US Army tests flying robot sniper
April 23rd, 2009 - 4:59 pm ICT by ANIWashington, April 23 (ANI): The US Army is testing the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS) - a remote-controlled unmanned vigilante robot helicopter equipped with a high-velocity sniper rifle.
According to a report by Fox News, its RND Edge semi-automatic gun is mounted on a self-stabilizing turret with built-in zoom camera, and fires 7 to 10 precisely aimed .338-caliber rounds per second.
Back on the ground, a human directs it using a modified Xbox 360 controller, which plugs into a laptop so that the operator can see what the drone sees.
The system is intended for the urban battlefield - an eye in the sky that can stare down concrete canyons, and blink out targets with extreme precision.
Attempting to return fire against the ARSS is liable to be a near-suicidal act, as ARSS is described as being able to fire seven to 10 aimed shots per minute, and it’s unlikely to miss.
Because the Vigilante is smaller, lighter and cheaper than a manned combat helicopter, it can be supplied in greater numbers, and without the need for those elite, highly-trained snipers.
Sniping from a chopper currently takes tons of skill and training, but ARSS is literally point-and-shoot for the operator on the ground, using a videogame-type controller.
The software makes all the necessary corrections, and the system should ensure first-round kills at several hundred yards.
The secret is in the control system and stabilized turret, which is currently fitted with a powerful RND Manufacturing Edge 2000 rifle specifically designed for sniping work, using the heavyweight .338 Lapua Magnum cartridge.
“Having the ability to accurately engage single point man sized targets with an airborne UAV will give the ground based soldier the ability to have a high-point survivable sniper at their disposal when needed,” stated the Army solicitation notice when the project was announced in 2005. (ANI)
- Bhubaneswar to get world-class bus terminus - Apr 02, 2011
- Israel razes security wall facing Palestine region - Aug 15, 2010
- Brit Army to get supergun to counter Taliban snipers - Mar 18, 2011
- British sniper kills two Taliban with one bullet, reveals new book - Mar 15, 2011
- Female Colombian snipers defending Gaddafi in Libya - Apr 15, 2011
- India flies second light combat helicopter prototype (With image) - Jul 25, 2011
- Smart bullets to pinpoint and kill Afghan terrorists - Nov 30, 2010
- Russian chopper sets altitude record - Aug 27, 2012
- Naseer fights corruption in next film - Apr 26, 2012
- Remington 700 Rifle Back In News - Oct 21, 2010
- Maple tree seeds inspire devices that can hover and perform surveillance - Oct 21, 2009
- New unmanned helicopter can cut US troop losses in war zones - Aug 28, 2010
- Russians get trained for Austrian sniper rifles - Dec 10, 2011
- Indian Rotocraft starts building chopper production centre in Hyderabad - Mar 15, 2012
- India turning to Russia for small arms post-26/11 attacks - Feb 16, 2010
Tags: 338 lapua, army tests, automatic gun, combat helicopter, concrete canyons, extreme precision, eye in the sky, flying robot, fox news, high velocity, necessary corrections, point man, robot helicopter, rotorcraft, sniper rifle, sniper system, solicitation notice, suicidal act, type controller, xbox 360