SPECIAL FEATURE
Better Connections Assist Soldiers to Make Better Decisions Faster By Jack Midgley, Fischer Connectors Group’s Global Defense Market Leader Soldier modernization programs take on new urgency as funding priorities shift and operational demands increase. There are many challenges posed by resource constraints and changing operational environments. Defense connectivity solutions offer new capabilities and innovative, economical approaches to help soldiers and commanders at every level make better decisions faster – when observing, orienting, deciding, and acting (OODA) in unforgiving operational environments. There is no doubt that military forces worldwide are adapting their equipment and operating models to new levels of operational intensity. As the US Army Vision describes, forces are refocusing on “high-intensity conflict […] in dense urban terrain, in electronically degraded environments, and under constant surveillance.” (1) Advanced Digital Technologies Today’s modernization efforts are increasingly focused on optimizing the ability of individual soldiers and small units to share and process information using advanced digital technology. The digital “revolution in military affairs” is happening as four key technologies have matured: artificial intelligence, augmented reality, miniaturized inexpensive sensors, and efficient wearable power supplies. These four critical technologies create unprecedented demands for connections capable of handling massive amounts of data with minimal power and weight. The four revolutionary technologies are evident in the US Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), recently approved for production. IVAS needs all four technologies to deliver its full capability, and the rush is on for effective, modular solutions to complement the massive latent capability of this new system.
Figure 1: Sgt. 1st Class Edvar Chevalier tests the new Conformal Wearable Battery prototype at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in May 2019. (Photo Credit: Dan Lafontaine, C5ISR Center Public Affairs) 16
COTS Journal | October 2021
In the US, Army acquisition authorities are searching for soldier modernization solutions including “body-worn systems, hand-held devices, smart lightweight electronic com-
