Brit Army to get supergun to counter Taliban snipers
March 18th, 2011 - 5:46 pm ICT by ANI
London, Mar 18 (ANI): The British Army is testing rifles fitted with a “gunfire locator” pod which uses sonar to calculate an enemy’s position within 1.3 seconds in order to counter Taliban snipers in Afghanistan.
The device described as an insurgent sniper’s worst nightmare is set to save hundreds of lives. And to field test the technology soldiers of 3 Para offered themselves as targets last weekend to draw out sniper fire.
The hi-tech pod detects the muzzle blast sound made as a bullet is fired, then tracks the wave made as it moves through the air, The Sun reports.
The device, which uses the same motion sensor technology as in the Nintendo Wii, shows the range and elevation of the sniper on a clock face screen, enabling a soldier to fire back instantly and with accuracy almost the equal of a missile system.
The SAS and front line troops will be the first to receive the pods - designed by Middlesex-based Ultra Electronics.
The firm’s Colin Howard said: “It enables you to run away in the right direction or take cover. You can also return fire accurately. We need to save lives, and you do that by knowing where the enemy is.”
Engineer Trevor Wood said the sensor was developed after bringing sonar technology up from underwater. (ANI)
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Tags: british army, clock face, colin howard, field test, gunfire, insurgent sniper, line troops, middlesex, missile system, motion sensor, muzzle blast, nintendo wii, pods, rifles, right direction, sensor technology, sniper fire, sonar technology, trevor wood, wii