Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes Easily to Gamers

Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes Easily to Gamers

May 20, 2009

The U.S. Navy is equipping some of its vessels with Israeli-made Mini-Typhoon 12.7mm remotely controlled machine-guns.

The 370-pound system, which can be fired by an operator in a remote location, holds 230 rounds, sufficient for 25 seconds of rat-tat-tat. Strategy Page notes that the weapon is an effective defense against small boats such as those used by suicide bombers.

So, who might the Navy turn to for Mini-Typhoon duty? Gamers, reports Strategy Page:

The Mini-Typhoon uses a day/night vidcam and a stabilizer. The remote operator has an automatic target tracker, and can easily hit small boats two kilometers away... Operators with video game experience can be quickly trained to operate the weapon.

Comments

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes ...

These sounds like the turrents on the Millenium Falcon.

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

Because all non-gamers are clearly morons.

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

I don't think they are saying that non-gamers are incapable of operating the gun.  Ithink what the writer means is that gamers don't need as long to train to operate it effectively.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

You're only just realising this now? ;P

/b

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

Still doesnt sound quite as cool as controlling the aerial (you know that took me about 5 attempts to spell?) drone, when those things have missiles and crap on the wings.

 

Check out my blog - http://serveratcapacity.blogspot.com

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

My god jack thompson was right!!! Ha! Not often that those words are spoken. I just wanted to screw with his vanity googling.

 

It sounds like anyone with hand eye coordination and a brain that can grasp deflection shooting could do it. I think they need to be more specific about the hardware, are you controlling it with a gamepad, a keyboard/mouse/joystick or a wiimote? Since it's remote controlled, I hope the interface is moddable, I'd want shooting the weapon to produce a sound effect like the weapon in Space Invaders and if there's a particularly big terrorist boat (Or perhaps "aquatic technical" will be the official term) it should sound like the mothership

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

Though I'm not familiar with this particular technology, I know that a lot of other remotely operated tech in the military uses modified Xbox360 controllers. I'd imagine that would really be all you need to operate something like this.

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes ...

Isn't that just a remotely operated browning m-2?

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

Queue up the anti-government, anti-war, anti-military, anti-viedo game outrage and protests.

Personally, I think this is pretty cool. Unless you're being targeted by the weapons system.

--Verbinator

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes ...

25 seconds?  Where's my unlimited ammo belt?!

"HEY! LISTEN!"

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes

But does the turret have regenerating health? Most modern gamers won't touch it with a 10-foot pole otherwise, because it would be 'too frustrating'.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Controlling Navy's Anti-terrorist Weapon System Comes ...

They'll have to nerf it in the patch, it's way over-powered.

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 11/22/09 at 08:44pm
BearDogg-X: 10 N. O. Who Dat?
Posted 11/22/09 at 09:45am
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I think doc phill is still sout about the break up with his wife he dose not fill holes as much as make them bigger these day
Posted 11/22/09 at 12:06am
JDKJ: You should get Phil McCraken to help you spackle those banisters.
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:57pm
ZippyDSMlee: Oh in the pirate hunter article I need my song ieda heckled DS,JD,Beemon sic im !!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:no I am tried from prepping the banisters for painting , worked on them from 12 to 4 and 6 to 8...after I got back from the store...got up early got ready...blah...been up all day..I need a nap...
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:42pm
JDKJ: No. You gonna stay up late tonight soldering?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:41pm
ZippyDSMlee: JDKJ:Don't you mean Mctite?
Posted 11/21/09 at 11:33pm
JDKJ: @Zip: Neil, Bob, and Lik McTaint. The McTaint brothers. LOL!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:44pm
Flamespeak: I still think military personell, killing other military personell, on a military complex should be handled by military courts.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I could see this a mixture of the two charges rather than just one or the other.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:43pm
Flamespeak: I think this was mainly a person who snapped, but evidence is showing he definitely had strong inlinations to islamic-extremism.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:41pm
Flamespeak: People are trying to claim that Hasan's actions were not terrorism. I don't jump on the 'terror train' like others, however
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:38pm
mentor07825: Britain certainly does deserve it! And the French! God damn it, it was a hand ball!!!
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: mentor07825:Well Brittan dose deserve it....
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:33pm
ZippyDSMlee: Alyric:I don;t hasliburton having to pay back billoins... don;t you love it when the rich roll over the goverment without a care?
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:32pm
mentor07825: I say we nuke the whales, for the benefit of both mankind and the environment.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:28pm
Austin_Lewis: I say we try Al Gore too. I always said he was in on the racket.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:16pm
Alyric: The leaked information proves these organizations knowingly defrauded governments (i.e., taxpayers) out of billions of dollars. Yet there will probably never be a trial.
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:15pm
Flamespeak: working on other things makes me angry. I might have had a jet pack by now. :p
Posted 11/21/09 at 09:14pm
Flamespeak: Just thinking of all the time and manpower wasted to try and make things emit less CO2 emmision that could have been spent
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