Army makes new attempt to field networked soldier system.

• Author: Beidel, Eric

After nearly 20 years of development and some $500 million spent on a now-defunct program, the Army is making another attempt to connect infantrymen to the battlefield network with a wearable system of hands-free computers and radios.

The Nett Warrior program has taken bits and pieces from the Land Warrior ensemble cancelled in 2007 and is currently testing three prototypes that officials say will provide soldiers and commanders with better navigation, friendly force tracking and communication devices.

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"It tells you where you are, where your buddies are and what your mission is," said Jason Regnier, the Army's deputy product manager for Nett Warrior.

The Land Warrior program began nearly 20 years ago when the idea for a high-tech, omniscient system that would be worn by soldiers sounded more like science fiction than military fact. The Army cancelled the program after complaints from soldiers and politicians about its functionality and cost. The initiative did much to point the way forward for soldier technology, but it failed to reach the battlefield in great numbers. After the program's termination, an infantry brigade took rehashed versions of the system to Iraq. Parts of Land Warrior also made it to Afghanistan, but the system as a whole ultimately missed the high mark set by the program.

The Army's vision of connecting every soldier to a network did not die with Land Warrior, though. It almost immediately began planning a follow-up system to give ground soldiers tools generally reserved for those in planes, tanks and command centers.

Prototypes of Nett Warrior currently are being tested at Fort Riley, Kan. There, soldiers are wearing the systems during scenarios that include a "cordon and search" of hilly terrain and a "movement to contact" with an enemy in an urban environment. The prototypes come from three competing contractors--General Dynamics C4 Systems, Raytheon and Rockwell Collins. Each received contracts between $5 million and $5.5 million for their work thus far.

All three competitors have a history with soldier systems. General Dynamics was the prime contractor on Land Warrior, but Rockwell Collins built a lot of the hardware and Raytheon provided the radio for the system. Using three competing companies during the development phase of the program likely will mean that the Army will get more bang for its buck come production time, said Lt. Col. Roland Gaddy, the program's product manager. "It drives...