Future Soldier Sensors Capability Requirements, Drivers, Challenges and Gaps

By Capt O. Sylvain,

D/PD Unit STANO project

DLR 5-7-2

March 9-11, 2010

Le centre Sheraton Montreal

Montreal, Qc.

Soldier Systems Technology RoadmapC4I and Sensors workshop

• Overview• Scope• Mission• Definitions• Current Technologies• Deficiencies/Gaps• Conclusion

OUTLINEOUTLINE

Overview

• Therefore I say: • Know the enemy and know yourself; in a

hundred battles you will never be in peril.• When you are ignorant of the enemy but know

yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal.

• If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.

-Sun Tzu, The Art of War c. 500 BC

Good Red SA Good Blue SA = Information Superiority

= Lost initiative

= Bad Day

Bad Red SA Good Blue SA

Bad Red SA Bad Blue SA

Overview

• Command is the pivotal operational function, linking all other functions within a single comprehensive tactical, operational or strategic concept. But Sense enables all other functions.

Vision

• In the next 5 to 15 years, the soldier should have access to the relevant situational awareness of his zone of interest through a number of sensors, multi-layered, in-depth, and of different types, in order to accomplish DRILTE accurately and quickly without increasing weight, volume or cognitive load.

Scope

• Body-worn: Health sensors, GPS, NBC detectors

• Weapon sensors: Sights, ammo counter• STANO (Soldier surveillance Acquisition and

Night Observation) devices: Binoculars, NVG• Offboard (Unmanned Ground Vehicles, Micro-

UAV, Small Unattended Ground Sensors, Bomb-sniffing dogs)

• Combat team level: SUAV, HUMINT, ELINT• Operational level: UAV, Satellites, Mapping,

CIMIC

Mission

Soldier Icon

Section Comd Icon

Pl Comd Icon

Moving entities

Mission

• A 2 soldiers detachment from Section 3 will occupy OP Falcon Nest from 0100h D-day to 1700h D-Day in order to provide overwatch for the platoon patrol.

• OP Falcon Nest is to Recognize personel entering or leaving the village and handover those targets to Seacan 15 for Tracking.

• OP Falcon Nest is to Engage insurgents if they are Positively Identified within the village, as per theatre ROEs.

Mission map

300m

2000m

Seacan 15

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• The typical STANO cycle.

• Most steps are optional.

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• Realisation that an object is present.

• Ex. Something is raising dust there.

• According to Johnson’s Criteria, 50% chance discovery if 1+/–0.25 line pairs across the target

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• The type object can be discerned.

• Ex. Someone is walking along the path.

• According to Johnson’s Criteria, 50% chance discovery if 4+/–0.8 line pairs across the target

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• A specific object can be discerned.

• Ex. The person is carrying a shovel (vs an AK-47).

• According to Johnson’s Criteria, 50% chance discovery if 6.4+/–1.5 line pairs across the target

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• Positive Identification related to Rules of Engagement level of fidelity.

• Often requires multiple sensors confirmation

• Ex. The person carrying a shovel is emplacing an IED (vs removing weeds).

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• Where is the object.• Ex. A GPS grid, a

target location description, pointing with a laser.

• Relates closely to Target Handover to another sensor.

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• To follow an object across time.

• Easier with immobile object than fast movers.

Definitions

• Detection• Recognition• Identification• Location• Tracking• Engagement

• To sight in a weapon in order to apply an effect to the object.

• Also includes an Assessment phase.

Current Technologies• Many sensors available!• Wide field-of view (Immediate detection of

movement over 180 degrees)• Immediate focus and rapid adjustment to

changing light conditions (day/night)• Ability to focus on specific objects and

ignore noise• Stabilized• No power requirements and free and no

added weight

Mark 1 Eyeball

OP Mission - Night requirement

• Infiltration at 0100h D-Day = Night time!

• Requirement for <300m Detection, Recognition, Identification and Navigation.

• Portable and easily worn.

•Gen III Tube - Detect pers out to 300m in quarter moon light conditions•Single AA battery (approx 50 hours)•40 degree field of view•IR light for close quarters•Weapon mounted, flip-up helmet mounted or hand held operation.•3 X magnifier (clip-on)•Variable Gain and high light cut-off

Monocular Night Vision GoggleAN/PVS-14 MNVG

OP Mission - Night Engagement Requirement

Laser Aiming Devices

• AN/PAQ-4C Soldier’s LAD

• Near IR

• Used in conjunction with I2 devices to accurately engage targets with small arms at night

• Range: 600m

• Distributed to everyone but commanders and 2ICs

• AN/PEQ-2A Comd’s LAD• Near-IR• Aiming laser to engage• Variable beam illuminating

laser to indicate• Higher power / extended

range (out to 5km)• Safety block for force on

force trg

OP Mission - Longer Range Image Intensification Requirement

• Requirement to Recognize targets at longer ranges at night (300m to 2000m).

