While I understand that the hex scale ignores effects that would not fill the hex, I believe that the dust effects from firing weapons are lacking in the game during desert battles.
This would not only be dust raised by a firing weapon giving away a position but also restricting the visibility/ROF of the firing weapon. While the dust cloud may not obscure for the entire time span of the turn and warrant a dust effect on the hex, an increase in being spotted would replicate the RL situation facing gunners in such environments to risk holding their fire till sure of a hit/kill because of the firing effect.
examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7fhBm1ouSU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg0DEb93bgc
There is a lot of talking in the videos. For the PAK 75 go to 6:30 the 37mm go to 5:30 for the firing.
Warnevada 
jivemi 
Re: Sighting
Threaded Mode