Soon, seeing what's around a corner or in a building could be as easy as
the touch of a button on a smart phone for Soldiers on the small-unit
level.
The Maneuver Center of Excellence and the Maneuver Battle Lab here, are
conducting experiments that allow platoon leaders and squad leaders to
receive real-time video and imagery from multiple unmanned aerial and
ground systems using the prototype Small Unit Leader Situational
Awareness Tool, or SULSAT.
Soldiers demonstrated the technology May 13, at the McKenna Military Operations on Urban Terrain training area here.
"It increases situational awareness and maneuverability," said Tony
Carbone, Maneuver Battle Lab data analyst. "It also increases
survivability because it allows Soldiers to use a robot to check for
IEDs."
As part of the testing, Soldiers performed reconnaissance missions, with
and without SULSAT, said James Faulkenberry, Maneuver Battle Lab
project officer.
The goal was to see what impact the prototype made in Soldiers' situational awareness on the battlefield.
One controller, the tactical robotics controller, known as a TRC,
receives imagery from the unmanned systems and sends it to the SULSAT,
Faulkenberry said.
He said the SULSAT allows the platoon leader to move throughout his
squad instead of looking over the shoulder of the unmanned aerial or
ground system operator to receive a common operational picture of the
battlefield.
"I like the capability," said Staff Sgt. Vincent Kelly of A Company, 1st
Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment, who served as the squad leader
during the testing.
"It can help clear routes and help determine which way to go," Kelly explained.
Kelly said the prototype's size is a definite plus, as it fits into a
pocket or pouch, and can be pulled out as need when conducting a
mission.
First Lt. Brandon Slusher, also of A Company, said the SULSAT provides
greater situational awareness, while allowing him to more effectively
maneuver his squads.
"You always make the best decision you can with the information you
have, and this gives me more information and greater confidence in my
decisions," Slusher said.
Another benefit of the system is that the company commander sees the
same thing the platoon sees from the unmanned systems, which results in
less radio traffic during combat operations, he said.
As the operator of the TRC, Spc. Timothy McCoy, A Company, said the
system is easy to operate and has its advantages during combat
operations.
"I can see it being especially useful if you're trying to get a foothold
in a building in village that you haven't been to before," he said.
One of the drawbacks to the prototype is its limited transmission
distance that only allows the platoon leader to be a short distance from
the TRC operator, Slusher said.
Kelly agreed with Slusher's assessment.
"It's just the little things that are going to have to get worked out," he said.
In the future, the testing conducted at the Maneuver Battle Lab will be
used to determine what tactics, techniques and procedures will be
adopted for the use of SULSAT and the hope is to eventually add the
system to the NettWarrior system for use in future operations,
Faulkenberry said.
Retrieved on 22 May 2014
http://www.army.mil/article/126412/Battle_Lab_assessing_smartphone_technology/
Written by Charles Melton
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