Video Game-Style Controllers: The US Military’s New Weapon Of Choice

The US military has adopted video-game-style controllers as its preferred weapon control system, reports today WIRED.

After decades of relying on traditional buttons, switches, and toggles, the Pentagon is increasingly utilizing ergonomic controllers familiar to millions of potential recruits, according to WIRED.

Over the past few years, the Defense Department has integrated variants of the Freedom of Movement Control Unit (FMCU) handsets as the primary control units for several advanced weapons systems.

Imagery from the department’s Defense Visual Information Distribution System media hub shows the FMCU being used in various military applications, as noted by WIRED.

Among these systems is the Navy Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) launcher, designed to fire the new Naval Strike Missile, crucial for the Marine Corps’ strategy in a potential conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific, reports WIRED.

The Army’s Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system, equipped with FIM-92 Stinger and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, is also utilizing the FMCU as part of its anti-air capabilities in a possible clash with Russia in Eastern Europe, reports WIRED.

Furthermore, the Air Force employs the FMCU in the MRAP-based Recovery of Air Bases Denied by Ordnance (RADBO) truck, which uses lasers to clear explosive devices, notes WIRED.

The system is also being tested in the Humvee-mounted High Energy Laser-Expeditionary (HELEX) laser weapon system, according to WIRED.

The military’s use of video-game-style controllers isn’t entirely new, as service branches have experimented with commercial off-the-shelf console handsets for operating novel systems, notes WIRED.

For over a decade, the Army and Marine Corps have utilized Xbox controllers for various unmanned vehicles, including ground units and airborne drones, as reported by WIRED.

While the extent of FMCU’s usage in the military remains unclear, the Pentagon confirmed its use in several platforms, including the NMESIS, M-SHORAD, and RADBO systems, reports WIRED.

The adaptability and familiarity of these controls make them likely to persist in military applications, much like the joystick has in aviation since its inception, according to WIRED.