INDIVIDUAL EOUIPMENT AND WEAPONS

The soldier is the Army's most deployed combat system and the single most essential weapon in the Army's arsenal. Activated in June 2002, Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier centrally manages equipping the "soldier as a system" to provide centralized soldier system acquisition management.

The Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI), for example, expedites procurement to provide better equipment where and when soldiers need it. Spiraled technologies, such as Interceptor body armor, the advanced combat helmet and the XM8 carbine, are also being accelerated to support the soldier.

RFI is a list of approximately 58 items that provide capabilities enhancements found essential to fighting the global war on terrorism. Items currently approved for fielding include individual soldier mission-essential equipment, such as the advanced combat helmet, improved boots, ballistic eye protection, socks and wickaway T-shirts; and organizational force protection/mobility items, such as the team radios, infrared strobes and military operations in urban terrain equipment. Also included are critical unit lethality enhancing items, for example, improved ammunition packs, small binoculars and advanced weapons optics.

Individual testimony of soldiers underscores the importance of RFI to readiness and tactical success as operations continue in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army is well along in achieving its goal of equipping all soldiers of the operating Army with RFI equipment by the end of fiscal year 2007. This will include 48 active and 36 reserve component brigade combat teams (BCTs), along with their associated support units. In May 2005, the 350,000th soldier received an RFI kit at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Project Manager Soldier Warrior (PM SWAR)

PM SWAR supports soldiers through the acquisition of warrior systems: Land Warrior, Air Warrior and Mounted Warrior. The PM SWAR product managers develop and integrate components into single integrated systems designed to increase combat effectiveness, decrease combat load and improve mission flexibility. Whenever possible, components and technologies are spiraled out for early fielding to put them into the hands of soldiers more quickly.

Mounted Warrior (MW) is an integrated system designed to improve the survivability, lethality, mobility, situational awareness (SA), and sustainability of combat vehicle crewmen. The MW system includes embedded training, and links mounted crewmen to their platform sensors and communications. MW components consist of lightweight, modular, mission-tailorable, integrated equipment and C4 devices, worn, carried or used by crewmen when conducting tactical operations. Components include: a total integrated combat vehicle crewman helmet system (CVCHS) with heads up display (HUD) and cordless communications system. Other components include crewmen overgarment, gloves, foot wear and ballistic protection; CB protective mask, CB protective overgarment, CB protective gloves and footwear; individual equipmentcarrying capability, and ballistic/laser, sun, wind and dust eye protection. The design achieves optimum synergy of its components to decrease mission time; increase crewmen mission performance, to include dismounted activities; improve comfort and endurance; enhance man-machine interface; and improve safety. Increased organizational effectiveness and improved combat vehicle lethality is achieved through enhanced man-machine interfaces, and network-centric operations are enabled at the platform and crewman level. The system provides enhanced ballistic, environmental, flash, flame, heat and CBRN protection.

Land Warrior (LW) is a first-generation, modular, integrated fighting system for infantry soldiers and soldiers in support of the close fight. LW combines an assortment of state-of-the-art commercial offthe-shelf and government technologies to create a lethal, survivable soldier system linked into the digitized battlefield. LW combines computers, lasers, geolocation and radios with soldiers' mission equipment to substantially improve the individual soldier's close combat tactical awareness.

LW will be interoperable with Army systems and with those of other services and al lied military systems. The systems approach optimizes and integrates capabilities with minimal impact on the soldier's combat load or logistical footprint.

The Dismounted Battle Command System (DBCS)x an early spiral-out from Land Warrior, will improve infantry unit battle command and tactical awareness. The DBCS consists of a microlight enhanced position location radio system (BPLRS) for team leaders and above, and a commander's digital assistant (CDA) for leaders at platoon level and above.

Air Warrior (AW) is a new-generation aircrew ensemble that provides advanced life support, ballistic protection, and nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection in rapidly tailorable, mission-configurable modules. Army aircrews deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) are being equipped with the newly developed Air Warrior system.

Combat-effective, affordable and sustainable worldwide through a reconfigurable ensemble, the Air Warrior system consists of:

* An improved, flame-retardant aviation battle dress uniform.

* A primary survival gear carrier that includes various first aid, survival, signaling and communications equipment

* Flexible body armor with a ballistic upgrade plate that will protect the aviator from multiple .30-caliber armor-piercing round hits.

* A microclimate cooling system-a cooling garment worn under chemical protective and duty uniforms that increases mission duration times by more than 350 percent.

The Electronic Data Manager (EDM) enables the aircrew member to quickly plan missions and react to mission changes in flight. The EDM provides a night-vision-goggle-compatible, user-friendly kneeboard computer with GPS, moving map capability, sunlight readability and the capability to use Windows-based software to replace the current kneeboard.

EDM has been fielded to units in Afghanistan and Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. As of FY 2005, more than 500 systems have been fielded, meeting the demands of four aviation brigades. EDM will enter full-scale production in FY 2006. EDM has become the blue force tracking aviation viewer of choice and is fielding two years early.

The Aircrew Wireless Intercom System (AWIS) provides wireless communication between crew members during flight operations and hot refueling, loading, off-loading and rearming of CH/MH-47 and HH/ MH/UH-60 aircraft. AWIS consists of one aircraft interface unit, up to six mobile equipment units and one battery charger. It provides full duplex, voice-activated, hands-free mode and a push-to-talk mode, and can include up to 40 aircraft with six users in each network. AWIS enables omni-directional communications between all members within the network out to 200 feet from the center of the aircraft.

The Ground Soldier System (GSS) is the next generation of the Land Warrior integrated, modular fighting system. GSS will be completely integrated within the Future Combat Systems (FCS) unit of action (UA). GSS will include the following capabilities:

* An ultra-lightweight, low bulk, multi-functional, full spectrum protective combat ensemble.

* Networked, robust individual and team communications.

* State-of-the-art distributed and fused sensors, organic tactical intelligence collection assets, enhanced situational understanding.

* Interoperability with FCS network, platforms and robotics to produce netted fires and overmatched lethality.

* Embedded training, on-the-move planning and rehearsal.

* Seventy-two-hour continuous autonomous team operations using highdensity, low-weight/volume, self-generating/regenerating, reliable, safe power sources.

* Unconstrained vertical and lateral combat movement capability.

* Small combat unit synergistic capabilities and heightened team effectiveness.

* Optimized cognitive and physical fightability, on-board physiological/medical sensor suite with enhanced prompt casualty care.

GSS will employ a system-of-systems approach, optimizing and integrating capabilities while reducing the soldier's combat load and logistical footprint. Spiral development, begun with Land Warrior, will continue with GSS, integrating those successful technologies developed in the Future Force Warrior Science and Technology program. GSS will eventually provide warrior system capabilities for all dismounted, maneuver support, and maneuver sustainment Future Force soldiers.

Project Manager Soldier Equipment

PM Soldier Equipment (PM SEQ) supports the soldier with a variety of equipment, from highly advanced night-vision technology to individual soldier equipment.