A group of Mississippi soldiers is among the first units in Iraq to receive a new weapons system designed to help keep gunners out of harm's way, the Army reports.
Sgt. Darrin Hill of Senatobia, a gunner assigned to the 98th Cavalry, 155th Brigade Combat Team, recently received one of the "Common Remotely Operated Weapon Stations" for his vehicle, the Army said in a statement. The weapons, which will be added to some of the Humvees, use technology similar to that already in use on the Bradley fighting vehicle and the M-1A1 Abrams tank.
Five members of the 155th have died in Humvees and at least four have been seriously injured.
The $200,000 system is designed to replace the turret gunner on Humvees and improve combat effectiveness, the military says.
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CROWS are outfitted with live video cameras for daytime use and thermal imaging cameras for nighttime operations.
The system includes a laser range finder and other features that allow the system to remain locked on a target while the Humvee is in motion, the military says. "The weapon is smart enough to know your movement, the earth's movement and the enemy's movements," said Maj. Frank Lozano, a program manager.
