Hypersonic tests, modernization top Army budget request
"We're totally integrated, whether we've tested the next-generation squad weapons or the [Integrated Visual Augmentation System]," McCarthy said. "It is a Marine-Soldier-centered design on these weapons systems; we're investing jointly."
"This is going to change the way our combat Soldiers, Marines, or Special Forces can rehearse for missions and their ability to go and do it," McConville said, regarding the IVAS goggles. "It's like an iPhone capability compared to a dial-up phone."
"We have Marines and Special Forces training on our systems," McConville added, "[The IVAS] makes a huge difference, along with the next-generation combat weapons."
The next generation squad weapons can go through anything on the battlefield out to roughly 600 meters, McConville said. The Army requested more than $111 million to field the new NGSW by 2023.
"It's pretty amazing how fast [the next-generation weapons are] developing, and it'll be more amazing when they link into the IVAS system," McCarthy said, "We're watching people with marksmanship much greater than they would ever have with it with an iron sight."
The IVAS goggles have been under testing and development since 2018, are capable of facial recognition, language translation, augmented-reality training, biometrics, and can link up with a weapons sensor. They are expected to be fielded by fiscal 2021.
https://www.army.mil/article/233397/hyp ... et_request
CCDC's Road Map to Modernizing the Army: Soldier lethality (2. Januar 2020)
Researchers at the C5ISR Center are exploring improvements in silicon-anode technologies to support lightweight batteries, including the Conformal Wearable Battery, a thin, flexible, lightweight battery that can be worn on a Soldier's vest to power electronics. Silicon-anode technologies can double the performance and duration of currently fielded batteries for dismounted Soldiers. Early prototypes of the updated silicon-anode battery delivered the same amount of energy with a 29 percent reduction in volume and weight.
Our researchers are integrating the silicon-anode battery with the Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), a high-priority battlefield heads-up display that uses augmented reality to help Soldiers train. The C5ISR Center plans to use 200 silicon-anode battery prototypes during an IVAS Soldier touch point exercise in July 2020, which will be the first operational demonstration to showcase the battery.
The C5ISR Center is developing a centralized power source for small-arms weapons for the Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon program. The new weapon will have increased capabilities and as a result will require more power than the current baseline system. A power and data rail will enable Soldiers to power any weapon-mounted device, similar to a cellphone charging pad. Electricity will run along the rail and enable power to go to standardized contacts, eliminating the need for Soldiers to manage or carry multiple power sources. Currently, separate batteries are required for each device, including scopes, range finders and thermal sights; with a power and data rail, Soldiers will not have to manage battery swaps since one battery will provide the necessary power for any device.
The Next Generation Squad Weapon project consolidates ammunition and weapons as well as a power and data rail for integration of next-generation fire control systems. The overall system, which was designed to show advanced technologies and serve as a replacement for the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, provides a lightweight cased and telescoped cartridge with greater lethality than the current, fielded squad automatic weapons and at a much lighter weight than the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The 6.8 mm bullet, designed in-house, provides greater lethality and range than the Army's current 5.56 mm bullets. This technology was transitioned to the Project Manager (PM) for Soldier Lethality (formerly the Project Manager for Soldier Weapons) within the Program Executive Office for Soldier in fiscal year 2019.
The Armaments Center will continue to design follow-on bullet types in direct support of Soldier operations in its Next Generation Family of Ammunition project, which has multiple technology transitions through fiscal year 2023.
The Squad Combat Optic Performance Enhancement science and technology project is the Armaments Center's solution for a next-generation primary optic and fire control, similar in capability to a targeting system on a combat vehicle but at a fraction of the size. The system consists of a direct-view optic with an augmented reality overlay, a steerable laser range finder, a daylight and thermal digital weapons camera, and a controller designed to reduce aim error and increase probability of hit. The Armaments Center will use data collected from various Soldier touch points to influence follow-on designs with industry. This technology is slated to transfer to PM Soldier Lethality in mid-fiscal year 2020.
https://www.army.mil/article/231403/ccd ... _lethality
https://www.army.mil/article/230034/sol ... _exercises
https://www.army.mil/article/230214/sol ... ernization