M56A2 SMART GUN

The heavy firepower of every USCMC squad, the M56 Smart Gun is mounted on an articulating arm and gimbal attached to an armored harness worn by the weapon’s operator. What makes the M56A2 a smart gun is its ability to choose targets for you. It is equipped with an infrared tracking system and data transmitter/receiver that homes in on potential threats and sends that information to a Head Mounted Sight. Fire control is still at your discretion, so if you are running low on ammo, pick your targets. The M56A2 fires in either bursts or full automatic. A glancing shot can sever a limb and a full burst can cut a person in half, so watch that friendly fire, Private.

OVERVIEW

The M56 Smartgun system consists of four major components — the M56 combat harness, the Head Mounted Sight (HMS), the stabilized articulation arm and the gun itself.
The M56 is carried into combat on a self-aiming stabilized mount that is linked to an infrared target tracking system for accurate, autonomous aiming. The mount also negates the traditional need to position or set up the machine gun prior to opening fire. The gun itself is constructed largely from molded carbon fibre and light alloy stampings, though some interior parts are made of high-strength plastics. The weapon's barrel is easily replaceable, able to be fitted with a dual bayonet; as seen with the M56 used by Sgt Drake, and air-cooled, although an additional heat sink attachment can be jacketed onto it to further improve sustained fire capabilities. The M56 is 122 cm long, incorporating a 54.5 cm barrel, while the entire gun assembly, including the harness and a full load of ammunition, masses 17.82 kg.
Unusually, the M56 incorporates two different firing mechanisms in its design — firing is controlled either by depressing a red "fire" button mounted on the forward hand grip, or by lifting a firing handle mounted beneath the rear grip. A selector on the forward grip switches the weapon between its Safe, Burst and Autofire settings. The Burst setting will fire four-round bursts, while the Autofire setting will continue to fire the weapon at its full cyclic rate so long as either of the triggers remains depressed. Clicking off the safety will also automatically charge the weapon (provided there is not already a round chambered), although Marines have expressed disdain for this system, citing it as a major cause of stoppages, and prefer instead to manually charge the weapon after reloading using the cocking handle on the right side.
The gun's rotating breech and feed mechanism are powered by an internal motor. In the event of a stoppage, the charging handle can be used to clear the mechanism. Smartgun ammunition is stored on a roll of continuous plastic non-disintegrating link belt; the drum magazine on the M56 typically holds 500 rounds and can be quickly reloaded in the field.
While the operator is standing, the gun is held and steered by its fore and back grips. Owing to the attachment point for the weapon's mount, it cannot be fired while lying prone; instead, the operator must employ a supine position (i.e. lying on their back). When supine, the gun is controlled with the foregrip and the charging handle, the latter of which must be locked forwards for this purpose.

Operator's harness and mount

The M56 is mounted on the M56 combat harness and is slaved to an advanced infrared tracking system, similar to that found in the USCM's UA 571-C Automated Sentry Gun. The chest piece contains the gun's tracking and targeting processor. The processor is accessed from behind the chest plate, and can be easily replaced in the field should the unit fail.

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The M56 is securely attached to the operator by a stabilized articulation arm, attached to the left hip of the harness and connected via a coaxial cable the to processors and power outlets on the chest plate. The system's Head Mounted Sight is also connected to the tracking and communications systems in the chest plate. Power for the entire system is supplied by a standard DV9 lithium battery, plugged into the power leads that run from the articulation arm to the gun; removing this unit completely deactivates the weapon, rendering it useless. Common practice in the field is to let the battery hang free beneath the gun where it can be easily accessed in an emergency.

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The gun itself is self-steering on its mount, although firing must be triggered manually. The articulation arm is gyrostabilized and provides additional recoil dampening, and is also capable of keeping the gun steady while the operator is walking or running. When tracking a target, the arm steers the gun so as to aim the barrel at the target's center of mass. Working fluidly with this automatic tracking takes some training to master; the operator must be sensitive to the gun's movements and allow it to aim itself, although the weapon's motion can be overridden at any time by simply steering the barrel elsewhere. Despite the gun's automation, Smartgunners require a combination of strength, mental ability and reflexes to master their weapon.

Tracking systems

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When powered up, the gun begins tracking targets via the infrared detector mounted directly above the barrel. This scanner consists of a 256×256 element platinum-silicide focal plane array, cooled to 77 K (-196.15°C) by a tiny cryogenic gas cooler. The system monitors a 30° cone in front of the gun. The tracking system also transmits thermal images to a miniature video display in the operator's eyepiece. If a target is detected, the tracker will overlay a lighted box or rectangle over the target's center mass on this display, highlighting it for the operator's attention. At the same time, the articulator arm will steer the gun towards the target, and once it has acquired a lock the operator will be informed by a target lock circle that illuminates on the display screen.
In the event that the operator wishes to engage an opponent other than the one currently locked on to, they can simply steer the gun manually towards their preferred target and the system will acquire a fresh lock. This tactic is also vital when faced with the use of infrared false-target decoys.

BONUS: +3
DAMAGE: 3
DAMAGE: 3
COMMENT: Armor piercing, full auto

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Item type

Weapon, Ranged

Weight

3

Base Price

$6000