British defence scientists have developed what they claim is a revolutionary new gadget which can help soldiers pinpoint the exact position of enemy snipers 1,000 yards away.
A team at Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Wiltshire has developed the tiny computerised “sniper spotter” which would be trialled this month with the Parachute Regiment in war-ravaged Afghanistan, the Daily Mail reported.
The new high-tech gadget — four inches square and weighing 11oz — can be worn on a soldier’s arm; it’s connected to a shoulder sensor which identifies the shooter’s location in an instant, thus enabling troops to fire back accurately.
The detector’s powerful acoustic processing technology evaluates the enemy position by determining the target’s co-ordinates on a small screen with an arrow indicator. At the same time, it bleeps a warning into a headset connected to it, say the scientists.
Sources say each unit — officially known as Compact Soldier Worn Shooter-Detector System — costs 10,000 pounds.
An initial 1,000 have been ordered for British troops in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. If trials are successful, more soldiers will be issued with it later this year, say the defence sources.
The way the technology works is a closely guarded secret, but the unique software provides constant updates on the enemy’s location — even if they move position while being fired at, they say.
A senior source said: “This bit of kit could be a life saver. An earlier, larger model was used by U.S. forces in Iraq and in parts of Afghanistan, but this is a first for us and it is being seen as revolutionary.
“It works on acoustics and when a round is fired the small display panel highlights an arrow indicating the direction of fire, which is a major help in returning fast and accurate fire.”
