Sunday, November 23, 2008

The Sound and the Fury

The palm-sized device designed by Qinetiq, the British defence firm that was once the government research laboratories, is pinned to the uniform and uses acoustic technology to calculate the exact position of the rifle fire.

Then a electronic voice passes on the "bearing and range" to the soldier allowing him to jump to safety and return fire...

Although the range and accuracy of the device is kept secret for operational reasons Mr Steinman said they were well beyond the capabilities of a sniper.
So I guess that means it'll be withheld from We the People, the Constitutional citizen militia...?

"Aligning our expertise with government needs..."


Yep. Sure looks that way.

8 comments:

jon said...

"... well beyond the capabilities of a sniper."

uh, won't the bullet reach its intended target before the sound does, at certain ranges, for a particular caliber round?

CorbinKale said...

Looks like another tool in the bag of a decent leader. Imagine a remote initiated gunshot from one side of the road, troops consult their super secret gunshot decoder, dismount behind cover, unknowingly exposing themselves to the claymores to their rear.

Also, it ain't like a sniper is going to stay put after his first shot, or two.

No matter what high tech gadgets are introduced, human nature will always be our sharpest blade.

Unknown said...

"allowing him to jump to safety and return fire..."

I am assuming they mean if the first shot does not take him/her out. Well beyond the capabilities of a sniper means it has miles of range....what is the range on the .50 rifle again?

Interesting device, just curious if it works, of course we could never get our hands on one.

Loren said...

What's it do if you're shooting supppressed? The bullet is still supersonic, but you have no report from the rifle. Can it pull enough info from the shockwave?

Anonymous said...

and what happens to the first one that falls off a uniform?

That's right, next day air to china to be mass produced...assuming they're not made by china already. :)

It reminds me of the towable unit that could do the same, but showed position on a screen. Worked for grenades, full auto, and all kinds of other stuff. Wish I remembered the name.

Ken said...

Interesting device, just curious if it works, of course we could never get our hands on one.

Q Branch is made of people, remember. I commend to you the words of Pieter Pienaar:

"You see, I have been wicked in my time and know something about the inside of prisons. You may build them like great castles, or they may be like a backveld tronk, only mud and corrugated iron, but there is always a key and a man who keeps it, and that man can be bested."

If you haven't read John Buchan, do yourselves the great favor. It will repay your time amply.

Anonymous said...

Is this magic? How, pray tell, do you calculate the position with one data point, that on said ground pounder's belt?

Anonymous said...

I assume it has more than one microphone, fellow Anonymous. I, too, am especially skeptical about the rangefinding claims, but even if it doesn't live up to its claims now, something like it soon will.