Army powers up for future

The same AA batteries that poweryour TV's remote control are alsoused to power thermal sights onmilitary weapons.Although the low-tech batteries usuallywork fine, that's not always the case.For example, thermal sights are used on50-caliber, vehicle-mounted weapons. Inthe field, warfighters need the sights towork for a full day or more, which isbeyond the life of traditional AAs.To fill the gap, Ace Electronics Inc., ofMetuchen, N.J., developed a kit that letswarfighters use the much longer-lastingBA 5590 lithium battery.The batteries weigh more than 2pounds and are about 5 inches high and4 inches wide, making them too big to becarried, but perfect for vehicle situations.The product illustrates the pressureindustry is under to develop productsthat solve problems for combat soldiers,and quickly field those products."I think it is a trend," said AshleyMorris, business development managerat Ace. "People are finding more andmore creative ways to leverage the militarybatteries, anything that's going to belonger life."Military leaders echoed that thought atthe recent Army Team C4ISR 2008 JointSymposium in Atlantic City, N.J.Army leaders and their industry partnershave a new focus on developingtechnology and fielding it to combattroops faster than ever before. Althoughthey recognize that changing the Army'sculture will be difficult, there are signsthat things are changing.For example, in just eight months, STGInc., of Reston, Va., designed and built anew Humvee that carries servers andpower racks into combat.The DCGS-A Enabled ACT-E is ashelter-mounted Humvee with communicationsand power-generation equipmentfor military intelligence, surveillanceand reconnaissance operations,said Jeffery Billings, an STG productionmanager. The vehicle carries 12 Dellservers and the power rack.Maj. Gen. Dennis Via, commandinggeneral of the Communications-Electronics Life Cycle ManagementCommand, said the Army is focused ondeveloping new capabilities for combattroops and commanders.As the Army's Fort Monmouth base in New Jersey prepares to close in 2009because of the base realignment and closureprocess, Via said the change is anopportunity to make his command runmore efficiently. Plans are under way toconsolidate and host Fort Monmouth'sdata and applications and then to run acloud-computing model.If all goes according to plan, whenFort Monmouth employees show up attheir new offices at the AberdeenProving Ground in Maryland, theyshould be able to plug in their computers,log on and access all theirapplications and data, just asthey did in New Jersey."Over the past decade, theArmy has moved from theexploration of net-centric concepts,to developing those conceptsin training, demonstrationsand exercises," Via said."Today, developing technologiesand C4ISR capabilitiesremains the Army's top priority,but now, like never before, wehave a much better grasp of thespecific areas in which we needto develop these technologiesand how we fit them into the overallpictures."For example, a software-based radiobeing developed by General DynamicsC4 Systems is designed to be flexible so itcan adapt to ever-changing conditions.Traditional radios are not flexible. AUHF radio will always be a UHF radio.With a software-defined radio, thedevice can be reset to run whateverwaveform a warfighter needs, said BobbyBoyle, a sales manager at GeneralDynamics Assured CommunicationsSystems.In addition to being flexible, the newradios should save money because theywon't become obsolete, Boyle said."Let's say you don't have enoughSingle-Channel Ground [and Airborne]Radio System radios today," Boyle said. "You could load the Sincgars algorithmsinto these radios and then they will all beSincgars radios. And if the missionchanges tomorrow to satellite, you canjust change the channel, pull up thesatellite algorithm and you would beable to run it."In addition to improving soldiers' equipment,Defense Department officials alsowant better tools for commanders.For example, a dual-display system isbeing used to manage battlefield operationsin Iraq and Afghanistan.Raytheon's Persistent Surveillance andDissemination System of Systems(PSDS2) provides data and video frommultiple sensors for real-time combatmonitoring. One display provides situationalawareness using a map interface,and the other display gives commandersa workflow analysis tool."There's a third component PSDS2does and does very well, and that's videodissemination," said Tom Stalzer, a programengineer for the PSDS2 system atRaytheon. "Everything we pull in fromevery sensor feed we also then makeavailable to users over the network. Theyjust log in and get whatever intereststhem at the time, both real and archiveddata."The system is designed to help commandersrespond to unanticipatedevents, such as a helicopter crash. In thatscenario, the leader of an operations centercan use the system to see if a Predatorunmanned aerial vehicle is close to thecrash site, and he can send it to get videoof the wreckage.The system can then plot a course fortroops to get to the crash site and a routefor them to evacuate. If multiple routesare available, it can show commanderswhich route has available air support."If there is air support, that's the routewe're going to pick," Stalzer said.The system also ties into the ArmyField Artillery Program. So if rescuersencounter mortar fire, commanderscan access radar systemsused to pinpoint wherethe enemy is located. Thenground or air forces can be dispatchedto stop the fire."Everything is persistent, soyou can use it for after-actionreports," Stalzer said. "Andthen the intelligence guys cando forensic analysis and seewhat we did wrong and whatcan we do better."The system is run by bothcontractors and people in uniform.It continues to be modifiedto make it easier to use, Stalzer said.The push for new and improved systemsis here to stay, said Army Brig. Gen.Mark Bowman.Bowman, director of CentralCommand, said he recently attended ameeting about command and control onthe move, and someone said it will betaken care of when the WarfighterInformation Network-Tactical is onlinein 2010.Waiting until 2010 for that capabilityis too long, Bowman said.The year "2010 is a lifetime away forme," he said. "And unfortunately, that's afact for people on the battlefield ? weneed it and we need it now."