Turning man into machine: armies around globe trotting out high-tech warrior ensembles.

• Author: Jean, Grace
• Position: SOLDIER TECHNOLOGY - Cover story

PARIS -- The concept of humans possessing the machine-like capabilities of science fiction characters, such as Robocop, the Terminator and Star Trek Borg, is fast becoming reality among several of the world's armies.

In as little as two years, soldiers will begin wearing kits designed to seamlessly accommodate and connect all their advanced gadgets and weapons, effectively turning each individual into an informational "node" within the larger troop network.

The suits are part of a solution to help quench soldiers' thirst for more information on the battlefield, or what military officials call "situational awareness." Instead of being mere pawns, every soldier will come equipped with a suite of readily accessible digital technologies to help him better understand, navigate and manipulate the combat environment.

From small handheld computers and hands-free communications links to helmet-mounted displays and global positioning system receivers, the equipment incorporated into these future soldier ensembles will make the infantryman more lethal, stealthy and survivable, say company representatives during the Eurosatory ground warfare exposition here.

But while the future fighting ensembles consolidate disparate systems into a single "plug and play" unit, they do not yet alleviate the weight of all the gear.

For a typical infantry combat mission, soldiers currently are saddled with 100 to 150 pounds of gear. Armies developing these future ensembles have set ambitious weight-loss goals for the equipment. The U.S. Army's "future warrior" project, for example, wants to lighten the load to about 50 pounds.

Some European efforts estimate the gear will weigh between 52 and 66 pounds.

Along with the weight concerns, power consumption requirements for all the digital technologies will likely be high, which will require soldiers to tote even more energy sources. And there is a question of how much information troops can absorb before becoming overloaded.

The French army's future soldier technology, FELIN--Fantassins a Equipement et Liaisons Integrees--is a major program that integrates electronic equipment for dismounted soldiers, says a representative from Sagem Defense Securite, the prime contractor that is manufacturing the ensemble.

The basic suit weighs 52.8 pounds, or 24 kilograms, and can support an infantryman for 24 hours with batteries, munitions, food and water. The lithium-ion battery pack, wearable computer, digital radio communications...