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| Science & Technology |
| The Army is testing a next-generation poncho liner that can hide a soldier's heat signature from the enemy |
| 2020-02-05 |
| [Mil.com via Task & Purpose] U.S. Army and British soldiers will participate in a force-on-force experiment next month to test out battlefield techs ranging from thermal-defeating woobies to exoskeleton knee braces. The Maneuver Battle Lab at Fort Benning, Georgia, will host the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments (AEWE) 2020 from Feb. 4 to March 17. A platoon of British soldiers will join two platoons from Benning's Experimental Company to fight against an opposing force (OPFOR) made up of a platoon from the 4th Infantry Division in an effort to create a realistic environment for evaluating dozens of prototype technologies, such as unmanned aerial systems, communications gear and sophisticated sensors. "All units, including the OPFOR, will have advanced capabilities, so what we are trying to replicate is not only what an opposing force might have now, but what they might have in the future," Eddie Davis, director of the Maneuver Battle Lab, told Military.com. "It kind of levels the playing field because other armies are getting advanced to a certain degree, so we want to make sure we are fighting a challenging threat." One piece of kit soldiers will test is a thermal-signature defeating blanket similar to the beloved poncho liner or soldier "woobie." "That is kind of what intrigues us because we have looked at thermal-defeating blankets, as a loose term in the past, and they have worked, but they were very rigid, very difficult to carry," Davis said. "So this could potentially serve as similar thing you do with a poncho liner and also have thermal-defeating capability. That is interesting to us. It gives us the ability to hide ourselves from the thermal signature, which is pretty deadly," he added. The experiment will also evaluate unmanned aerial systems that have been modified to transport blood to forward areas for emergency medical treatment. "To deliver blood on the battlefield -- it's very sensitive to temperature ... so this is just showing an application that says if you have a drone available that we could get whole blood to the forward edge of the battlefield," Davis said, adding that Benning looked at a similar technology during last year's AEWE. "Last year, we got three days where it kept it the temperature within the band of acceptability, so that is interesting," he said. Throughout the exercise, soldiers will also have a limited number of pneumatic exoskeleton braces, made by Roam Robotics, for the knee and ankle that are designed to increase performance and reduce fatigue while running, climbing or carrying heavy loads. "We are making exoskeletons in a different way and, as opposed to the metals and motors that dominate traditional machines, we are making new devices that are primarily made out of fabrics and plastics," according to a promotional video on the firm's website. "The concept is really simple -- power is good and weight is bad. We can add more power for less weight than any machine we have seen to date." |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #8 Shoulda just watched Predator Thin layer of mud on your skin... with your mouth and eyes exposed... yeah. Not a good idea against IR. Under several inches of watery mud, with a breathing tube... that will work! |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2020-02-05 20:30 |
| #7 The best way is to either use a lot of leaves and sticks over you or mud/water. Shoulda just watched Predator |
| Posted by: Frank G 2020-02-05 17:03 |
| #6 I would think those aluminum foil looking sleeping bags would hide your signature pretty well. They can, kinda. Does stop showing a body, but you will see heat leakage from the open ends. It will look like someone hiding under a blanket. The best way is to either use a lot of leaves and sticks over you or mud/water. With an emergency blanket over you, covered in a several inch layer of leaves and branches you will be very hard to see on thermals. But that is also why police use dogs in tandem with thermals. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2020-02-05 15:29 |
| #5 I would think those aluminum foil looking sleeping bags would hide your signature pretty well. Make the lining out of that and your big concern might be overheating. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2020-02-05 13:57 |
| #4 I love my woobie. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2020-02-05 12:24 |
| #3 Why The Woobie Is The Greatest Military Invention Ever Fielded |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2020-02-05 11:56 |
| #2 The Woobie is forever. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2020-02-05 01:21 |
| #1 Still use mine. A bit tattered, but not bad after 40+ years. Best piece of gear I've ever been issued. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2020-02-05 00:07 |