New system would guide combat troops toward source of fire

“Soldier Alert and Response System” in advanced development stages; would provide IDF with superior capability, particularly in urban warfare.

By YAAKOV KATZ
IDF Super Gun 311 (photo credit: IAI)
IDF Super Gun 311
(photo credit: IAI)
Imagine a battlefield where every soldier can automatically detect the source of gunshots fired in his direction and immediately turn his weapon and engage the enemy.
Israel Aerospace Industries has developed such a system called the “Soldier Alert and Response System,” which employs infrared and electro-optical technology and detects the location of enemy gunfire within a wide area, enabling a fast and effective response.
According to IAI sources, the system, which is in advanced development stages, would provide the IDF with a superior capability particularly in urban warfare and in places like the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah-controlled villages in southern Lebanon.
According to IAI, the detection unit installed on the helmet detects the muzzle flash of gunfire within .01 seconds and then takes a snapshot of the gunshot sources and its surroundings within .20 seconds.
The unit installed on the rifle – called the “Weapon Unit” – displays the picture as well as arrows that guide the soldiers to point the weapon toward the source of gunfire to engage the enemy.
“It enables soldiers to detect gunfire and immediately aim their own weapons and engage the enemy and neutralize him,” an IAI source said.
The system, which is also under evaluation by the IDF Ground Forces Command, comes with three different components: one installed on the soldier’s rifle, another on the soldier’s helmet and another in his vest.
The entire system weighs just over two kilograms and can work on batteries for up to eight hours.