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| "Boomerang" system detects snipers |
| 2005-09-05 |
| BBN recently received a $1.4 million increment as part of a $6.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to Design, Fabricate Prototypes, Test and Document and Support Upgrades to the Counter Shooter System (aka. Boomerang). The Boomerang units attach to a vehicle and use seven small microphones, arranged like the spine of a sea urchin, to detect both the muzzle blast and the shock wave from a speeding bullet. Once a sniper's bullet is detected, Boomerang's display panel, which is located inside the vehicle, alerts soldiers through an LED 12-hour clock image display panel and speaker mounted inside the vehicle that a bullet has been fired, and gives its direction and elevation. The system resets for subsequent shot detection. Like counterbattery, except for rifles rather than artillery. Incoming fire detection and shooter position are determined and reported in less than 2 seconds. False shot detections are less that one per thousand hours of system operation at vehicle speeds under 50 miles per hour. Missed shots are less than one per 500 shots at vehicle speeds under 50 miles per hour. The system is especially calibrated to detect the 7.62×39 mm round, which is the round fired by the AK-47 and similar small arms common to Iraq and Afghanistan; nevertheless, the system has been tested and proven to perform successfully with 5.56 NATO and .50 caliber machine gun rounds. Boomerang is currently being tested on 50 HMMWVs deployed to Iraq. See this BBN White Paper for further details [PDF format]. |
| Posted by:Jackal |
| #14 Think 3-D here. That is, you wouldn't want a system like that to operate in a horizontal mode, just as an elevated system. It would not engage "gunmen" on the ground, just "snipers" in an elevated position. It *would* have a human operator, but essentially one who would select its field of fire. "This angle left--this angle right--from this to this elevation. Anything shooting at us from this assigned field automatically engage within that field." The weapon itself could *generally* point forward, sideways, or reverse, depending what the unit was doing, and would be much like a "security" soldier, able to lay down quick covering fire at maximum distance. And, hopefully, far faster than humans could return fire, or, in the case of the sniper, than he could get away. Even if it didn't nail the sniper, he couldn't squeeze off a few more rounds in the confusion, having to get the heck out of there. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-09-05 23:01 |
| #13 if the sniper detector was integrated with a remote pilotless air vehicle, we could occasionally track the sniper to his HQ. This would be way better than simply killing the sniper instantly. |
| Posted by: mhw 2005-09-05 20:47 |
| #12 The Boomerang and other sniper detection systems work best when integrated with a remote weapon system. The remote weapon system takes a directional command from the Boomerang and performs a "slew to cue" operation. There is a man in the loop...ie the system slews over to where the sniper is located and then the operator decides whether to shoot or not. Boomerang is an acoustic system. There are also radar and infrared systems out there. Each has their own set of benefits and tradeoffs. This technology is rapidly maturing, especially for mobile applications. Certainly not foolproof, particularly when multiple shots are incoming. Note that gatling style weapons, such as the Dillon mini-gun are not particularly accurate. They are best used from aviation platforms. If you have an accurate platform, then you don't need to waste a lot of ammunition to defeat your target. The best weapon systems are all about the precise application of minimum force. |
| Posted by: Remoteman 2005-09-05 19:40 |
| #11 zpaz: I doubt the US military would let a Boomerang type system fire back automatically in Baghdad. A counter tactic for such a system would be to shoot from a crowd of civilians. A Boomerang on auto would cut loose on the civilians. I have to agree. The Boomerang will still come in very handy, because half the battle - in a city environment, where there's any number of hiding places - is knowing where shot came from. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-05 17:45 |
| #10 I doubt the US military would let a Boomerang type system fire back automatically in Baghdad. A counter tactic for such a system would be to shoot from a crowd of civilians. A Boomerang on auto would cut loose on the civilians. Maybe the trigger man would get killed too, but when have they cared about that. The cameras would record the civilian carnage of course because Al-Jazeera would be pre-alerted. That is not a desireable result. Which brings you back to a system that does not do counter-battery fire. |
| Posted by: Zpaz 2005-09-05 16:40 |
| #9 They can do a lot better than this. That is, we already have counter-weapons systems that are both small enough to fit in a Humvee and can return accurate fire fast enough to take down even pro snipers. That is, when the shot is detected and calculated, it returns fire in a five or more shot pattern, around the point where the shot originated. And with AP rounds, capable of penetrating typical concrete wall. Round #1 goes to exactly where the shot originated. #2 and #3 go 3' to either side of #1, then #4, #5, and #6 do a parallel pattern 3' down from where #1, #2, and #3 went. Six shots that will get the sniper, no matter if he just sits there, dodges to the left or right, or hits the floor. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-09-05 14:08 |
| #8 US: RE: Boomerang Shouldn't this be a military secret? Telling all these particulars kind of spoils the surprise. Makes no difference whether or not these capabilities are known. Fact is that if we start taking a lot of their snipers down, they will note that they are losing men, and switch to a different, less expensive, mode of operation. They won't know why, but they'll see that they are being attrited. The importance of this system lies not in its secrecy but in the fact that - like the Maxim gun - we have it, and they don't. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-05 13:56 |
| #7 LR: Too bad our soft vehicles can't carry enough ammo to allow this system to be connected to a chain gun - to basically give every vehicle its very own Aegis counterfire system. Boy - THAT would shake up a sniper - he pops off a round,and five seconds later it comes back at him times 5,000 rounds - arrayed to blanket more space that he can cover in five seconds. 5000 rounds burped out in one go? Our chain-guns can fire 5000 rounds without melting? Can these things even fire 5000 rounds without reloading? |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-05 13:52 |
| #6 My vote is for annihilation. But then, it usually is. |
| Posted by: BH 2005-09-05 13:13 |
| #5 IIRC, any number of companies have built systems like this, years ago. I thought we were using systems like this in the Balkans. I wonder why we keep reinventing the wheel. |
| Posted by: jolly roger 2005-09-05 12:32 |
| #4 US7458: Well, it depends on what we are doing in Iraq. If we are going to fight a war of annihilation, then, yes, this should be a secret. OTOP, if we are trying to get the "snipers"* to just give up and go home, the mere announcement of this will (I hope) cause several to realize that they might not kill any infidels before being killed themselves. * Apologies to any true professional snipers at their being lumped in with a bunch of scum who just point and shoot. |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-09-05 12:32 |
| #3 RE: Boomerang Shouldn't this be a military secret? Telling all these particulars kind of spoils the surprise. |
| Posted by: Unans Spomorong7458 2005-09-05 12:26 |
| #2 Oops! I meant Phalanx system - as in http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_Phalanx.htm |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2005-09-05 10:21 |
| #1 'Too bad our soft vehicles can't carry enough ammo to allow this system to be connected to a chain gun - to basically give every vehicle its very own Aegis counterfire system. Boy - THAT would shake up a sniper - he pops off a round,and five seconds later it comes back at him times 5,000 rounds - arrayed to blanket more space that he can cover in five seconds. The Vegematic - it slices, it dices, it julienne fries.......... In the immortal words of Bernard Goetz - "Hey, you don't look so bad - here, have another (blam)" |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2005-09-05 10:17 |