-LR is available at team/squad/section level.

JIM-LR in Steel Beasts

Equipping a unit with JIM-LR

In Mission Editor, to equip a unit with JIM-LR

Left mouse click on the unit.
• Click on Options
• Click on Personal optronics
• Click on JIM-LR


Don't be disappointed! It only gets better.

In game, to select the JIM-LR

• Press F7, Commander view
• Press F1 view
• Press Numpad +


You will doubtless be rewarded with an annoyingly fuzzy image of a distant object.


Bigger, but still blurry.

JIM-LR Display

Below is a detailed inventory of the JIM-LR display, which includes:

  • Compass Ribbon and Heading
  • Current JIM-LR User GPS coordinates (location of user)
  • Rangefinder Aim Point
  • Date/Time Information (2 places on the display)
  • Heading in mils (0-6400, clockwise from North around the compass)
  • Aimpoint Range and Azimuth information (information about what was ranged, at the time of ranging, not updated without re-ranging)
JIM-LR Display

Operating the JIM-LR

To zoom in, press N (or Shift + N to zoom out) – you have to do this as it will not cycle to lowest magnification when you click N again when at highest magnification, unlike the Gunner’s Primary Sight on the M1A2, for example. The day channel offers three levels of digital zoom.


Your screen is now filled with an amorphous blob.




Looking good!

Press Numpad / to focus closer or Numpad * (Numult) to focus farther away. You will now see a rather pixelated view of the distant object. In reality the JIM-LR has a 320 pixel display as standard, with 640 optional (not modelled in Steel Beasts). This may not seem like much, but it’s more than enough for the unit’s intended purpose.


We can now take a look and see if the command vehicle has its engine switched on and if it has been moving around recently.


Not a big fan of lurid green, myself...

Press the highly intuitive Shift + Numpad * to toggle to and from thermal view. (unfortunately, you will also need to zoom in and focus again).

The JIM-LR’s thermal channel has four levels of magnification, the last of which is higher than possible with the day channel. This makes it a superb tool for long range target detection, especially if you’re NOT in a hot desert as above.



Finally, we're getting somewhere.

You can toggle the polarity of the display by pressing Numpad Sub (the key on the Numpad).

Now, in order to send a wake-up call to the sleepy occupants of the vehicle, you need to know its location (and in real-life, its azimuth, in case you need to adjust your fire – Steel Beasts automatically takes into account the azimuth to target from your position when you call for adjustments so you do not enter this manually). You can toggle the polarity back by pressing Numpad Sub again.


This picture needs a close-up.

Holding the cross hairs on the target, Right mouse click.

A panel appears at the left of the display giving you a variety of useful information on the location of the vehicle in time and space.


Your reward!

In this example, the two sets of digits 9241 1198 shown above (UTM coordinates) are the coordinates you need to call in support.


I'm just showing off now...

However, if you press R you can toggle from UTM coordinates to LAT/LONG.

Sometimes, particularly on distant and/or indistinct targets, the laser will get multiple returns, in which case D1 is the closest return, D3 is the longest return and D2 is the system’s best guess. The latter is usually, but not always, the same as adding D1 and D3 and dividing by 2. Unlike the case with the standard laser rangefinder (which, in the case of FO’s, you can switch back and forth to by pressing F2) the JIM-LR does not automatically copy the coordinates into the fire support entry screen when calling for support – you have to manually type (or cheat by switching to your old style LRF via F2 which will be miraculously aligned on the target)


Don't try this at home kids...

DO NOT copy the coordinates at the top left hand of the screen into the target coordinates box in the fire control panel or very bad things will happen, and any surviving members of your call sign will not be pleased with you… This would be due to those being YOUR LOCATION, not the coordinates of the target. It is very important to understand this, as in real-life inexperienced or confused troops have actually called fire support on their own position.

Further information on the JIM-LR

The manufacturer’s website: https://www.safran-vectronix.com/product/jim-lr/
Product brochure download: https://www.safran-electronics-defense.com/file/download/jim_lr.pdf
British Army: https://www.safran-group.com/media/20120327_sagems-jim-lr-binoculars-win-long-range-thermal-imager-contract-british-army
French Army (as of 2019 France had just short of 2000 JIM-LR variants in service): http://www.asdnews.com/news-19150/sagem_wins_french_army_order_for_jim_lr_binoculars_.htm
Danish Army: http://www.deagel.com/news/Denmark-Orders-126-JIM-LR-Infrared-Binoculars_n000010853.aspx

Credits

Help from the following people made this manual possible:

Sean Steel Beasts Forum Senior Member and Wiki Editor.
Jartsev. Steel Beasts Forum Moderator
MAJ_Fubar. Steel Beasts Forum Senior Member
Ssnake, Steel Beasts Forum Senior Member (Dipl.-Wi-Ing. (FH) Nils Hinrichsen, Director, eSim Games Deutschland GmbH)
Volcano. Steel Beasts Senior Forum Senior Member.
(If I’ve left anyone off, please let me know via IM on the Steel Beasts forum and I’ll add you!)


Edit History

V1.01 Glenn Highcove 5th February 2021
V1.0 Chris Werb. 22nd October 2019.