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The highs and lows of high-tech

May- 3-2004 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT

[Link to Full Article] Updated Reminder PBS special
By Alan Boyle
Science editor
MSNBC
Updated: 6:27 p.m. ET May 03, 2004

PBS documentary analyzes impact on U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq
Computer networks and satellite technology have revolutionized the way battles are being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan — but there are limits to the revolution. “Battle Plan Under Fire,” a “Nova” documentary premiering on PBS Tuesday, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the gee-whiz of modern warfare as well as the potential pitfalls that face America's high-tech soldiers. ...

...One instrument of transformation is the Stryker armored vehicle, which saw its first battlefield deployment in Iraq. "Battle Plan Under Fire" provides an eye-opening look at the Stryker's high-tech interior: a state-of-the-art video system, night-vision imagers, screens for displaying troop coordinates, and a satellite uplink that connects each vehicle to the military Internet.

"I can look at where I'm at, where they're at, where I want them to go and post graphics on my system, which is instantaneously visible on theirs," Army Col. Michael Rounds, commander of the first Stryker brigade in Iraq, says on the program. "That's tremendously powerful."


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