[SHOT 2019] Marathon Targets Autonomous Robotic Target System

If you’ve done any sort of square-range MIL/LE firearms qualifications, you know that most courses of fire are geared towards weapons familiarization and liability control over teaching actual tactics. Punching static paper targets on the same range, quarter after quarter does little to prepare a shooter for adverse situations, let alone an actual battlefield. At Sig Sauer’s range day during last week’s SHOT Show, we were able to observe live fire drills against enemy units that would advance, retreat, wound and die like real adversaries. The creator, Marathon Targets, builds autonomous robotic target systems that communicate as a group based on realistic training scenarios.

For example, some target programs are set to scatter enemy troops upon receiving incoming fire, while others will advance or accelerate. Sound waves inside the target generate ‘hits’ where they will be either wounded or killed.

The importance of Marathon’s autonomous robotic system comes from the realization that the majority of soldiers face dynamic live fire situations for the first time on an actual battlefield. Marathon’s targets help solve some of the static square-range monotony that may not be the best fit for either law enforcement or military applications.

The Marathon target system drives soldiers to become pre-combat veterans by rapidly developing skills in combat marksmanship.

Traditional fixed, pop-up, or rail mounted target systems lack the realism of human like behaviours, and often only present a front facing profile that tracks sideways. In these conditions soldiers do not effectively develop the realistic marksmanship skills required to engage moving targets.

Documented tests and evaluations carried out by the US Marine Corps determined that soldiers developed a 104% increase in combat accuracy within a 24 hour period through use of our robotic targets. In addition, the US Army’s Research Institute measured a 3.7 times increase in range throughput compared to traditional training methods.

Robotic targets allow for the creation of tactical live fire scenarios capable of simulating realistic combat environments. This allows a refined development of enhanced combat skills previously only attainable in force-on-force training.

Enhanced Combat Skillsets:

Our robotic targets provide Military Instructors and Unit Commanders with a Robotic Opposing Force (ROPFOR) which can replicate the tactical manoeuvre of an enemy force element on the battlefield and test a soldier’s response to a dynamic and evolving tactical situation.

Employment of our robotic targets in small unit tactics training provide commander’s with the capacity to train and evaluate a subordinate commanders ability to think three dimensionally and disrupt an enemy combatants decision making process and effectively command their forces during tactical manoeuvre.

Effective battlefield leaders able to manage the complexity of the modern battlefield can be identified before they deploy into harm’s way.