The new M5 sight, coming to the IDF soon.
A new sight for the IDF
After nearly 15 years in which soldiers have seen the enemy through the 'Mepro' gun sight, in the next few weeks a new sight – the 'M5' - will be brought into service. Which units will receive them and why are they special?
The new M5 sight will soon be distributed to IDF soldiers in the field. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
The IDF's Technology and Logistics Branch will in the next few weeks introduce a new sight for the personal assault rifles of field unit soldiers.
The sight, called "M5," will replace the existing Mepro sights that were brought into service at the beginning of the last decade and reached their "peak" during the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead.
The M5, a new rifle sight that will be introduced to IDF field units in the coming weeks. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
The new sight, made by Israeli company Meprolight which operates out of Or Akiva, is from the same product range as the previous sight. The M5 is a sought-after accessory and has already been sold to armies around the world, but has undergone some special changes at the request of the IDF before being introduced in Israel.
Israel purchased around 10,000 sights this year that will initially be distributed to soldiers in regular military service, before being introduced to reservists. In the next few weeks the new sights will be received by soldiers in the Engineering Corps, and after that to recruits in the Chir Brigades – including the Golani, Paratroopers, Kfir, Nahal and Givati Brigades.
The new sight is intended to be attached to M4 rifles (sold as a shortened M16) and Israeli Tavor rifles.
The new M5 sight as seen attached to a rifle. (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
The Technology and Logistics Branch describes the new sights will have a significantly longer lifespan compared to the old sights, which tended to break down frequently and became misaligned if they suffered any impact. The new sight will operate on a tiny battery that will provide it with 2,000 hours of continuous operation – meaning that a soldier can use it for their entire military service without having to replace it.
The new sight is also lighter. The Mepro weighs 370g with its adaptor, while the M5 weighs just 300g – including the adaptor. The two are made out of aluminium and fiber composite materials, and the M5 is also made from composite plastic.
The Mepro sight worked based on fiber optics that provided the red dot which appeared on the target, whereas the M5 uses an internal electronic interface that will adapt to the distance of the soldier from their target: a large red dot will appear on a target that is nearby, while a smaller dot will appear on a target that is far away.
