The march of technology describes the technology of the modern infantry soldier:
A survey of American soldiers — the first conducted in 40 years — found that an infantryman typically carries around 120 pounds, or 55kg, on his back. “If I were to put 120 pounds of kit on you with a weapons system, and then tell you, ‘Okay, now I am going to shoot at you, and you’re going to shoot these targets,’ you would understand how truly difficult it is not only to accomplish your mission, but to just stay alive,” says Jean-Louis “Dutch” DeGay of the American army’s Future Force Warrior (FFW) programme, a $250m effort to devise military technologies for deployment starting in 2010.
The soldier of the future will be wearing three layers:
Closest to the skin will be a layer of clothing, embedded with sensors that can detect whether the wearer is injured, dehydrated, exhausted or even asleep. In the event of injury, vital signs can be measured to assess the soldier’s medical condition, and this information, plus the soldier’s exact location, can be transmitted to a medical team, so that it knows what to expect and can act quickly when it arrives.The second layer consists of “electro-textiles” that provide power and data connections to these sensors, and to the various other devices being carried by the soldier. Radio antennae can also be incorporated into this layer. Finally, the third and topmost layer consists of a new kind of armour. Existing armour stops bullets, says Mr DeGay, but it is heavy, and its snug fit means that the impact of a bullet can still cause broken bones or internal injuries. The new armour, which will be battle-tested this summer, is based upon flexible Kevlar plates positioned a few centimetres above the skin. This means the plates are better able to absorb and distribute the impact of an incoming round — and also makes the uniform cooler to wear.