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Self-Aiming Sniper Rifles Coming Next Year
Foxnews ^ | Oct 1, 2010 | Rebecca Boyle

Posted on 10/03/2010 3:36:05 PM PDT by driftdiver

A sniper crouches near an open window and zooms in on his target, who sits a half-mile away. He peers through a scope and holds his breath, preparing to squeeze the trigger. But it’s windy outside, and he can't afford a miss. What to do?

Clearly, he needs a self-aiming gun. Fortunately, one should be available next year.

Using the One-Shot system, under development by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a new electro-optical system will calculate the ballistics for him, telling him where to aim and ensuring a perfect shot -- no matter the weather conditions.

Lockheed Martin won a $6.9 million contract this week for the second phase of DARPA’s One-Shot system, which will provide direct observations of a target, measure every variable that influences a bullet’s flight, and calculate the aim offset in a sniper’s rifle scope.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: banglist
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To: hoagy62
I would not call that very sportsman letting a computer bag your limit.
Electronics have help deplete some sport fish.I ya can mark the xact spot you got the last one with GPS your chances a re better for the 2nd.....A real fisher man does it by instinct
21 posted on 10/03/2010 4:00:31 PM PDT by CGASMIA68
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To: driftdiver
"I think the problem is more about making the system man portable."

Of course...but this isn't for a 120mm main gun, either, but when you consider what would go into this, and how much miniaturization has taken place in the past 20-30 years, I'm surprised this hasn't appeared earlier. We've had scopes with laser range finders for some time. I'd think the biggest challenge to miniaturizing an Abrams fire control system to a rifle sized weapon would be the thermal imaging system...of course you would have a sniper, and not a gyroscopically stabilized turret so there's still some human factor involved.

Now what they need to do is make a smoothbore .50 with a fin stabilized, discarding sabot .30 dart with a muzzle velocity in excess of 5K fps. That would be the shiz.

22 posted on 10/03/2010 4:04:03 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: driftdiver

They can do just about everything now except calculate the F/L, Target, and Midwinds- That will always remain an art. But it is always good to take the human out of the factor when possible.

I hope they add Jpoint/Docter style reflex dot optics on the sides of the tubes since they seem to be going semi-auto with precision weapons now.


23 posted on 10/03/2010 4:04:19 PM PDT by Pavegunner72
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To: driftdiver

LoL.....sadly true.

If it can return accurate fire from a surburban doing 70 mph down a pot hole filled road then by all means develop an deploy.

Working in concert with the boomerang sensor that detects rounds fired at the vehicle with the sensor.

I wouldn’t want to lug that pig to a hide through Indian country an wait 4 days to get a shot an then try to E&E my way back home with such a rig.

Make it the size of Ronnie Barretts BORS system an it may work....

All our comments are moot I suspect as DARPA sorts are pretty good techs.....


24 posted on 10/03/2010 4:04:21 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: t1b8zs

Of course. Provided one HAS instinct. Which I do not.


25 posted on 10/03/2010 4:06:51 PM PDT by hoagy62 (.)
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To: hoagy62

sure ya do ya just got to fine tune it Happy Hunting


26 posted on 10/03/2010 4:14:02 PM PDT by CGASMIA68
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To: chicken head

Avery’s HOT. :)


27 posted on 10/03/2010 4:17:01 PM PDT by LiberConservative
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To: LiberConservative

i know- lol


28 posted on 10/03/2010 4:18:04 PM PDT by chicken head
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To: driftdiver
And to neutralize it:

EMP

29 posted on 10/03/2010 4:18:44 PM PDT by Jed Eckert
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To: driftdiver

Sure it can be made to work. They’ll probably use some laser emission to measure downrange winds.

And that’s where it will fail. As soon as he’s emitting something, the sniper has given up his #1 asset: his inability to be seen.

It also means that when the cute little widget breaks, the operator likely has no clue how to go “old school” and get the job done.

This is another example of a silly obsession with toys in our military procurement these days.


30 posted on 10/03/2010 4:20:13 PM PDT by NVDave
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To: driftdiver

I’m not sure how a computer could compensate for varying wind speeds over different terrain at various distances.


31 posted on 10/03/2010 4:24:32 PM PDT by smokingfrog (Because you don't live near a bakery doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake.)
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To: hoagy62

No we don’t. Hunters rarely take shots at 500+ yards.

What hunters need to do is learn how to dope the wind and to do this, they need only shoot regularly in the wind.

ie, they need to get more practice than the 10 rounds to sight in their rifle before going hunting.

If they’re too lazy to learn how to dope wind, then they need to learn to stalk closer.


32 posted on 10/03/2010 4:24:54 PM PDT by NVDave
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To: LiberConservative

girl shooting 50 cal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3A7J898wgs&feature=related


33 posted on 10/03/2010 4:27:10 PM PDT by chicken head
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To: smokingfrog

With a lidar-like setup, you could use a laser to read the wind effects at varying ranges out to the target, then compute the net:net effect on the bullet flight path.

If the winds are varying rapidly and significantly along the path, then there’s little else but luck that could put the round on target the first shot.

Here’s an example of laser wind-sensing technology for wind turbines, where they’re seeking to see wind velocities and directions at different heights above the ground. The downrange wind sensing is the same idea, just turned 90 degrees (more or less) off vertical, in a smaller package.

http://www.lidarwindtechnologies.com/


34 posted on 10/03/2010 4:28:41 PM PDT by NVDave
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To: t1b8zs

Concur.


35 posted on 10/03/2010 4:30:15 PM PDT by Silentgypsy
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To: driftdiver

This very system has been on board the M1A2 tank for a long time now. Wonder why it took so long.


36 posted on 10/03/2010 4:33:43 PM PDT by Lazamataz (The battle lines are drawn: On one side, are Dems and Repubs. On the other, the Tea Party (us).)
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To: driftdiver

I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I’ve been wondering how long before they add stabilizers. you know...like the electronic gizmos they put in high end binoculars nowdays. The next step after the self aiming rifle would be to install a heads up display in a visor so you can sniper shoot from the hip without actually sighting down the barrel...or from behind a berm without peering over the berm.


37 posted on 10/03/2010 4:36:42 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: NVDave

Since when does “need” have anything to do with it. If they make it, people will buy it.


38 posted on 10/03/2010 4:45:09 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: NVDave

I expect some day the “lasing”, or whatever method is used to detect wind, will be done via satellite or high flying UAV. Then the info will be sent to the sniper rifle.


39 posted on 10/03/2010 4:49:44 PM PDT by mamelukesabre (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (If you want peace prepare for war))
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To: LiberConservative

keep your eyes on the gun-lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5_y8UC0Hso&feature=related


40 posted on 10/03/2010 4:57:14 PM PDT by chicken head
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