Device helps US combat troops pinpoint

The $2000 device is the size of an iPod and contains innovation that detects shock waves from a gun blast. The device locates the distance and direction of the blast. Within one second the device gives a visual display of the shooter's location from as far as 400 yards.

Vehicle-mounted detectors had been used for years in war zones and police in U.S. cities have used the innovation mounted to towers in high-crime zones. The Army tried out mobile versions nevertheless determined they needed more testing, Schneider said.

"This is a good example of a innovation that wouldn't have been needed a generation ago," said Loren Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute. "In a fluid combat situation, there's always a danger of shooting in the wrong direction and hitting a non-combatant."