The U.S. Army is developing a computerized fire control system designed to help snipers find their targets on the battlefield. The system uses a ballistic computer to assist aiming. Although similar systems are on the market the Army's is likely to be more durable, issued to the military, and with applications broader than just sniping.

A sniper's process of settling in, finding the range to the target, and calculating for factors such as wind, inclement weather, altitude, and bullet characteristics is a well established procedure. It's nothing too complicated, but it is time-consuming and can result in delays making the shot. In response, the Army is developing the Ballistically Optimized Sniper Scope or BOSS, a ballistic computer-mated to a sniper scope that speeds up the sighting-in process.

Built around a Leupold Mark IV 6-222 power riflescope, BOSS incorporates an eye-safe laser range finder, internal environmental sensor suite, platform orientation inclinometers, and sophisticated ballistic calculator. BOSS fuses data from all these sensors together to compute a ballistic solution based on weapon and ammunition.

The crosshairs of a rifle scope show the impact point of bullets, but only up to a point. Beyond 200 or more yards the impact point changes, due to the inevitable downward pull of gravity and wind drift. BOSS provides an adjusted aim point in the scope, which the shooter then places on target before pulling the trigger.

This has wider applications than just sniping. As The Firearm Blog points out, BOSS' sensors can provide data that scouts such as those in Long Range Surveillance Detachments could pass on, such as using the built-in laser to determine distance to enemy forces and then calculating their exact position.

Down the line, the electronic components making up the 3.5 pound BOSS will only grow smaller and lighter, making it compact enough to eventually be issued to all soldiers. "It could be a game-changer for our Warfighters by taking the guesswork out of aiming and making virtually anyone a marksman with the touch of a button," says Regina Stonitsch, Assistant Product Manager for BOSS at Project Manager Soldier Weapons.

Source:The Firearm Blog

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