This new technology might be useful on the battlefield, but somehow I can't help but think that this type of gear is going to become the wave of the future to help the gun grabbers go for more gun control. I'm thinking that the gun grabbers would try to make the "black box" required equipment on every firearm made. Of course, their version of the unit would no doubt have a satellite link that allows the government to monitor every gun that has the "black box" attached to it.
Black Box keeps tabs on weaponsby Mark RutherfordNovember 16, 2009Firearms manufacturer
FN Herstal has designed and built a Black Box that, when attached to a weapon, counts rounds fired, measures burst rate, and detects stoppages--information it then stores to facilitate more effective maintenance.
(FN Herstal Photo)The device is housed in a module that can be molded to fit any weapon, according to FN. It comes with a non-replaceable 10-year battery, allowing the unit to record up to 100,000 rounds.
"The
FN Black Box detects, discriminates, counts shots, measures burst rates and burst lengths, records firing sequences and detects stoppages due to failures to cycle," the Belgium company announced. "Storing such information allows preventive maintenance and facilitates corrective maintenance, which greatly increases weapon reliability and availability."
Are soldiers laying down their share of return fire? Are they running out of ammo? Do they clean their weapons? The Black Box may be able to answer all these questions. The box assigns each weapon an identification number, which allows it to record information and transmit it up the chain of command during an engagement. This ID can also identify the soldier wielding the weapon. When coupled with GPS, the weapon's location and status can be transmitted--through the individual soldier's communications gear. The new gear would allow commanders to keep track of their assets, armorers to anticipate necessary maintenance, and quartermasters to order more ammo, according to FN.
The box is part of FN's Armatronics line of integrated systems of electronic solutions. The company expects to position itself as a "major player in the integrated soldier systems market."
Slovenly soldiers, lousy design, or institutional neglect? This gadget may be able to help determine once and for all who or what is responsible for the alleged
M4 malfunctions that are driving the U.S. Army's perennial search for a replacement weapon.
(FN Herstal Photo)Mark Rutherford is a West Coast-based freelance writer. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Email him at markr@milapp.com.http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10398967-42.html
