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Then there is the question of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), the Army’s futuristic “smart” glasses. Currently based on a rugged version of the Microsoft HoloLens 2 augmented reality headset, the IVAS is both night vision goggles and a futuristic head-up display, capable of introducing sensor inputs into a soldier’s line of sight. The Army has experimented with helmet-mounted displays for decades as part of various “future warrior” programs, and the IVAS has not been immune to the obstacles of previous efforts-namely, complaints of soldiers about “physical impairments that affect the mission,” such as headache, nausea and discomfort associated with prolonged use. And the future of very late The headset now seems uncertain anyway: according to Breaking Defense, the service may end up going back to the drawing board with a new main contractor for the sophisticated system as part of its IVAS Next initiative after auditing your existing night vision goggle capabilities. Still, between ENVG-B and IVAS, helmet-mounted night vision devices have progressed far beyond what Sawicki’s chain of command had previously imagined.
Armor up
The bulletproof vest and camouflage suit combination that Sawicki wore for his AUSA debut, referring to in contemporary publications such as “layered nylon armor” and “layered nylon vest,” it is actually a little closer to modern military personal protective equipment than the body armor that accompanied soldiers during the Vietnam War. Currently in development, the Soldier protection system (SPS) offers modern soldiers a “suite of lightweight, modular, scalable and adaptable protective equipment,” according to the Army. description. What this really means is that the protective assembly comes in several different pieces that work together to maximize the soldier’s survivability without affecting mobility; In terms of body armor, this primarily refers to the soft armor torso and limb protection subsystem and the hard armor vital torso protection subsystem which, using reinforced ceramic plates, offer enhanced ballistic protection against small arms fire. .
Protecting soldiers from bullets is one thing, but protecting them from the effects of nuclear explosions, as Army leaders say. said Sawicki’s New York Times suit would be something else entirely, at least in terms of equipment. While the worn-out Mission Oriented Protection Posture (MOPP) suite has been protecting US service members against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats for years, it is a completely separate system of equipment of personal protection instead of one integrated into the SPS or the Army Standard Combat Uniform. And although the 1959 design ask “specially designed ‘welded’ combat boots and “molded plastic gloves” to help protect soldiers on an irradiated battlefield, modern troops, unfortunately, must go into battle with their military-authorized tactical boots and gloves. Army Regulation 670-1, apart from what’s in your MOPP kit Furthermore, if nuclear weapons start flying, no one will survive long enough for ground combat anyway.
bullet time
While the 1959 “soldier of tomorrow” appears armed with an M14, advances in firearms technology have long since left the beloved battle rifle in the dust. The Army began replacing the M14 with the lighter 5.56mm M16 assault rifle in the late 1960s, which in turn was replaced by the shorter-barreled M4 carbine during the Global War against the Army. Terrorism in the 2000s. Replacing the M16 and M4 family of rifles has was difficult in the pastbut it’s safe to say that Army brass’ promises in 1959 of a lighter standard rifle for soldiers have, for the most part, come true in the intervening decades, even if the new XM7 rifle, recently adopted under the Next of the service. The Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program is actually notably heavier than the M4.
He has also done it promise of “new high-velocity bullets.” While the military in the early 2000s field the 5.56mm M855A1 Improved Performance Ammunition for improved performance over the standard M855 ammunition previously adopted in the 1980s, the service undertook a major small arms study in 2017 to determine whether soldiers needed different caliber ammunition to deal with the sudden proliferation of body armor among adversaries. The study determined that the Army’s next rifle should be chambered in 6.8mm, which would supposedly offer significantly improved range performance compared to 5.56mm and 7.62mm bullets. From there, the Army ended up selecting Sig Sauer to produce its two 6.8mm NGSW systems in 2022, weapons that began service. official field earlier this year. It may have taken several decades, but The Army’s new high-speed round is finally here.
rocket man
While certain elements of Sawicki’s combat equipment are clearly represented in recent military innovations, others simply never came to fruition. Automatic trench digging charges, for example, never materialized as an effective replacement for the beloved portable entrenching tool, despite its predominance among the military futurists of the time. But if there is one vision that has persisted in military and defense circles, it is that of troops equipped with jetpacks.
The Department of Defense has pursued the militarized jetpack for decadesbeginning with research and development in the 1950s and culminating in October 1961 with the successful demonstration of Bell Aerosystems’ small rocket lifting device (or, colloquially, the “Bell rocket belt”) for President John F. Kennedy at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Army ended up abandoning development of the rocket belt due to fuel limitations that limited its potential tactical applications, but American military planners review the concept over and over again in the following decades.
