One look at Sgt. Joe Patterson, and you could see what the U.S.
Army envisions for the soldier of 2020. He is chameleon-like, wearing
an all-purpose, single-layered uniform that not only changes colors
to blend in with the natural environment, but also guards against
chemical and biological agents.
The cornerstone technology to turn this concept into reality is
the selectively permeable membrane, which scientists are developing
and testing at the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command
in Natick, Mass.
“We want integrated protection—chem-bio, environmental
and multi-functional,” said John Munroe, of the warrior systems
integration team. An issue that will have to be considered, he said,
is how to bring the weight of the uniform down when adding new features.
“We are not the most mobile people in the world,” Munroe
said. “We have to reduce the weight of chemical suits and
make them more mobile.
“The selectively permeable technology is very thin and light,
it keeps the water and the chemical agents out,” he said.
Single-layer uniforms will perform functions such as cooling, conduction
and will have embedded wires, according to Munroe.
Soldiers have to be able to go under water, walk in swamps and
deal with rough terrain, he said. The current bulk of the uniforms—with
their added features—impedes movement to a certain extent.
Cables are a big hindrance. “What do you think cables can
do—they can snag, and they can break. All those pins and stuff
break and it is really tough to keep our systems going if our cables
don’t work,” Munroe said.
The membrane technology being developed for the chemical and biological
suits, he added, will be used in standard military uniforms. However,
he noted, “that is not enough. We want to integrate the environmental
protection, the stealth, the cables and the electronics. The chemical
and biological suit is just a stepping stone for us.”
At a recent Army exhibition on Capitol Hill, Sgt. Patterson was
wearing a suit that epitomized the type of garment that researchers
at Natick hope for. On his uniform, just on a patch on the right
arm, cable was replaced with a piece of webbing with conductive
fibers. Another patch had cooling tubes that could circulate both
cold and warm water.
“We would like to maintain a physiological level of high
performance,” Munroe said. “If you are working hard
on a dog day afternoon in your yard, eventually, you get beat, and
your mind goes and your body goes. That is a problem, and our soldiers
are getting into that situation. The enemy is hot and beat and we
are fresh and ready. That would be a big advantage.”
Natick also is looking at physiological sensors to monitor soldiers
remotely. Other capabilities based on active electronics will allow
the suit to change colors and blend with the background. “That
is why he is wearing black,” Munroe said, pointing at Sgt.
Patterson. “He can change to any color he’d want.”
However, he cautioned, “we are not promising that just now.”