Storm Trooper gear..

[sg1987]

Sounds as if Star Wars has arrived....(from Fox news)

Super Soldiers: Tomorrow's 'Army of One' Technology
Thursday , January 04, 2007
By Charles Q. Choi

Within three years, soldiers could begin testing futuristic devices that make them each "an army of one" by granting them unprecedented capabilities, such as the ability to see through walls thanks to advanced radar scopes and super-protection and super-strength conferred by high-tech armor.
Although some of the technologies could take years to reach actual battlefields, novel devices developed by the U.S. Army's Future Force Warrior initiative, such as advanced sound equipment and smarter lasers, should be available to active soldiers as soon as 2010, promising to make them more lethal than ever.
They'll also be better protected. For example, current armor can keep bullets and shrapnel from wounding soldiers directly, but they can carry shock waves to the body that can break ribs and cause other injuries. Improvements will provide a more protective 2-inch gap between soldiers and their armor.
Also, by 2010, body-worn sensors that monitor respiration, heart rate, and shock waves from bullets, will let medics know right away when soldiers get injured.
"They will also tell a soldier's distance and direction, so a medic knows where to go," said Jean-Louis "Dutch" DeGay, an equipment specialist at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass.
The Borg effect
Soldiers will also get lasers to mount on their weapons to relay the location of enemies to everyone with whom and to which they are networked, ranging from other soldiers to Apache helicopters to Abrams tanks, DeGay explained.
"We call it the Borg effect," DeGay told SPACE.com, referring to the "Star Trek" cyborgs linked together to form a nearly unstoppable force.
Next-generation helmets for 2010 will also integrate electronics that pick up vibrations from the skull and transmit sound directly into the head, instead of using traditional microphones and earpieces. They will improve soldiers' ability to discern varying sounds.
"It doesn't matter if you're whispering or yelling — it can still hear you," DeGay said.
In the near term, other advances will include enhancements to equipment that already seems futuristic, such as the Pathfinder Raven, a roughly 4-pound robot plane with a wingspan of roughly 54 inches — smaller than an average seagull's.
Soldiers launch it by hand. It essentially lands via controlled crashes, designed to fall apart into pieces that are easily put back together.
The current version of this robot plane, called Raven A and loaded with a visible-light and infrared camera to deliver imagery to soldiers on the ground in real-time, has already found use in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The next version, Raven B, will add digital zoom, allowing soldiers to spy on enemies from afar.
For the longer term, the government's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is helping to develop head-to-toe body armor that also enhances the strength, endurance and speed of soldiers using combustion engine-driven hydraulics that behave as artificial muscles.
The idea behind these "exoskeletons" is to help a lone armored soldier carry a weapon that would normally take a crew to operate, such as a machine gun. DARPA will deliver prototype exoskeletons to the U.S. Army for tests in 2008.
DARPA is also helping to develop a radar scope the size of a large walkie-talkie that helps soldiers see through walls to locate targets.
The researchers are also working to develop a way for untrained soldiers to use sound waves to stop internal bleeding in combat zones.
Internal bleeding requires professional treatment, and the time delay it takes to evacuate someone to a surgical facility can readily lead to death or amputation.
The idea is to create a blanket or cuff that, once placed over the injured area, uses ultrasound to spot the internal wound. Afterward, high-powered ultrasound focused on the wound can cauterize it.
Smaller than the eye can see
Further out, soldiers might benefit from nanotechnology, which can yield gear with features just nanometers, or billionths of a meter, wide. At these scales, materials can take on unusual properties not seen in their larger counterparts.
The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is developing sensors integrated into battlesuits to detect chemical and biological weapons, as well as countermeasures against those threats when encountered.
They are also working to integrate automated medical care into battlesuits, including splinting bones and CPR, and exploring the possibility of delivering medications such as vasopressin that will help minimize the risk of blood loss and hemorrhagic shock in injured soldiers.
ISN research may also lead to improved armor, perhaps made of a network of microscopic trusses, miniature versions of the triangular scaffolds used to support bridges and skyscrapers.
Armor made from several layers of these micro-trusses should absorb energy from bullets, shrapnel or blast waves by deforming in a way similar to crumple zones in cars.
As electronics increasingly find their way onto the battlefield—in the form of night vision goggles, radios and GPS units, for instance—batteries grow increasingly critical and potentially burdensome.
A special operations soldier can normally carry 70 pounds of replacement batteries for electronics, DeGay said.
As an alternative, the U.S. Army is helping to develop flexible, lightweight amorphous, silicon solar-power cells laminated onto fabrics for use in making tents and other foldable surfaces that can recharge batteries.
"Those are being evaluated right now for use. It's quite rugged, withstanding military use by military personnel," said Steven Tucker, a senior engineer at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center.
Jumping ahead
Other technologies soldiers will carry should improve them in less flashy but no less important ways.
For instance, the Military Free Fall Advanced Navigation System will help special forces and other soldiers parachuting from high altitudes find their destinations even when they cannot see them.
Soldiers often parachute from planes at high altitudes of roughly 25,000 feet so that transport planes can avoid surface-to-air missiles.
Popping their chutes at low heights — so called high-altitude, low-opening, or HALO jumps — can be risky, since soldiers may not have enough time for the parachute to safely brake their fall.
On the other hand, a problem with high-altitude, high-opening, or HAHO, jumps is that navigating one's descent to the intended landing site in the dark or bad weather is hard, and if the winds work against soldiers, they can land 40 or 50 miles off target.
The Free Fall Advanced Navigation System is disposable technology that fits onto a helmet and over the eyes like a pair of goggles. An attached GPS unit displays the correct coordinates in the parachutist's view. Researchers are currently developing prototypes.
"Hopefully by the end of fiscal year 2007, we can start procurement of these for the U.S. Marine Corps," said senior mechanical engineer Dan Shedd at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center.
Cleaning up
Another lifesaving technology soldiers might see in the field simply helps sanitize surgical instruments so they do not contaminate patients. Doing so can often prove difficult in combat zones.
Instead of relying on bulky, heavy pressure cookers to clean instruments, research chemist Chris Doona at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center has developed a system that can disinfect a tray of surgical instruments in 30 minutes using chlorine dioxide, a chemical used to sterilize objects after the 2001 anthrax attacks.
It uses no electricity, meaning that it would be useful in rapidly mobile units, and generates little heat, such that it could be carried in a lightweight plastic briefcase and weigh in at under20 pounds.
"This system might also eventually find use in emergency response teams, community hospitals and humanitarian aid in Third World countries," Doona said.
Copyright © 2006 Imaginova Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Rumblyguts]

