Evaluating the Effects of Clothing and Individual Equipment on Marksmanship Performance Using a Novel Five Target Methodology

Abstract

Any item of Warfighter-borne clothing and individual equipment (CIE) must not interfere with the Warfighter’s ability to quickly and accurately engage targets with their weapon. This paper describes the development of a novel test methodology for evaluating the effect of CIE on marksmanship performance using a weapon simulator system. Eleven military test participants executed the test methodology in a baseline condition and in a CIE test condition which included the M40 Chemical-Biological protective mask. Marksmanship performance variables analyzed included precision, radial error, total engagement time, aiming time, and movement time, as well as subjective interference ratings. There were no significant differences between the No Mask and M40 Mask conditions for precision or radial error, however, participants experienced significantly longer engagement and movement times while wearing the M40 mask. These results suggest the test methodology is sensitive enough to provide valuable insights regarding the effects of CIE on marksmanship performance.