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DARPA Developing Super Scope
Iddo Genuth writes "Researchers at the Strategic Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are developing new high-resolution scopes that extend the range of viable image recognition and reduce atmospheric interference. Still in the early prototyping stage, DARPA hopes the new optical system (PPT presentation) will eventually result in a decrease of friendly fire incidents and collateral damage from military operations. 'Called the Super-Resolution Vision System (SRVS), this new system exploits atmospheric turbulence effects that magnify pieces of images behind heat haze. The formal name for this phenomenon is atmospheric turbulence-generated micro-lensing and it creates a brief, high resolution image behind the haze. The SRVS takes many such images and collates them to create a cohesive image of the entire larger area under observation using new advances in signal processing made possible by advances in computer processing power and increased storage capabilities.'"
I don't know much about the US infantry (and being /. I didn't RTFA), but where I serve only snipers and sharpshooters use scopes. Most friendly fire incidents are not the work of snipers, who take the time to accurately engage and ID their targets. This sounds to me that either the US infantry is reckless (snipers firing without positively IDing their targets), or that the term 'friendly fire' was used to gain support from those unfamiliar with military tactics.
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
Don't tanks, attack helicopters and ground support planes also use scopes?
Yes. Just about every modern attack platform has some form of optics involved in their target acquisition system. There are few areas of the military where a system like this, assuming it is truly capable, would not be leveraged. Possible uses range from snipers to UAV to attack helicopters.