US Army live fire testing smart gun that actively corrects aim

US Army testing actively aim stabilized gun.

This month the U.S. Army’s Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments (AEWE) program tested the AimLock Stabilized Weapon Platform for the first time during a live fire exercise. This ungainly-looking gun seeks to revolutionize the average infantryman’s combat effectiveness by removing human error from the equation entirely.

“An electromechanical system translates an “aiming error” signal from a target tracking system into dynamic “pointing corrections” for handheld devices to drastically reduce pointing errors due to man-machine wobble without specific direction by the user. The active stabilization targeting correction system works by separating the “support” features of the handheld device from the “projectile launching” features, and controlling their respective motion by electromechanical mechanisms.”

The technology mitigates the 1.5Hz “Shooter Wobble” associated with the firing of a weapon from an un-supported position.

AEWE is part of the U.S. Army’s larger Force 2025 initiative, which wants to develop the tech and strategy for future conflicts.

While the current system prototype is ergonomically problematic, the AimLock system will eventually become a standalone integrated weapon without the need for the bulky carriage shown above. Delivery of a successful AEWE system is scheduled for next summer, and while the project is not classified, the Army has yet to published reports on the live fire exercises carried out at Fort Benning, GA earlier this month.

SOURCES – US Army, Popular Mechanics