Israel Matzav

IDF's new high-tech sniper targeting system

Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.

Israel is anticipating violent demonstrations by 'Palestinians' regardless of how the 'statehood' vote at the UN goes in September. But the IDF is prepared. Here are some really neat facts about the IDF's new Amit sniper targeting system.

The new doctrine was developed by the Paratroop Brigade, which was among the forces that stopped hundreds of people from crossing into Israel from Syria in early June during the last round of protests there that ended with more than 20 dead, according to the Syrian press. Israel says the number of dead was significantly lower.

The doctrine includes the use of the Amit targeting system, which was developed by Elbit Systems and became operational in the IDF following Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip in 2009.

The Amit weighs less than 2 kg., including an eight-hour rechargeable battery, and enables an operator to locate targets up to a kilometer away, under all weather conditions.

Until then, the IDF used heavier systems that needed to be mounted on a tripod. The new system costs less than a third of those, and is more mobile.

The IDF tested the Amit’s thermal-imaging capabilities during Cast Lead, distributing flags coated in a special chemical, detectable only by the Amit, among units in hopes of avoiding friendly-fire incidents.

The Paratroop Brigade came up with the idea to use the Amit due to the poor visibility it encountered during the protests along the Syrian border.

“The snipers could not see well and we used the Amit, which can see in all weather, to put a laser designator on the legs of the protester and then the sniper shot at the laser,” an IDF Ground Forces Command officer explained. “Our goal was not to kill people but to shoot at the legs of the violent protesters who were trying to cross into Israel. This made the shooting more accurate.”

The government is afraid that a pile of dead 'Palestinian' demonstrators would bring the 'Palestinians' a lot of sympathy around the world, and that therefore the 'Palestinians' will seek to incur casualties.

Labels: Amit sniper targeting system, Elbit Systems, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, unilateral declaration of statehood

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:34 PM