Much progress has been made with the Land Warrior (LW) program and the Future Force Warrior. During the year, 587 kits have been delivered and tested by the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Ft. Lewis. LW assemblies, include helmet mounted display and headset, soldier control unit, wearable computer, voice/data radio providing tactical internet connectivity, navigation module and GPS antenna and a rechargeable battery. Other LW elements are installed on the weapon, including a multifunction laser, daylight video sight and user controls. One of the new systems introduced at AUSA 06 was the “Fusion” element, developed by Computer Science Corp. (CSC). This wearable assembly combines the computer, navigation, helmet interface and soldier control unit, into a single ergonomic unit. Fusion 1.0 weighs 1.5 pounds (680 gr.) compared to 4.2 pounds (1.9 kg) aggregate weight of the four separate systems it replaces. Land Warrior kits are expected to enter service with current force Stryker Brigade combat teams in 2007 and 2008.
Extending LW capabilities to the Stryker vehicles, Mounted Warrior program is providing the Stryker’s commander and driver with direct interfaces to the electronic systems on board, including FBCB2, driver’s vision enhancer (DVE) and remote weapon station (RWS). This integration contributes to their situational awareness, enabling communications with other mounted warrior and crewmembers. Future enhancement will introduce micro-climate cooling system, similar to those used with Air Warrior suits. A key element in the program is the Mounted Warrior helmet, comprising color OLED micro-display, and advanced audio headset.
The system uses new cordless communications system, based on Telephonics’ TruLink data relay connecting crew members to the vehicle’s systems through a wearable wireless modem, transferring data at rates up to 72 Kb/sec. TruLink supports both voice and data, enabling hands free operation in high noise environments. The system also utilizes the Theramite Tactical Visual Computer (TVC) from Quantum 3D. The system establishes intercom functions with the crew members, and external communications, via push-to-talk radio. TrueLink provides access to low-frame rate video (10 fps) processed from sensor video, showing targeting and surveillance images from the driver’s vision enhancement systems, remotely controlled weapon stations, remote sensors or C2 applications such as FBCB2.
