Re: HIGH TECH WONDER INDIVIDUAL WEAPON

At 9:30 AM -0500 2/3/02, Glenn M Wilson wrote:
>
>May I raise a 'minor' point?
>
>Grunt Glen (one N - I have two n's) is supporting Pfc Phred's advancing
>fireteam with the grenade launching (air burst) when two of Nasty Ned's
>Nefarious Native Nazi's burst from their position on Phred's flank
>shooting down 1 of the brave 4 warriors advancing and rushing the
>remainder to close.  In his haste to support his phriends butt Glen
>forgets to switch from GL to 'combat rifle'  mode and drops his grenade
>neatly over the heads of both groups killing the two NNNNN's but
killing
>one of Phred's fire team members and wounding the others.  Could it
>happen - you betcha' it *will* happen.  Not every time but once is
enough
>for the 'friendly fire victims.

There is a really easy way to handle this in the interface. You have 
far more 5.56 rounds on tap than 20mm. So default mode is 5.56. Say 
you want to put a few rounds at a target of opportunity and it will 
fire 5.56. If you want 20mm, you have to select that, lase, add 2 
meters with the toggle switch on the trigger body, the sight gives 
you the offset (it does do this) with an aiming cue marker based on 
range and you fire. Better that firing the 20mm is a deliberate 
action.  Likely the sight will have a different mode as well when 
using the 20mm. User interface is important.

One thing to realize is that you train train train. You bet that 
there is an advanced trainer for this system and its use in the 
contract somewhere. Basically a simulator unit designed to teach its 
proper use.

>I always dislike the idea of having to remember 'which' personality my
>weapon has active under fire.	Rifles should be rifles,  GL's should
>require separated triggers, etc., etc., etc...
>
>The AF version - back in the old days when NORAD interceptors carried
>nukes for interception (in theory of course) :

They had Nike-Zeus missiles defending cities with Nukes. Still I'd 
prefer a far above ground air burst nuke to a ground burst. The Air 
burst won't have near the amount of fall out a ground burst does 
(near ground burst). This was the age of the Nuke when the Genie was 
around. Look at the Davy Crockett after all.

>In simulator pilot closing on bandit flying over American city fails to
>switch selector from nuclear armed rocket to conventional weaponry.  Of
>course "Positive Ground Control" prevents this in real life...  Good
>thing we never had to find out...

The Nuke air burst was a stopgap for until they had sufficient 
guidance for longer range missiles (and realized it was a bad idea to 
use them so wantonly) It was also in the early days of use nuclear 
for everything. They had floroscopes (X-Ray emitter behind a 
florescing screen, you interposed yourself between the two for other 
people to see your insides) in drug stores for people to look at 
their feet after all. Not really a good idea on the overall scope of 
limiting X-rays to your body as the exposure is cumulative.

--
Ryan Gill	  |	   |	     rmgill@mindspring.com
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