Land Warrior
Encyclopedia
Land Warrior is a United States Army
program, cancelled in 2007, that was to use a combination of commercial, off-the-shelf technology (COTS
) and current-issue military gear and equipment designed to:
The systems and technology of the Land Warrior program were to be rolled into the Future Force Warrior
program.
While technology had long been a primary focus of the United States
military, very little of it had actually been adopted by the infantry soldier. With growing concerns of urban warfare
and dismounted infantry actions, the U.S. Army recognized the need to upgrade an individual infantryman. The Land Warrior program drew upon many wearable computer
concepts, and maximized existing technologies to correct most infantry soldier limitations in the short term.
The SI (Stryker
Interoperable) version of the system completed U.S. Army testing as of November 2004. Due to limited resources, and issues with the overall weight of the system, Land Warrior was cancelled by the Army in February 2007. Despite the system's cancellation the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) was deployed to Iraq as part of the Spring 2007 "surge" of US forces, and used the Land Warrior, on which they had trained for the previous few years.
Internationally, there are several similar development programs, these include IdZ
(Germany
), FIST (UK
), Félin
(France
), Land 125
(Australia
), MARKUS (Sweden
), Soldato Futuro (Italy
), IMESS (Switzerland
), Projekt TYTAN
(Poland
), FINSAS (India
) and ACMS (Singapore
).
in Moorestown, New Jersey approximately 1989, as a prototype having intent to eventually reduce size and weight in future phases. Then in the mid-1990s, the name Land Warrior was initially handled by a division of Hughes Aerospace, which was subsequently acquired by Raytheon
. (The soldier radio component of Land Warrior was to be supplied by the Integrated Information Systems division of Motorola
.)
Early demonstration versions of the LW system used software written in the Ada programming language running on a Unix
platform. In January 1999, in an attempt to reduce development costs and accelerate the program, the development work was transitioned to a multi-company team that had been organized by Exponent (NASDAQ
: EXPO), an engineering firm with headquarters in Silicon Valley
.
An intensive redesign of the system ensued, and both the embedded firmware
and the application software were rewritten from scratch. Many of the COTS
hardware components were purchased (literally "off the shelf") at Fry's Electronics
, the Silicon Valley retail chain. Approximately 100 proof-of-concept Land Warrior units were built and successfully demonstrated in September 2000 by a U.S. Army platoon that was air-dropped into a large war-fighting exercise at Fort Polk
, Louisiana
.
These initial prototype units, designated Land Warrior v0.6, were built around a PC/104
computer platform running Microsoft Windows
. The system used the CAN-bus protocol on the wired PAN (personal area network
). The communications subsystem was built using Windows CE
running on a StrongARM
platform, and the wireless network protocol was IEEE 802.11
. During the Fort Polk exercise, preliminary interoperability with traditional military radio networks was also demonstrated for LW v0.6, using a two-way, SINCGARS
-compatible gateway radio.
The success of the Fort Polk exercise reinvigorated the program, and further funding was allocated for the next phase of LW development. A "Land Warrior Consortium" was formed by several of the contracting firms, with the goal of designing and building the first field-able LW system, designated LW v1.0, later LW-IC (Land Warrior – Initial Capability). The basic Windows and WinCE platforms were retained, and a new hybrid PAN was designed, which drew upon both USB and FireWire protocols. A modified version of the IEEE 802.11 protocol was adopted, which added various enhancements for COMSEC and information security
, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) capabilities, and support for multi-hop packet routing
.
In 2003, a variant of the LW-IC system was developed to incorporate features of the CombatID System (CIDS) – a form of IFF (identification friend or foe
) that is designed to reduce the potential for friendly fire
incidents. This version, designated LW-CIDS, was successfully demonstrated in interoperational tests with several other CIDS-equipped units at Moffett Field, California.
As the Land Warrior program matured, it became clear that its successful deployment would hinge significantly upon the key factor of batteries. The need to continuously resupply (or recharge) LW batteries was proving to be a major logistical challenge. This was one of the driving factors behind the decision to move away from an earlier plan to initially equip airborne Army units, as in the Fort Polk exercise, and to focus instead upon those using Stryker
ground vehicle systems. This latter approach would enable more LW batteries to be distributed and/or recharged as needed.
