US Special Operations Command has gone on a buying spree lately, seeking and delivering a variety of new accessories and modules for the various small arms fielded by its warfighters. It now has its sights set (pun intended) on picking up a new Handgun Aiming Laser.
Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, which has apparently become USSOCOM's de facto armory and in-house firearms accessories shop, issued the request earlier in August, but the deadline for proposals was recently extended to allow for more submissions from manufacturers and contractors.
As per the solicitation, the primary requirement is for a "non-visible laser pointer and illuminator device," which seemingly hints at the fact that the HAL will be an infrared pointer used in tandem with night vision googles. IR beams cannot be seen by the naked eye, but can be easily picked up with NVGs.
The HAL will be mated to SOCOM’s Family of Low Visibility and Concealable Pistols — a diverse array of pistols slowly and somewhat quietly procured by SOCOM for field usage. According to a 2017 US Army Special Operations Command presentation on the future of its small arms arsenal, the FLVCP line isn’t meant for everyday use.
Instead, it's designed to afford special operators the ability to protect themselves in situations where they're attired in indigenous clothing, or your standard run-of-the-mill uniform, but still need a concealable or easily hidden weapon for self-defense. Some of these guns include the Glock 19, bought in large numbers by special operations units from all branches of the military, including MARSOC, the Navy's SEAL teams, and Army Special Forces.
This solicitation comes at just around the same time the Army finds itself in the market for an infrared laser sight for its new Sig Sauer M17 and M18 pistols, which will replace the decades-old Beretta M9.
The Army’s solicitation is for a Pistol Aiming Light, which will ideally be multifunctional — meaning that it will have a white light visible illumination beam, and will also feature an IR laser visible only through NVGs.
While the market for visible red-dot lasers is massive, the availability for ruggedized IR lights worthy of USSOCOM’s special operators and the missions they undertake is considerably less so.
As such, USSOCOM is willing to spend over $6 million on an unknown number of high-quality HALs.
Ian D’Costa is a correspondent with Gear Scout whose work has been featured with We Are The Mighty, The Aviationist, and Business Insider. An avid outdoorsman, Ian is also a guns and gear enthusiast.
