Better connections for better decisions

June 30, 2021 · 2 min read

Fischer Connectors’ Defence Solutions Help Connected Soldiers Make Better Decisions Faster

 

Soldier modernisation programs take on new urgency as funding priorities shift and operational demands increase. Fischer Connectors is laser-focused on the challenges posed by resource constraints and changing operational environments. Its defense connectivity solutions offer new capabilities and innovative, economical approaches to help soldiers and commanders at every level make better decisions faster – when observing, orienting, deciding and acting (OODA) in unforgiving operational environments.

 

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Today’s modernisation efforts are increasingly focused on optimising the ability of individual soldiers and small units to share and process information using advanced digital technology. The digital “revolution in military affairs” is happening as four key technologies have matured: artificial intelligence, augmented reality, miniaturised inexpensive sensors and efficient wearable power supplies. These four critical technologies create unprecedented demands for connections capable of handling massive amounts of data with minimal power and weight.

 

The four revolutionary technologies are evident in the US Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), recently approved for production. IVAS needs all four technologies to deliver its full capability, and the rush is on for effective, modular solutions to complement the massive latent capability of this new system. In the US, Army acquisition authorities are searching for soldier modernisation solutions including “body-worn systems, hand-held devices, smart lightweight electronic components and information processing to increase soldier manoeuvrability and protection through on-soldier sensing, remote sensing and knowledge management.”

But what advantages will these revolutionary technologies bring on the battlefield? Unlike a new warhead with easily measurable qualities like accuracy or penetration, soldier-worn systems require a different yardstick. These systems connect soldiers with many types of information, and their advantage is measured in the quality and speed of decisions – those made by individual soldiers, and by commanders at every level. To take full advantage of revolutionary technologies, soldier-worn technology must collect and distribute information – that is, this technology must gain and maintain “connectivity” at each stage of the decision-making cycle.

Fischer Connectors is meeting these new requirements with solutions that enhance connectivity at every phase in the decision-making cycle – observing, orienting, deciding and acting (OODA). Soldier-worn technology has to contribute to rapid information processing, and Fischer Connectors provides the products to move information swiftly, reliably and with minimal power and size.

 

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Full article by David Ptacek and Ray Benson from Fischer Connectors North & South America in the June 2021 edition of ‘Soldier Modernisation’: “Better Connections for Better Decisions

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