T
Technology
26 APRIL/MAY 2015 www.vanguardcanada.com
Smart
W
hen Defence Research and Development
Canada released photos of a prototype
for an integrated assault rifl e in Febru-
ary, the media reaction was immediate:
Canada's defence scientists had been
watching too many science fi ction movies and playing too
many video games. The gun, claimed the headlines, had
been designed for The Fifth Element or was destined for the
next version of Call of Duty.
Even DRDC-Valcartier, which is leading the project, ac-
knowledged it looked every bit like a weapon from a sci-fi fi lm.
To be clear, the "smart gun" is only a prototype for a
program known as Future Small Arms Research (FSAR).
Called the Integrated Weapon System Concept, it grew out
of a 2009 project called Soldier Integrated Precision Ef-
fects Systems (SIPES) and will ultimately become integral
to Soldier 2030, a long-term program intended to improve
the tactical performance of the dismounted soldier.
Smart
A test bed for the army's
next-generation rifl e
by vanguard Staff
