WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jun. 26, 2008) -- Soldiers in Infantry
Brigade Combat Teams now get the first crack at Future Combat System
technology, Army officials said during a news conference at the
Pentagon June 26.
That capability, initially meant to be delivered first to Heavy Brigade
Combat teams, will now be delivered to IBCTs by fiscal year 2011 --
three years earlier than previously planned.
The changes come after Army studies showed it was infantry units who
were highest in demand in Afghanistan and Iraq, and infantry units with
the most capability requests.
"As a result of capability gaps found in these IBCTs, the Army is
accelerating the FCS complementary programs to provide capability to
infantry units first," said Lt. Gen. Michael A. Vane, director of the
Army Capabilities Integration Center. "These capabilities will increase
their capability and survivability in offense, defense and stability
operations."
Included in the equipment meant to be fielded to Soldiers is the
Tactical and Urban Unattended Ground Sensors, the Non Line of
Sight-Launch System, the Class I Unmanned Airial Vehicle, the Small
Unmanned Ground Vehicle and network kits for the Humvee platform.
Also closely associated with this initial 2011 spinout of FCS equipment
will be the Ground Soldier Ensemble. Though the ensemble is not part of
the FCS lineup, it does contribute to Soldier effectiveness, and it
will be accelerated so it can coincide with the FCS spinout.
"A key part of this is enabling the Soldier, so part of this decision
is to take the Ground Soldier Ensemble -- the kit that enables the
Solder to be brought into the network -- to bring that developmental
timeline in line with the FCS program," said Lt. Gen. N. Ross Thompson
III, military deputy to the acting assistant secretary of the Army for
acquisition, logistics and technology.
Thompson also said the change in schedule would not change FCS program costs.
Lt. Gen. Stephen M. Speakes, deputy chief of staff for programs and
Army G8, said the change will have a dramatic affect on the way
Soldiers today can fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"This re-evaluation is based on seven years of sustained combat," he
said. "We believe that the change materially improves upon the
capabilities we will provide to Soldiers, and has direct relevance to
the current war fight."
An
Army Evaluation Task Force Soldier at Fort Bliss conducts training with
an unattended ground sensor, or UGS. Both Tactical and Urban Unattended
Ground Sensors, both part of Future Combat Systems equipment, are
expected to be fielded to infantry Soldiers by 2011, as part of an FCS
acceleration announced June 26 at the Pentagon. Photo by TRADOC
Source and credits : http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/06/26/10395-fcs-capability-accelerated-for-infantry/
|
