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Posted on 12/11/2001 12:45:48 PM PST by Pokey78

The good news is that significant resources are available to improve Dismounted Close Combat and that various national programmes are well underway; the bad news is that the soldier on the ground is increasingly overburdened with clothing and individual equipment.

This was the message from the third International Soldier Systems Conference, held in the Assembly Rooms in Bath and at the School of Infantry in Warminster in the last week of November.

The aim of the conference, according to its organisers, the Defence Manufacturer's Association, was to "provide a forum for all those involved with soldier systems and their integration, with the aim of making the allied soldier the best equipped, best clothed and best protected in the world".

To this end, a host of papers were presented by delegates from countries as varied as Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa as well as, of course, the United States and the United Kingdom. The subject matter ranged from national programme overviews to the optimum properties of the combat glove.

Despite the advances in smart munitions and the ability to drop them from relatively safe distances, the time always comes, as it has in Afghanistan, for the infantryman to move in and take ground.

In the same way that technological overmatch has been achieved in many aspects of larger hardware, the aim now is to achieve similar overmatch with regard to individual infantry capabilities.

The danger, as identified by Brigadier Ian Rodley in the conference opening address, is that the infantryman will not only be overburdened with equipment but with information as well. Technology must therefore fight for its place and prove its worth.

Difficulties aside, the prospects are exciting and there is plenty of evidence that they are being realised. Head-up display technology similar to that used by fighter pilots is being designed for the Objective Force Warrior, according to Phil Brandler of US Army Soldier Biological and Chemical Command (SBCCOM). There was also, however, plenty of evidence from the UK FIST and US Land Warrior programmes that the early display technology is up and running and that it works, improving the ability of the infantryman and infantry section to move, find and engage while also increasing survivability.

As Lieutenant-Colonel Cynthia Bedell of the US Project Manager Soldier pointed out, only 37 per cent of the soldier's weight is taken up by weapons and electronics, while 63 per cent of the weight comes from clothing and individual equipment.

Several papers addressed the questions of how to maintain mission effectiveness while dealing with the routine or potential hazards of cold weather, fragmentation or nuclear, biological and chemical warfare. According to Sergeant Robert J Ehrlich of the US Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, the problems of the overburdened soldier, with a platoon average of 91 lbs (41.3kg), are magnified in cold weather with an average increase of 13.2 lbs (5.3kg) of extra cold weather gear. Svein Martini of the Norwegian Defence and Research Establishment discussed the difficulties of providing sufficient thermal protection as well as ventilation in wet and cold environments, with the problems for the soldier ranging from cold stress when immobile to heat stress when active.

Body armour is another potential life-saving device but also has obvious weight and heat stress problems. Papers examined the unlikely potential for a whole-body 'suit of armour' and raised the question as to whether money would be better invested in camouflage research rather than body armour, the idea being that if you are not seen you will not get hit.

With regard to NBC protection, advances have been made at SBBCOM in conjunction with consultants such as Texplorer GmbH in the development of selectively permeable membrane technologies. These allow protective dress that is lighter than the current standard overgarment, provide comparable protection and allow a degree of moisture vapour evaporation through the clothing.

The conference closed with a visit from the Minister of Defence Procurement, Lord Bach of Lutterworth. He joined the rest of the delegates for a lunch of MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) rations provided by US Army SBCCOM.

Latest upgrade of the UK's FIST 2 C4I conceptual equipment programme, currently under trial with the Army Infantry Trials and Development Unit in partnership with QinetiQ.

Latest prototype of the Joint Services General Purpose Mask (JSGPM), which is beginning trials with the US DoD as the new NBC M50 mask, replacing the current US military M40 respirator/mask.

US Army Operational Forces Interface Group vision of a Land Warrior System, part of the Objective Force Warrior Notional Concept.

US Army Operational Forces Interface Group vision of a Land Warrior System concept, due in service by 2004/6 under the Objective Force Warrior programme.

US Army Operational Forces Interface Group vision of a Land Warrior System concept, due in service by 2004/6 under the Objective Force Warrior programme.

Biosensor unit in a briefcase seen at the US Land Warrior Exhibition at the DMA International Soldier Systems Conference & Exhibition, Warminster, UK.

"I have you now, Luke Skywalker !!"

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