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Future soldier
Charging forward
When we think of militaries and the ability to defend, one word often not far from our lips is ‘power’. Today, military chatter is increasingly dominated by that word, but not in the ‘military might’ sense – rather, the literal power to operate. As technology usage grows, meeting the increasing demand for power is ever-present. Andrew Tunnicliffe speaks with Darren Browning, senior technical lead for power at Dstl, UK MoD, to find out what the challenges are and how they might be met.
hen meticulous detail can mean the difference between life and death, asking a seemingly uncomplicated question can often elicit the most complex of answers. Take this one: ‘how much weight does a soldier carry?’ The answer? Well, that can depend on innumerable factors, but some studies from recent conflicts have shown dismounted ground combat troops carrying anywhere between 90–140lbs into combat – in other words, quite a lot.
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That weight – referred to by terms including ‘combat load’ and ‘buttload’ – has only grown for the dismounted soldier in recent years. The concept of dismounted soldiers has been around throughout history; but the roles they play and tools they use have changed dramatically. From planning and strategizing, to fighting on the frontline, technology’s influence is increasingly palpable, resulting in the fastest and most far-reaching overhaul of the soldier’s toolkit in history.
Today, soldiers have access to operational awareness and communication capabilities like nothing we’ve seen before, supported by a vast and growing catalogue of tech. These include – but are by no means limited to – rugged military tablets and communications systems, GPS-enabled devices, and body-worn cameras and sensors, as well as night- vision goggles and thermal cameras. Each of these are carried in addition to first aid kits, water and food, ammunition, armour and more.
Packing the power
Although technologies offer significant mission benefits, they come at a price – an increased load, which includes the devices and means to power them. “Not just for the dismounted soldier, but pretty much across the whole of defence, there’s been a significant increase in power and energy demand, obviously, as we start fielding more capability,” explains Darren Browning, senior technical lead for
Defence & Security Systems International /
www.defence-and-security.com 31
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