Army Combat Vehicles Upgraded With Real-Time Data AccessArmy Combat Vehicles Upgraded With Real-Time Data Access

Stryker combat vehicles will be outfitted with hardware and software that will provide repair and maintenance information in the field.

Larry Greenemeier, Contributor

October 13, 2004

2 Min Read
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Amid criticism that U.S. troops in Iraq aren't able to adequately exchange data in real time with their commanders, the Army wants to improve the battlefield maintenance and logistics capabilities of its medium- and light-armored fighting vehicles. It plans by November to evaluate the battle-readiness of a fleet of 19-ton, eight-wheeled Stryker combat vehicles outfitted with integrated hardware and software that would provide soldiers with all of the diagnostic, service, and repair information needed to support their vehicles while in the field.

The goal is to reduce the number of times these combat vehicles have to be taken out of action for repair work. The technology consists of Enigma Inc.'s 3C Platform software, which interfaces with the Stryker's diagnostics system, provided by General Dynamics Land Systems.

Each Stryker is equipped with two touch-screen computers, one mounted and one wireless. Enigma's 3C software runs as a thin client on the touch-screen computers, allowing soldiers to download vehicle-maintenance data and illustrated parts catalogs or requisition parts over the Army's wireless network. "More than serving as an interactive repair manual, the system enables logistics and supply-chain management from the vehicle," says John Snow, Enigma's VP of marketing and business development.

Stryker brigades, each of which has at least 300 vehicles, already are serving in Iraq. General Dynamics currently is building the Army's fourth Stryker brigade. When this fleet is completed, the Army will decide whether to add Enigma technology.

The Army estimates that improved communication with Stryker vehicles will help reduce the $80 million it spends annually on improperly ordered parts, as well as cut down the need for field mechanics, Snow says.

Communications links between command and the front line are critical to improving situational awareness, according to a story in the November issue of MIT's Technology Review magazine. A largely classified report by think tank Rand Corp. has described a "digital divide" during the U.S. skirmishes in Iraq that has hindered communications, the publication says. "Some units outran the range of high-bandwidth communications relays," Technology Review says. "Downloads took hours. Software locked up."

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