Just a civvie here without much knowledge about how things are working in the field nowdays. I have a couple points about the article.

The first regards the shock wave absorbant body armor. I understand the principle of adding space within the armor to disapate the shock, but from the little bit of information presented, it looks like it adds more girth to the soldiers. I'm thinking that one would have their layers of clothing, then 2" of space (4" total diameter), then inserts, then gear. I wonder how the added volume will be distibuted (soley in the front, front and back, all around) and about the effects of that volume (inside vehicles, moving through widows/breaches, etc.).

The second regards the all-hearing helmet. I can't help but think about it as a hearing aid with the associated postivies/negatives. Hey! I can hear everything! Crap that's a lot of noise. Hey! Who just said the CO was a dumb-ass!

Cheers
Bill

[jatx]

Originally Posted by Rumblyguts

The second regards the all-hearing helmet. I can't help but think about it as a hearing aid with the associated postivies/negatives. Hey! I can hear everything! Crap that's a lot of noise. Hey! Who just said the CO was a dumb-ass!

Sordin and Peltor electronic hearing pro already have this feature. It works really well, and you can control the "volume" level according to your needs/requirements.

My wish list:

1. Velcro fly for ACU pants. Messing with buttons, drawstring and belt buckle when I'm wearing an IBA and other gear is too slow. (Yeah, I know I'm leaving myself open on this one)

2. Quick adjustment strap system for MICH helmets. So that I can see what I'm doing when firing from the prone, then return to normal fit on the fly when I get back up.

Neither requires exoskeleton technology or reactive polymer laminates, though, so I'm probably SOL.

[x SF med]

IMHO, a soldier needs to be able to fight and adding 4" to his body bulk will hinder this. WTF is 190# of lightweight highspeed extrasensory gear going to to do to a line soldier when he can't get to his weapon, get a good cheek weld, a good sight picture, and get the shot off. If there is a chance that the sensory gear can be truly miniaturized and battle hardened, go for it. Bulky armor has to be out, sorry, you can't convince me otherwise, I've tried firing with the 'old style' flak jackets - and had to retrain myself to fire wearing it -no 'feel' in the shoulder weld, the cheek weld was in the wrong place, my sight picture was off (iron sights), mag changes were awkward, and I had to constantly readjust my LBE so I could get to needed items.

Ask the friggin soldiers what they need/want and design to that, they're the true SMEs in this - gear design needs to be readjusted so that the users have enough input to make the gear usable. fraking bureaucrats are just looking for contracts for their home districts and saying "screw the real need, this'll get our area more $$$$".

done venting, if I've POd any of the design guys out there - good, think about it.

[The Reaper]

The biggest fans of this high tech crap are the contractors who build it, the politicians who fund it, the eggheads who design it, and the micromanaging "leaders" who want to lean over every soldier's shoulder and tell them how to do their jobs.

This is a criminally negligent waste of money and resources that should be going toward more, better compensated troops, improved training, and higher quality basic gear (like optics, lights, NODs, hydration systems, reliable weapons, new magazines, body armor, helmets, etc.) for more troops. A deploying soldier should not have to buy squat out of pocket.

TR

[sg1987]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

The biggest fans of this high tech crap are the contractors who build it, the politicians who fund it, the eggheads who design it, and the micromanaging "leaders" who want to lean over every soldier's shoulder and tell them how to do their jobs.

This is a criminally negligent waste of money
TR

Sir,
With all do respect, You'll never make POTUS talking like that.

[swatsurgeon]

Ni-cad, lithium or nuclear battery packs????

