August 7, 2007: The U.S. Army
has been getting some good reviews, from users in Iraq, for some of the new
technologies developed for its Land Warrior program (an effort to enhance
infantry performance with a lot of technology that was never ready for prime
time). Although the Land Warrior program is officially dead, the general
concept lives on with many new items the combat troops are using. The problem
with Land Warrior was that is tried to be revolutionary, while the troops
really wanted evolutionary items. Although the army halted work on Land Warrior
last year, it sent some of the equipment to Iraq, to see how well it performed
in combat. The current Land Warrior gear includes a wearable computer/GPS/radio
combination, plus improvements in body armor and uniform design.
Troops who had earlier tested
Land Warrior in the U.S., found it too much hassle, and not enough benefit. But
the troops in Iraq, who were in combat, found lots of useful aspects to the
Land Warrior gear. For one thing, the camera attached to the rifle, that sends
live video to the eye piece (that appears like the equivalent of a 17 inch
display, when flipped down over the eye), allows troops to just point their
rifle around a corner, over a ledge, or into a room, to see what's there
without risking a bullet in the head. The personal radio is also a superior
item, and the maps that can be put onto the eyepiece are very useful. The army
has mapped most of Iraq, in great detail, and digital versions of all those
maps are available, and can be moved to the wearable computers of Land Warrior
equipped troops. This might have not made a big impression on the troops back
in the States, but in the combat zone, you can never have too much help in
figuring out where the hell you are.
The Land Warrior GPS is still
too slow. But when troops have settled down for a while, like a lull in the
battle, and the GPS has ten minutes or so to nail every ones position, the eyepiece
does indeed give a good picture of who is where. NCOs and junior officers find
that real useful, and the troops find it reassuring to know who is where.
The original, 1990s, Land
Warrior concept was a lot more ambitious. Revolutionary, so to speak. But that
version had a science fiction air about it, and was not expected to appear for
two decades or more. The brass eventually got more realistic, especially after
September 11, 2001. That, plus the unexpectedly rapid appearance of new
computer and communications technologies, caused them to reduce the weight and
complexity of the original Land Warrior design. At the same time, this made it
possible for the first version of Land Warrior to undergo field testing much
sooner and, even though that resulted in the cancellation of Land Warrior, many
of the individual components will continue to be developed. Eventually the
troops will have wearable computers, wi-fi capability, and all manner of neat
stuff. Eventually.
Late last year a battalion of
infantry tested the current Land Warrior gear. Many of the troops involved were
combat veterans, and their opinions indicated that some of the stuff was worth
carrying around the battlefield, and some wasn't. But once the stuff got to
Iraq, for testing by a few hundred troops, it was a different story. When
people are trying to kill you, all help is appreciated, and evaluated
differently.
