ROMTE is an Israeli company offering a interesting target / live fire training system. Whereas other systems use reactive steel plates or impact sensing technologies, the ROMTE Short Circuit Targets consist of a conductive mesh sandwiched between two layers of paper based material upon which the target is imprinted; for instance, silhouettes, full torso, head and shoulders, hostage or simply numbered targets as show in the photo.
The target itself has conductive strips which make contact with base which houses a 2.4 Ghz. transmitter. The transmitter is wirelessly connected to a control / display module. When the bullet penetrates the target, the copper or lead projectile instantaneously creates a short circuit in the conductive mesh. This event, is transmitted back to the control / display module. Because a mesh is basically a grid, the point of impact can be precisely identified and if the shot hits paper but missed the target zone (s), the control module will record a miss. The control / display module also supports a number of timers and engagement sequencing that can be used to enhance the training experience.
Liad Segev was kind enough to take me through the complete system. One of the features that I liked most is that the shooter can enable or disable specific zones on the target. For example, looking at the silhouette on the right, the shooter, range officer or instructor can disable any given zone on the target. A hit in the disabled zone is simply not registered by the control / display module.
Targets are sold separately but a starter system can be put together for just over $800 and it’s scalable to meet whatever needs you may have. This is the perfect system for sniper and counter-sniper training where range personnel are not available to retrieve targets or record shooter performance, tape holes, etc. Each target is good for about 2000 hits(roughly) and bullet impacts through an existing hole are recorded and displayed as well. If the hole is sufficiently large the bullet will not short the mesh, which is quite obvious.
I asked Liad what the maximum operational (farthest distance from target to display / control module) range of the system was, to which he responded 1000 meters. I haven’t tested it to confirm his statement but I think, given how much commercial grade electronics operate in the 2.4Ghz spectrum, is optimistic in urban surroundings. However, in rural settings or the remote ranges in a military installation 1000 meters saves a great deal of walking or driving!
FOG HORN 