U.S Army Testing Remote Weapon System

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The United States Army is currently testing a remote weapons station that is intended to be installed onto land or sea platforms and can be operated from inside a vehicle. Soldiers have recently tested the R400 Mk2 dual remote weapon system. Developed by EOS Defense, the R400 Mk2 allows soldiers the capability to remotely operate a variety of weapons, including an automatic grenade launcher, a 30 mm cannon, a machine gun, or Javeline missile.

The system can be operated either remotely or from the back of a vehicle. It comes equipped with sensors making it possible for soldiers to identify targets over 11 kilometers away.

“You can identify your target at a distance further than the effective range of the weapons systems,” said the vice president of operations at EOS Defense Systems, Steve Below, to Military.com.

The system weighs less than 450 kilograms, so it could be mounted onto light and medium vehicles. The system is considered fairly accurate, with Below claiming that it can hit seven out of ten targets at 350 meters.

The R400 Mk2 was designed for vehicles, therefore it includes a drive sensor unit which assists with reducing vibration in the operator’s video feed.

Such remote technologies help soldiers increase their firepower, while at the same time allowing them to stay positioned in a safe place, thus increasing offensive capabilities while decreasing risk.