Posted on 10/08/2005 5:06:14 PM PDT by strategofr
Snipers have long had a major effect on the battlefield, often scoring kills from as far as a kilometer and forcing the enemy to be cautious and hesitant.
Ortek, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, however, is making snipers even deadlier with a new piece of technology: A Sniper Coordination System. Snipers have often operated individually on the battlefield – lone wolves with a long reach, capable of decapitating larger units and demoralizing them. The Sniper Coordination System will allow a commander to coordinate the activities of as many as four sniper teams.
The system is a lightweight image splitter used as an add-on to standard day/night sights, and can transmit the data gathered to a heads-up display, computer, or IPAC. Up to thirty hours of surveillance data can be gathered, and the ability to send and receive messages silently, in addition to getting battlefield imagery is added.
All of this information can go to the commander, who will be able to see what his snipers see, and with a red or green light, give them the authorization to fire. This creates a time-on-target capability for these four sniper teams – much like the capability that artillery gained during World War II. The effects of four snipers carrying out a coordinated strike will be much greater than four individual snipers operating on their own.
Snipers have long been feared on the battlefield. The Sniper Coordination System will make them even more feared, because now, they will not be mere individual sniper teams picking out targets of opportunity. In the very near future, these sniper teams will be working as a larger team.
The IDF has had split sight capability for some time, don't
know about the networking part.
Cool
Next step: Robots. Why put a man out there if you have to have a desk jocky making the decisions anyway?
Sniper.
Don't run, you'll only die tired.
One shot, one kill. If you run you'll only die tired.
Your basic point and click interface.
"Next step: Robots. Why put a man out there if you have to have a desk jocky making the decisions anyway?"
true. But robots were surprisingly hard to do. Check out today's thread on the DARPA challenge. They finally succeeded (today)in creating a robot car that can travel 40 miles or so, over an unknown desert course without a driver. They've been working on this type of problem for number of years now.
How about: "Run if you want. I could use the practice."
I love firing at long range targets, always have. Too old now to be a sniper, but I wish I had become one when I did my Military service back in the VC era. I am glad our guys are getting more support, too often in the old days snipers were regarded as cowards and "sneaky". Kill 'em how you can is my motto when it comes to enemies of this country trying to kill us.
"Don't run, you'll only die tired."
Reminds me of that scene in the movie, "Missouri Breaks."
> ... often scoring kills from as far as a kilometer ...
The record is 2.4 km, 1.5 miles, with a .50 BMG
(a McMillan). Although great skill was involved,
a major amount of luck is required too, due to
the uncertainty of crosswinds over such distances.
The .50 BMG round, and the 20mm being evaluated for
the XM109, are large enough that guidance is a distinct
possibility in the future. Have the spotter drop a
laser on the target, or just compute the coordinates.
Live targets could use thermal tracking in the round.
The DOD periodically forgets everything it ever learned
about sniping, but I suspect it's here to stay now.
I'd like to think that our teams are authorized for
independent action whenever they see a perp with an
RPG, MANPAD or Dragunov, but ya never know these days.
sniper "bots" are already being tested.
small remote-operated tracked units mounting a multi-capability targeting package and weapons platform, capable of using rockets, grenades, and large-bore target rifles.
IIRC, there is a semiautonomous unit tasked for perimeter security which is already in use.
yup , a FReeper FRiend told me of something similar 3 or 4 yrs ago
Sure, if you are never allowed to shoot until you get final clearance from someone else, then you better pack your bags and come home, before someone (on our side) gets hurt.
But sometimes a co-ordinated firing could prove deadly. If you are trying to take out several targets, each of whom will duck as soon as any of the others gets hit, then having all of them drop dead at the same second could strike fear in the hearts of their surviving colleagues.
If the guys on the ground get to creatively adapt the rules of engagement, then this is just one more trick up their sleeve that might be useful.
Yeah....but we're getting to the point where a dead battery or satellite glitch is gonna leave not much in the way of backup.
Unless it's a remotely controlled gun, the backup is simply the index finger.
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