This Is The Military's Future

Spc. Rafael Boza, a Soldier from the 1st Infantry Division, tests the prototype smart suit on a three-mile course of paved roads and rough terrain at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., Oct. 3, 2014. (Photo: Army)

Army Times: Exosuits, robot arms and mini subs: This is the military's future

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency filled the courtyard at the Pentagon on May 11 with a variety of exhibitions at its annual DARPA Demo Day, giving the defense community and media a chance to see the next steps to maintain supremacy on the battlefield.

Here are some highlights:

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WNU Editor: I would add drones, drones, and more drones.

Will Russian Soldiers Be Fighting Using Exoskeletons In 5 Years?

Fiscal Times: Yikes! Putin Will Soon Have Superhuman Robo-Soldiers!

It may not be sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads, but for a leader bent on expanding his global sphere of influence, an army of soldiers equipped with mind-controlled robotic exoskeletons may be the next best thing. According to Russian media, that’s just what President Vladimir Putin’s army has in the pipeline.

On Wednesday, the headline on the government-run Sputnik News website was, “Lock and Load: Russian Hybrid Robo-Soldiers Could Be Just Five Years Away.” Russia Today, the equally servile outlet aimed at English speakers led with “Iron Man mass production? Russian army may get combat exoskeletons by 2020.” Even the more independent Moscow Times trumpeted, Russian Army May Have Superhuman Mind-Controlled Exoskeletons in 5 Years.

More News On Russian Development Of Military Exoskeletons

Lock and Load: Russian Hybrid Robo-Soldiers Could Be Just Five Years Away -- Spuntik
Iron Man mass-production? Russian army may get combat exoskeletons by 2020 -- RT
Russian Army May Have Superhuman Mind-Controlled Exoskeletons in 5 Years -- Moscow Times
Russia gets 'Edge of Tomorrow' style exoskeleton soldiers -- Sun Times
Russia’s Mind-Controlled Exoskeletons Could Be Used by the Military in Five Years -- Autoevolution

Army Of The Future

Army Of The future: Soldiers Will Be Able To Run At Olympic Speed And Won't Need Food Or Sleep With Gene Technology -- Daily Mail

* Pentagon scientists researching gene manipulation to build the soldiers of tomorrow
* They hope to be able to trigger the cells of injured soldiers' bodies to rebuild lost limbs

Tomorrow's soldiers could be able to run at Olympic speeds and will be able to go for days without food or sleep, if new research into gene manipulation is successful.

According to the U.S. Army's plans for the future, their soldiers will be able to carry huge weights, live off their fat stores for extended periods and even regrow limbs blown apart by bombs.

The plans were revealed by novelist Simon Conway, who was granted behind-the-scenes access to the Pentagon's high-tech Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency.

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My Comment: This story is all science fiction .... but heh .... going to the moon was once science fiction.

Telepathic Troops In 5 Years?

Fiction or reality? The film The Men Who Stare At Goats, starring George Clooney, depicts some of the mind control experiments previously used by military intelligence

Pentagon Plans For Telepathic Troops Who Can Read Each Others' Minds... And They Could Be In The Field Within Five Years -- Daily Mail

he U.S. Army is dedicating millions of research dollars into discovering building helmets to allow soldiers to telepathically communicate with one another on the battlefield.

The technology, which seems like something out of a science fiction novel, would use electrodes to pick up code words that soldiers were thinking.

Those codewords would then be transmitted back to a computer where the soldier's position and message- telling, for instance, that it is safe to progress towards a target- which would be transmitted to their peers in the field.

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My Comment: I am skeptical on this one.

What Is The US Army's Mission?

Does The US Army Have a Mission? -- John R. Deni, Atlantic Council

Judging from the media and the blogosphere, there is panic among the Army staff in the halls of the Pentagon these days, as leaders cope with dramatic cuts in force structure and a new defense strategy that appears to favor naval and air power at the expense of the country’s ground forces.

Ironically though, a careful read of the latest strategic defense guidance – the very document that set off the most recent spate of reporting on alarm within Army ranks – makes it quite clear that America’s land force has a clear, vital role to perform following the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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My Comment: From my vantage point .... aside from anti-terrorism operations, emergency situations, and the usual deterrent posture against our enemies .... I have trouble understanding on what is the overall mission for the US Army in today's world .... especially in today's world of tight budgets and fiscal cutbacks. Is a clearer focus required .... probably .... especially to explain why we must spend the money that we are spending.

What The Troops Of The Future Will Be Wearing

Fighters of the future: The groundbreaking high-tech army infantry system features communication antennas woven into its fabric

What The Troops Of The Future Will Be Wearing: High-Tech Uniform Enables Soldiers To 'See' Through The Eyes Of Colleagues On Battlefield -- The Daily Mail

A groundbreaking high-tech military system which allows every soldier in a unit to see through the eyes of any other, has been unveiled.

The new technology, which features communication antennas woven into the fabric of military uniforms, means video from a helmet-mounted camera, voice commands and GPS data can all be transmitted at once.

The system is designed to improve the awareness of a military team as a whole, allowing soldiers to see through the eyes of their team mates in real time.

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My Comment: I suspect that this will be standard issue soon .... if the military budget is still there.

The Future Of U.S. Infantry Warfare is Being Put On Hold

What’s To Become Of The Army’s High-Tech Soldier Gear? -- DoD Buzz

From “Aliens,” to video games, to TV shows, the future of infantry warfare has always been clear: Tomorrow’s soldiers will have some kind of cool eyepiece that tells them their locations and those of their compatriots; includes some kind of overall tactical picture; maps; the latest orders or messages; and enhanced vision or a FLIR-type picture. They’ll have some kind of awesome gun that shoots around corners, or fires laser beams — or both. They’ll have incredible, lightweight armor and, depending on their units, jet packs.

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My Comment: The money is not there .... hence future plans are going to be put on hold.

What Future Soldiers May Be Wearing

Future Soldiers May Be Wearing 'Iron Man' Suits -- CNN

Salt Lake City, Utah (CNN) -- A lunchtime crowd is gathering beside the parking lot at Raytheon Sarcos, the defense contractor, on a recent day in Salt Lake City. White-collar workers from nearby office parks stand with their yogurt cups and sandwiches, watching with quiet awe as a man in a metal suit -- sort of half-man, half-robot -- performs superhuman feats of strength.

This may be the closest these people will get to a real-life "Iron Man," the character from the comic books and hit movies.

Inside a prosthetic shell of metal and hydraulics, Raytheon test engineer Rex Jameson is putting an XOS-2 exoskeleton through its paces.

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My Comment: I have posted on this technology a few times before .... and the same problem persists. The energy that is needed to power this technology is not available/feasible on the battlefield for now.

What Is The U.S. Army Of The Future Going To Look Like

Lt. Col. Mark Elfendahl (left) briefs members of U.S. Army Forces Command to provide information on the new "Army Operating Concept" developed by U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. (U.S. Army)

Army's Future Looks A Lot Like The Present -- Washington Times

Generals are often accused of planning to fight the last war, but the Army is making a virtue of it in the service's latest projections about future needs and capabilities.

"The most effective way to build capabilities for the future, we concluded, was to make a grounded projection based on what we're doing today," said Lt. Col. Mark Elfendahl of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, referring to the kind of counterinsurgency and humanitarian-relief operations in which the service is currently involved.

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My Comment: I will probably be dedicating more time to this issue in future posts. But what is my take .... cutting budget deficits and streamlining government monies will probably impact the Army's projections about future needs and capabilities more than anything else .... and for the moment there is no clear definition on what is going to happen next year let alone in the next decade.