- "Heat and motion sensing turrets with an Independent Friendly Fire (IFF) recognition system. Turrets can be hacked from their attached control computer. Either deactivate a turret entirely, or disable its IFF system. With IFF disabled, it will still attack [the player], but it will also attack enemies."
- ― manual description[src]
An Automated Turret (sometimes referred to as simply 'Turret') is a defense turret designed to aim at, and fire upon, intruders that enter its line of sight using a heat and motion tracking computer system connected to its camera system. Some versions vary from others, but each of them function similar to each other.
Overview[]
The M249 series Auto Turrets, as they were encountered by Sam Fisher during the Georgian Information Crisis.
M249-type series[]
The M249-type Automated Turret series were used during the Georgian Information Crisis in 2004, with CIA intelligence finding use in T'blisi around October by Georgian soldiers under Kombayn Nikoladze. The same M249 series of Automated Turrets were also used by the Darah Dan Doa during the Indonesian Crisis in 2006. It should be noted that the CIA was surprised at the technology being used "anywhere close to that region" during its use in T'blisi, Georgia, meaning use by guerillas in Indonesia is remarkable.
The M249-based series of Automated Turrets are heat and motion sensing turrets with an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) recognition system built in. This means that they are able to aim at and fire upon anything that is not equipped with an IFF transponder. Turrets can be hacked from their attached control computer, allowing the player to deactivate the turret or disable the IFF system. With the IFF system disabled, the turret will fire on any person standing in it's Line of Sight, friend or foe. Emergency flares and heat dissipation from a light bulb will cause the turret to fire at their location. This can be used to distract Automated Turrets to get by them.
XM312 series[]
The XM312 series Automated Turrets, encountered by Sam Fisher during the East Asian Crisis.
The XM312 Automated Turrets series saw use during the East Asian Crisis in 2007, with Displace International making use of them during their operations abroad. The XM312 series seems to function just like the M249 series, but is more sophisticated and cleaner, with a change in weapons.
The XM312 series Automated Turrets are similar to the M249-series Automated Turrets, but have some differences. The systems are similar in that they both having portable 'briefcase' computers that can be connected wirelessly a short distance away via EEV. The main difference is the weapon type: the M249 series uses one of the M249 light machine gun weapons, while the XM312 series is based on the XM312 heavy machine guns, due to the .50 cailber that XM312 uses, the turret can kill the player very quickly if triggered; the same goes to the enemy guards as well. Another difference is how players have to hack the turret: the previous series could be toggled as long as the player activates them, while the XM312 series must be hacked in order to bypass them. The XM312 Automated Turret systems can have their sensors blocked if there is a high amount of heat in the environment, allowing for foe targets to bypass the computer system. This series is also susceptible to emergency flares as well (Although the flare is not usable in single player of Chaos Theory). An alternative way to pass the turret safely is to use OCP on its targeting comptuer, fire the OCP the turret itself will do nothing; the turret will be disabled for 15 seconds. However, guards will be alerted if they notice a disabled or deactivated turret.
GAU-17/A series[]
The GAU-17/A series during the Third Echelon Conspiracy in 2011.
The GAU-17/A Automated Turret series first appeared with heavy use during the Third Echelon Conspiracy in 2011, with use from the PMC Black Arrow. The biggest of the Automated Turret series, the GAU-17/A series provides quick targeting and a deadly barrage of bullets on targets that are marked as foes in the IFF system.
The GAU-17/A series has the same features as previous series, but unlike the previous turrets, the GAU-17/A is directly controlled by the user, and is disabled if the user is neutralized from the controls.
FN M240D series[]
The FN M240D Automated Turret series, like the GAU-17/A series, saw use during the Third Echelon Conspiracy in 2011 from various groups and organizations. Instead of being stationary on the ground, however, the M240D Auto Turrets were mounted in above surfaces for elevated surveillance of preset areas.
The FN M240D series of Automated Turrets, unlike the GAU-17/A series, uses a mounted search light to identify intruders, and is controlled by a separate system nearby, or very close to the turret itself. The computer panel can be used to take direct manual control of the turret and use it against enemies in the immediate area, but will obviously alert those enemies to the controller's location. The player can also just interact with the panel to disable the turret. The M240D Turret boasts an immunity to conventional firearms and explosives, not seemingly having much affect on it. Only the EMP device can temporary disable the turret.
Appearances[]
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Essentials
- Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Trivia[]
- The first Automated Turret gun design is fictional, however, it could be inspired by the FN M249 Para (which actually uses the same ammunition as the SC-20K M.A.W.S., 5.56mm×45mm).
- A closer inspection of the first turret shows its amateur features of a Video Camera Recorder attached to a Nokia 3310 model mobile phone. In later games, turrets became far more advanced, dropping these features.
- The M249-based turret made a return in Splinter Cell: Essentials. In this game the player can either use a flare to distract it or use the OCP to temporary disable it.
- Automated Turrets are indestructible and cannot be destroyed. However, they can be temporarily disabled using the OCP, or deactivated by accessing its control computer.
- Throwing a grenade at a turret in the original Splinter Cell and Pandora Tomorrow will make it glitch, either by speeding up the rotation of the gun turret or slowing it down.
- Strangely, the control panel for the M240D Automated Turret has the same icon for the GAU-17A minigun, meaning that Ubisoft Toronto may have planned to have both turrets appear as using the same weapons.