Preserving capacity, General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, Keys to Canadian SAR
Issue link: http://vanguardcanada.uberflip.com/i/507045
T Technology www.vanguardcanada.com APRIL/MAY 2015 27 gUn Created by Colt Canada, the "bullpup" style rifl e has pro- vided a test bed to explore a range of integration challenges and answer a lot of questions about novel materials, processors, ammunition and sensors. Modular in design, the weapon can fi re NATO-standard 5.56 rounds or new lightweight telescoped ammunition, and can be fi tted with either a three-round 40mm grenade launcher or a 12-gauge shotgun. The prototype allowed DRDC to explore the potential of new imaging technologies on weapon sight design, and assess whether improved positioning sensors and data networking could increase the effectiveness of collective platoon operations. Using a NATO-standard power and data bus, the gun can ac- cept "smart accessories" such as electro-optical sights and posi- tion sensors that connect to command and control networks. In other words, better shared situational awareness at the platoon level and more information for commanders and headquarters. Ergonomics are central to the gun's design. Drawing on data from operations in Afghanistan as well as a range of human fac- tor trials performed by Human Systems, scientists were able to incorporate fi ndings on how soldiers actually interact with their weapon. At the 2015 Army Outlook, offi cers with Director Land Requirements (DLR) said the FSAR was able to "validate the operational effectiveness of technology concepts through fi eld trials based on human factors principles." Shedding weight through the use of new materials and case telescoped ammunition was paramount, DRDC said. "[W]hen all of the components are fi nally pared down to their fi eld-ready weights, it is expected that the fully-integrated prototype should weigh in at less than a CAF standard issue Colt C7 equipped with an M203 grenade launcher." FSAR also sought to explore automated target detection and engagement technology, as well as sensor capability "to accu- rately locate targets spatially and share that target data with sur- rounding units and back to base." A next step in the research, DRDC said, is to incorporate TrackingPoint-style projectile guidance technology. Among the contract opportunities, DLR highlighted efforts around automated target detection and recognition algorithm performance using imagery taken in the visible and infrared spectrums; visual, acoustic and thermal signature reduction technologies; high performance coatings for a range of environ- ments; and absolute or relative position location technologies for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)-denied envi- ronments. "In the medium term, this weapon concept represents a le- thal, fl exible general-purpose platform," said Lieutenant-Col- onel Serge Lapointe of the Soldier Systems group in DLR in a DRDC online article. "It will be able to operate in all theaters of operations in the most complex terrain including urban areas, mountains, jungles, deserts and the Arctic." So while the "smart gun" prototype might seem like a nod to a favourite science fi ction movie, it is actually providing fresh data to meet modern requirements. In the end, it might evolve into a core capability for the Army's future operating concept of Adaptive Dispersed Operations. modular in design, the weapon can fi re nATo-standard 5.56 rounds or new lightweight telescoped ammunition, and can be fi tted with either a three- round 40mm grenade launcher or a 12-gauge shotgun.