The decision from Prince Harry’s Invictus Games to use lasers for shooting events rather than live rounds appears to have backfired. No pun intended.
The official social media account for the Invictus Games, which are designed for wounded and disabled service members and veterans, noted on Tuesday that the competition scheduled for Vancouver next month will use “infrared beam” rifles rather than the real deal.
“Compared to live ammunition and laser rifles, optic rifles are in a class of their own,” the account claimed.
“They’re widely used for their enhanced safety, reliability and wide accessibility from novice to elite levels, including at the Paralympic Games and major international competitions.”
The Invictus Games also insisted that “a broad range of people with disabilities,” including the visually impaired, can use the weapons.
“As a Games legacy, future users can experience Biathlon without the safety risks and environmental impact associated with live fire ammo,” the announcement concluded.
Last weekend our #IG25 sport officials were in Whistler using the Biathlon Ecoaim optic (infrared beam) rifles. Compared to live ammunition and laser rifles, optic rifles are in a class of their own. They’re widely used for their enhanced safety, reliability and wide… pic.twitter.com/WQs6uHQ6ln
— Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 (@InvictusGames25) January 21, 2025
Those infrared rifles will be used during the biathlon event, which combines Nordic cross-country skiing with rifle shooting.
But at least one United States Army veteran questioned the choice to use the infrared alternatives to real bullets, noting that the lasers do not quite function in wintry weather.
Christopher Bryde, who lost both of his legs in Afghanistan, told Fieldsports News that competitors “had a couple of issues with the cold” and said that some of the laser rifles were “just not working.”
“Also, snow seemed to obstruct some of the targets,” he revealed. “For example, I shot perfectly for five laps, and then in one lap, I only hit one target.”
As it turned out, Bryde said, “We checked out the gun, and there was a bit of snow covering … the laser.”
That was apparently enough to disrupt the reliability of the already-neutered weapon.
The Invictus Games nevertheless doubled down on the use of the laser rifles.
“The principal reason for the lasers is inclusivity,” a spokesman for the Invictus Foundation said in a statement to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
He added that they “can be used by a wide range of those with disabilities.”
The spokesman also insisted that the program would simply work around blockage of the lasers caused by the snow: “That wouldn’t be the case, as there would be officials on site ensuring readiness for the rifles.”
This is merely the latest foray into wokeness for Harry.
Remember that the Duke of Sussex is himself an Afghanistan veteran who presumably learned how to use firearms.
Beyond serving his country, he also grew up hunting.
But since his marriage to American actress Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, he has drastically changed his outlook on firearms, as noted by the Daily Mail.
“Meghan doesn’t like hunting, so I suspect that is over for him,” Harry’s friend Dr Jane Goodall said in 2020 — a prediction that turned out to be accurate.
Now even his fellow veterans may be facing the ramifications of his wife’s woke scruples.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
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