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Nomad system is a commander hit in Iraq

Nov- 9-2004 » Filed Under: 1/25 SBCT

[Link to Full Article]
By Dawn S. Onley, GCN Staff

As troops battled during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Army brigade commanders overseeing Stryker armored vehicles faced a problem.

They wanted constant surveillance of enemy and friendly forces, and they wanted to keep a lookout on the battlefield terrain outside their vehicles.

Until recently, that meant popping their heads out of vehicle hatches to check out the terrain, then ducking back in to view a dashboard computer showing friendly and enemy forces on a digital map compiled by the Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below battle management system.

Commanders made these checks a grueling 70 to 80 times each hour, said Bruce Westcoat, market segment manager for aerospace and defense with MicroVision Inc. of Bothell, Wash.

“Physically, it was very taxing,” Westcoat said. “Mentally, it was distracting to have to go down in the vehicle and lose the terrain view.”

But now Stryker commanders use wearable technology that lets them keep their eyes on the battlefield most of the time while patrolling dangerous terrain. The technology—a Nomad helmet-mounted device developed by Microvision—provides a see-through computer display that officials say is improving safety, accuracy and efficiency.

“Commanders cannot be two places at once, both inside and out of the vehicle,” said Capt. Brian Vile, assistant operations officer for the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry, Stryker Brigade Combat Team out of Fort Lewis, Washington. “The Nomad effectively lets him do both, not losing situational awareness of either the immediate surroundings or the bigger picture.”


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