BattleGuard proves precision engagement capability

Raytheon has announced that its BattleGuard modular weapon station has successfully performed in a live-fire exercise at Fort Benning on an A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The exercise saw the system strike targets with every burst of ammunition fired, proving its precision engagement capability under both stationary and moving engagement scenarios.

BattleGuard is an under-armour remotely operated weapons station designed for tracked and wheeled combat vehicles. The system combines electro-optical, infrared and visible-light sensors that can be driven together with a weapon or used independently. Its threat detection system allows operators to classify and track stationary and moving targets from well beyond the range of enemy weapons.

According to the company, during the exercise the BattleGuard system engaged troop and vehicle targets at ranges that approach the maximum effective ranges of the weapon systems. Commanders and soldiers were able to watch Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) video during threat detection classification, recognition and identification of stationary and moving targets on a screen at the same time as the weapons hit targets. Raytheon said the FLIR video, which showed no jitter, allowed the BattleGuard gunner and others to easily identify the targets.

BattleGuard can be configured to specific missions and is adaptable to future weapon systems, providing precision targeting and effects. It allows operators to align their weapons in three different modes: stored, ready and active gun-following; and its modularity supports a number of machine and chain guns, including the M249, M240, M2, MK-19, MK-47, M134 and the M230LF. It also supports hard- or soft-launch missiles such as the TOW, Javelin, Griffin and Stinger, and non-lethal weapons.