[sbird]

And I thought Acogs where expensive.

 

[Random Guy]

It integrates a number of advanced technologies, including a…laser rangefinder, ballistic calculator, atmospheric sensor suite, compass, and a digital display overlay,”

I fail to understand how those advanced capabilities relate to “close quarters combat” engagements - this all sounds more like long range/extreme long range anti-material or anti-personal capabilities for a big 50 BMG sniper rifle or similar, not a basic infantry weapon. It’s too much technology, IMO.

I guess one potential upside, perhaps the wireless capability with display may enable some level of counter-sniper capabilities using what was initially called “boomerang” technology that uses multiple microphones and sensors to immediately detect/locate a sniper shot from enemy forces.

Boomerang (countermeasure) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Over in the contested eastern Ukraine border area, the Russian-backed separatist are randomly sniping at Ukraine’s soldiers pretty much every day and killing a few, so building a counter-sniper capability into the optic system could help in such situations.

 

[jarhead714]

I would think that money spent on teaching marksmanship skills would be a better payout. That scope is way too complicated to keep it running in the field. The military is relying on technology too much instead of individual rifle skills, which is not stressed enough in both military or law enforcement.

There’s actually one branch of the military where it couldn’t possibly be any more stressed…

 

[MuppetMeat4Me]

You'd think with electronics we would integrate a 'kill switch', so if it got into enemy hands we could shut it down. Something where once every few weeks it needs to 'connect home' to get a renewed lease on life. That way you avoid that it gets accidentally cut off during a mission, but if we lose it, it does not work for long.

I have done that with automation systems where... assurance of payment was... so far unestablished.

It is really easy to implement.

 

[Rob Ski]

It is honestly mind blowing. When we try to put more light on the need to actually limit soldiers "electronic" signature, they dump even more ****...it's ok, I'm almost done. But in some, not that far away future, those kids will roll out against the enemy, which may not have all the coolest gadgets, but it's very good at sniffing them out. It will be terrifying picture to see them glow like a Christmas tree lights on someone's targeting screen...I wonder how this is going to end then...

 

[Clark]

I don't see this as a good long-term idea. It runs on batteries to begin with and seems to try and do far too many things and probably none of them well. Not all grunts will be able to master its use and for an enemy to capture a rifle with iron sights would not be a big deal.

 

[ColdWarGrunt]

What happened to the KISS method?! Unless things have changed since I was active duty, give a knucklehead something and in time he will find a way to mess it up or break all together!

I agree with the need to spend more time teaching marksmanship, and we all know the Marine Corps is the best at trying to achieve this. However, sooner or later time is money and money is time, and the fact there is a schedule to adhere to as range time is allotted for only so much time and then it’s move on. Seems some never grasp it and are shuffled right along!

Kurt mentioned batteries and I remember the timeframe when the supply chain was always lacking, and someone mentioned better than Lithium batteries, that’s great. Guarantee at least one or two knuckleheads will have forgotten to bring them! I reckon his battle buddy could square him away until back inside the LOD.

Rob mentioned electronic signature and I agree they will be able to find them as they will look like a Christmas tree lit up! Always pros and cons to anything that is electronic.

When I got out there were no optics for anyone in a squad, and then if one had them it was NODs. Snipers had M14s equipped with optics (scope) of course no electronics. That was it!

When I got out they had just gotten the decent NVDs that you could actually see out of! Sluggers were Rangers or other Special Ops, good ol lensatic compass was all we had. Makes one wonder how much emphasis they place on Land Navagation now as well?! As a Squad Leader I had a platoon radio with mike, now all squad members have some way to communicate with one another. Amazing how the modern Infantryman is equipped compared to a few years after Vietnam had ended. I went in in 83, we were still being issued olive drab and the new woodland camo fatigues. Got out in 93, and seems shortly afterwards, especially after 9/11 everything went hi-tech.

 

[KurtC]

ChiCom is developing tactical microwave weapons that will shut down pretty much everything a grunt is carrying nowadays.

I hope they are still teaching arm and hand signals, iron sights and how to read a map.

 

[ColdWarGrunt]

ChiCom is developing tactical microwave weapons that will shut down pretty much everything a grunt is carrying nowadays.

I hope they are still teaching arm and hand signals, iron sights and how to read a map.

Exactly! When push comes to shove and all the electronic gizmos are toast if you can’t navigate you can’t find and engage the enemy, your useless as **** on a boar hog. Much less find your way back! And if ya can’t shoot effectively to take out enemy personnel with irons, well I reckon one can learn under fire to walk their rounds to a target I suppose! I never even thought about hand and arm signals!

 

[Sorry Dude]

Ask a millennial to read a road map, you know the old school Road Atlas. It's very entertaining.

