US Army developing Third Arm for soldiers
The US Army Research Laboratory is developing a ‘Third Arm’ to help reduce the burden of heavy weapons on soldiers.
The prototype device, which weighs less than 4lbs, is made of composite materials and requires no batteries. It takes the weight of the weapon from the solider's arms and evenly distributes the load while retaining the wearer’s range of motion. This includes allowing the user to go into the prone position.
The system has been tested with the M249 and M240B machines guns. A 2017 pilot study of active-duty troops using Third Arm in live-fire trials showed the device can improve marksmanship, reduce arm fatigue and muscle activation for some soldiers.
ARL Mechanical engineer Dan Baechle, said: ‘The M240B weighs 27 pounds, and we were able to show that you can take the weight of that weapon completely off of the soldiers' arms.
‘What we have right now is a very specific device, but we can learn from that device. I hope in the future what we'll end up with is something that will help the soldier. Whether or not it's in the form you see today, that's less important.’
More from Land Warfare
-
Lockheed nets $4.9 billion US Army contract to build more precision strike missiles
The PrSM missiles, known as Increment 1 weapon systems, will eventually replace the US Army’s Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).
-
Avalon 2025: Hanwha signs engine deal with Penske for Redback IFVs
Penske Australia will also carry out local assembly and testing of Allison X1100 series cross-drive transmission under licence using kits supplied by South Korea's SNT Dynamics.
-
Ovzon trials UGV comms in Arctic conditions
Swedish company showcases Arctic UGV test as it eyes NATO defence market expansion.
-
US Army Project Convergence to evaluate CJADC2 in the Indo-Pacific theatre
As part of its experimentation campaign, the service will assess CJADC2 concepts and capabilities in challenging environments.