The contract for development of the Land Warrior – Stryker Interoperable (LW-SI) version of the system was awarded in 2003 to an industry team that was led by General Dynamics
and included most of the existing Land Warrior Consortium companies. At about the same time, further development of the existing LW-IC system was halted and the manufacturing plans for it were shelved indefinitely. The Land Warrior Consortium was formally disbanded and work got under way on the newly-focused LW-SI program.
In September 2006, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment
trained with and evaluated the LW-SI system. The system successfully completed the assessment, which was based on Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) guidance, and received testimonials from the unit. However, funding for further system development under the Land Warrior program was suspended in February 2007, although the 4-9 Infantry was deployed to Iraq and used the LW-SI system extensively. This was the final trial phase before the key decision is made on the overall future of wearable soldier systems, including Future Force Warrior
. It is unknown as of January 2011 what that decision was.
Land Warrior had seven main subsystems:
Later features of the Land Warrior system included:
or M4 carbine
, both with modular rail mounts to allow customization as needed for each mission. It included the weapon itself, plus components such as a daylight video sight, thermal weapons sight and MFL (Multi-Function Laser). The MFL provided range and direction information, as well as IR, visible, and MILES lasers, while the cameras provided a video feed and thermographic capabilities, plus allowing a soldier to shoot around corners or behind cover without actually exposing himself to enemy fire. This is highly effective for confirming kills without exposing one's position.
display that provided various information from digital maps and troop locations down to his weapon-mounted video camera. This is what would have allowed the soldier to see (and fire) around corners. The HSS also incorporated a microphone as well as a headset.
system and Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE
) load-bearing system currently in service with the U.S. Army
and Marine Corps today are partially a result of the Land Warrior program.
XScale
processor. The CSS connects to each one of the LRU
s as well as to the batteries.
operating system and has a modular, open architecture for further improvement. Reliability in recent testing at Fort Benning
has been extremely high. The Land Warrior software suite contains six main software packages for weapon sights and for data
Land Warriors mounted in the Stryker vehicle were to be provided voice, data and power connectivity through an umbilical connection, as an extension of the individual soldier's Personal Area Network. The mounted Land Warriors were to have the capability of communicating voice and data with each other, the vehicle crew, Land Warriors external to the vehicle and other Land Warrior units mounted in other Stryker vehicles. Communications with the vehicle crew were to be achieved by interfacing to the Vehicle Intercom System.
Dismounted Land Warriors, when within communications range of their Stryker vehicle, were to have the same voice connectivity and Army Battle Command System interoperability as the mounted Land Warrior.
The Vehicle Integration Kit (VIK) was being developed in a spiral fashion to help manage development risk. The first spiral produced early VIK prototypes used to validate physical integration approaches in the various vehicle configurations. It also demonstrated Land Warrior soldier voice connectivity with the Stryker crew-members in and around the vehicle through the Vehicle Intercom System.
There were plans to integrate the Boomerang Mobile Shooter Detection System
onto the Stryker vehicle as part of the Land Warrior system.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
program, cancelled in 2007, that was to use a combination of commercial, off-the-shelf technology (COTS
Commercial off-the-shelf
In the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract...
) and current-issue military gear and equipment designed to:
- integrate small armsSmall armsSmall arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
with high-tech equipment; - provide communicationCommunicationCommunication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s and command and controlCommand and Control (military)Command and control, or C2, in a military organization can be defined as the exercise of authority and direction by a properly designated commanding officer over assigned and attached forces in the accomplishment of the mission...
at the infantryInfantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
soldier level; - look at the individual infantry soldier as a complete unit rather than as a segment of a larger force.
The systems and technology of the Land Warrior program were to be rolled into the Future Force Warrior
Future Force Warrior
Future Force Warrior is a United States military advanced technology demonstration project that is part of the Future Combat Systems project. The FFW project seeks to create a lightweight, fully integrated infantryman combat system. It is one technology demonstration project in a series of...
program.