• Requirement to engage identified targets at ranges >300m.

Kite Sight AN/PVS-505 orMaxi Kite AN/TVS-505

• Gen III tubes

• Magnification of 6.7x

• 2 x AA

• Heavy (1.5 kg)

OP Mission - Daytime Observation Requirement

• Requirement to Identify targets in daytime, at long ranges (300m to 2000m).

M22 Binoculars

• Magnification of 7x

• Anti-reflection device

• Laser protection

• Heavy (1.2 kg)

OP Mission - Daytime Engagements Requirement

• Requirement to engage targets at very close range (<50m), and up to small arms range (<600m).

C79 and Holographic sights

• C79 combat sight• Magnification of 3.4x• Large Objective• Long Eye Relief• Tunnel vision

• Holographic sights• Unlimited Eye Relief• Parallax free• NVG compatible• 1 moa dot in a 65 moa

circle = short range

OP Mission - All-Weather Observation Requirement

• Requirement to Identify targets in total darkness (no moon or reflected light), or through battlefield obscurants (dust, smoke, sand storms, snow storms).

Current Technologies – Hand Held Thermal Imager

• Short to medium wave infrared

• Cooled thermal imager, handheld

• Excellent detection ranges

• Challenges at Identification

Current Technologies – Thermal Weapon Sights

• Uncooled Thermal Weapon Sights

• AN/PAS-13C

• 4 to 6 AA batteries

OP Mission - Target Location Determination and Handover

• Laser aiming devices at night

• Accurate GPS grid

Current Technologies – Target Location Determination

• GPS + Digital magnetic compass + Laser Range Finder

• Vector 4 for day

• Vector 21 for II

• CORAL CR-C for thermal

Current Technologies – Target Handover and Rover

• Ability to receive Realtime Full Motion Video from other sensors (Link 16 rovers etc)

• Ability to provide sensor data to others

• Video out, to where?

Seacan 15

OP Mission - Combat ID Requirement

• Requirement to Identify friendly forces quickly in order to reduce possibility of fratricide.

Current Technologies – NearIR Combat ID

•Near-IR Beacons•Near IR reflective flags & tape

Current technologies – Thermal Combat ID

• PASSIVE THERMAL MARKER

• Detected by TI Devices

• Easily seen through obscurants out to 5 km(+) (TI sight dependant).

• 4’ x 4’ (1.2M x 1.2M) Panel folds for easy stowage.

Deficiencies

• No individual deficiencies! We own the night!

• If provided with– Holographic sight for close engagement– C79 for daytime small arms– AN/PVS14 MNVG for nightime navigation and identification– AN/PEQ2A Laser aiming device for engagement or handover– Maxi Kite or Kite Sight for nightime engagements– M22 Binoculars for daytime identification– CORAL-C Handheld Thermal Imager for all-weather detection– Thermal Weapon Sight for all-weather engagements– Vector 4/Vector 21/CORAL CR-C for target location

determination• Roughly 9 devices, more than 10 x AA batteries, possibly

5 different displays

Deficiencies• Integration• Multispectral sight (fuzed sights or modular)

– Optical– Near Infrared– Thermal short-wave (SWIR)– Thermal Mid-IR– Thermal Far-IR (LWIR)– Others (Acoustic, Laser, LIDAR, Radar, etc…)

• Adjustable field of view/magnification – 1x and parallax free to >7x stabilized

• Active but also totally passive if required• Accurate Target Location Determination and Handover• Integration of observation devices and weapon sighting

devices• Less boxes, unobtrusive

Enhanced Night Vision Goggles, AN/PSQ-20

Dual FOV sights

Deficiencies

• Integrated solutions to provide DRI at Line-Of-Sight small arms range

• What is next in the 5 to 15 years window?• What about behind walls or into buildings?

– Over-the-wall capability with Micro-UAV?– Around-the-wall capability with Micro-UGV?– Through-the-wall with radar? At range?– From another sensor located somewhere else? How

do I know who senses where? How do I access it?• From sensor integration to sensor information

integration.

Deficiencies

• What about remote explosives detection? Who wears a suicide vest in a crowd?

• What about automated scanning of crowds for suspicious behaviours? Nervous people? Discussions of red intent?

• We are already at the level of sensor data saturation: We have more sensor data than we have smart brains to look at the data. How can we pre-screen data to present our soldiers?

• If I track a target, who watches my back? If I need to move, who tracks my target?

Questions?