Airborne Combat Engineer

Vibrating messaging vest

A vibrating vest that writes messages on its wearer's back is being tested by researchers in the US. In future, it could be used to send important commands to soldiers or fire-fighters, warning them of imminent danger when ordinary radios cannot be used, for example.

The vest is made from black spandex and fastens around a person's lower torso with Velcro. An array of 16 small vibrating motors is embedded in the back of the vest and connects to a control unit on one side. This unit contains a wireless transceiver linked wirelessly to a controlling computer.

Commands sent from the computer are translated into patterns "displayed" – like Braille-on-the-back – by the vibrating motors.

[New Scientist, 3 JAN 07]

Germany's infantryman of the future

Germany has its own version of the infantryman of the future.

DID, 27 NOV 2006 (click on graphic for larger image)

That laser finder looks just a tad bulky and unwieldy. Why isn't it built into the scope, along with GPS? And he'll still be stuck with a G36 with grenade launcher attachment.  When's the OICW concept coming to fruition? And, I'd recommend a Kevlar helmet over a beret (though it does look kewl). [That loose sack looking thing the Israeli soldiers wear is about as unkewl as it gets, but it makes it harder for a sniper to get a good head shot.]

Don't know about you, but I used to hate running around in the woods (quite a few years ago) with all manner of stuff bouncing and clanking and getting in my way when I hit the ground. A fighting man needs to be equiped like a Ninja, with just what he really needs, as small, tight, and as unencumbering as possible.

There's an old saying that if you load a soldier down with enough high-tech stuff, a primitive fighter will sneak up on him and club him to death

BONE MIC™ headset

The BONE MIC™ headset consists of a patented MIC element which is incorporated into a non-exclusive, one size fits all ear-mold so that the bone MIC element is directly contacting the user's jawbone. This technique protects the MIC from picking up airborne sound for optimum use in high noise applications. The MIC signal is excellent - comparable to boom MIC performance, and with great whisper quality.

David Crane, Defense Review, 01 NOV 2006

Better chute coming in '05/'06

The Army News Service reports the T10 chute which has served paratroopers well for a half century will be replaced (in '05 and '06) by a new, improved Advanced Tactical Parachute System (ATPS) - everything is a "system" these days, which will slow the rate of descent and hopefully reduce the probability of an injury. [Thanks to Blackfive for catching this.]

Paratroopers carry more gear today, and the chute itself is heavier, so a better chute is needed.

You'll find a 500 ft. deployment video at the Para-Flite site.

The requirement was first issued back in 1997.

As this National Defense article notes, the Army plans to use airdrops more generally, and thus is improving chutes for equipment and supply drops as well.

There's another video of a 5K Precision Guided Aerial Delivery System at the Para-Flite site. If you've read this far, you're obviously interested, so you "gotta see this." It's light years ahead of what we had way back in the early 70s.