Sniper detection systems en route to Iraq, Afghanistan
The U.S. Army has requested 235 additional sniper detection systems be delivered for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
QinetiQ North America, which makes the systems, announced the delivery request Oct. 6 at the AUSA 2009 convention in Washington, D.C. The company is demonstrating the so-called Ears/SWATS system at its booth this week.
The delivery request is the final increment of a $10 million contract that the Army awarded QinetiQ last year.
EARS/SWATS is a small, compass-like device that a soldier can wear on his arm or that can be mounted on a vehicle. When a shot is fired it provides almost instant information either on a visual display or as an aural feed on the precise source location of that shot.
About 2,000 systems have been fielded in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Don Steinman, QinetiQ Technology Solutions Group director, product transition. He said the system is also in trials in the U.K.
The system works in urban and open terrains.
“It’s especially useful in Afghanistan because the ‘moon-like’ terrain there makes it difficult to identify where a sniper is located,” Steinman said.
Steinman said another round of procurements for counter-sniper devices is anticipated, with the Army expected to issue a request for proposals this fall for a vehicle-mounted system.