back to article Terry Pratchett computer sniper-scope: Spec-ops mini version

Famous Pentagon boffinry powerhouse DARPA has made a new announcement on its "One Shot" programme, which ensures that a million-to-one shot will – as on Terry Pratchett's Discworld* – hit the target nine (well, six) times out of 10. Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Todd Hubert - and his spotter, Seaman Chad Luck - of the US Navy …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Locky

    It'll only work

    if they stand on one leg, blindfolded

    1. Oliver Mayes

      Don't forget...

      Someone also needs to say "it's a million to one shot, but it just might work."

      1. Mips
        Childcatcher

        And...

        It won't hit directly, it will bounce of several other objects first.

  2. HP Cynic

    Well I was about to comment that this system would almost make the Spotter the most important member of the team (you can bet the device needs a lot of maintenance and expertise) before noting at they end they were chasing a "clip on version".

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Boffin

    Would be nice to know how the laser return works out the wind.

    Also Gunnar (One Shot XG) , Bagman (Boston Dynamics) , Helm?

  4. Andy Farley

    As I understand it

    the primary purpose of the 2 man team is psychological.

    a) you get to split the responsibility – he told me to shoot/I only said to shoot I didn’t pull the trigger

    b) you don’t want to let you mate down

    c) you don’t want to be shown up

    d) the sniper knows no-one is sneaking up on him while he's on-scope so is less twitchy

    which all means the sniper is more likely to pull the trigger on the target and less likely to go home and do the same to themselves.

    So I can see how it would make sense in terms of increased lethality but I don't think it makes for smaller sniper teams.

    1. Kevin Johnston

      alternatively

      rather than the 2nd man being primarily a spotter for the sniper, use of the clip-on version would allow him to be more 'situational awareness' and 'mission management' or whatever the relevant buzz-phrase is. At present there will be significant periods when both men are staring down very narrow field of view scopes which creates risk. Letting the sniper get himself all setup on his own with the spotter using regular binox or similar for general scanning gives the best of all worlds. He can still do target confirms and shoot orders etc for shared responsibility.

    2. Adam T

      2nd man

      Someone has to keep the tea brewing. Snipers have needs too, you know.

    3. Ian Michael Gumby
      WTF?

      Huh?

      Second man carries an automatic for support. Also senior spotter acquires target for sniper.

      Also second man can spell the other sniper and take turns on rifle.

  5. Thesheep
    Stop

    But aren't they actually quite good?

    So it might be a little less than 1-in-a-million. They need to take Locky's suggested actions to compensate

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Isn't rather unsporting...

    ...to take all these variables out of shooting somebody?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Yeah! Because....

      ..calling in an AH-64 is so much more sporting...:)

    2. Marvin the Martian

      That's the general idea, yes.

      Snipers are the only soldiers hardly causing any collateral damage.

      This is just increasing the difference with the general steel-and-dynamite sluggin' approach.

  7. Nick Kew

    Pre-dates Pratchett

    No disrespect to one of the best authors of our time, but you should review earlier literature before crediting him. Google "infinite improbability drive" for an earlier though still modern example.

  8. Magnus_Pym

    How long before...

    ... the spotter takes a picture of the target. Sniper downloads picture to gun. Gun 'fires' a miniature robot which runs up to the target and shoots him.

    1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
      Boffin

      RE: How long before...

      More likely would be a laser-seeking round for the XM-25. The rounds the gun fires are 25mm in diameter, which would seem to be plenty to build in a miniature seeker head and maybe leave enough room for a small explosive charge. The built in ballistic computer in the XM-25 scope would get the shot as close to a direct hit, a simple laser preojector unit would provide the guidance spot, leaving the bullet the minimal amount of terminal manouvering to get that first round hit.

      1. MonkeyBot

        Re:RE: How long before...

        http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088024/

        How about a pistol with heat-seeking rounds that can identify individuals by their thermal signature.

    2. Dazed and Confused

      They got that already

      they call them drones

    3. Graham Marsden

      @Magnus_Pym

      Or perhaps a Knife Missile?!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Mushroom

    Can't they just...

    ...illuminate the target with the laser and then drop a 500lb Paveway III on the laser spot?

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Alert

      That might work for those 2km+ shots in open country, but for shorter range stuff or street-to-street fighting I can see a slight flaw in that idea.

  10. jon 72
    Boffin

    re: Helm..

    Also Gunnar (One Shot XG) , Bagman (Boston Dynamics) , Helm?

    Helm....hmmm

    well I suppose Armatige Shanks could drop something in the pot and see if it floats.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like