A new contract will sustain 650 skilled jobs in St Asaph, Denbighshire

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced that British soldiers are to be equipped with high-tech rifle sights, enhancing their night fighting capabilities.

The contract will supply up to 10,000 advanced rifle sights.

The TALON Fused Weapon Sight, manufactured by Qioptiq, is the most advanced sight the British Army has used.

It employs 'cutting-edge' optical technology to improve enemy detection in low light and features thermal recognition to identify adversaries through body heat.

The sight will allow soldiers to detect enemy targets more accurately from distances of up to one kilometre.

It is compatible with the Army’s SA80 A3 and HUNTER rifles.

Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry said: "Rolling out this high-tech rifle sight shows how we’re investing in new tech for our soldiers to take the fight to our adversaries.

"The rifle night sights are tried and tested, proving highly effective to keep British soldiers protected in difficult environments.

"The deal is also a great jobs boost for Wales, with £120 million invested and 650 jobs sustained in the area."

The £120 million contract continues the procurement of the TALON sight under a seven-year framework agreement with Qioptiq.

Some soldiers have already been using the sight in tests, and the first of the new sights are expected to be widely used across the Army in 2025. 

The Enhanced Light Force Battalion, 2 Royal YORKS based in Chester, have been trialling the development of the rifle night sight systems since 2021.

Brigadier Nick Serle, head of military capability delivery in the British Army Headquarters Programmes Directorate, said: "This contract results from true collaboration between the user community, our trials and development teams, Dstl, DE&S and Qioptiq.

"We expect the sight to continue to develop and remain truly world-leading.

"It is testament to the power of collaboration.

"This is the Land Industrial Strategy in action, a collaborative and iterative journey that started in 2016."

Essential in-service support for the sights will be provided through the Surveillance and Target Acquisition support contract, managed by Excelitas, the parent company of Qioptiq.

Peter White, managing director of Excelitas, said: "We’re delighted that the British Army and DE&S continue to recognise the enhanced fighting capabilities of our TALON fused weapon sight delivers.

“We look forward to delivering this world-leading system for the end users for many years to come, supported by our 650 skilled employees at our facility in North Wales.”