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Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 09:33:31 -0500
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From: believer@telepath.com
Subject: IP: Army Tests Land Warrior for 21st Century Soldiers
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Source: Department of Defense
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Sep1998/n09111998_9809117.html
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NOTE: Website includes three photographs of device in use. No mention of
whether the computerized software in the device, of the GPS link and its
satellites are Y2K compliant.
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Army Tests Land Warrior for 21st Century Soldiers
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- American soldiers and Marines are already among the
most deadly in the world, but a system called Land Warrior will soon make
them unmatched.
Land Warrior integrates small arms with high-tech equipment enabling
ground forces to deploy, fight and win on the battlefields of the 21st
century.
"Land Warrior soldiers fight as a system, and the most important part of
the system is what's between his ears," said Army Lt. Col. Robert Serino,
Land Warrior product manager.
Land Warrior came about in 1991 when an Army study group recommended the
service look at the soldier as a complete weapon system. The first priority
in Land Warrior is lethality. The second is survivability and the third,
command and control. The program will cost $2 billion when 45,000 sets of
the equipment are fielded between 2001-2014. The Marine Corps, Air Force
and many foreign countries are interested in the system.
"First and foremost, Land Warrior is a fighting system," Serino said. Land
Warrior has several subsystems: the weapon, integrated helmet assembly,
protective clothing and individual equipment, computer/radio, and software.
The weapon subsystem is built around the M-16/M-4 modular carbine. It has
a laser range finder/digital compass, a daylight video camera, a laser
aiming light and a thermal sight.
"This system will allow infantrymen to operate in all types of weather and
at night," Serino said. In conjunction with other components, a soldier can
even shoot around corners without exposing himself to enemy fire.
The integrated helmet assembly is lighter and more comfortable than
today's helmet, Serino said. It has a helmet-mounted monocular day display,
a night sensor with flat panel display, a laser detection module,
ballistic/laser eye protection, a microphone and a headset.
The protective clothing and individual equipment subsystem incorporates
modular body armor and upgrade plates that can stop small-arms rounds fired
point-blank. It includes an integrated load-bearing frame,
chemical/biological protective garments and modular rucksack.
The infantryman will attach the computer/radio subsystem to his
load-bearing frame. Over this goes the rucksack for personal gear. The
computer processor is fused with radios and a Global Positioning System
locator. A hand grip wired to the pack and attached to the soldier's chest
acts as a computer mouse and also allows the wearer to change screens, key
on the radio, change frequencies and send digital information.
The subsystem comes in two flavors: The leader version has two radios and
a flat panel display/keyboard, and soldiers have one radio. With the
equipment, leaders and soldiers can exchange information. Soldiers using
their weapon-mounted camera, for example, can send videos to their leaders.
Finally, the software subsystem includes tactical and mission support
modules, maps and tactical overlays, and the ability to capture and display
video images. The system also contains a power management module. Designers
set up the system so it can be updated as technology improves.
The soldiers who will actually use Land Warrior have been consulted every
step of the way. Prime contractor Raytheon worked with experts at the U.S.
Army Infantry Center at Fort Benning, Ga., in designing the system. They
have taken the system to the users to ensure the system is headed in the
right direction.
For instance, Serino said, "The rucksack has quick-release straps so an
infantryman can just drop it if the need arises. This is what our soldiers
asked for -- which is really great."
One problem the Army must overcome before fielding is power. Current
batteries last about 150 minutes with all systems running. "Clearly
soldiers won't have all systems running all the time, but this is still not
acceptable," said Serino. Other batteries under development by the Army's
Communications-Electronics Command may push the time up to 30 hours.
The Army plans to test the Land Warrior system with a platoon from the
82nd Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky. Later, a battalion-sized test is
planned, Serino said.
"Ultimately, soldiers will define the end state of Land Warrior -- and
we'll know more every time the soldiers employ the system," he said. "We'll
get the system up to a certain point, then the soldiers will be the people
who say how far it can really go."
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NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is
distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and
educational purposes only. For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
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Robert A. Hettinga