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AMC demonstrates war technology on Capitol Hill

by Bruce Anderson

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 24, 2003) - Representatives from the Army Materiel Command's research facilities demonstrated technology being used by the Army in the war on terrorism March 21 at the Senate Russell Building.

The AMC experts came to the Senate building at the request of Chairman Pat Roberts of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services committee.

Gen. Paul J. Kern, AMC's commanding general, and three other Department of Defense representatives were scheduled to testify to the subcommittee after the technology demonstration. The hearing was pre-empted by other Senate activities.

The Army experts demonstrated technology being used in the War on Terrorism, including operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in Homeland Security operations. The experts also discussed projected technology improvements for use in the force that will be the end-result of Army Transformation - the Objective Force.

Among the equipment and technology demonstrated was protective body armor, the Scorpion Integrated Protection Analysis Combat Ensemble, the PackBot and various unmanned aerial vehicles.

Spc. Jason C. Ashline, 10th Mountain Division, provided a very personal demonstration of the effectiveness of the body armor. Ashline was hit in the chest by enemy fire March 2, 2002, during Operaton Anaconda in Afghanistan. The force of the impact knocked him down, but his body armor stopped the bullet. "My vest saved me from a trip to the morgue," Ashline said.

Ashline used his protective vest as part of the display and helped Roberts try the vest on.

The type of body armor that saved Ashline's life will be further improved and incorporated in the Scorpion ensemble, said Sgt. Raul A. Lopez, Operational Forces Interface Group. Lopez was with Ashline in Afghanistan when Ashline was hit.

The Scorpion ensemble is a combination of human interface, load bearing system, electronic linkages and multiple levels of protection. It is intended to increase the soldier's lethality and survivability, and should lighten the soldier's load from the current load of 100 pounds to approximately 50 pounds, Lopez said.

The PackBot is a man-portable, tracked ground vehicle being used in Afghanistan to explore caves and tunnels. It has video and audio sensors and is used as a robotic "point man" for soldiers searching dangerous areas, said Stuart H. Young, a robotics team leader at the Army Research Laboratory.

Future developments of this vehicle will enable it to keep up with soldiers in every combat environment. The PackBot will be more portable and easier to use, and will be an extension of the Objective Force warrior's organic equipment, Young said. This is planned to be one of many sensors available to the future soldier.

ARL's intent is for the future soldier to be able to operate the equipment with minimal effort, and for the robot controls and the data provided by PackBot to be available simultaneously to everyone in the unit.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles play an important role in current operations in the war against terrorism. The most common current uses are base security support, route reconnaissance and convoy security, said John C. Dugan, a contractor for U.S. Special Operations Command.

The UAVs extend a unit's ability to see their environment, enabling them to better anticipate danger. Sometimes, the mere presence of a UAV in the sky over an operation serves as a deterrent, Dugan said.

In the Objective Force, UAVs are expected to be smaller and available for use at the small-unit level.