Editing Binoculars (section)

=== Military ===
[[File:Leica Vector rangefinder 2007 07 14 n2.jpg|thumb|left|Vector series laser rangefinder 7×42 binoculars can measure distance and angles and also features a 360° digital compass and class 1 eye safe filters]]
[[File:Liverpool Merseyside Maritime Museum 006.JPG|thumb|German U.D.F. 7×50 blc [[U-boat]] binoculars <small>(1939–1945)</small><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.binoculars-cinecollectors.com/UDF_by_Anna___Terry_Vacani_-2012.pdf |title=1U.D.F. 7 x 50 blc U-boat sight for torpedo firing By Anna and Terry Vacani |access-date=2020-11-01 |archive-date=2020-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107080021/http://www.binoculars-cinecollectors.com/UDF_by_Anna___Terry_Vacani_-2012.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

Binoculars have a long history of military use. Galilean designs were widely used up to the end of the 19th century when they gave way to porro prism types. Binoculars constructed for general military use tend to be more rugged than their civilian counterparts. They generally avoid fragile center focus arrangements in favor of independent focus, which also makes for easier, more effective weatherproofing. Prism sets in military binoculars may have redundant aluminized coatings on their prism sets to guarantee they do not lose their reflective qualities if they get wet.

One variant form was called "trench binoculars", a combination of binoculars and [[periscope]], often used for artillery spotting purposes. It projected only a few inches above the parapet, thus keeping the viewer's head safely in the trench.

Military binoculars can and were also used as measuring and aiming devices, and can feature filters and (illuminated) reticles.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.binoculars-cinecollectors.com/U-boat_binoculars_2.pdf |title=U-boat binoculars and other naval binoculars of World War II |access-date=2022-04-10 |archive-date=2016-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020130152/http://www.binoculars-cinecollectors.com/U-boat_binoculars_2.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.liberatedmanuals.com/TM-9-1580.pdf |title=TM-9-1580, Ordnance Maintenance Binoculars and Telescope, US Departments of the Army and Air Force, 11 February 1953 |access-date=10 April 2022 |archive-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531190818/https://www.liberatedmanuals.com/TM-9-1580.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Military binoculars of the [[Cold War]] era were sometimes fitted with passive sensors that detected active [[Infrared|IR emissions]], while modern ones usually are fitted with filters blocking [[Laser beam#As weapons|laser beams used as weapons]]. Further, binoculars designed for military usage may include a [[stadiametric reticle]] in one eyepiece in order to facilitate range estimation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.schaper.net/binoculars/steiner/m22/ |title=TM 9-1240-403-12 & P, Operator's and Organizational Maintenance Manual (including Repair Parts List), Binocular M22 (1240-01-207-5787), Headquarters US Department of the Army 1987 |access-date=2022-04-10 |archive-date=2020-11-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111220223/http://www.schaper.net/binoculars/steiner/m22/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
Modern binoculars designed for military usage can also feature [[laser rangefinder]]s, compasses, and data exchange interfaces to send measurements to other peripheral devices.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.miloptik.se/pdf/160203_Vect_Produktflyer_VECTOR.pdf |title=VECTOR series range finder binoculars product flyer |access-date=2022-04-10 |archive-date=2022-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601050324/http://www.miloptik.se/pdf/160203_Vect_Produktflyer_VECTOR.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Very large binocular naval [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]s (up to 15 meters separation of the two objective lenses, weight 10 tons, for ranging [[World War II]] naval gun targets 25&nbsp;km away) have been used, although late-20th century radar and laser range finding technology made this application mostly redundant.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}