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Marathon Targets / Press Releases / 2011-07-13 Marathon's 2nd Generation Smart Targets Roll out on US Live-Fire RangesAutonomous Robots Pass Final Field Trials at QuanticoQUANTICO, VA, July 13, 2011 -- Marathon Targets (marathon-tagets.com), the leader in realistic live-fire moving target systems, introduced its second generation smart targets at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia on June 16, 2011. "The lack of realistic moving targets is widely acknowledged to be a serious training deficiency," said Dr. Alex Brooks, CEO of Marathon Targets. "Typically, the first time that soldiers shoot at unpredictable moving targets is when those targets are firing back at them. The battlefield is the last place you'd want to have on-the-job-training for moving marksmanship." Top USMC shooters attending the Infantry Weapons Officer Course fired at Marathon's robotic moving targets that look, move, and even behave like people. Smart targets are designed for live-fire training and provide an unprecedented level of realism. For example, when one of the robots is 'killed' the other robots can immediately scatter for cover. A team of robotic smart targets can execute complex pre-planned scenarios, moving unpredictably in and out of sight of training instructors -- behaving much as people do.
The Taliban-clad robots, dubbed 'Tali-bots' by the media, challenged the shooters by racing across alleys, hiding behind walls, and emerging at unexpected times in their simulated village. A 'civilian' robot added further challenge - in various roles as an innocent bystander, a hostage, or even a human shield. To view targets in motion visit marathon-targets.com/videos.html. Over 100 observers from multiple US military branches and agencies, various federal law enforcement agencies, and senior officers from allied countries attended the Quantico live-fire event. The smart targets passed the final field trials of the Foreign Comparative Test program at Quantico. A system of 8 robots will be delivered to the USMC in the fall. After Quantico, the robots and their village travelled to North Carolina, where multiple teams of elite shooters and instructors took aim at the unpredictable targets. During the 3-week road show, dozens of shooters attended 8 separate live-fire events and fired over 5,000 rounds at the robots. The ammunition included 7.62 and 5.56, as well as .45 and 9mm pistol rounds.
"We are very gratified by the feedback from the shooters and the training community to our second-generation smart targets," said Dr. Alex Brooks, CEO of Marathon Targets. "Many people told us that these targets bring an urgently needed new level of realism to live-fire training." The smart target program is managed by MARCORSYSCOM, PM-TRASYS from Orlando. The USMC's contract with Marathon is a $50 million ID/IQ contract that can be used by any branch of the services, or federal law enforcement agency. Improving moving marksmanship became a key USMC priority when then-Commandant Gen. James Conway flagged it as a top concern in 2007.
"Even well-trained elite shooters thought that training with smart targets would greatly improve their marksmanship skills and, ultimately, their combat effectiveness", said Marathon's COO, co-founder Dr. Tobias Kaupp. "Many observers commented on how shooters visibly improved, even during the small amount of time that they spent with the system." Marathon Targets is an Australian technology company that has worked closely with the Australian Defence Force since 2003 to develop smart target technology. Marathon was named Australia's 'Top Technology Startup' in 2010 for its breakthrough autonomous robotic technology. It was selected by the USMC as a top Foreign Comparative Test in 2009. The FCT program is run by the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Comparative Technology Office, which searches for foreign COTS technology that addresses urgent US military needs. Previous FCTs include innovative programs like the mine protected Buffalo. The mobile smart targets are armor-plated robots based on Segway platforms. They are able to work as a team, moving freely across the range but remaining within a designated target engagement area. The targets operate in an autonomous mode with a single operator capable of monitoring dozens of robots. Targets are networked for real-time update of the command & control station, and for exchanging tactical information between targets.
"The second generation robots improve upon an already robust design. In the weeks of the road show the targets took the proverbial 'licking' - but kept on 'ticking'," said Dr. Alexei Makarenko, CTO and co-founder. "In working closely with the end-users at the ADF, a key design requirement has always been that the entire system be rugged and reliable, operating with minimum sustainment cost." During the roadshow, two types of targets were demonstrated: the T-20, a 2 wheel-drive target for paved ranges and shoot-houses, and the T-40, a 4 wheel-drive target for unpaved ranges. "It is universally acknowledged that there is no substitute for live-fire training," said CEO Brooks. "A soldier's first experience firing live ammunition at an unpredictable moving target shouldn't be when the target is firing live ammunition back at him." Marathon Targets has offices in Sydney, Australia, Huntsville, Alabama, and a European office in Toulouse, France.
About Marathon TargetsMarathon shipped the world's first smart targets for live-fire training in 2008. Smart targets are powered by cutting-edge robotics technology, delivered in a bullet-proof, easy-to-use package. Marathon's targets enable armed forces to train with an unprecedented level of realism. For more information about Marathon Targets, and videos of the robots on live-fire ranges, please visit marathon-targets.com.
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Marathon Targets / Press Releases / 2011-07-13 |
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