The ensemble will plug the soldier into the military's planned Future Combat System, for which the Pentagon recently earmarked $15 billion to develop.That system envisions lighter tanks, powerful computer networks and larger fleets of remote-controlled airplanes and robotic ground vehicles. The first battalion could field the system by late 2010 - about when the Scorpion ensemble would be ready to plug human soldiers into the network.Then comes a uniform with built-in tourniquets that one day might be tightened and loosened remotely. Body armor is built into a load carriage that holds water, ammunition, batteries and circuits to keep the soldier plugged into the network.The most high-tech component will be the helmet, with tiny, built-in cameras to spot enemies lurking in the dark or concealed by bushes. The cameras' images will appear on semitransparent screens attached to their helmets.
At Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, a government-sponsored lab that opened on May 22, research could lead to external skeletons carrying artificial muscles that would make soldiers faster and stronger, said Paula Hammond, a research team leader.
Originally posted by Pongo Has the ACIW been abandoned?
The XM29 Integrated Air Burst Weapon, formerly the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW), is a next-generation infantry rifle system that will give American fighting troops an unprecedented capability on the 21st century battlefield. The XM29 rifle is the lethality upgrade to the Land Warrior (LW) system for the dismounted soldier. It is also an integral part of the Army's transformation to the Future Combat System (FCS). The XM29 consolidates the needs of the U.S. Armed Forces into one rifle that will selectively replace the M16 rifle/M4 carbine in the infantry squad. This rifle substantially increases lethality and survivability on the battlefield. The system includes embedded full solution fire control that provides target acquisition capabilities, training features, and squad and individual training simulators.The XM29 integrates ballistics computation in the full-solution Target Acquisition/Fire Control (TA/FC) system. The XM29 fires either the 20mm High Explosive Air Bursting (HEAB) ammunition or the NATO-standard Kinetic Energy (KE) 5.56mm ammunition.The system precisely delivers air bursting munitions in all conditions, including MOUT and complex terrain. It is five times more lethal at the maximum M203 range and continues to provide lethality well beyond the M203's maximum ability. The system is designed for optimum performance at 300 meters but will perform to 500 meters and beyond.In addition to the air bursting capability, the 20mm HEAB round also features point detonation, self-destruct, and self-neutralization functions.
Originally posted by GScholz Formidable? He looks like he's ready for a round of paintball. Btw. that a great looking "marker" he's got there.
Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy Don't want to be moving out in this thing ... 50 miles in 3 days march in a battle field environment .... the guy better have a truck of water following him
