Army to test 'Third Arm' device with more soldiers this spring

CW5 Jack Cardwell The navy has had what we called a third arm (AKE Short Arm) for a long time...it usually involved going to sick bay to get a shot and get it cured!

I read through the article CW5 Jack Cardwell and think it might be beneficial since the 3.5 pound weight is attached to the tactical body armor vest and would distribute the load to the torso from the arms.
"The second prototype of the system weighs 3.5 pounds and is set to be tested by at least 15 soldiers this spring.
Improvements [over initial prototype] included changing the mounting location from the front of the vest to the back and adding an extendable hinge plate to fit different sizes and body types.
The Third Arm can support such weapons as the M249 light machine gun, which weighs about 27 pounds, the release said.
Besides weapons, it can hold 20-pound shields with a mount that connects from the mechanical arm to the shield."


"We started out with just trying to think of a way to help improve the lethality of the dismounted Soldier," Army Research Lab engineer Dan Baechle said in a statement. "Generally that means stabilizing the weapon or giving the Soldier a more powerful weapon. Can we stabilize that weapon to improve accuracy? But also if we're stabilizing the weapon and taking the load off of the Soldiers' arms, does that improve the Soldier's readiness? Does it also improve the Soldier's accuracy with the weapon?"
https://taskandpurpose.com/army-mechanical-third-arm-aliens/


A steady arm is required for firing an M249 light machine gun with any degree of accuracy or satisfactory fire suppression of an enemy.
Image: The Army Research Lab’s ‘Third Arm’ passive appendage


FYI LTC Bill Koski CW5 (Join to see) MSG Brad Sand SGM Steve Wettstein SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SP5 Mark Kuzinski SrA Christopher Wright PO1 William "Chip" Nagel PO1 John Miller SP5 Robert Ruck SPC (Join to see) PO3 Steven Sherrill SN Greg Wright Maj Marty Hogan SCPO Morris Ramsey TSgt Joe C. Cpl Joshua Caldwell SGT Michael Thorin SP5 Dave (Shotgun) Shockley

So, this would replace a sling? How would another 4 lb devise reduce the load anyone is carrying. It seems to me if the issue is the 120 lb load being carried you would look to reduce it, not add to it.

What happens when you have to get down on the ground, perhaps low crawl or hand to hand? Is this thing going to be in the way, could it be used against you in a hand to hand fight?

This does not look practical to me. If the issue is the weight of the rifle on the arms, seems a more sensible approach would be to work on strengthening the arms not adding weight, bulk and devices to your body.