DefenceTalkThe Army’s been focused on lightening the load carried by Soldiers for some time now, in both equipment and protective gear. The effort has benefited Soldiers in combat units — and it will benefit the female Soldiers who will join combat units in the future, Army leaders told congressmen. “We approach the Soldier protection system […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-wants-lighter-better-protective-equipment-for-soldiers-66928/

DefenceTalkSoldiers are being asked to do the impossible, carrying out missions while humping over 100 pounds of gear, said Col. Kurt “Travis” Thompson. They’re doing the impossible every day, but they can do much more if that burden is eased, he said. Thompson, chief, Soldier Requirements Division, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Capability Manager […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-seeks-to-lighten-soldier-loads-using-robots-66925/

DefenceTalkThe Army would like to see a few more Soldiers in the ranks, if it were authorized by Congress — but only if those additional Soldiers are funded to keep them war-ready, said Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark A. Milley. The Army has been directed to reduce its total end strength, across […]https://www.defencetalk.com/increased-manpower-must-come-with-funding-us-army-66874/

DefenceTalkFor researchers at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), there just may be no place like dome. Thanks to its new virtual-reality dome, NSRDEC’s Cognitive Science and Applications Team will be better able to study the impact of real-world operational situations on a Soldier’s cognitive abilities and performance. “The new […]https://www.defencetalk.com/virtual-reality-vr-dome-impact-of-real-life-scenarios-on-cognitive-abilities-66871/

DefenceTalkTo make it easier for Soldiers to manage the vast tactical communications network, the Army plans to operationally evaluate newly enhanced and simplified network operations, or NetOps, tools during Network Integration Evaluation, or NIE, 16.2 this spring. The NetOps tool suite enables communications officers (S6s and G6s) and staff to provide a second set of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/army-prepares-to-test-enhanced-network-operation-tools-at-nie-16-2-66469/

DefenceTalkChina has unveiled changes to the structure of its military, adding three new units, described by President Xi Jinping as “a major policy decision to realise the Chinese dream of a strong army”, state media reported. The formation of the new units, which follows Beijing’s announcement that it was building a second aircraft carrier, comes […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-restructures-military-as-xi-eyes-strong-army-66218/

DefenceTalkFORT BENNING, Ga.: Families, Soldiers and civilians spent three days learning about Army training while competing in a three-gun competition at Krilling Range during the 2015 Fort Benning Multi-gun Challenge, Dec. 4-6. The event was hosted by the Fort Benning Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilitated by the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/multi-gun-challenge-gives-public-glimpse-of-us-army-training-66155/

DefenceTalkEquipment for the European Activity Set, or EAS, is scheduled to be turned in to the first forward-positioned sites beginning this week, Defense Department officials said. About 1,400 pieces of equipment that had been used in Operation Atlantic Resolve by Europe’s Regionally Aligned Force – 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division – will be turned in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-begins-positioning-equipment-in-eastern-europe-65983/

DefenceTalkJOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST: Army engineers demonstrated autonomous robots as part of a teaming effort to evolve natural interaction between Soldiers and autonomous systems during an exercise here, Nov. 2-3. This interaction allows for one Soldier to use numerous unmanned systems, which require neither dedicated operators nor significant cognitive burden on the part of commanders. The […]https://www.defencetalk.com/new-autonomous-robot-extends-communication-beyond-line-of-sight-65980/

DefenceTalkHERNDON, Va: The United States Army has exercised $65.8 million in contract options for 12 additional UH-72A Lakota helicopters and associated mission equipment packages. The UH-72A is manufactured by Airbus Helicopters Inc. at its final assembly plant in Columbus, Miss., which has already produced and delivered almost 350 Lakotas to date, all on time and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-orders-12-more-uh-72a-lakota-helicopters-65846/