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OMG! M1A2 SEP has magic crystal ball in gunner's position!


jazjar

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That's the "bioc" or bi-ocular sight (or maybe binocular, I'm sure someone will correct me), and it allows the gunner to scan using the FLIR without having to mash his face in the GPS. By the book you're supposed to scan with the bioc then switch to the primary sight to engage, but most gunners just shoot off the bioc.

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That's the "bioc" or bi-ocular sight (or maybe binocular, I'm sure someone will correct me), and it allows the gunner to scan using the FLIR without having to mash his face in the GPS. By the book you're supposed to scan with the bioc then switch to the primary sight to engage, but most gunners just shoot off the bioc.

Your right it is the biocular sight.

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Article detailing the differences, vis-a-vis optics and sights:

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a294018.pdf

the gist:

monocular: one objective lens, one tube, one eyepeice

biocular: one objective lens, one tube, two eyepeices. Your two eyes (which see in 3D due to offsets) see the same 2-D image sans depth cues.

binocular: two objectives lenses, two tubes, and two eyepeices.

Makes for some interesting thoughts on depth-cues and the way sights work. In the GPS, since you put an eye up to it, I suppose you are using the markings and lase distance information to mentally substitute for depth cues? Or, with range-finding, I guess visual depth cues don't matter much. Hence, in the auxiliary sites, we use the stadia to help judge sizes and depths?

This all makes me think of the robot battlefield that we are supposedly on the way towards. Obviously, since any automation and artificial intelligence will rely heavily on optic sensors, it would seem that these are easily defeated in an environment as kinetic as that of armor on the battlefield. Or, is everyone planning on asymmetric-only battle for the foreseeable future?

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Wait, so a gunner looking in the BIOC thermal seees a 3D target, or just a 2D one? Also, going back to the original topic ( the P.S, not the joke:) ), a gunner could have his BIOC set to thermal wide viewing mode and his GPS eyepiece to 10x day sights and shoot using that arrangement? ( Although given the advantages of 2nd Generation FLIR with 50x magnification! that would not be very useful.

Finally, the eyepiece still has access to the thermal sights, correct?

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Makes for some interesting thoughts on depth-cues and the way sights work. In the GPS, since you put an eye up to it, I suppose you are using the markings and lase distance information to mentally substitute for depth cues? Or, with range-finding, I guess visual depth cues don't matter much.

Indeed. It could be cut-out cardboard silhouettes and it wouldn't matter. You are looking for silhouettes, and use the laser to measure, or the reticule lines to estimate the range - end of story.

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Wait, so a gunner looking in the BIOC thermal seees a 3D target, or just a 2D one? Also, going back to the original topic ( the P.S, not the joke:) ), a gunner could have his BIOC set to thermal wide viewing mode and his GPS eyepiece to 10x day sights and shoot using that arrangement? ( Although given the advantages of 2nd Generation FLIR with 50x magnification! that would not be very useful.

Finally, the eyepiece still has access to the thermal sights, correct?

Technically the gunner is viewing a 2D scene through the FLIR, it's up to his brain to figure out the depth perspective, and yes, the sight setup you describe is generally how you'd prefer set everything up. Something to remember, magnification levels beyond the optical 13x of the GPS is electronic, so all you're really getting at 50x is interpolation of the 13x image. Oh, and for your last question...yes.:)

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