“Contact right! Contact right!”
It’s an oft-heard call when the lead starts flying. And soon, some troops in Europe (or here in the US) could have a new gadget that helps make that call more accurate.
Developed by the French company Metravib, the PEARL is essentially an enhanced microphone that can sit atop a rifle or machine gun and helps guide the shooter to where the bad guy let loose his rounds.
It’s kind of similar to the vehicle-mounted Boomerang system developed back at the height of the IED and sniper war against US troops in Iraq. These types of acoustic detection systems became a staple of Israeli forces fighting insurgents in close-in urban areas.
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“Metravib PEARL is a miniaturized acoustic gunshot detection system initially designed for infantry and dismounted soldier who is in direct contact with the enemy,” the company says. “PEARL provides the capability of finding in a few seconds and in a very intuitive way the origin of the shots that are threatening them.”
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The PEARL uses LED lights to direct the shooter to the source of the fire and helps determine the azimuth and elevation of the bad guy. The sensor can detect a shot from 50 meters away outward and will filter out the outgoing fire, the company says.
Here’s a company video that explains what the deal is.
Christian Lowe is senior editor for digital operations and is a competitive pistol and rifle shooter.