"NOWA DĘBA, Poland - Western soldiers are using off-the-shelf Xbox controllers to pilot $15,000 interceptor drones that are combat-proven in Ukraine and now part of NATO's toolbox for battling a growing threat. The Merops system, an American-made air-defense setup that comes with an Xbox controller for the operators, launches interceptor drones capable of destroying enemy drone threats midair. US, Polish, and Romanian troops have been training on it as NATO rushes to field affordable air defenses across Eastern Europe."
"A US soldier who pilots the interceptors told Business Insider that the Xbox controller is an ideal choice. "It's compact and easy to pack and store, and Xbox controllers are very rugged," Army Sgt. Riley Hiner said on the sidelines of a Merops demonstration in southeast Poland this week. The US and other global militaries have long used Xbox-style controllers to support operations, including those involving drones. The practice has expanded to the war in Ukraine and is now being applied to the Merops system."
Western soldiers are using off-the-shelf Xbox controllers to pilot $15,000 Merops interceptor drones. The Merops system launches interceptor drones capable of destroying enemy drones midair and has combat-proven use in Ukraine. US, Polish, and Romanian troops have trained on the system as NATO fields affordable air defenses across Eastern Europe. Operators value Xbox-style controllers for being compact, rugged, and intuitive, especially for soldiers with gaming experience. Xbox-like controls have been increasingly integrated into military systems worldwide. Microsoft did not respond to requests for comment on the gamepad's military use.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]