TrackingPoint Offers U.S. Army Smart Rifle Technology

The U.S. Army is an efficient organization that thrives on discipline and an unwavering sense of patriotism. This would also mean plenty of budget has been allocated to them to make sure that the homeland remains safe from threats, external and internal, while helping keep the peace abroad as well. There is just something visceral about being on the ground in a battle, and snipers are revered as war heroes, especially when they have developed a legend around their exploits. Having natural talent is one thing, but why not throw in the latest, cutting edge technology to be truly fearsome? The U.S. Army is currently testing a “smart rifle” technology which was specially designed to improve the accuracy of shots, and half a dozen TrackingPoint rifles have been procured as part of this exercise.

TrackingPoint technology would enable the sniper to place a virtual tag on a target that is seen through the weapon’s scope. Should the trigger be pressed, it will fire only on one condition – if the rifle itself has been lined up correctly. This would do away with errors such as trigger jerk, range miscalculation and accidental firing. Sounds fine in theory, but I am quite sure this would not dispense with the fact that you will need some semblance of talent in the first place to handle a sniper rifle, and what happens when you are in a situation where such smart rifles are not available?

This unique scope boasts of a Linux-based computer that will be able to compensate for 16 calculated variables, where among them include temperature, the expected spin-drift of the bullet as well as the wind’s direction. This will not turn all soldiers into snipers, as there are so many other aspects to think about such as a full assessment of weather as well as various conditions that will eventually affect the flight path of the bullet.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Military
Tags: army