While technology had long been a primary focus of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military, very little of it had actually been adopted by the infantry soldier. With growing concerns of urban warfare
Urban warfare
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat is very different from combat in the open at both the operational and tactical level...
and dismounted infantry actions, the U.S. Army recognized the need to upgrade an individual infantryman. The Land Warrior program drew upon many wearable computer
Wearable computer
Wearable computers are miniature electronic devices that are worn by the bearer under, with or on top of clothing. This class of wearable technology has been developed for general or special purpose information technologies and media development...
concepts, and maximized existing technologies to correct most infantry soldier limitations in the short term.
The SI (Stryker
Stryker
The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:...
Interoperable) version of the system completed U.S. Army testing as of November 2004. Due to limited resources, and issues with the overall weight of the system, Land Warrior was cancelled by the Army in February 2007. Despite the system's cancellation the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) was deployed to Iraq as part of the Spring 2007 "surge" of US forces, and used the Land Warrior, on which they had trained for the previous few years.
Internationally, there are several similar development programs, these include IdZ
IdZ
Infanterist der Zukunft is the German Bundeswehr's program as part of the Future Soldier project. It is a modular, integrated fighting system designed to provide significant lethality, survivability, mobility, battle command, and training to the German infantryman...
(Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), FIST (UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
), Félin
Félin
FÉLIN is the name for the French infantry combat system of the 2000s....
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), Land 125
Land 125
LAND 125 Soldier Combat System refers collectively to various pieces of infantry equipment which is currently being planned and phased in by the Australian military...
(Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), MARKUS (Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
), Soldato Futuro (Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), IMESS (Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
), Projekt TYTAN
Projekt TYTAN
The ISW Tytan is a Polish Future Soldier military project. The project started in 2006 and is currently in its first stage of development....
(Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), FINSAS (India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) and ACMS (Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
).
History
The original Land Warrior program, by other name, was undertaken by General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in Moorestown, New Jersey approximately 1989, as a prototype having intent to eventually reduce size and weight in future phases. Then in the mid-1990s, the name Land Warrior was initially handled by a division of Hughes Aerospace, which was subsequently acquired by Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
. (The soldier radio component of Land Warrior was to be supplied by the Integrated Information Systems division of Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
.)
Early demonstration versions of the LW system used software written in the Ada programming language running on a Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
platform. In January 1999, in an attempt to reduce development costs and accelerate the program, the development work was transitioned to a multi-company team that had been organized by Exponent (NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
: EXPO), an engineering firm with headquarters in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
.
An intensive redesign of the system ensued, and both the embedded firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
and the application software were rewritten from scratch. Many of the COTS
Commercial off-the-shelf
In the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract...
hardware components were purchased (literally "off the shelf") at Fry's Electronics
Fry's Electronics
Fry's Electronics is a big-box store and retailer of software, consumer electronics, computer hardware, with in store computer repair and custom computer building services and household appliances with a chain of superstores headquartered in Silicon Valley...
, the Silicon Valley retail chain. Approximately 100 proof-of-concept Land Warrior units were built and successfully demonstrated in September 2000 by a U.S. Army platoon that was air-dropped into a large war-fighting exercise at Fort Polk
Fort Polk
Fort Polk is a United States Army installation located in Vernon Parish, approximately 7 miles east of Leesville, Louisiana and 20 miles north of DeRidder, Louisiana....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
These initial prototype units, designated Land Warrior v0.6, were built around a PC/104
PC/104
PC/104 is an embedded computer standard controlled by the which defines both a form factor and computer bus. PC/104 is intended for specialized embedded computing environments where applications depend on reliable data acquisition despite an often extreme environment...
computer platform running Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. The system used the CAN-bus protocol on the wired PAN (personal area network
Personal area network
A personal area network is a computer network used for communication among computer devices, including telephones and personal digital assistants, in proximity to an individual's body. The devices may or may not belong to the person in question. The reach of a PAN is typically a few meters...
