Rugged on the Move
The latest in handheld GPS computing is providing warfighters with software capability without the hardware liability. By Chad Samuels, A&M Editor
Size Matters It’s not uncommon for today’s warfighter to lug nearly 80 pounds of equipment into the field. This can limit agility, contribute to fatigue, and ultimately diminish situational awareness. With this in mind, Rockwell Collins engineers began developing a new Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that weighs only 6.5 ounces. Providing dismounted soldiers with real-time position, navigation, moving maps and timing information on a full-color touch screen display, the MicroDAGR GPS is small enough to be worn on the wrist, attached to a lanyard, or placed in a pocket. The receiver is powered by 2 AA batteries and initially features a 3D compass, microSD card for storage/memory, ruggedized military design and L1 frequency capability that utilizes military only secure GPS signals with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities provided by the latest Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM). Designed in response to feedback from soldiers in the field, the MicroDAGR will incorporate future enhancements to include a MP3 player and a digital camera. These features will allow soldiers to record geo-rectified images of the battlefield for after-action review and analysis and listen to foreign language translations of important commands and phrases. “Soldiers sometimes have to leave behind critical items – such as water – in order to reduce the weight that they’re carrying,” said John Borghese, vice president of the Advanced Technology Center in our Engineering and Technology organization. “We knew we could help by providing them with a GPS receiver that weighed far less.”
32 | Armor & Mobility July 2010
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