Land Warrior Needs Work, Soldiers Say
Land Warrior Needs Work, Soldiers Say
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CAMP ABLE X-RAY, Iraq --- It was billed as a revolutionary new tool that promised to give Soldiers an added edge in the fight, with a heads-up displayed map, a see-around-corners rifle sight and speed-of-light communications.
And on its first deployment to combat, the decades-old Land Warrior system did win over many of its detractors. But as the Soldiers carrying Land Warrior’s burdensome boxes and wires on their backs labored into their seventh month of deployment, some are beginning to question whether this version of a system the Army worked so hard to get to the field is worth the price.
I've only seen a demo of this system in a classroom environment. Did some cool things, but I couldn't help but thinking about the weight and heat added to the burden in Iraq.
Seems field results are mixed - good for kinetic ops, not so useful for day to day. The loss of signal in bad weather or urban terrain would also trouble me.
Soldier Systems don't work very well
I've been looking at and writing about soldier systems for 5 years. I even just did an article in AMR. Land Warrior is the most expensive and IMO, the most pointless.
In most solider systems, most of the capabilities people talk about could be achieved by adding the odd thermal site and IP capable data radio. A lot of it is the pursuit of technology for technologies sake.
It's not helped by some very peculiar ideas about the role of the infantry. Most folk seem focussed on cyber warrior image instead of try to do what works and has always worked.
I don't disagree with anything you said there except for two items.
First:
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"(The greybeards here can't tell me they haven't been lost in a training exercise before, and wished they could dial up their 10 digit grid)."
I can honestly tell you I haven't been but I have been in units where the Commander was :D
Why would one want a ten digit grid -- the map is not that accurate and without the map the Grid is borderline useless. Given any one of a bunch of smart munitions, I can understand eight just 'cause the GPS is saying (hopefully) the same thing to everyone -- but ten??? :wry:
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"We all heard of the helicopter generals of Vietnam, and this tech allows even greater micromanagement. The antidote to that is command culture, policies, and training."
You've identified the proximate cause of angst for us old folks but I'd also suggest that peacetime training experience is a contributor.
I hear what you're saying about the rectifying factors but all us old fogeys are inclined to look at the dark side of human nature and prefer positive and mechanical lockouts to prevent even mild and infrequent abuses. Mostly because the abuses tend to happen at the worst possible times and after fairly lengthy, multi day or week periods of extensive combat when nearly everyone is totally exhausted. Hopefully, you're correct and the coming generation will not micro manage.
I also agree with Rob and you on the fact that if you do get interference at the wrong time, you can and should cut it off. We've all had to do that on occasion and fortunately doing that generally isn't too great a distraction.