ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., 9 Nov. 2010. U.S. Army officials needed a soldier-worn acoustic sensor system to enable infantrymen rapidly to determine the range and direction from which snipers and other combatants are shooting at them so they can fight back quickly and effectively. They found their solution from QinetiQ North America in Reston, Va.
The Army awarded a $38.4 million sniper-detection system contract to QinetiQ on 29 Oct. for 15,000 Individual Gunshot Detection Systems. QinetiQ produces the Ears Shoulder-Worn Acoustic Targeting System (SWATS), which gives soldiers the ability rapidly to acquire an accurate bearing/distance and absolute position of shooters nearby. This acoustic targeting system supplies threat localization and targeting for enhanced fire control and maneuvering, QinetiQ officials say.
The contract award from the Army Research Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Aberdeen Division, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., awarded the contract to QinetiQ; the contract was announced Monday.
The QinetiQ Individual Gunshot Detection System has a visual display and audio warning system to indicate to the soldier the direction and distance to firing weapons to reduce the effects of confusion and the time it normally takes to determine the direction of shooters, which can enable foot soldiers to organize quickly and fight back effectively.
The system has an acoustic sensor attached to the soldier's shoulder connected by cable to a control and display worn on the soldier's chest. The system computes the solution to a sniper’s location in less than a second, is small, lightweight, and consumes little power.
QinetiQ will do work on the contract in Reston, Va., and should be finished by July 2013. For more information contact the Army Research Development & Engineering Command online at www.rdecom-ac.army.mil, or QinetiQ North America at www.qinetiq-na.com.
