July 22, 2007:
The U.S. Marine Corps has ordered
10,000 more AN/PVS-17 night sights. This is a light intensifier sight, not a
thermal imager. It has a range of 300 meters and 2.24x magnification. It weighs
two pounds, is waterproof, and a single AA battery powers it for about 36
hours. In 2003, there were problems with the sight, as it would sometimes shut
down when the weapon (usually a M-16, or light machine-gun) was fired. This
problem was not completely solved until last year. Each sight costs about
$7,000. There is an extended version with 4.5x magnification and a range of
about 500 meters. The new sights will be delivered over the next three years.