). The communications subsystem was built using Windows CE
Windows CE
Microsoft Windows CE is an operating system developed by Microsoft for embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinct operating system and kernel, rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows...
running on a StrongARM
StrongARM
The StrongARM is a family of microprocessors that implemented the ARM V4 instruction set architecture . It was developed by Digital Equipment Corporation and later sold to Intel, who continued to manufacture it before replacing it with the XScale....
platform, and the wireless network protocol was IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11
IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for implementing wireless local area network computer communication in the 2.4, 3.6 and 5 GHz frequency bands. They are created and maintained by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee . The base version of the standard IEEE 802.11-2007 has had subsequent...
. During the Fort Polk exercise, preliminary interoperability with traditional military radio networks was also demonstrated for LW v0.6, using a two-way, SINCGARS
SINCGARS
SINCGARS is a Combat Net Radio currently used by U.S. and allied military forces. The radios, which handle voice and data communications, are designed to be reliable, secure and easily maintained...
-compatible gateway radio.
The success of the Fort Polk exercise reinvigorated the program, and further funding was allocated for the next phase of LW development. A "Land Warrior Consortium" was formed by several of the contracting firms, with the goal of designing and building the first field-able LW system, designated LW v1.0, later LW-IC (Land Warrior – Initial Capability). The basic Windows and WinCE platforms were retained, and a new hybrid PAN was designed, which drew upon both USB and FireWire protocols. A modified version of the IEEE 802.11 protocol was adopted, which added various enhancements for COMSEC and information security
Information security
Information security means protecting information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording or destruction....
, mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) capabilities, and support for multi-hop packet routing
Routing
Routing is the process of selecting paths in a network along which to send network traffic. Routing is performed for many kinds of networks, including the telephone network , electronic data networks , and transportation networks...
.
In 2003, a variant of the LW-IC system was developed to incorporate features of the CombatID System (CIDS) – a form of IFF (identification friend or foe
Identification friend or foe
In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
) that is designed to reduce the potential for friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
incidents. This version, designated LW-CIDS, was successfully demonstrated in interoperational tests with several other CIDS-equipped units at Moffett Field, California.
As the Land Warrior program matured, it became clear that its successful deployment would hinge significantly upon the key factor of batteries. The need to continuously resupply (or recharge) LW batteries was proving to be a major logistical challenge. This was one of the driving factors behind the decision to move away from an earlier plan to initially equip airborne Army units, as in the Fort Polk exercise, and to focus instead upon those using Stryker
Stryker
The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:...
ground vehicle systems. This latter approach would enable more LW batteries to be distributed and/or recharged as needed.
The contract for development of the Land Warrior – Stryker Interoperable (LW-SI) version of the system was awarded in 2003 to an industry team that was led by General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
and included most of the existing Land Warrior Consortium companies. At about the same time, further development of the existing LW-IC system was halted and the manufacturing plans for it were shelved indefinitely. The Land Warrior Consortium was formally disbanded and work got under way on the newly-focused LW-SI program.
In September 2006, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment
U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment
The 9th Infantry Regiment is one of the oldest and most decorated active duty infantry units in the United States Army.- Early organizations :...
trained with and evaluated the LW-SI system. The system successfully completed the assessment, which was based on Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) guidance, and received testimonials from the unit. However, funding for further system development under the Land Warrior program was suspended in February 2007, although the 4-9 Infantry was deployed to Iraq and used the LW-SI system extensively. This was the final trial phase before the key decision is made on the overall future of wearable soldier systems, including Future Force Warrior
Future Force Warrior
Future Force Warrior is a United States military advanced technology demonstration project that is part of the Future Combat Systems project. The FFW project seeks to create a lightweight, fully integrated infantryman combat system. It is one technology demonstration project in a series of...
. It is unknown as of January 2011 what that decision was.
