US military unveils 'smart gun'

BBC ^ | 30 November 2010 | Dan Whitworth

[Lazamataz]

Apparently so. What amazes me is that it’s a full solution fire control weapon

YOU nailed it. They took all of what makes the M1-A2 so special and put it in a rifle scope.

[ASOC]

Thanks for the reply --

My son, an 0311 Marine (Grunt, one each), regularly humped 80 pounds ON PATROL. Just the ‘battle rattle’ (Helmet, SAPI plates, carry vest, etc) is almost 40 pounds.

Now, add a weapon, ammo, water, an MRE (or parts of one), specialty equipment...like a 12 ga shotgun for breaching, or radio gear - and may the Lord have mercy on you if you are a Mortarman.....

An approach load includes food, any shelter, sleeping bag or other 'snivel gear' and on and on. 110+ pounds is the norm any more.

We had our son up to visit after his last tour in Iraq. When he walked out of the shower, my wife gasped - to her eyes, he looked like a WWII POW - all skin and bones. Wiry is what I would have said - no real body fat anyway.

This is more than academic -
“Army leaders and experts say the injuries (ortho mostly)— linked to the stress of bearing heavy loads during repeated 12- or 15-month combat tours — have increased the number of soldiers categorized as “non-deployable.” Army personnel reported 257,000 acute orthopedic injuries in 2007, up from 247,000 the previous year.”

My niece received a medical discharge from the Army - she first broke all the bones in her feet - on a “training” march, later she fell from the back of a Duce (no ladders) and broke her pelvis - such was her load. This was with no rucksack - just all the other crap they hang off of Snuffies these days.

Troops often do this to themselves. RANGERs were used in the ‘invasion’ of Grenada.

One of the (RANGER)platoon leaders who parachuted into the Salinas airfield carried
fifteen 30-round magazines of 5.56 ammunition.
If that 450 rounds was not enough, he also packed two
bandoliers of 5.56 ammuinition, which is an additional 140
rounds.
He also carried ten high explosive fragmentation
grenades, two claymore mines, two LAAW’s, and three
high-explosive 60mm mortar rounds.
Presumably he felt this burden was sufficient, for the report reflected that he carried no rations.
A radioman who airlanded at Calvigney was as equally well prepared with eighteen 30-round magazines of 5.56 ammunition, nine high explosive fragmentation grenades and thirty-six 40mm high explosive grenades for his M-16/203.

This, I believe, was an indication of how little (at that time) the Army Snuffie trusted re-supply.

Anyway, I just don't think troops will hump an extra 12 pounds plus for a single use ‘wonder weapon’.

[Steve Van Doorn]

This much weight is just wrong in so many ways. Why would they do this to these kids?

[ASOC]

Death by 1000 cuts, no ONE items id “too much” - add them all up.....

THat I know of the Army or the Corps doesn’t have a single point of control for “The Combat FIghter’s Loadout”

Maybe it’s time for one?