ARMY FUTURES COMMAND PROMOTING FORCE MODERNIZATION
COLLABORATING AT THE SPEED OF RELEVANCE
The Army’s ability to operate seamlessly and swiftly across multiple domains is critical. Winning on future battlefields will demand embracing and owning battlefield complexity at speeds inconceivable even a few zeptoseconds ago.
By Dr. Shawn M. Walsh, Combat Capabilities Development Command-Army Research Laboratory
Maj. Ryan Collins (right), the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) signal officer, and Staff Sgt. Robert Carter, a satellite communications operator, troubleshoot a satellite antenna during a training exercise. Collins was awarded the Army Special Operations Forces Communicator of the Year award for significant contributions towards the special operations force mission of providing command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) support in both garrison and tactical environments. (Photo by Spc. Austin Pope)
On May 2, 2011, the Navy SEALs raided Osama bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan as part of a highly planned and coordinated mission known as Operation Neptune Spear. As they entered the compound, the Navy SEALs were being protected and enabled by “Big Army” technology at every step of their critical and historic mission. One example? The Future Assault Shell Technology (FAST) helmet, manufactured by OpsCore and fielded by the Special Operations Forces (SOF). This includes the FAST Maritime helmet, specifically fielded to the Navy SEALs. CCDC’s Army Research Laboratory and Soldier Center, in collaboration with PEO Soldier, industry, and the Army ManTech office, had developed the foundational material and manufacturing science that would disruptively enhance ballistic mass efficiency to
4 | Armor & Mobility | May/June 2019
make the FAST helmet possible. Shedding weight without compromising required ballistic protection allowed the Navy SEALs to co-locate other technologies and “optional extras” on the FAST Maritime helmet, collectively providing a potent suite of integrated tactical capability. This simple example offers at least three enduring insights as the Army Futures Command (AFC) and SOF prepare warfighters for the complexities of the future battlefield. The first is the strategic value of collaboration between AFC and the diverse SOF community. “We have seen the Special Operations community excel across the broad spectrum of operations in the most demanding, complex and uncertain environments imaginable. We want to model that spirit in the way we conceive, develop and transition cutting edge technology to the
www.tacticaldefensemedia.com