GREATEST INVENTIONS OF 2011
THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO WORK AS A TEAM AND INTEGRATE ALL OF THE SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY IN A WAY THAT REDUCES THE BURDEN ON THE SOLDIER IS REALLY HOW WE ACHIEVE THIS LEAP FORWARD IN CAPABILITY.
the 1990s, but with the immediate need in Iraq, the Army could not wait for further development, testing, and integration. Te Level 2 Manned-Unmanned (L2MUM) Teaming for the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter is a real-time system that can receive encrypted and unencrypted video and metadata in the common bands within a long range. Based on technology originally devel- oped for the AH-64 Apache helicopter, the software provides
the user with
UAS location on a standard Falcon view moving map display along with the meta- data, which provides better and quicker situational awareness farther from the target and the engagement than was possible before.
L2MUM allows for specific aviation attack assets to see and understand strate- gic objectives. L2MUM also provides and receives intelligence to and from various ground elements, and tactically enables destruction efforts on specific targets.
“Putting together a qualified production package required enterprise-wide com- mitment and cooperation to meet this critical
operational demand,” Merritt
said. “PM Apache, PM UAS, and the Avi- ation Applied Technology Directorate [of AMRDEC] worked together diligently to put together a technical package that was integrated and qualified quickly and sent to combat operations.”
PELVIC PROTECTION SYSTEM In response to an increased threat
to
dismounted Soldiers from buried impro- vised explosive devices (IEDs) in the war theater, Product Manager Soldier Pro- tective Equipment at PEO Soldier now provides them with the Pelvic Protection System (PPS), which helps prevent seri- ous injuries to the pelvis, femoral arteries, and lower abdominal organs from a blast or small fragmentation threat. It also limits the amount of sand and debris that can penetrate wounds sustained from IEDs, which can result in complications and serious infections.
“Tere were a lot of significant injuries, and very traumatic injuries occurring to Soldiers in the lower extremity area,” said LTC Frank Lozano, Product Manager Soldier Protective Equipment. “It’s very traumatic, very heartbreaking, when Soldiers go through those types of events,
Te solution designed for the Apache heli- copter was called Video from Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Interoperability Team – Level 2, or VUIT-2. L2MUM is a refined version of this capability. Mer- ritt said that a typical comment received from a warfighter about the system was,
“VUIT in the AH-64s makes it ridicu- lously powerful.” He added, “It is clear that this capability brings a huge leap in capability to the Army.”
and they are very young, and then they come home and they are not able to have children.”
Te PPS, which was rapidly fielded in 2011 to support evaluations and Soldier assessments, is a two-tiered system. Te first tier, worn close to the body, is the Protective Under Garment, resembling bicycle shorts. It
” is made of a breath-
able, moisture-wicking material. Te Protective Outer Garment, worn over the combat uniform, is made of ballistic material similar to the soft panels in the IOTV that provides added protection to the inner thighs, femoral artery, and groin.
Beyond protecting troops from wounds, pelvic undergarments
can support
morale, said Jim Martin, a sociologist at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and a retired Army colonel. As USA Today quoted Martin in an April 2, 2012, arti- cle, “It [the PPS] conveys a very strong message on the part of the Army and gov- ernment to give you the best equipment possible, that they’re not just concerned about executing the mission but your safety and well-being, too.”
Soldier feedback has helped the Army make the garments lighter and more breathable. “When you’re wearing some- thing close to your skin in 100-degree temps,
sometimes those minor adjust- ments go a long way,” said Lozano.
96
Army AL&T Magazine
January–March 2013
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