There are well-recognised challenges when law enforcement attempts to deal with situations require non-lethal equipment, also known as less-lethal equipment. The risk of permanent injuries created by a headshot is low but real. Fortunately, the smart, less-lethal FN SMART PROTECTOR® solution is available to minimise such hazards.
Less-lethal arms, designed to deescalate tense situations such as riots or social disturbances, commonly launches projectiles made of different diameters and materials. These rounds must have enough energy to incapacitate the target and force them to immediately stop the action but, importantly, not enough energy to penetrate the skin or cause internal damage.
The head in particular is a point of vulnerability if hit by such a round. Operators work under heavy stress, often in crowded and dynamic environments with external conditions affecting their field of view.
In such circumstances, what would be extremely helpful is a device that not only launches less-lethal projectiles but also utilises the very latest technologies to minimise the chance of accidentally hitting a target’s head.
FN at the forefront of new technologies
FN understands the dilemma of trying to stop lawbreakers without permanently incapacitating them. In fact, the company has been involved in the less-lethal domain for over 20 years, at which time it introduced its groundbreaking FN 303®, now in its Tactical configuration.
With this already effective, accurate and safe system being in service on all continents, it was time to exploit the latest technologies to create an even superior solution.
This gave rise to the FN SMART PROTECTOR® 303T, specifically designed to prevent accidental hitting of heads. Unveiled at the 2023 iteration of MILIPOL PARIS, it is available to defence and security markets worldwide.
The FN SMART PROTECTOR® 303T’s chief improvement over its predecessor is the addition of an FN VICTOR® SP smart camera system. Extensive research and development efforts have given this camera – and the algorithm behind its software – the ability to accurately detect human heads. After identifying a human head, the digital system creates a virtual safety zone around it. Then, if the camera detects that the launcher is aimed at someone’s head, it temporarily prevents pulling on the trigger.
In such a situation, firstly the system issues an audible warning tone and a visible light to inform the operator of the risk. If the device continues to be trained upon a head, a temporary trigger lock engages until the launcher aims elsewhere.
Not only that, but the camera records everything it sees to create a valuable record for evidence. All it takes is a USB-C cable plugged in to upload the video and to simultaneously recharge the device. Helpfully, the camera system can also be utilised as a training tool for operators.
Head protection
An important area of research was teaching the system’s algorithms to recognise human heads from a 360° perspective. Even if heads are masked, obscured, wearing glasses or observed from different directions, the camera still accurately recognises them. It does so swiftly too, even in low-light conditions, at latency speeds of less than 100 milliseconds.
The FN SMART PROTECTOR® 303T employs easily changed 15-round magazines, a single bottle of compressed air is sufficient to launch four full magazines’ of 18mm dedicated less-lethal projectiles. It has an effective range of 30m, a distance at which it is still particularly accurate.
Projectiles lose energy and accuracy the farther they move from the muzzle. For instance, a round possesses 33J of energy at the muzzle, dropping to 22J at 30m. Therefore, a balance between efficiency, accuracy and safety is required in less-lethal kinetic launchers. FN has found this optimal balance, and its proven system gives law enforcement agencies a repeatable and effective response to threats, whilst technology elevates safety to a whole new level.
This less-lethal system is ergonomically designed, and different buttstock designs are available. A red dot sight is fitted too, allowing the user to keep both eyes open when aiming. This greatly advances situational awareness in fluid and dynamic environments. An operator can even target specific parts of the body – like a knee or wrist – because it is so accurate.
Bismuth-powder filled projectiles are pre-fragmented so the polystyrene casing breaks upon contact. The impact is sufficient to stop a target in its tracks, but these projectiles also contain a secondary effect. Some carry dyed glycol – both washable and indelible types – whilst others contain irritants.
These projectiles can be used at almost point-blank range, and the system produces no recoil. The FN SMART PROTECTOR® 303T has battery life lasting more than eleven hours, sufficient to match a police shift.
It must be noted, though, that the original FN 303® cannot be upgraded into the newer SMART PROTECTOR® 303T model. This is because internal digital systems cannot be retrofitted. However, police forces prioritising the safety and protection of citizens believe the investment in this technology is extremely worthwhile.
Safety assured
FN recognises that the key question for any law enforcement agency regarding a new piece of equipment is: “Is it safe? And can you prove it?”
FN asks those very same questions, and it has conducted extensive testing to ensure the FN SMART PROTECTOR® 303T works as advertised. Evaluations by many relevant agencies around the world, including third-party laboratories, have amply validated the design.
Time after time, the FN SMART PROTECTOR® 303T offers operators an assured outcome. Whenever it is aimed at a target, the integral camera system will drastically reduce the risk of serious and potentially irreversible head-related injuries. but the system will ensure that perpetrators are nonetheless swiftly halted.