Boomerang system locates gunfire on the battlefield

Surrounding sounds may not be a common way of determining location. But on the battlefield, warfighters need to know the direction of gunshots to enable a proper response.

Weighing 12 ounces, the Boomerang Warrior-X by Raytheon BBN Technologies provides immediate hostile fire location awareness to individual soldiers and gives unit leaders shooter grid coordinates, according to the company. These situational awareness enhancements improve coordinated team responses to hostile fire.

Incoming shot announcements are transmitted to a built-in speaker or an earpiece while a lightweight display provides range and azimuth of the shooter position. As the soldier moves, the system compensates for the soldier’s motion and continually updates the threat’s location on a wrist display.

The Boomerang Warrior X system.

This summer, an undisclosed Gulf nation has awarded a direct commercial sales contract to Raytheon BBN Technologies valued at more than $10 million for the delivery of 2,000 Boomerang Warrior-X systems during the next 12 months.

“This technology is a proven life saver on the battlefield,” said Ed Campbell, president of Raytheon BBN Technologies. “Boomerang delivers the best performance of any available shooter detection system today at the lowest cost.”

Raytheon BBN Technologies is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company.