War Profiteer of the Month: AimPoint

Aimpoint is a Swedish company, manufacturing red-dot magnifying optic sights for a wide range of military, law enforcement, and commercial hunting weapons. Aimpoint was formed in 1974 and is based in Malmo, Sweden. Militaries all over the world, including the US military and NATO member countries use the company’s sights, and they are available from suppliers on every continent.

Aimpoint’s most popular product is the CompM2, a red-dot sight also called the “M68 Close Combat Optic”. By August 2011, the US military had purchased more than 1,000,000 CompM2s, and they have been used in conflicts all over the world.

At DSEI in 2011, Aimpoint presented the “FCS-12 Fire Control System”, an optic designed for machine guns, grenade launchers, and other heavy weapons. The FCS-12 is a red-dot sight to help user target a weapon, equipped with a laser range finder, and a ballistic computer which stores various ballistic algorithms for different weapons and ammunition. It is in use by militaries in Spain, Sweden and USA.

Resistance

The company has been repeatedly targeted by campaigns and direct action, and the company has a history of claiming excessive damages against activists; in 2008 activists from Ofog (“Mischief” in Swedish) entered the grounds of the companies factory in Malmo. Though no property was damaged, the activists were charged with a fine of over €50,000. In 2013, a similar action occurred with one activist entering the site, who was given a €7,800 fine.