Green Ammo’s e-blanks are designed as a plug-in system, replacing the M4’s bolt carrier group and magazine, among other components. (Photo: author)
Case in point – why blank ammunition for training may be on the way out
Blank ammunition still has a role to play in small arms training – or rather the effects it creates do. One new electronic alternative aims to provide the same level of realism, but without the logistics burden or wear and tear on the weapon.
Norwegian-based Green Ammo used the mid-October AUSA Annual Meeting to display the company’s ‘Electronic Blanks’ design which it says is enjoying recent growth in several key markets... Continues below
This analysis article originally appeared in October's Decisive Edge Military Training Newsletter.
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According to Curt Belden, director of operations for Green Ammo US, the concept offers a range of tactical, logistical and environmental benefits.
‘Green Ammo is a drop-in kit that is basically a “blank replacement” system,’ he explained. ‘But it really does far more than that. With the M4 [carbine], all the warfighter has to do is take out their bolt carrier group, their charging handle and stock, and replace them with our electronic bolt carrier, charging handle and stock. Our magazine acts just like a 30-round magazine but offers recoil for the system as well.’
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How does the system work? An inertial measurement unit inside the replacement bolt carrier group tracks the weapon on the X, Y and Z axes, capturing everything that happens three seconds pre-shot, at the fire event, and then three seconds post-shot. ‘That's important for training because it tells what you are doing with your weapon between shots and how quickly you are reacquiring the target,’ Belden said.
Shifting to environmental and logistics concerns, he continued: ‘Traditional blanks are very, very dirty. So they do damage to your weapon. Every time you're training you are damaging the usefulness of your weapon. And you are also losing critical training time, because your soldiers have to clean their weapons afterwards.’
With Green Ammo, according to the company, the lifecycle of the weapon is therefore increased, as is the amount of training time available to soldiers. ‘There are also cost benefits, because blanks are very, very expensive,’ Belden noted. ‘This system will pay for itself just off of the blank savings. And you can train anywhere. You don't need to sign out blanks. You don't need to go to a training area or to a range or anything along those lines. You can turn your barracks into the range.’
He summarised: ‘This gives you the ability to train as you fight, and that's very, very important… For example, if you have operation-specific training, this gives you the ability to repeat that operation over and over. It also trains your weapon-handling skills; your form, fit and function on your weapon. You're not dealing with a surrogate weapon. You're not dealing with a training gun or anything else along those lines. You are dealing with your weapon. And you are learning how to fight.’
In addition to deliveries to Norway, Belden said that unspecified quantities of the system are beginning to be shipped to the US Army and USAF.
‘And we are currently working with the French and the Ukrainians to get into their training systems as well,’ he said.
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