Skip to content


JETS: Not Just a Need, Now a Reality

JETS

Since its inception, Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier has placed state-of-the-art targeting equipment into the hands of the dismounted Soldier.  At the same time, we continue to work with our joint partners in the USMC, USAF and SOCOM to make our targeting equipment lighter and more useful to the Forward Observers and Controllers in the field.  In December 2009, PEO Soldier formalized this long term collaboration with the establishment of a ground breaking program, the Joint Effects Targeting System (JETS).

The JETS is a US Army, US Air Force & USMC program to develop and field a one-man portable targeting system.  The JETS will provide the dismounted Joint Forward Observers and Joint Tactical Air Controllers a lightweight, highly accurate targeting system that will allow target engagements with Precision Munitions (e.g., JDAM and Excaliber) and the digital connectivity to request and control indirect fires and close air support from all joint assets.

Bottom Line: The JETS will reduce friendly fire and collateral damage by improving the ability of the Soldiers to differentiate between enemy combatants and non-combatants, accurately and reliably locate targets while interfacing with Blue Force tracking systems and overhead surveillance assets to improve situational awareness.

The JETS is a system of systems comprised of two major subcomponents: the Target Location Designation System (TLDS) and the Target Effects Coordination System (TECS).  The TLDS will provide the dismounted Soldier with the ability to rapidly acquire, identify, accurately locate and designate targets for attack by precision and non-precision weapons.  Also, the TLDS will bring the dismounted Soldier the level of accuracy normally associated with mounted systems.

The TECS, used in conjunction with the TLDS, provides the means to transmit targeting data to the digital fires network. This facilitates requests for fires and close air support, and provides the ability to control those engagements, through digital communications with attack aircraft.  The TECS will enable an Army Joint Forward Observer (JFO)/Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) operating with a Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) to request and control USAF Close Air Support (CAS) in support of his unit, and vice versa.

Are you feeling lost yet? Let us try to break it down for you. In an operational environment, the Soldier first identifies their location and their target, and are able to engage. Then, the TECS stores and transmits that data and calls for fire to the various battle command systems. The data is then processed, and support is allocated to the appropriate engagement option (for example, Naval Surface Fires). Finally, the JETS supports precision guided munitions for first round fire and guided delivery to the target.

To reiterate, the JETS will reduce friendly fire and collateral damage by improving the ability of the Soldiers to differentiate between enemy combatants and non-combatants, accurately and reliably locate targets while interfacing with Blue Force tracking systems and overhead surveillance assets to improve situational awareness.  The JETS will also be significantly lighter than existing systems of similar capability, allowing small units to have access to precision targeting even in rugged mountainous terrain.

Posted in Sensors and Lasers.

Tagged with , .


Looking at 2009

Before we get too  far into the new year, I’d like to take a look back at the accomplishments of PEO Soldier in 2009.

First and foremost this years was for PEO Soldier to ramp up its online presence with a  remodeled website and a slew of new ways to communicate. In the space of a few short weeks, the terms “Twitter,” “Facebook,” and “blogs” entered the office lexicon and have quickly become a key part of our  outreach efforts. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without our readers, so a special thank you for sticking with us!

Soldier Protection

The year 2009 also saw major changes in the ways we protect our Soldiers. In order to best serve Soldiers operating in Afghanistan and to give their commanders more choices in how to carry out their missions, we purchased a new plate carrier.The plate carrier provides Soldiers with vital protection at a reduced weight.  The Soldier Plate Carrier  System has been issued to deploying Soldiers in the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne Divisions is now being fielded to Soldiers in theater. We are confident it will be a force multiplier, giving Soldiers greater flexibility to operate in tough terrain.
PEO Soldier also focused intently on the processes behind its body armor, standing up Task Force Soldier Protection to conduct a comprehensive review of body armor testing and quality control to deal with issues surrounding the body armor given to Soldiers. The task force  worked tirelessly through the spring and helped pave the way for the new Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment (PM SPIE) to institutionalize improvements in the acquisition and testing of all Soldier protective equipment.
PM SPIE also marked a major new development with the initial fielding of the T-11 parachute, the first major improvement to Soldiers’ personnel parachute system in a half-century, and the Army Combat Uniform, launching a scientific exploration of camouflage alternatives in Afghanistan.


Soldier Sensors and Lasers

Another major accomplishment of 2009 was standing up Soldier Sensors and Lasers (SSL) as a Project Manager (PM) organization. Before that, PM SSL had been a subordinate organization. However, there became a distinct need for this organization to become its own entity after recognizing the importance of providing these advanced sensor capabilities to Soldiers. This office is headed by COL Stephanie Foster, a new face to PEO Soldier who has helped define the agenda of PM SSL to include a broader appreciation of what the PM provides for the Soldiers: “Beyond Own the Night: See and Win the Fight!”
First and foremost among the developments coming out of PM SSL this year was the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle (ENVG), a new piece of Soldier technology to improve vision during day, night, or any environmental situation where vision is obscured. The ENVG combines the night-vision capabilities of an image-intensification system, which magnifies low levels of ambient light, and of infrared, which shows heat in bold contrast to the background. With this system, Soldiers are given better situational awareness to target more accurately and to see clearly in more environments.