Description
Land Warrior had three priority objectives:- Improving the lethality of an individual soldier
- Increasing the survivabilitySurvivabilitySurvivability is the ability to remain alive or continue to exist. The term has more specific meaning in certain contexts.-Engineering:In engineering, survivability is the quantified ability of a system, subsystem, equipment, process, or procedure to continue to function during and after a natural...
of a soldier - Providing full command, communications, and control to a soldier
Land Warrior had seven main subsystems:
- Weapon
- Integrated helmet assembly
- Protective clothing and equipment
- Computer
- Navigation
- Radio
- Software system
Later features of the Land Warrior system included:
- providing dismounted soldier combat identification for enroute situational awareness and power recharge to reduce 'friendly fire' incidents
- Commander's Digital Assistant leader planning tool
- weight and power reduction
- scalability and tailorability for operational missions
Weapon
The original system was built around the M16 rifleM16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
or M4 carbine
M4 carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
, both with modular rail mounts to allow customization as needed for each mission. It included the weapon itself, plus components such as a daylight video sight, thermal weapons sight and MFL (Multi-Function Laser). The MFL provided range and direction information, as well as IR, visible, and MILES lasers, while the cameras provided a video feed and thermographic capabilities, plus allowing a soldier to shoot around corners or behind cover without actually exposing himself to enemy fire. This is highly effective for confirming kills without exposing one's position.
Helmet
The Helmet Subsystem (HSS) combined a lightweight advanced helmet with a computer and OLEDOrganic light-emitting diode
An OLED is a light-emitting diode in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compounds which emit light in response to an electric current. This layer of organic semiconductor material is situated between two electrodes...
display that provided various information from digital maps and troop locations down to his weapon-mounted video camera. This is what would have allowed the soldier to see (and fire) around corners. The HSS also incorporated a microphone as well as a headset.
Armor and protection
The Interceptor Body ArmorInterceptor body armor
Interceptor Body Armor is the United States Army's primary bulletproof vest. The Interceptor design replaced the older fragmentation protective Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops body armor system, introduced in the early 1980s...
system and Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE
MOLLE (military)
MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
) load-bearing system currently in service with the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Marine Corps today are partially a result of the Land Warrior program.
Computer
The Computer Subsystem (CSS) provided the processing power and storage capacity for the system. The CSS is based around an ARMARM architecture
ARM is a 32-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by ARM Holdings. It was named the Advanced RISC Machine, and before that, the Acorn RISC Machine. The ARM architecture is the most widely used 32-bit ISA in numbers produced...
XScale
XScale
The XScale, a microprocessor core, is Intel's and Marvell's implementation of the ARMv5 architecture, and consists of several distinct families: IXP, IXC, IOP, PXA and CE . Intel sold the PXA family to Marvell Technology Group in June 2006....
processor. The CSS connects to each one of the LRU
Line-replaceable unit
A line-replaceable unit is a modular component of an airplane, ship or spacecraft that is designed to be replaced quickly at an operating location. An LRU is usually a sealed unit such as a radio or other auxiliary equipment...
s as well as to the batteries.
Navigation
The Navigation Subsystem (NSS) provided positional information, it integrates a GPS receiver and a Dead Reckoning Module (DRM) that maintains accurate location when GPS signal becomes unavailable.Radio
The Communication Network Radio Subsystem (CNRS) provided communications capabilities for the Land Warrior. The CNRS is based on EPLRS.Software
Land Warrior's software system was powered by a variant of the LinuxLinux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating system and has a modular, open architecture for further improvement. Reliability in recent testing at Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
has been extremely high. The Land Warrior software suite contains six main software packages for weapon sights and for data
Stryker Interoperable Vehicle Kit
A key capability of the Land Warrior development effort was the interoperability with the Stryker family of combat vehicles, attained through a Stryker Vehicle Integration Kit or VIK.Land Warriors mounted in the Stryker vehicle were to be provided voice, data and power connectivity through an umbilical connection, as an extension of the individual soldier's Personal Area Network. The mounted Land Warriors were to have the capability of communicating voice and data with each other, the vehicle crew, Land Warriors external to the vehicle and other Land Warrior units mounted in other Stryker vehicles. Communications with the vehicle crew were to be achieved by interfacing to the Vehicle Intercom System.
