A new piece of gear fielded to Marines this summer will allow troops to detect moving targets without weighing them down so much on troop movements.
The Magnetic Intrusion Detector II was fielded in June, six months ahead of schedule, according to an announcement this week from Marine Corps Systems Command. The new measurement and signature intelligence sensor is half as big and one-third lighter than its predecessor, and uses about a third less energy too, officials said.
Marine Corps intelligence squadrons were the first to get the new piece of gear. In addition to being lighter, the sensor has multi-directional capabilities, meaning it can detect moving objects not in its "line of sight," according to the SYSCOM announcement. A magnetic disturbance readout also shows Marines the size of the moving target.
“MAGID II is important because it opens up the battle space awareness of the unit commander with information they would normally not have,” John Covington, project officer for the Tactical Remote Sensor System in SYSCOM's Marine Intelligence program office, said in a statement. “Without remote sensors, the intelligence obtained would only be accessible if designated personnel were stationed in the location doing surveillance.”
