From: "John Hurst", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Land Warrior gives platoon big advantage in field test
By Matthew Cox
FORT POLK, La. - Land Warrior has passed its first major field test,
officials say, proving the complex computer system can give infantrymen the
home-field advantage even on an unfamiliar battlefield.
Armed with the latest version of the Army's Land Warrior, a platoon of
soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division parachuted into Fort Polk on Sept.
8 to assess its performance when matched against a highly trained opposing
force at the Joint Readiness Training Center.
The exercise was part of the Joint Contingency Force Advanced Warfighting
Experiment designed to evaluate how a number of new technologies might
affect the way forces fight in the future.
The experiment, scheduled to run through Sept. 21, involves more than 4,000
soldiers from the 82nd, 10th Mountain and 4th Infantry (Mechanized)
divisions as well as a company of Marines.
Keeping in touch
Despite heavy rains and high humidity, Land Warrior's microprocessor and
built-in global positioning satellite system enabled every soldier in 2nd
Platoon, C Company, 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment to
acquire targets, navigate with precision over foreign terrain and remain in
constant contact with leaders during the intensive week of force-on-force
and live-fire operations.
"It's an enormous achievement," said program director Col. Bruce Jette. "So
far, the system has met and demonstrated all that we expected it to."
Jette had reason to be upbeat. The successful test comes just two years
after costly system failures forced a complete program overhaul.
Land Warrior's newest prototypes were delivered June 5 to Fort Bragg, N.C.
Since then, the platoon of paratroopers has been working closely with
engineers to become proficient with the system while identifying areas that
need improvement.
They learned how to access maps and graphics, locate each other and
communicate using voice and instant messaging features. While often
frustrating, the tedious training appeared to pay off quickly after the Land
Warrior platoon hit the drop zone as part of 3rd Battalion's seizure of the
airfield.
Locating the assembly area at night often is a time-consuming task for
paratroopers, who must first determine their location by using a map and
terrain association. But for soldiers armed with Land Warrior, the task
proved surprisingly simple.
Once the system was unpacked and booted up, each soldier used the heads-up
display in the eyepiece to access a pre-loaded map of the area. On it, each
soldier's location was marked, so they could all walk directly to the
assembly point.
"Approximately 45 minutes after time on target, we had 85 percent
accountability," said Sgt. 1st Class Rodney Stephens, adding normal
assemblies can take more than twice that long.
One squad was delayed after coming into contact with a sniper from the 1st
Battalion (Airborne), 509th Infantry Regiment, JRTC's opposing-force unit,
soon after landing.
"He fired about five shots and three went down," recalled Spc. Anthony
Romeo. "He was a good shot." The exercise participants used laser integrated
rifles and systems to simulate actual live fire.
Romeo said he was able to use Land Warrior to locate his squad leader's
position on the drop zone and call for help.
"I was able to talk to my squad leader and bring him into my position," he
said. "When he did come over the hill, I knew it was him and not the enemy."
Killing sniper at 300 meters
But before help could arrive, Sgt. Chad Leasure took advantage of the
thermal weapons sight mounted on his M-4 carbine to clearly ferret out the
sniper. He then "killed" the sniper at a distance of 300 meters - a feat he
said would have been impossible against a well-concealed sniper without Land
Warrior.
"There is no way I would have been able to engage him at that distance,"
Leasure said. "We had six guys with us. I think we would have all died if we
had tried to take out a sniper at that distance across an open field."
Leasure then continued his suppressive fire, until Romeo and a fellow
soldier overtook the sniper's spotter. Throughout the exercise, the
battalion commander said he was impressed at how the Land Warrior system
took the guesswork out of land navigation. That meant the platoon could
cover more ground faster than they normally would.
"It is a revolutionary change," said Lt. Col. Michael Garrett. "Now you have
an infantryman who not only knows where he is at all times, but he also
knows where his buddies are to the left and right."
Despite all the rave reviews, soldiers also are quick to point out that the
system is far from perfect. One of the main shortcomings in the $135 million
program is the radio system - unreliable at distances beyond 200 meters
depending on the terrain.
"You would think with the amount of money they spent on this thing, you
would be able to talk at greater distances," platoon sergeant Stephens said.
"If you are not in line of sight, you are not talking."
Weight lifting
Spc. Weaston Cox said he still is unsatisfied with the load-bearing harness.
In its final version, Land Warrior cannot exceed current combat loads.
"It's not so much that the weight is too much, it's just the way it's
distributed," he said. "That's what will break you down faster than anything
else."
These complaints come as no surprise to Jette.
"We have got to assure a range to the radios that is probably four to five
times greater than they are now," he said.
One aspect of communications capability that the Land Warrior has improved
upon is its ability to connect with the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and
Below, the Army's tactical Internet that provides leaders with situational
awareness of an entire battlefield.
During a live-fire exercise at JRTC's Shughart-Gordon urban terrain site,
the Land Warrior platoon sent and received several messages with Force XXI,
using a special software package the platoon leader's radio-telephone
operator carries in his system.
Evaluating tests
Results from the Land Warrior experiment will be evaluated during the next
several months. Officials then will know if the system's final version can
be fielded by the May 2003 target date, Jette said.
The final version, which officials say will be smaller and lighter, is
scheduled for company-level testing next summer.
While opinions differ on how Land Warrior should be used in the future, most
users agree it's technology that's long overdue.
"The Navy and the Air Force, they've always got something new. Being an 11B,
we don't ever get anything new," said Sgt. Horace Locklear.
"This is our time to get something new. I'm going to make it work."
Copyright 2000 Army Times Publishing Company. All Rights Reserved.
--
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Steve.
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