Dismounted Land Warriors, when within communications range of their Stryker vehicle, were to have the same voice connectivity and Army Battle Command System interoperability as the mounted Land Warrior.
The Vehicle Integration Kit (VIK) was being developed in a spiral fashion to help manage development risk. The first spiral produced early VIK prototypes used to validate physical integration approaches in the various vehicle configurations. It also demonstrated Land Warrior soldier voice connectivity with the Stryker crew-members in and around the vehicle through the Vehicle Intercom System.
There were plans to integrate the Boomerang Mobile Shooter Detection System
Boomerang (mobile shooter detection system)
Boomerang is a gunfire locator developed by DARPA and BBN Technologies primarily for use against snipers on mobile vehicles such as the Humvee, Stryker, and MRAP combat vehicles. There were future plans to integrate it into the Land Warrior system....
onto the Stryker vehicle as part of the Land Warrior system.
See also
- MicropowerMicropowerMicropower describes the work that researchers at several universities are doing to develop very small electric generators and prime movers or devices to convert heat or motion to electricity, for use close to the generator...
- MOLLEMOLLE (military)MOLLE |female name]]) is an acronym for MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. It is used to define the current generation of load-bearing equipment and rucksacks utilized by the United States armed forces, especially the United States Army, and its use is also growing in the British Army in...
- Interceptor Body ArmorInterceptor body armorInterceptor Body Armor is the United States Army's primary bulletproof vest. The Interceptor design replaced the older fragmentation protective Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops body armor system, introduced in the early 1980s...
- M4 carbineM4 carbineThe M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
- Future SoldierFuture SoldierFuture Soldier is the overall name given to a multi-nation military project by the United States and its allies launched in the late 1990s. A Future Soldier is also a Soldier who has enlisted in the United States Military, but is delayed in shipping...
, the multi-national Future Soldier project. - Future Force WarriorFuture Force WarriorFuture Force Warrior is a United States military advanced technology demonstration project that is part of the Future Combat Systems project. The FFW project seeks to create a lightweight, fully integrated infantryman combat system. It is one technology demonstration project in a series of...
, the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Future Soldier program. - IdZIdZInfanterist der Zukunft is the German Bundeswehr's program as part of the Future Soldier project. It is a modular, integrated fighting system designed to provide significant lethality, survivability, mobility, battle command, and training to the German infantryman...
, the GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
BundeswehrBundeswehrThe Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
Future Soldier project. - IMESS, the Swiss Future Soldier program.
- FIST, the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
analog to the Future Force Warrior program. - FélinFélinFÉLIN is the name for the French infantry combat system of the 2000s....
, the FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Future Soldier program. - Land 125Land 125LAND 125 Soldier Combat System refers collectively to various pieces of infantry equipment which is currently being planned and phased in by the Australian military...
, the AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Future Soldier program. - 21st Century soldier21st Century soldierThe "21st Century soldier" is Czech Future Soldier military project. The agreement of Czech Ministry of Defence and VOP-026 Šternberk about the future soldier program was signed in 2004.-Weapon system:...
, the CzechCzech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Future Soldier project. - F-INSAS, the IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Futuristic soldier program. - Projekt TYTANProjekt TYTANThe ISW Tytan is a Polish Future Soldier military project. The project started in 2006 and is currently in its first stage of development....
, the PolishPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Future Soldier Program. - ACMSAdvanced Combat Man SystemThe Singapore Armed Forces' Advanced Combat Man System is part of the SAF's move to integrate into 3G to progressively provide tactical units with network capabilities.-Key Components:...
, the SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an Future Soldier project.
External links
- General Land Warrior info
- Additional Land Warrior info
- Project Horizon Land Warrior Updates
- 1997 Army magazine article on the early history of the LW program
- May 2007 The Army's New Land Warrior Gear: Why Soldiers Don't Like It
- Circa 2006
- Zieniewicz, M.J. et al., "The Evolution of Army Wearable Computers", IEEE Pervasive Computing, Oct-Dec 2002, vol. 1 no. 4, pp. 30–40,