MikeTombuDRDC– TorontoResearch Centre

EnhancingSmallArmsTargetEngagement

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DMC AINFORMATIVE STATEMENTS(U) The data collected as part of this study was approved either by Defence Research and Development Canada’s Human Research Ethics Board or by the Director General Military Personnel Research & Analysis’ Social Science Research Review Board.

NOTICE(U) This document has been reviewed and DOES NOT CONTAIN controlled goods technical data.

EvolutionaryNatureofAdvancementsinAssaultRifles

Sinceitsintroductionin1944,therehavebeenevolutionsinassaultrifledesign

MaterialAmmunitionLayout(Bullpup vs.conventional)RiflingSightingsystemsAncillaries

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StG 441944

AK471949

M161967

Steyr Aug1977

C71983

AssaultRifleEffectiveness

3

Bench

Range(m)

HitP

robability

Radcliffe(2008)

USQualificationData

USStressed

200 600400

.2

.4

.6

.8

1.0

PotentialSourcesofMarksmanshipErrorLackingrequiredinformation

RangetotargetSpeedoftargetEnvironmentalfactors(e.g.,wind)

FailuretouseinformationNotcompensatingforwindorrangetotarget

PoorshootingmechanicsUnsteadyholdUnnaturalalignmentPoorbreathingImpropertargetalignmentPoortriggersqueeze

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5

Whatisthetargetrange?

Whatisthetargetspeed?

Howwindyisit?

Howdothesefactorsinteract?

WhatholdshouldIapply?

WhatleadshouldIapply?

Isthataweapon?

Watchmyhold…

Watchmybreathing…

Watchmypointofaim…

Watchmytriggersqueeze…Howcantechnologybeappliedtoassisttheshooter?

Numeroussourcesofinformationmustbegatheredandintegratedquickly,oftenunderlessthanidealconditions

Moore’sLaw

Thenumberoftransistorsthatfitonanintegratedcircuitdoubleseverytwoyears

ProcessingspeedPriceMemorycapacitySensorperformancePixelsindigitalcameras

Powerful,lightweightcomputingandsensingcannowbeintegratedintoweaponssystems

Portablecomputerfrom1982andAppleiPhonefrom2007.TheiPhoneis100xtimesmorepowerful,100xlighter,500xlessbulkyand10xcheaper

NextGenerationSmallArms

LaserRangeFinder

SensorSuite

ComputerVisionAlgorithms

BallisticComputer

FireControlSystem

AugmentedRealitySight

Networkedtobackbone

+ withSensorFusion,Networkeddata

sharing,AutomaticTargetDetection

&AssistedTargetEngagement

NextGenerationSmallArms

LaserRangeFinder

SensorSuite

ComputerVisionAlgorithms

BallisticComputer

FireControlSystem

AugmentedRealitySight

Networkedtobackbone

+ withSensorFusion,Networkeddata

sharing,AutomaticTargetDetection

&AssistedTargetEngagement

AssistedTargetEngagement

Weaponequippedwith:LRFthatdeterminestherangetotarget

Computervisionalgorithmtracksthetarget

Ballisticcomputercalculatesfiringsolution(leadandhold),whichisdisplayedinthesight

FCSreleasesshotwhenfiringsolutionisachieved

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UNCLASSIFIED(NONCONTROLLEDGOODS)

UNCLASSIFIED(NONCONTROLLEDGOODS) 10

SightPictureShift

“Tag”

UNCLASSIFIED(NONCONTROLLEDGOODS)

UNCLASSIFIED(NONCONTROLLEDGOODS) 11

SightPictureShift

“Adjust”

PotentialSourcesofMarksmanshipError:Addressed

Environmentalfactors(e.g.,wind)

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LackingrequiredinformationRangetotargetSpeedoftarget

FailuretouseinformationNotcompensatingforwindorrangetotarget

PoorshootingmechanicsUnsteadyholdUnnaturalalignmentPoorbreathingImpropertargetalignmentPoortriggersqueeze

LRFComputervisionalgorithm

Ballisticcomputer

FireControlSystem

So,whichSourceofErrorCorrectionMatter?

