How many snipers got hits over 2000 yards? Five? Ten? How much did it cost to train thousands of snipers to get those five guys that hit something at 2000 yards? How many of your guys could die until someone hits that target at 2000 yards? This is the problem. The 2000 yards hits are flukes. The vast majority of people and guns can't do that. If you can guide that bullet to hit the point you designate, and compensate for all the variables involved to get such a hit, after the bullet left the barrel, I'd say that's awesome.
There are plenty of guided weapons out there this days. Usually it takes a while for the technology to be brought down to the grunts from pilots, but it eventually is getting there.
Look at other things taken for granted by pilots for a long time, like colimated gunsights, lasers, bullet drop compensating gun sights. This were just science fiction for the foot soldier, but technology caught up and now they are small, light, rugged and cheap enough, that even the grunts get them this days.
Guided artilery shells were science fiction untill few years ago. Now they are a reality of the modern battlefield.
It's just a matter of time until we'll see this "bullet with your name on it" reality.....that's if we don't get that "phased plasma rifle in the 40 Watt range" first.:)

The thing is, how do you get the laser designator on target?

You send a guy forward, with a laser. So, give that guy a gun, and he can shoot the target from close in.

Surely the gun firing the homing bullets has the designator, you look down the high magnification scope, put the dot on target and pull the trigger, keep the target marked and watch the pink mist.

This is perfect for SpecOps assigned to taking out high value targets. I wonder what specific engineering issues they are experiencing. Weight perhaps? How large a laser would you need to get a pointer that can focus out to 2 miles?

Very interesting project indeed.

and his mother.

can't blame him, she was a hottie

All of the above is true (especially the awesome part), however, considering the complexity of the system and the frequency of the need, is it reasonable?

My personal sniff test says it's not.

The weapon is 100% useless without laser designation which puts the sniper team out of action if there is an electronics failure. That also means it requires a 2 man crew. Granted most sniper teams operate as a 2 man team, but, the shooter often makes independent shots, especially when supporting infantry (as opposed to high value target extermination). This is not possible with this system which would limit it's use to high value target extermination.

Which brings up the need. Does it happen often enough to develop, test, train, maintain and supply everything required for the system? Once again, I think not.

It's a really cool system, but, I don't think it will prove cost effective enough for military use.

Just my thoughts.

--Outlaw.

I doubt it - probably would work like an IWS 2000 back in the day: In "limp mode". ;)

What are you, some sort of commie? Don't you realise you've just undermined the whole US defence industry? Good heavens! Anymore of this kinda talk and people will start speculating about what they could spend all this $$$ on instead. Or even, horror of horrors, not spend it at all!!!

:lol:

The demand is obvious.

New recruits to the military have extensive experience on XBOX FPS games many of which deliberately have no significant ballistics effects such as windage or drop as the marketing whiz kids beleive "easier" means more market penetration. In many XBOX games an assault rifle shoots just like a laser.

This system lets new recruits shoot real weapons the same way they have grown used to on the XBOX.