Not Alone in the Field

As the soldier darts across the street toward the building on the other side, he glances at the device on his wrist and quickly scans its LCD for any signs of enemy activity in the immediate vicinity. Seeing none, he proceeds directly to the relative safety of the deserted building. Does the ability to view what's happening around this soldier's position just by looking at a tiny monitor on his wrist sound a little futuristic to you? Can soldiers in the field now be equipped with portable systems that actually show, in real time, enemy movements within a few meters of their location? Well, yes to both questions.

What the Israeli soldier is looking at on his wrist is a Video Receiver and Monitor for Battlefield Operations, aptly dubbed V-RAMBO. The system, introduced in the second half of 2004 and offered by Tadiran Electronic Systems Ltd, part of the Elisra Group in Israel, receives and displays real-time video images from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or other airborne or ground platform. In addition to the wrist monitor, V-RAMBO includes a miniature receiver, battery, and antenna, which are carried in a jacket pouch.

Besides empowering the soldier to see and assess activities beyond his line of sight, his hands are free to fire his weapon or perform other battlefield functions. Furthermore, each soldier equipped with a V-RAMBO knows precisely the position of other troops in the immediate area. Of course, some form of positive friend-or-foe identification is needed to preclude any unwanted friendly fire.

Collecting video images from unmanned vehicles is not new; many governments have been doing it for years. Previously, the images were sent to a central location where they were displayed, collated, and then sent on to field monitors for viewing by the on-site troops. Obviously, this lag time was not conducive to a  what's-happening-now• scenario. With individual receivers, each soldier now can see, in real time, activities across the street, behind the building, or around the corner.

Extending capabilities beyond its personal monitoring system, the company recently announced a video dissemination solution designed as a drop-in element for airborne, surface, and naval platforms. The dual frequency-band Tactical Video Receiver (T-VTR) gathers and combines data from ground, sea, and air sensors. This real-time information helps commanders and troops in target tracking, situational awareness, damage assessment, over-the-hill surveillance, and all-round battlefield management support as stated in a news release posted on the Elsira Group's website. According to the chairman of the company, real-time video from multiple sources shortens the sensor-to-shooter cycle.

There is nothing more important than providing the utmost protection for soldiers involved in combat situations. But, should troops be deployed to these dangerous locations in the first place? Why not use robots? Robotic soldiers would be excellent surrogates. And controlling them would be a snap, especially for all the almost twenty somethings who grew up playing those highly interactive combat video games.