Conductedalargermarksmanshiptrialtoidentifyfactorsthatimproveshootingperformance

Twooftheweaponconditionsisolatetheimpactoftheassistedtargetengagementcapability

TestedperformanceunderavarietyofshootingconditionsKnowndistance,deliberatefire,statictargetsUnknowndistance,snapfire,statictargets

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KnownDistanceTask

GoalwastoisolatetheimpactofthefirecontrolsystemShouldreduceoreliminateerrorassociatedwithshootingmechanicsbyonlyreleasingtheroundwhentheballisticsolutionisachieved

ProvidedshooterswithoutATE,range,knownholdsandadequatetimetoapplythem

IfshootingmechanicscontributetomarksmanshiperrorandATEeliminatesthem,performanceshouldbebetterwithATEthanwithoutit

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KnownDistance,DeliberateFire,StaticTarget

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ErrorSourceAcquiringRangetoTargetEnvironmentalFactors

ApplyingRightHold

ShootingMechanics

WithATELRFManualinput*

BallisticComputer

FireControlSystem

WithoutATERangeprovidedManualadjustment*

Adequatetimeandknownholds

Nomitigation

*Minimalwind,thereforeminimalimpact

KnownDistance:Results

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00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.91

100 600

Prop

ortio

nHits

Range(m)

TargetHits

WithoutATE

WithATE

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.91

100 600

Prop

ortio

nHits

Range(m)

IncapacitationHits

WithoutATE

WithATE

Nosignificantbenefitprovidedbytheassistedtargetengagementcapability

KnownDistance:ConclusionGivenadequatetime,shooterscaneffectivelyapplyfundamentalsofshootingFCSdoesnotremoveanyerrorassociatedwithshootingmechanicsthatcannotbecontrolledbytheshooter

UnknownDistanceTask

GoalwastoisolatetheimpactofthelaserrangefinderShouldreduceoreliminateerrorassociatedwithrangeestimationbyprovidingaccuraterangeinformation

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RangeEstimation– Results

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0

50

100

150

200

80 120 160 200 240 280 320 360 400 440

AverageAb

soluteError(m

)

Range(m)

AbsoluteErrorInRangeEstimation

Unassited

Onaverage,estimateerrorswere~36%ofactualdistanceUnderestimated<200mandoverestimated>200m

UnknownDistanceTask

GoalwastoisolatetheimpactofthelaserrangefinderShouldreduceoreliminateerrorassociatedwithrangeestimationbyprovidingaccuraterangeinformation

ProvidedshooterswithoutATE,knownholdsandadequatetimetoapplythem

ShooterswereresponsibleforestimatingrangeBasedonknowndistancetask,shootermechanicswerenotexpectedtodifferacrossweaponconditions

IfrangeestimationcontributetomarksmanshiperrorandATEeliminatesit,performanceshouldbebetterwithATEthanwithoutit

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UnknownDistance:Results– TargetHits

21

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Prop

ortio

nShotso

nTarget

Range

2.34x

WithATEWithoutATE

ATEenhancedtargetengagement– moretargethitsatmid-longtargetranges

UnknownDistance:Results– IncapacitationHits

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0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Prop

ortio

nShotso

nCe

ntre

Range

WithATEWithoutATE

5.1x

ATEenhancedtargetengagement– moreincapacitationhitsatmosttargetranges

UnknownDistance:Conclusion

IncludinganLRFaspartoftheweaponsystemresultsindramaticallyimprovedshootingperformance,especiallyatmediumtolongengagementdistances

Over2xtargethitsat450mOver5xtheincapacitationhitsat300mComesatacostintermsoftimetoengageSystemreliabilityandrobustnessissuesremain

ResultsinContext

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USQualificationData

USStressed

Bench

WithATE

Range(m)200 600400

HitP

robability

.2

.4

.6

.8

1.0

WithoutATE

GeneralConclusions

Theoverallresultssuggestthatafull-onfirecontrolsystemprovidesbenefit,butalsocoststhatmustbetakenintoconsideration

Havingthefirecontrolsystemreleasetheroundwastimeconsuming,resultinginsignificantlylongerengagementtimes,especiallyatlongdistances

AsystemthatincorporatesalaserrangefinderandeasytoapplyholdsmaybesufficienttoachievemostofthebenefitsseenwithATE,withouttheaccompanyingpenaltyontimetoengage

AsystemwithanLRFandballisticcomputerthatdisplaysthefiringsolutiontotheshooter,butthatleavesshotreleasetotheshootermayrepresentaperfectbalanceofautomationandmanualcontrolAtrialtoinvestigatesightingsystemswiththesecharacteristicsiscurrentlybeingplanned

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Implications

AssistedTargetEngagementextendstheeffectiverangeofsmallarms

Dramaticallyimprovedprobabilityofhit/probabilityofincapacitationispossibleFindingtherightbalanceofautomationandskilledmanualcontroliscriticalHasthepotentialtomakeevenanuntrainedenemylethaltomuchlongerranges

TechnologyfailsPreservingmarksmanshipskillssothatshootersremaineffectivewithoutassistedtargetengagementisvitalSightingsystemsmustcontinuetofunctionshouldtheassistedtargetengagementsystemgooffline(deadbatteries,breakage,softwarefault)

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