I bought a self centering laser level from Home Depot and replaced the stock red laser diode with a 20mw green (my dad's sign shop needed a laser level that could produce lines, planes and dots they could see clearly in daylight).
That laser level, including the mod, cost less than $200 bucks and can do everything any of those "military" lasers could do.
Are you sure that sight isn't owned by Wicked Lasers?
I dunno....even with the best quality materials and everything, I just don't see a 200mW IR laser being worth $3200 :-/
I bet that with $1000 you can build the god of all weapon mountable, waterproof, dustproof and shockproof 200mW IR lasers, and 1000 is probably overkill even for a prototype....then you can sell it for $2000. :-/
So if a 200mW laser sold to the military is $3200, would a 2MW COIL sold to the military be $320 trillion? Maybe there's a price break since they're buying in bulk :
I imagine that has a TON to do with price.
It can pinpoint a target at 20 miles (32km). I'd like to see your $300 green do that
Not to mention built to milspec. Not only can you drop these things, you could probably park a truck on one and still have it work. Diodes aren't exactly rugged.