U.S. troops deploy new weapon in Iraq

Middle East News ^ | November 20, 2007 | By RICHARD TOMKINS

[casino66]

U.S. forces in Iraq are using a high-resolution, thermal/infrared sensor system that turns night into day and helps protect troops as well as bring security to towns and cities.

The European-made system (the cheapest model is reputed to cost about $1 million) is called GBOSS, an acronym no one seems to know the meaning of. But troops call it a godsend.

[casino66]

This is one cool tool.

[hsalaw]

This is one cool tool.

I'll say! But I'm a little bit sorry that it's "European made" - wish we had produced it.

[Brett66]

Cool, I wonder if they make home versions?

[casino66]

Sure, just as long as you have a million bucks laying around.

[Slapshot68]

Watch the left complain that we’re too advanced as to make the war “unfair” lol

[Parley Baer]

“They [insurgents] know we have it and are scared to death of it,” said Capt. Jason Schuerger of West Virginia. “I’d like to keep it that way.”

Bwhahahahahahahahahaha. Gotta love it.

[eureka!]

""The Iraqis think it has a laser beam we can zap them with."

LOL. Not lasers, but lead...

[agere_contra]

GBOSS = Ground Based Operational Surveillance System

[lonestar67]

Also known as:

The Panopticon

[agere_contra]

From General Conway’s report to SASC in March of this year.

“G-BOSS is a force protection camera system that provides a twenty-four hour day/night persistent surveillance capability.”

“The G-BOSS System of Systems concept is to integrate command and control; commercial off the shelf and government off the shelf sensors to ground, airborne, and space-based platforms.”

“The military objective of G-Boss is to detect, identify, and track insurgent activities, specifically associated with the emplacement of IEDs.”

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Isn’t IR/Thermal being used to spot cows with mad cow disease? I recall hearing about the disease lowering the body temp of the cow, making it easier to spot? no?

[lapster]

I think one of the major problems radical Islam has is that in waging their losing war in Iraq, they are giving us a great theater for testing out new weapons, strategies, and tactics. I would love to see a list of the new weapons we have produced since the war began. And I think the radicals would hate to see what’s coming their way if it continues.

[Doomonyou]

I'll say! But I'm a little bit sorry that it's "European made" - wish we had produced it.

True, but better than "Made in China".

[Zakeet]

Troops won't say much more about the system's capabilities for security
reasons. But in a demonstration, shown to this reporter one night, the
GBOSS was aimed at a pickup truck at great distance. It would have been
just the barest speck to the naked eye if it had had its lights on. Bernard
flipped a switch, played with the joystick and suddenly one could clearly
see the empty water bottles in the back of the vehicle. The image was so
clear and the view so close, there was no mistaking the objects for what
they were.

"They [insurgents] know we have it and are scared to death of it," said
Capt. Jason Schuerger of West Virginia. "I'd like to keep it that way."

[geopyg]

Huh. Play with the joystick and the vision gets BETTER!

[agere_contra]

That picture makes them look as if they’re only five feet away!

:0)

[Red6]

“I’ll say! But I’m a little bit sorry that it’s “European made” - wish we had produced it.”

At the tip of the spear hesitation in procurement or not fielding new capabilities available equates to dead troops.

One of the drawbacks we have is that we are a real functional military. We are no $hit a war fighting force and have been since the mid 1860s. You won’t serve in the US military 20 years without a war and numerous smaller conflicts in between. We don’t have the luxury of just going without and having huge gaps in doctrinally required hardware like many our allies have had or have.

[hsalaw]

I’m not for a moment suggesting we shouldn’t obtain the latest and very best capabilities for our troops wherever we find them. I just wish we had come up with this wonderful new technology ourselves. But, as someone else noted, perhaps better “European made” than “Made in China.”

[casino66]

All wars have produced new weapons. We adapt to the situation. I guess we are always looking for new, more effective weapons.

I don’t think the islamo-facists fear dying, so they don’t seem to care what we throw at them. We need a weapon that will make the mullahs gay and full of love and peace. They are the ones preaching war on behalf of Allah. :-)

[casino66]

And all of this time we were told we would go blind.