Night Vision Why Thermal Sales Limited

[Downtown]

Terry Cross's post about CRATOS got me wondering something. Why are so many hi-tech thermal sights limited to military and law enforcement? Is there concern criminals will use them in crimes? Perhaps normal citizens cannot be trusted to comply with ITAR? Is production so limited that there just isn't enough units to go around? Just curious.

 

[shoots100]

Civilians can't handle such awesome optics, you need to have years of special training to use them.
In reality, Some foreign companies can only import for LEO or Gov't use, and usually their the only entities that could afford to buy them.
We get sloppy seconds.

 

[wigwamitus]

AFAIK the CRATOS happens to have an FP laser on it. So the fact that its a thermal is not relevant to it being restricted. It could be a sewing machine. But it the sewing machine had an FP laser on it, we can't have it.

==
There are at least two sort of restrictions.

1 - Legal ones (like the FP laser one)

2 - Contractual (in exchange for getting this contract, I promise not to sell these widgets to group X, Y and Z)

 

[Downtown]

Excellent point about the full power laser, that escaped me.

 

[DownRangeThermal]

AFAIK the CRATOS happens to have an FP laser on it. So the fact that its a thermal is not relevant to it being restricted. It could be a sewing machine. But it the sewing machine had an FP laser on it, we can't have it.

==
There are at least two sort of restrictions.

1 - Legal ones (like the FP laser one)

2 - Contractual (in exchange for getting this contract, I promise not to sell these widgets to group X, Y and Z)

Exacta mundo

 

[CTM1]

Isn't there a third reason, that being limited production. Meaning all manufacturing capabilities are spoken for until such time.

 

[Killswitch Engage]

if you have the coin you can get anything you want....

 

[Spectre3]

I can't comment about the CRATOS as I have no firsthand knowledge of it, although like others have said its restriction centers around it's laser. However, in the NV/thermal industry a lot of products are made to fill certain specifications set forth by DOD, etc. and the development of said products is often partially or totally funded by the govt who then places limits on the mfg about who they can sell said product to once the initial contract is completed. Also as previously stated, even if all the development is totally funded by the company, sales outside of contract are restricted as a stipulation of the contract. Money talks and private sales of NV/thermal make up so little of the market share that no company is going to pass on a big contract just to sell a few units to us civs.

 

[WhereNow&How]

if you have the coin you can get anything you want....

Yep, that is exactly what she told me.

 

[deersniper]

I can't comment about the CRATOS as I have no firsthand knowledge of it, although like others have said its restriction centers around it's laser. However, in the NV/thermal industry a lot of products are made to fill certain specifications set forth by DOD, etc. and the development of said products is often partially or totally funded by the govt who then places limits on the mfg about who they can sell said product to once the initial contract is completed. Also as previously stated, even if all the development is totally funded by the company, sales outside of contract are restricted as a stipulation of the contract. Money talks and private sales of NV/thermal make up so little of the market share that no company is going to pass on a big contract just to sell a few units to us civs.

It’s BS. .gov pays for Nothing. Taxpayers funded the development of these devices.

Almost as bad a small destroying arms and ammo or giving them to hostile foreign or local governments instead of auctioning them off

 

[wildcats]

It’s BS. .gov pays for Nothing. Taxpayers funded the development of these devices.

Almost as bad a small destroying arms and ammo or giving them to hostile foreign or local governments instead of auctioning them off

That ,right there.

 

[aggiez28]

I think a big part of it is contractual requirements