Convert Sextants to Warsaw Pact Mils
Convert Sextants (sxt) to Warsaw Pact Mils (mil (WP)) instantly and accurately.
Conversion Formula
mil (WP) = sxt × 1000
About Sextants
A sextant, as an angle unit, equals 1/6 of a full circle - π/3 rad = exactly 60°. The marine sextant (invented ~1730s by John Hadley and Thomas Godfrey) measures the altitude between a celestial body and the horizon; its 60° arc gives 120° measurement range via double reflection. The 60° angle is geometrically fundamental: equilateral triangles, regular hexagons, hexagonal crystal structures, and sp²-hybridised carbon (benzene, graphene) all exhibit 60° symmetry. 1 sextant = 60° = π/3 rad = 100 grad.
About Warsaw Pact Mils
The Warsaw Pact mil equals 1/6,000 of a full circle - π/3,000 rad ≈ 1.0472 mrad. The Soviet military adopted this system, dividing the circle into 6,000 parts instead of the NATO standard 6,400. A full circle = 6,000 WP mils; a right angle = 1,500 mils. Used by Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, and other post-Soviet states. The 6.7% difference between WP and NATO mils (6,000 vs 6,400 per circle) can cause targeting errors of >1.5 m at 1,000 m if confused. 1 WP mil ≈ 1.0472 mrad = π/3,000 rad.
Quick Reference Table
| Sextants (sxt) | Warsaw Pact Mils (mil (WP)) |
|---|---|
| 1 sxt | 1000 mil (WP) |
| 2 sxt | 2000 mil (WP) |
| 5 sxt | 5000 mil (WP) |
| 10 sxt | 10000 mil (WP) |
| 25 sxt | 25000 mil (WP) |
| 50 sxt | 50000 mil (WP) |
| 100 sxt | 100000 mil (WP) |