U.S. Navy Swapping $38,000 Periscope Joysticks for $30 Xbox Controllers on Subs
22nd January 2019
The periscope itself is not the rotating tube most people think of thanks to Hollywood movies. Nowadays, the Pilot reported, subs are equipped with two photonics masts that rotate 360 degrees. High-resolution cameras send back images that are displayed on large monitors that everyone in the control room can see.
“The Navy got together and they asked a bunch of J.O.s and junior guys, ‘What can we do to make your life better?’” said Lt. j.g. Kyle Leonard, the USS John Warner’s assistant weapons officer. “And one of the things that came out is the controls for the scope. It’s kind of clunky in your hand; it’s real heavy.”
In an effort to cut costs, Lockheed Martin and Navy officials were looking at off-the-shelf technology, and for crew members who grew up playing video games, the answer was simple. The Xbox controller typically costs less than $30. The Pilot’s report said the photonic mast handgrip and imaging control panel cost about $38,000.
Rather convincing evidence that our military procurement process is horribly broken.
January 23rd, 2019 at 09:12
Talk to anyone who served on helicopters in the Vietnam war. The number of field fixes is incredible.
Perhaps even more incredible is that nobody takes those fixes back home and makes them part of the system.
The Pentagon is in Washington and is as much a part of the corrupt political machine as any other entity. It would be nice if they could support our service members with half of the enthusiasm that they move money out of the taxpayer’s pockets and into theirs.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:02
Wouldn’t it just?