WASHINGTON — Leonardo DRS has won an approximately $50 million contract to provide more than 4,600 thermal weapon sights to Sweden, the American defense company announced Tuesday.

“This contract represents the start of a relationship in providing our thermal weapon sights to the Swedish Ministry of Defense to increase protection and effectiveness of their dismounted forces,” Jerry Hathaway, senior vice president and general manager of the DRS Electro-Optical Infrared Systems business, said in the release.

The Swedish Defence Ministry ordered more than 3,100 individual sights — designed for small arms, including light machine guns — and over 1,500 long-range sights — designed for heavy machine guns and sniper rifles. DRS said it has already delivered 1,100 sights to Sweden as part of the deal, and that production took place in Melbourne, Florida, and Dallas, Texas.

By sensing infrared waves, the thermal sights can pinpoint targets in daytime and nighttime as well as in smoke and fog, according to the company website. DRS also claims the devices operate silently and emit minimal heat and radio energy, making them hard to detect.

Leonardo Germany, a unit of DRS’ Italian parent company Leonardo, is the prime contractor for the firm, fixed-price deal, the news release read.

DRS announced June 21 that it will merge with Israeli radar systems specialist RADA Electronic Industries.

Irene Loewenson is a staff reporter for Marine Corps Times. She joined Military Times as an editorial fellow in August 2022. She is a graduate of Williams College, where she was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.

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