Feasibility of Audio Training for Identification of Auditory Signatures: Small Arms Fire

When Soldiers are exposed to weapons fire, the ability to identify a specific weapon can greatly improve their situation awareness and enhance their combat effectiveness. By understanding where the fire originates and what type of weapon is used, the Soldier can react more quickly and effectively to threats, take cover when needed, and avoid potential fratricide. After World War II and during the Korean War, Katzell et al. (1952) interviewed Combat Arms veterans in an effort to identify the components that contributed to situational awareness and target identification. According to surveys collected, the researchers found that the Soldiers most frequently suggested training to recognize relevant enemy sounds, as visual cues were often unavailable. Specifically of interest to the veterans were the sounds of enemy vehicles and weapon firing noises. These Soldiers also indicated that the acoustic signatures of enemy rifles were so distinct that they did not use captured weapons for fear of fratricide. The authors also stated that the Soldiers “frequently recommended” having live demonstrations of enemy equipment, and that these demonstrations should take place in a field setting. The number of weapons to which current Soldiers are exposed has increased over the years due to a number of factors including conflicts involving more than two nations, the joint operations of multinational forces, and the sheer increase in number of weapon types used in modern warfare. In addition, the operational environment of the modern battlefield has significantly changed from the Korean War, with urban operations tending to dominate current conflicts (Cordesman, 2001). In such operations where the visibility of both enemy and friendly forces is limited, and the complexity of the sonic environment is greatly increased, the use of small arms and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) dominates the battlefield. These environmental elements highlight the need for acoustic training that aids the Warfighter in the recognition and identification of enemy as well as friendly auditory signatures. However, no such formal training module for sound source identification (prior to deployment to a theater of operations) exists. These skills are mostly learned “on the job” after deployment, which is far from a desirable situation.