 

[Clark]

Ask a millennial to read a road map, you know the old school Road Atlas. It's very entertaining.

Or drive a manual transmission vehicle. A year or so ago my GF and I took her car to a local Jiffy Lube for an oil change. A bay opened up and we sat, and sat, and sat, waiting for her car to go in. Finally, the manager came over to ask her to drive it on the rack....none of the employees could drive a manual transmission.

 

[anthonypd]

This seems similar to tech on Burris eliminator. They should function as normal glass when battery is dead, and have a screen that shows ballistic info/range and adjust reticle for bullet drop based on range. Seems useful.

 

[RealReglarGuy]

My buddy, an old timer Viet Nam vet, would not let his son use optics until he proved proficient with iron sights first.
The kid became an excellent shot.

Another guy I know will not let his son use a computer to write his term papers, homework, etc.
He insists the boy hand write everything first, then he can put it on the computer to print.

I wonder how many kids can use a slide rule now?

 

[jkv45]

ChiCom is developing tactical microwave weapons that will shut down pretty much everything a grunt is carrying nowadays.

I hope they are still teaching arm and hand signals, iron sights and how to read a map.

That's my biggest fear in a conflict with the Chinese.

They have gathered info on most of our technology, in any way they can, and most likely know how to render our advanced weapon systems useless.

Sure they have plenty of weapons, but defeating our systems will make us easy targets on every level.

We need to be prepared. They can't be trusted.

 

[jackrabbitslim]

Exactly! When push comes to shove and all the electronic gizmos are toast if you can’t navigate you can’t find and engage the enemy, your useless as **** on a boar hog. Much less find your way back! And if ya can’t shoot effectively to take out enemy personnel with irons, well I reckon one can learn under fire to walk their rounds to a target I suppose! I never even thought about hand and arm signals!

Chicoms already tested anti satellite missiles. This war won’t be fought with gps bombs or digital maps.

 

[ChicagoMike]

I wonder how many kids can use a slide rule now?
View attachment 467747

None unless they think its fun as a hobby.
You could just install a scientific calc app on your iPhone.

Its not the tool but what you do with it. So why pull out a slide rule when you have better options and focus on the math?

 

[ChicagoMike]

Chicoms already tested anti satellite missiles. This war won’t be fought with gps bombs or digital maps.

Uhm... there are other ways of ascertaining GPS and there are ways to put alternative GPS sats up in the air/space.

And you don't have to take out the GPS sats. You could jam the GPS or spoof the GPS. IIRC the Iranians did that to steal a US drone.

 

[bandit]

NOTHING BEATS marksmanship training, use in actual combat, of regular peep sights. BATTERIES AND SOFTWARE DO DIE. You need to be able to use your eyes and peep sights, it's basic and it works.

 

[Nevins]

NOTHING BEATS marksmanship training, use in actual combat, of regular peep sights. BATTERIES AND SOFTWARE DO DIE. You need to be able to use your eyes and peep sights, it's basic and it works.

Sure, but this system has a b/u etched reticle as well.

There seems to be a lot of assumptions about this system, namely that purchasing it means that marksmanship training will either cease or no longer be prioritized. This seems a bit like claiming that modern stability systems/autopilot lead to pilots being unable to fly.

 

[Para Pete]

This seems a bit like claiming that modern stability systems/autopilot lead to pilots being unable to fly.

Frighteningly- that's exactly what is happening. I have a friend who is a pilot and pilot trainer with JetBlue, and one of his main functions is conducting recently-required yearly "basic flying" requalification for pilots. He explained to me that due to cockpit automation pilots have become passengers whose job it is to keep an eye on the computers that are actually flying the planes.

He described how JetBlue has been forced to make changes relating specifically to the problem of "passenger pilots" and began requiring "basic flying" yearly requals and removing free Wi-Fi in the cockpit. He said that pilots basically go over checklists, communicate with tower/groundcrew/gate/passengers, monitor flight computers, and keep their hands "close" to the controls during takeoff/landing- otherwise they spend their time on their laptops watching movies/porn, playing games, and surfing the net. It became such an issue that JetBlue even took away their free internet in the cockpit.

He flies Internationally, and says he used to find it humorous thinking about how if only all the folks "back there" had any clue about what was actually going on "up here" in the cockpit- they'd never want to fly again... until he started to realize that the pilots were literally forgetting how to physically fly the aircraft.

After several loss-of-life incidents involving automated flight controls and widespread random basic competency pilot test failures, JetBlue began requiring yearly pilot "flight retraining" on the simulator. And that's what my friend does for them when he's not watching movies in the cockpit of a Caribbean-bound JetBlue Airbus.

It's no joke, and it's damn scary.