(ORDO NEWS) — The US Army continues to implement the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) project – an “augmented vision system”, in other words, high-tech goggles for close combat – primarily for infantry.
They allow soldiers to see in the dark and around corners, while digital terrain maps and other data are projected directly onto the glass.Like combat pilot helmets, IVAS goggles project additional information, such as maps, directly into the fighter’s field of vision.
The IVAS system is able to connect to multi-directional cameras that are mounted “on the armor”. By receiving this video stream, the glasses allow the crews of Bradley or Stryker combat vehicles to see as if through the hull and view the entire battlefield without interference.
“Now the guys don’t have to go outside in a dangerous situation to get a better view of what’s going on,” says Sergeant Philip Barthel of the Stryke IFV combat team. – You can manage a team and get accurate images of targets while staying safe under the protection of your vehicle’s armor. Such decisions will further reduce losses and can radically change the way the battle is fought as a whole, and increase combat effectiveness.
The IVAS system traces its lineage to helmet-mounted indicators used by military pilots. Any data can also be projected onto the surface of the new glasses, including maps, video stream, images from night vision devices.
Modern soldiers are already actively using such information, but IVAS opens up much faster and more convenient access to it, and right on the battlefield. Instead of rummaging through your pockets looking for a map, for example, it can be displayed on a digital screen without even taking your eyes off the target.
IVAS is also designed for use with infrared “night” sights, which are mounted on military small arms. By pointing the rifle in the right direction, you can not look around the corner, not rise from cover and not expose yourself to enemy fire – and at the same time you should carefully consider what is happening. In addition, soldiers can connect to the video stream from the cameras of the drones working side by side with them.
The glasses allow you to replay the entire operation, showing the soldier his own avatar against the background of what was happening around.
According to a report submitted in 2020, the US military is already using the new system in training. Soldiers equipped with IVAS practiced clearing a room from six rooms pre-equipped with mock targets. In this case, airsoft rifles and trackers are used.
After each “run”, the commander and soldiers analyze all the maneuvers, the shots fired, each hit and miss. And IVAS glasses allow you to reproduce the entire operation again, showing the soldier his own virtual avatar against the background of what was happening around.
The system is also considered very promising for the military, who land on the battlefield in armored vehicles. Today, they remain in a steel box, isolated from the outside world, and, at best, on a small screen on which the video feed is broadcast.
Getting out, they have a poor idea of what is happening and are forced to look around and orient themselves, quickly adapting to the terrain, determining the position of the enemy, etc. – this time can be drastically reduced if you use IVAS, transferring the image of the battlefield to the glass of your goggles along the way to the site, in real time.
Judging by the available data, by 2022 the Pentagon was going to spend about 1.1 billion dollars to equip all the soldiers who need it with the new system.
When passing through the upper house of parliament, this item of expenditure was cut by 20%. However, many of the technical problems referred to by the congressmen were quickly resolved. Therefore, soon all the US military will be able to receive a special “combat vision”.
A few more innovations on the battlefield:
Smart sights. The Pentagon is testing Israel‘s SMASH system, a portable “infantry” version of the computers that control the aiming of tank guns.
The sight is mounted on a rifle or carbine, can use the built-in night vision function and a ballistic computer. It is enough to place the target in the crosshairs of the pointer and pull the trigger – the smart system will control the shots, making only those that will send the bullet exactly to its destination.
Jetpacks. The Pentagon is competing to develop a portable personal air mobility system that will allow soldiers to conduct reconnaissance, search and rescue, rapid deployment to the battlefield and rapid evacuation, and special missions.
It is not yet clear what such a technique will look like – perhaps in the form of a combination of jetpacks, gliders, wingsuits, etc. According to plans, it will allow you to stay in flight at altitudes from low to medium and at a distance of up to 10 km.
Warm bandages. As the Arctic grows in economic and strategic importance, so does the need to equip soldiers for operations in extreme cold. One of the main problems remains the warming of hands, which suffer from frost in the first place.
To do this, the US military has developed battery-powered wide bracelets that are worn on the wrists, warming the blood flowing to the fingers. This allows you to use relatively thin gloves and work more efficiently.
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