Convert NATO Angular Mils to Binary Degrees

Convert NATO Angular Mils (mil (NATO)) to Binary Degrees (brad) instantly and accurately.

NATO Angular Mils (mil (NATO))
Binary Degrees (brad)

Conversion Formula

brad = mil (NATO) × 0.04

About NATO Angular Mils

The NATO angular mil equals 1/6,400 of a full circle - π/3,200 rad ≈ 0.9817 mrad. Artillery and mortar crews rely on its practical small-angle equivalence: 1 mil at 1,000 m subtends ~1 m (exact: 0.9817 m), enabling rapid range correction calculations. The 6,400-mil circle divides cleanly: 1,600 mils = 90°, 3,200 mils = 180°. Note: 1 NATO mil ≈ 0.9817 mrad - not the same as a milliradian; the 1.8% difference equals ~18 mm at 1,000 m. 1° ≈ 17.778 NATO mils.

About Binary Degrees

A binary degree (brad) divides the full circle into 256 equal parts - π/128 rad ≈ 0.024544 rad (= 1.40625°). The 256-part circle maps perfectly onto an 8-bit byte, making binary degrees ideal for memory-constrained embedded systems: headings stored in a single byte (0-255) need no floating-point arithmetic. Game engines, CNC machine controllers, and digital servo systems use this representation. 16-bit BAM (65,536 per circle) gives ~0.005° (≈ 89 µrad) per unit for precision heading systems. 1 brad = 1.40625° = 84.375′.

Quick Reference Table

NATO Angular Mils (mil (NATO))Binary Degrees (brad)
1 mil (NATO)0.04 brad
2 mil (NATO)0.08 brad
5 mil (NATO)0.2 brad
10 mil (NATO)0.4 brad
25 mil (NATO)1 brad
50 mil (NATO)2 brad
100 mil (NATO)4 brad

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