Target identification system nears completion

United States Air Force ^ | Mar 12, 2004

[Spruce]

Target identification system nears completion

3/12/2004 - KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN) -- By the end of the year, U.S. military forces will be able to pinpoint targets with equipment that is lighter and more compact, thanks to the Air Force Research Laboratory's Laser Integrated Target Identification System.

For U.S. forces to pinpoint a military target now, they need eight separate military systems weighing up to 60 pounds total. The new system combines these systems into a single, 10-pound piece of combat gear.

This gear uses laser-based technology to identify a target's range and "paint" a laser spot on the target that will guide munitions to it, said Maj. Jeff Salter who heads AFRL's directed energy directorate tactical laser systems branch.

It is capable of spotting targets by day or night, he said. It also includes a geolocation system to further identify an exact location and a lightweight battery capability.

Combat controllers from the Air Force Special Operations Command will use the system to complement their battlefield air-operations kits to improve how target coordinates are passed.

"This is a two-year project aimed at reducing the weight and size of equipment that a combatant must carry in a battlefield," Major Salter said.

He said the overall cost for this development is around $19 million. The next step is to transition the technology to a product center where production can begin. All of the military services will be able to use the completed system. (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)

[Spruce]

Many articles about DARPA lately. Shedding 50 pounds, in less than 1 year is remarkable for a human let alone a critical piece of hardware

[NormsRevenge]

pretty good investment ... only 19 million... not bad at all.. Thanks Bump

[Centurion2000]

It would be interesting if they could stick a GPS receiver, laser designator and rangefiner with a calculations computer and wireless data uploads on the side of the standard issue helmet.

Have a forward observer designate targets by just looking at them and radioing them in

[Spruce]

Never enough props to the freaks at DARPA. If aliens landed on earth, they are working at DARPA.

[spectr17]

Real bad news for the goblins. Less weight and better targeting is a godsend for CCT. They'll be able to apply to the doom much better. Go "Kinetic" as some call it.

[Squantos]

I got to lay hands on this piece of gear last week.......better than packin 3 PRC90's any day !

http://gps.losangeles.af.mil/csel/

CCT and special tactics will enjoy the weight issue. Hope it works for em.

Stay Safe .......:o)

[fire_eye]

This is actually sort of embarrassing. What happened was, they realized that most of their sophisticated target identification electronics could be replaced with something that merely detects the smell of goat.

[Reactionary]

DARPA freakin' rules.

Their technological advances are impressive, to say the least. DARPA has to be the best investment the government has ever made.

Of course, liberals consider DARPA to be evil. That's because liberals are degenerates who gravitate towards evil.

[txzman]

"and a lightweight battery capability."

Want to bet this is it's Achilles heel? 'Sorry, Cap't - we're out of batteries and the closest 7-Eleven is 12 klicks away..."