[x SF med]

Originally Posted by swatsurgeon

Ni-cad, lithium or nuclear battery packs????

Hell, SS, you know they're going to the nuclear, more danger for the troops, and more expensive in testing and fielding, plus the mushroom clouds when they get hit are really cool (yes, all, I know they would not create a mushroom cloud, prosaic license).

[Warrior-Mentor]

Originally Posted by sg1987

Sir,
With all do respect, You'll never make POTUS talking like that.

He's right TR.


We need to hear more about taking showers with the women who like women... [see other thread]

[7624U]

From what ive seen most soldiers cant hit a damn thing with iron sights. and thats a simple task.
What makes them think adding all the gizmo's will help anything if they are not willing to spend the money on training.
highly trained will beat out high tech most the time in my opinion.

[militarymoron]

Originally Posted by jatx

2. Quick adjustment strap system for MICH helmets. So that I can see what I'm doing when firing from the prone, then return to normal fit on the fly when I get back up.

take a look at this harness:
http://www.ops-core.com/ACH_MICH_C5.cfm
i've tried out both the H and X harness prototypes for review - i installed them on a gentex TBH helmet. they use proprietary, specifically designed plastic adjustment hardware and they're the quickest, easiest harness adjustments i've seen, which you can do almost instantly. no velcro or loose webbing. it's also very comfortable. the company, ops-core works closely with the crye folk.
attached is a pic of the X-harness on my gentex.

[kgoerz]

A deploying soldier should not have to buy squat out of pocket.

Shooters Pawn in FAY could not keep up with the demand of Soldiers buying Aim points, Weapons Lights....etc out of their pockets before going to Iraq. That is criminal as far as I am concerned. Money needs to be spent on training and the optics and equipment we have now. Not some BS to see thru walls or shoot around corners. Eric at shooters Pawn dropped his prices just to break even he felt so bad that the troops were having to buy shit just to increase their combat effectiveness.

Originally Posted by The Reaper

The biggest fans of this high tech crap are the contractors who build it, the politicians who fund it, the eggheads who design it, and the micromanaging "leaders" who want to lean over every soldier's shoulder and tell them how to do their jobs.

This is a criminally negligent.

TR

I sat on this for 24 hours to let objectivity and SA kick in; went running to burn off some steam as well. I understand and agree with what you are saying with respect to the products proposed. The part I have a problem with is lumping everyone into the same swill water. I have worked for both defense contractors and commercial companies hired by defense contractors, so by extension I participate in the criminal negligence. I honestly can't tell you the thought hasn't crossed my mind many many times. Somehow seeing it in black and white on a board hits home hard.

I haven't met many "fans", actually the contrary. I have rarely worked at an engineering company with "high morale". Only when they were really really small and before they were bought out by bigger fish. No one enjoys designing systems that appear useless or start out as good and then meander off into absurdity. There is no sense of accomplishment in making things work to meet a date, nor compromising on performance or benefit in order to work around laws of physics the proponents simply chose to ignore.

I don't know where the flat-out stupid ideas originate nor how they get approved, but it appears to be a self-lubricating, self-propelling, oblivious-to-reason machine from my perspective.

respectfully

[Peregrino]

I know it's not the usual policy for this board but I'm throwing out a +1 for Shooter's Pawn anyway. I've seen the same things kgoerz mentioned and they've been doing it for "a while". Pegasus - I sympathize with your personal frustration but I hope you see our viewpoint too. I've met engineers working on projects intended to enhance soldier effectiveness. The ones that cared enough to solicit input from users were usually great guys. Though I don't recall any of them getting an idea/product through the bureaucracies they reported to intact. Once the committees got ahold of the product it became a profit line and "what can we add to the cash cow" to maximize profit potential. As far as I'm concerned defense contracts are the ultimate self-licking ice cream cone. That's why I'm so strongly in favor of COTS and establishments like Shooters where they have a personal relationship with/interest in their customer base. The commercial marketplace, the "grapevine" (PS.com among others), and review sites like MM's have done yeoman's work getting information and useable technology into the hands of soldiers. My favorite example is the plethora of optical sighting solutions in use today. On the other hand - has anybody got any glowing praises for the ACU?

Ahhhh - this could (will) go on forever. Spend money to train super soldiers that can use anything to accomplish the mission. Quit trying to address training deficencies with super equipment that just puts money in a contractor's pocket. Does DOTLMS mean anything any more? My .02 - Peregrino

[7624U]

Originally Posted by Peregrino

On the other hand - has anybody got any glowing praises for the ACU?

Ahhhh - this could (will) go on forever. Spend money to train super soldiers that can use anything to accomplish the mission. Quit trying to address training deficencies with super equipment that just puts money in a contractor's pocket.

The only good thing i can say about the ACU is its the only uniform thats good cammo vs Night Vision Devices, other then that it sucks.

Training is key to success like you said, does you no good to have 90lbs of high speed gear on a poorly trained Soldier. I would rather have a Expert with a M-1 Grand then a guy that took 2 tries to get marksman with the XM-8.