EQUIPPING THE FUTURE FORCE WARRIOR

摘要

Jean-louis de gay, equipment specialist with the future force warrior programme, us army, describes how the capabilities of us soldiers are being enhanced - from the weapons they carry to the boots on their feet. Crunch-time for the US Government's Future Force Warrior programme is drawing ever closer. The first elements of the programme, which is designed to re-equip and enhance the power of the individual US soldier, are on the verge of coming into service. The progress of the whole programme -a crucial element of the US Army's strategic Future Combat Systems programme - and its implementation are being coordinated by the US Army's Natick Soldier Center in Maryland. The five main elements in the Future Force Warrior programme are: lethality (or weapons); survivability; sensors and communications; power (which is designed to ensure that every soldier can operate in the field with out resupply for at least 24 hours); and mobility. The full set of equipment for the Future Force Warrior is expected to come into service in 2010 and to remain in service until 2020. 'What we're aiming for is to make the US soldier an F16 [the current US combat jet] on legs,' says Jean-Louis 'Dutch' De Gay, an equipment specialist at the US Army Natick Soldier Center. The idea is that the Future Force Warrior will be able to project and focus the military power of a jet on his or her adversaries. Not only will the Future Force Warrior be better equipped and protected, s/he will also be able to communicate better with comrades and commanders.