TAMPA: In
the 2008 movie "Iron Man," the main character becomes a superhero after
building a suit of armor with an exoskeleton that gives him incredible
strength.
Today, elite U.S. special operations forces
may be a few short years away from donning a similar suit, one that can
monitor the user's vital signs, give him real-time battlefield
information and be bulletproof from head to toe. The suit might
eventually have other features unheard of only a few years ago,
including an exoskeleton made of liquid armor, smart fabrics that could
help stop hemorrhaging, enhanced sensory capabilities and Google
Glass-like visuals.
The Tactical Assault Light Operator
Suit (TALOS) project is coordinated through the Special Operations
Command headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Prototypes are
expected to be shown to military commanders in June, with hopes that the
suit will be given to high-risk units in 2018.
While the
project sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, its
mission is simple, said James Geurts, the Deputy for Acquisition of the
U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill.
"We've lost a
lot of guys to gunshot wounds and explosions," he said. "If there's
anything I can do to more rapidly field technology, give better
protection, better capability, any progress, I think we've done well."
Some
companies working on the TALOS project are in Tampa this week for the
International Special Operations Forces conference. The four-day event
showcases special military technologies, gadgets and tools - from
pen-like systems collecting chemical vapors to underwater robots.
Several top analysts and military brass are also scheduled to speak,
including SOCOM commander, Adm. William McRaven.
McRaven
is widely credited with initiating the TALOS project. Last year, he
described SOCOM's unique approach to the project: By harnessing the
expertise of professional engineers, the creativity of students and
possibly even "local garage tinkerers," the military will end up with a
truly innovative project.
"I am very committed to it
because I'd like that last operator we lost to be the last one we ever
lose in this fight or the fight of the future, and I think we can get
there," McRaven said last July.
What might be more
remarkable than the whiz-bang technology of the suit is how Geurts and
his team are reaching out to recruit contractors in non-traditional
ways.
SOCOM has held "Monster Garage"-type events for
people with potential ideas, and even Geurts acknowledged: "It's
certainly not the traditional Department of Defense model."
"Looking
for #collaborators to help #invent the next generation of #sof combat
gear via #talos @SOFTALOS," Geurts tweeted in September.
Frost & Sullivan Aerospace and Defense Senior Industry Analyst Brad Curran said this approach is novel for the military.
"A
trend of toward seeking more academic and industry input is picking up
as DoD seeks to save research and development funds, shorten acquisition
schedules, and leverage commercial technology," said Curran.
The biggest current challenge is making the suit light and comfortable for the soldier.
"For
every pound the operator has to carry in armor, there's an additional
energy supply," said Dan Stamm, a research scientist at Battelle, an
Ohio-based defense contractor that's the lead contracting consultant on
the TALOS project.
Dan Rini, president of Rini Tech in
Orlando, is one of the contractors on the project. His company has made a
"personal thermal protection system" for the military that runs off a 3
1/2-pound battery and uses cold water and tubes to keep people cool.
Rini said he's trying to adapt that invention to the TALOS suit.
"We
don't want that person inside the suit to get overcome by heat stress,"
Rini said "He might have to be in it for a long time."
Michael
Fieldson , the civilian TALOS project manager, said the battery pack
for the cooling system and the exoskeleton present the biggest weight
hurdles.
"Nature did a pretty good job of designing the
human body and we're trying to mimic that," said Fieldson. "Hollywood
did a pretty good job of showing us what Iron Man could do on the
screen, and the system may do some of those things - but we're not
planning on flying."
Whether the suit is adopted by
special operations forces, even in part, will remain to be seen, said
Curran. He suggested that partial exoskeletons to help ease the strain
on solder's knees would be likely used first.
"It is more
likely that certain aspects of the suit research will be applied
incrementally, rather than a complete rollout all at once," he said.
"Integrated helmets with communications, night vision, and heads-up
visor displays that are used by pilots may be deployed by ground troops
as well. Lighter weight and less bulky body armor with better ballistic
protection is needed by all. I think at least some aspects of the
research will be applied in the near future."
