Article

2006-03-10 Science & Technology

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Posted by Steve 2006-03-10 09:29|| || Front Page|| [11131 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Sounds like an idea whose time has come - for border work... all of the borders we deal with...

Posted by .com 2006-03-10 09:40|| 2006-03-10 09:40|| Front Page Top

#2 I hope they are smart enough to put a lifelike dummy up in the turret to draw fire.

Posted by wxjames 2006-03-10 09:45|| 2006-03-10 09:45|| Front Page Top

#3 Ma Deuce v2.0, with the improved point-and-click interface.

Posted by Mike 2006-03-10 10:35|| 2006-03-10 10:35|| Front Page Top

#4 What I find intriguing about this is that once you are operating by wire, the wire can become really, really long. Suddenly, your people don't have to be on-site and the weapon can be manned 24/7 if need be.

You also solve some packaging issues. Even the most battle hardened Marine is soft and squishy compared to hydraulics and circuit boards. Plus, he wants all sorts of creature comforts like oxygen, food, bathroom breaks, and a temperature range where water remains liquid.

As the article mentions, one of the biggest problems is how to give the operator situational awareness. Anyone who has played with a flight sim knows how hard it is to maintain a sense what is happening around you.

Posted by SteveS 2006-03-10 10:52|| 2006-03-10 10:52|| Front Page Top

#5 In the borders thingy, I was picturing something like armored sensor kiosks - for lack of a better term.

You can put sound, IR, movement sensors which trigger an attention alarm. One operator could monitor literally dozens - as long as operators were available on short-notice call once one (or more) is triggered. Of course, you'd also have an alarm for a unit dropping out, such as someone cutting the power source.

Posted by .com 2006-03-10 10:58|| 2006-03-10 10:58|| Front Page Top

#6 Intergrating it with a metal storm system would rock!

Posted by ShepUK 2006-03-10 11:06|| 2006-03-10 11:06|| Front Page Top

#7 Always to simple things US army arrives late.
Many soldiers died because HMMVV and M-113 doesnt have crew protected weapon stations. And many M113 CPWS were rusting in depots.

Posted by Omoter Hupolurt9095 2006-03-10 11:20|| 2006-03-10 11:20|| Front Page Top

#8 "That's all you do is play video games!!!!!
But mom, I want to be a soldier, it's a career move."

Posted by plainslow 2006-03-10 11:39|| 2006-03-10 11:39|| Front Page Top

#9 SteveS: You're right, in that this is an intermediate step on the road to teleoperated or even fully autonomous weapons systems mounted on robots. (I seem to remember reading a book about that not too long ago.)

Posted by Mike 2006-03-10 14:11|| 2006-03-10 14:11|| Front Page Top

#10 The army wants over 9,000 CROWS (common remotely operated weapon stations), but is only getting 15 a month. There should be about a thousand CROWS in service by the end of the year.

I have to laugh. There will be nothing like that quantity fielded by the end of the year. Maybe in Recon Optical's wet dream (they are the manufacturer).

CROWS is a good system, but it is heavy and expensive. It is not appropriate for a HMMWV as it overloads the already overloaded vehicle.

If the vehicle is down for service, that weapon system that is well more than twice the cost of the vehicle is down too.

CROWS and the similar Enforcer system made by Konnegsburg on the Stryker are for gunship-style vehicles, lead vehicles dedicated to a force protection role.

There are other lighter, much less expensive remote weapon systems that mount the M-240 7.62mm weapon that are appropriate for the majority of vehicles out there. These can be easily removed from the vehicle and placed on a tripod for checkpoint, perimeter security or remote sniper duty. They can be networked (unlike CROWS) together for FOB perimeter security. They can also be mounted on small UGV's for armed recon missions. Much more flexible, much more cost-effective and an ideal complement to the bigger CROWS and Enforcer systems.

And yes, video game skills do transfer to these weapon systems. This is first-person-shooter with the real thing.

Posted by remoteman 2006-03-10 17:00|| 2006-03-10 17:00|| Front Page Top

#11 Yessirreee, boss, even da missles have their own missles, the lasers have lasers, etc. Imagine a single JSTARS, etal. carrying a handful of self-defense armed UAVS, where the latter UAV themselves each have enuff "babies" inside to = the firepower/abilities of a Cold War-sized escort fighter squadron, or better. And now you know yet another raeson why Russia-China, etal, believe war against America at or shortly after 2015-2018/2020 is not only possible, but DESIRED.
Gotta stop hyperpower America and its Allies somehow, some where, some time, and iff Comies-Lefties can't rule the world, NO ONE WILL. GOING TO TAKE THE WORLD WID THEM TO HELL.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2006-03-10 23:06|| 2006-03-10 23:06|| Front Page Top

#12 Phase 2:

Posted by DMFD 2006-03-10 23:43|| 2006-03-10 23:43|| Front Page Top

#13 Off-topic or abusive comments deleted]

Posted by Eat Pig Shit 2006-03-10 17:08|| 2006-03-10 17:08|| Front Page Top

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