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  1. #1
    Council Member Cavguy's Avatar
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    Default Land Warrior Needs Work, Soldiers Say

    Land Warrior Needs Work, Soldiers Say

    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.
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    Council Member William F. Owen's Avatar
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    Default 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.
    Infinity Journal "I don't care if this works in practice. I want to see it work in theory!"

    - The job of the British Army out here is to kill or capture Communist Terrorists in Malaya.
    - If we can double the ratio of kills per contact, we will soon put an end to the shooting in Malaya.
    Sir Gerald Templer, foreword to the "Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya," 1958 Edition

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    Battery size and power are a concern
    "Speak English! said the Eaglet. "I don't know the meaning of half those long words, and what's more, I don't believe you do either!"

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  4. #4
    i pwnd ur ooda loop selil's Avatar
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    Geekgasm. The need of people who won't be using a system to add burden to those who will use a system without consideration of those users needs. If it were me and it never will be me, i'd take a naked soldier and make everybody fight over every ounce that was added to the combat load. Starting not with his undies, but with how much ammunition they wanted and the weapons systems. I'd also make the geekies have to carry everything too. I'm none to happy with land warrior and my systems engineering brethern. Then again they're not after my opinion.
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    Oh, I loved this part of the report:

    "If Apple was running the Land Warrior show then we'd have a lot of crazy stuff," Lowe joked.
    iKill?

  6. #6
    i pwnd ur ooda loop selil's Avatar
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    Ummm. Apple design philosophy would be interesting. It would weigh half as much as anybody elses product, form would follow function, but function would be user centric. Everybody would say it cost twice as much but in reality it would be cheaper. It would work with any ally except the French. As a system it would last much longer than it would relatively be useful. A rifle as an example could fire any ammunition on the planet right out of the box, but 5.56 would require a special adapter.

    Steve Jobs keynote address would be awesome... HE personally demonstrates every major product on stage.

    He'd start out by saying, "And what we have here is the new 400mm hand operated anti tank rocket propelled machine pistol with optional laser guided smart munition module and integrated mp3 player and cell phone. Notice the handy pocket protector and screen cover." Then, "Now watch as I disable those three tanks as they accelerate through the audience, as a bonus all our products are apple green, and human rights aware".

    Apple design philosophy is interesting to watch take shape. Pretty near the anti-thesis of academic and military models.
    Last edited by selil; 02-14-2008 at 04:02 AM. Reason: Then he would say "And, one more thing......"
    Sam Liles
    Selil Blog
    Don't forget to duck Secret Squirrel
    The scholarship of teaching and learning results in equal hatred from latte leftists and cappuccino conservatives.
    All opinions are mine and may or may not reflect those of my employer depending on the chance it might affect funding, politics, or the setting of the sun. As such these are my opinions you can get your own.

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