Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com The Barnyard: Now This Is Cool

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Now This Is Cool

Dang I guess video games do serve a purpose after all. I pointed thise out before with the use of UAV drones doing surveillance and sending hellfire into enemy hideouts but now they have remote controlled gun turrets, CROWS, on our armored war wagons run by video game addicts. The military was sceptical at first and now they can't get enough of them. They are capable of delivering highly accurate fire while the gunner sits inside the vehicle instead of manning the gun while exposed. This comes via Ace and Strategy Page.

The remote control turret changed the battlefield more than you might think. It all began three years ago, when the U.S. Army realized that new remote control gun turret designs actually worked, and suddenly they could not get enough of them. The army ordered over 9,000 CROWS (common remotely operated weapon stations), but for a while could only get 15 a month. By the end of 2006, there were about a thousand CROWS in service by the end of the year.

The main issue was that the enemy was no longer able to knock out the turret gunner, early in a firefight, and take away a lot of the vehicles firepower. Because of that, once the enemy opens fire, they are in trouble. The remote turret tends to begin delivering accurate fire right away, and is much more immune to enemy fire than a human gunner. If the vehicle is a Stryker, the enemy will soon find themselves dealing with half a dozen or so heavily armed infantry, who get out of the vehicle and come at the ambushers. Iraqis don't like that. They also don't like how some of the CROWS turret equipped vehicles will come after them. All those accurately aimed bullets coming their way, and no enemy soldiers in sight, is demoralizing.

I know I would not want to be a terrorist douchebag with a stryker coming at me spewing highly accurate .50 cal bullets from an RC turret.

Let's say we know where the scum is positioned from previous fire. A stryker or two could drop off their infantry out of sight and then move in with only the driver and RC man while laying heavy cover fire. Our dismounted troops could then circle in and mop up the remains, I like it, I like it A LOT.

2 comments:

Gayle said...

Yeah, I like it too. Whatever the enemy doesn't like I'm all for! :)

The Griper said...

shucks, war isn't any fun anymore it seems. pretty soon, with advances, a soldier will be able to fight a war in a foreign country from the confines of his own home with his computer.:)