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
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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
19
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
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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
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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