Soldier Warrior

Two years ago, PEO Soldier oversaw the first ever equipping of Land Warrior, a revolutionary system that connects Soldiers to the digital network and gives them new tools for communication and navigation in hostile environments. In 2009, a new variant of the system called “Land Warrior Strike” was sent to Afghanistan with the 5-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team. This was a major milestone in the history of Land Warrior, since it has now seen use in both Operation Iraqi and Operation Enduring Freedom, providing vital lessons for the development of the Ground Soldier System (GSS), the future digital situational awareness system.
PM Soldier Warrior (PM SWAR), the organization that directly oversees the development of Land Warrior, also welcomed a new face this year with COL Stephen M. Rogers , who has taken responsibility for the development of Mounted Soldier Systems  (MSS). MSS is a Soldier-worn system that provides communication and situational awareness capabilities to combat vehicle commanders. The addition of COL Rogers to the MSS team demonstrates how far this program has come, as well as the importance the Army places on providing all Soldiers with the best equipment available.
Weapons
2009 was certainly a memorable year for the PM Weapons, which saw major advancements in improving reliability and lightening Soldier load. However, no weapon has attracted as much interest  as the XM25 Counter Defildade Engagement System. The XM25 received its safety release in 2009, enabling it to be shoulder fired by a Soldier for the first time. This exciting milestone lead to the system’s appearances in venues such as Time, Popular Science, Wired.com, and CNN. The coverage is well deserved, as this weapon will soon provide Soldiers a decisive advantage on the battlefield by enabling them to defeat enemies hiding behind cover – a truly revolutionary capability.

Like every year, 2009 was a very busy one for PEO Soldier. We faced many obstacles, but never lost sight of our promise to provide today’s Soldiers with the best gear available. In the coming year, we’re sure that there will be even greater challenges, but also equally worthwhile rewards.
That’s our take on 2009. How do you think we did? Leave a comment!

// bw + bsl && x + aw – ah / 2 – cw >= bsl )
{ c.style.left = x + aw – ah / 2 – cw; }
else
{ c.style.left = x + ah / 2; }
if (y + ch + ah / 2 > bh + bst && y + ah / 2 – ch >= bst )
{ c.style.top = y + ah / 2 – ch; }
else
{ c.style.top = y + ah / 2; }
c.style.visibility = “visible”;
} } }
function msoCommentHide(com_id)
{
if(msoBrowserCheck())
{
c = document.all(com_id);
if (null != c && null == c.length)
{
c.style.visibility = “hidden”;
c.style.left = -1000;
c.style.top = -1000;
} }
}
function msoBrowserCheck()
{
ms = navigator.appVersion.indexOf(”MSIE”);
vers = navigator.appVersion.substring(ms + 5, ms + 6);
ie4 = (ms > 0) && (parseInt(vers) >= 4);
return ie4;
}
if (msoBrowserCheck())
{
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomanchor”,”background: infobackground”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomoff”,”display: none”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”visibility: hidden”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”position: absolute”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”top: -1000″);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”left: -1000″);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”width: 33%”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”background: infobackground”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”color: infotext”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”border-top: 1pt solid threedlightshadow”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”border-right: 2pt solid threedshadow”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”border-bottom: 2pt solid threedshadow”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”border-left: 1pt solid threedlightshadow”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”padding: 3pt 3pt 3pt 3pt”);
document.styleSheets.dynCom.addRule(”.msocomtxt”,”z-index: 100″);
}
// ]]>

Before we get too [P1] far into the new year, I’d like to take a look back at the accomplishments of PEO Soldier in 2009.

First and foremost this years was for PEO Soldier to ramp up its online presence with a [P2] remodeled website and a slew of new ways to communicate. In the space of a few short weeks, the terms “Twitter,” “Facebook,” and “blogs” entered the office lexicon and have quickly become a key part of our [P3] outreach efforts. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without our readers, so a special thank you for sticking with us!

Soldier Protection

The year 2009 also saw major changes in the ways we protect our Soldiers. In order to best serve Soldiers operating in Afghanistan and to give their commanders more choices in how to carry out their missions, we purchased a new plate carrier.The plate carrier provides Soldiers with vital protection at a reduced weight. The Soldier Plate Carrier System has been issued to deploying Soldiers in the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne Divisions is now being fielded to Soldiers in theater. We are confident it will be a force multiplier, giving Soldiers greater flexibility to operate in tough terrain.

PEO Soldier also focused intently on the processes behind its body armor, standing up Task Force Soldier Protection to conduct a comprehensive review of body armor testing and quality control to deal with issues surrounding the body armor given to Soldiers. The task force worked tirelessly through the spring and helped pave the way for the new Project Manager Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment (PM SPIE) to institutionalize improvements in the acquisition and testing of all Soldier protective equipment.

