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US Military Deploys Personal Gunshot Detectors

Posted by Soulskill on from the shooter-games-just-got-less-unrealistic dept.

RedEaredSlider writes "A new warfighting technology will soon be making its way to Afghanistan. US Army forces will be getting gunshot detection systems, which can tell where a shot was fired from. Approximately 13,000 gunshot detection systems will be given to individual footsoldiers later this month, according to the US Army. The system, called Individual Gunshot Detector, has four small acoustic sensors and a small display screen attached to the soldier's body armor that shows the distance and direction of incoming bullets. The sensors are each about the size of a deck of cards and can detect the supersonic sound waves generated by enemy gunfire. It alerts the soldier of the shot's direction in less than one second."

6 of 257 comments (clear)

  1. 13,000 gunshot detection systems? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    13,000 gunshot detection systems will be given to individual footsoldiers...

    Oh give me a break! How is each soldier going to carry 13,000 gunshot detection systems? Isn't one enough?

    1. Re:13,000 gunshot detection systems? by microbee · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think you misunderstood. Get a clue, there is only one detector!

      What the system does is that it detects if someone fires 13,000 gunshots at you.

  2. LOL he's right by GameboyRMH · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sup dawg, I heard you like gunshot detectors, so I put 12,999 gunshot detectors in your gunshot detector so you can detect shots while you detect shots while you detect shots while you detect shots whi [FIELD TRUNCATED]

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
  3. Its called a SWATS detector. by netrangerrr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Its called the Soldier Wearable Acoustic Targeting System (SWATS) - and as a former Army Ranger (and a current QinetiQ employee) - I can tell you its a very cool and useful item. Bullets can whiz by you without you knowing where they came from. This little device at least gives you an estimate based on the sonic shockwave and gives you a heads up as to where a shooter might be. Not super high-tech, but super-useful if you're being shot at.

    --
    "As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  4. Re:fireworks by c6gunner · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I imagine the primary use of this is that, if bullets start flying and you take cover, you will be able to figure out where to return fire (or send backup, etc.) without needing to pop your head out first.

    That's more or less right. If the bullets are flying in large quantities it's generally not hard to figure out where they're coming from, but if you've got one or two snipers taking potshots at your platoon, it can be quite difficult to find them. In those cases, the traditional method for locating the shooter involves the section/squad commander yelling "charlie team, take a bound!". This seems much safer.

  5. Or by Mr+Thinly+Sliced · · Score: 5, Funny

    4way Sonic Kinetic Inference Notifier