The Army's New Land Warrior Gear: Why Soldiers Don't Like It

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http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4215715.html

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After spending 15 yearson R & D, the Pentagon is outfitting soldiers for a high-techbattlefield network designed to cut through the fog of war. PopularMechanics tests out the high-tech package and discovers why America'swireless warriors think it will slow them down in Iraq.

There's a half-billion dollarsinvested in the gear hanging off the heads, chests and backs of thesoldiers of Alpha company. Digital maps displayed on helmet-mountedeyepieces show the position of all the men in the unit as they surrounda block of concrete buildings and launch their attacks. Instead ofrelying on the hand signals and shouted orders that most infantrymenuse, Alpha company communicates via advanced, encrypted radiotransmissions with a range of up to a kilometer. It's more informationthan any soldiers have ever had about their comrades and theirsurroundings.

But as Alpha kicks in doors, rounds up terror suspects and pealsoff automatic fire in deafening six-shot bursts, not one of thesoldiers bothers to check his radio or look into the eyepiece to findhis buddies on the electronic maps. "It's just a bunch of stuff wedon't use, taking the place of useful stuff like guns," says Sgt. JamesYoung, who leads a team of four M-240 machine-gunners perched on abalcony during this training exercise at Fort Lewis, Wash. "It makesyou a slower, heavier target."

Since the late 1990s, the U.S. military has pushed hard to linkevery vehicle, every sensor and every soldier in a sprawling intranetfor combat. The objective of this network-centric warfare: Boostbattlefield communication and situational awareness