PM SPIE also took the first jump with the T-11 parachute, the first major improvement to Soldiers’ personnel parachute system in a half-century, and the Army Combat Uniform, launching a scientific exploration of camouflage alternatives in Afghanistan.

Soldier Sensors and Lasers

Another major accomplishment of 2009 was standing up Soldier Sensors and Lasers (SSL) as a Project Manager (PM) organization. Before that, PM SSL had been a subordinate organization. However, there became a distinct need for this organization to become its own entity after recognizing the importance of providing these advanced sensor capabilities to Soldiers. This office is headed by COL Stephanie Foster, a new face to PEO Soldier who has helped define the agenda of PM SSL to include a broader appreciation of what the PM provides for the Soldiers: “Beyond Own the Night: See and Win the Fight!”

First and foremost among the developments coming out of PM SSL this year was the Enhanced Night Vision Goggle (ENVG), a new piece of Soldier technology to improve vision during day, night, or any environmental situation where vision is obscured. The ENVG combines the night-vision capabilities of an image-intensification system, which magnifies low levels of ambient light, and of infrared, which shows heat in bold contrast to the background. With this system, Soldiers are given better situational awareness to target more accurately and to see clearly in more environments.

Soldier Warrior

Two years ago, PEO Soldier oversaw the first ever equipping of Land Warrior, a revolutionary system that connects Soldiers to the digital network and gives them new tools for communication and navigation in hostile environments. In 2009, a new variant of the system called “Land Warrior Strike” was sent to Afghanistan with the 5-2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team. This was a major milestone in the history of Land Warrior, since it has now seen use in both Operation Iraqi and Operation Enduring Freedom, providing vital lessons for the development of the Ground Soldier System (GSS), the future digital situational awareness system.

PM Soldier Warrior (PM SWAR), the organization that directly oversees the development of Land Warrior, also welcomed a new face this year with COL Stephen M. Rogers[P4] , who has taken responsibility for the development of Mounted Soldier Systems [P5] (MSS). MSS is a Soldier-worn system that provides communication and situational awareness capabilities to combat vehicle commanders. The addition of COL Rogers to the MSS team demonstrates how far this program has come, as well as the importance the Army places on providing all Soldiers with the best equipment available.

Weapons

2009 was certainly a memorable year for the PM Weapons, which saw major advancements in improving reliability and lightening Soldier load. However, no weapon has attracted as much interest [P6] as the XM25 Counter Defildade Engagement System. The XM25 received its safety release in 2009, enabling it to be shoulder fired by a Soldier for the first time. This exciting milestone lead to the system’s appearances in venues such as Time, Popular Science, Wired.com, and CNN. The coverage is well deserved, as this weapon will soon provide Soldiers a decisive advantage on the battlefield by enabling them to defeat enemies hiding behind cover – a truly revolutionary capability.

Like every year, 2009 was a very busy one for PEO Soldier. We faced many obstacles, but never lost sight of our promise to provide today’s Soldiers with the best gear available. In the coming year, we’re sure that there will be even greater challenges, but also equally worthwhile rewards.

That’s our take on 2009. How do you think we did? Leave a comment!


[P1]Not sure why, but “deep” seems too slangy.

[P2]To avoid repeating “amp” – small point, I know …

[P3]To avoid repeating the c-word

[P4]You would know better than I, but isn’t he an O-5 Product Manager, not an O-6?

[P5]Not System?

[P6]We can equate coverage to public interest, right? I’m not sure we want to highlight media interest by itself, for an audience of Soldiers. The first firing is probably more important to them than the coverage.

Posted in From the PEO, Protection and Individual Equipment, Sensors and Lasers, Warrior Systems, Weapons.


Lithium’s the Word; so Spread the Word!

Thermal Weapon Sight

PEO Soldier would like to remind United States Army Soldiers that when it comes to your Thermal Weapon Sight’s batteries, nothing can get you through your mission like lithium batteries.

But does it really matter? After all, if you put a AA alkaline battery next to a AA lithium battery, they probably look identical. They’re the same size, shape and weight.

There is one major difference however, that can make all the difference in the field: Lithium batteries can supply over ten times the amount of energy to your Thermal Weappon Sight than regular alkalines can. That difference becomes significant during a lengthy mission when you’re depending on this weapon sight’s critical functionality and durability.

Also, when you carry lithiums, you reduce the amount of spare batteries needed for backup. Less batteries means a lighter load, and a lighter load means a more lethal, operational, and survivable Soldier.

Project Manager Soldier Sensors and Lasers is dedicated to fielding the best Sensors and Lasers in the world to today’s warfighter. Make the best even better, and confirm your brigade’s supply of lithium batteries before your next deployment.

Posted in Sensors and Lasers.

Tagged with .