Soldier 2025 is a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
research and development project to create an advanced, high-tech combat uniform for U.S. infantry soldiers.
The features of this outfit include
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...
, built-in sensors, and physical augmentations.
The ACU
Nanotechnology
*Chameleonic camouflage - Technology embedded in the fabric of the uniform, most likely chemical receptors, would change color autonomously to blend in with the surrounding environment. This fabric is black when inactive.
*
Liquid armor - The fabric might also be treated with shear thickening fluid, a mix of
polyethylene glycol
Polyethylene glycol (PEG; ) is a polyether compound derived from petroleum with many applications, from industrial manufacturing to medicine. PEG is also known as polyethylene oxide (PEO) or polyoxyethylene (POE), depending on its molecular wei ...
and nanoscale glass particles. This mix would function like
chainmail
Mail (sometimes spelled maille and, since the 18th century, colloquially referred to as chain mail, chainmail or chain-mail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common milita ...
, flexible with low speed motion such as running, but hard and solid against high speed motion such as that of a bullet impact, preventing serious injury or death. The technology has already proven effective when combined with
Kevlar
Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s as ...
armor.
Sensory equipment
*Internal sensors - Thermal sensors monitoring both the environment and the soldier would automatically adjust the temperature of the uniform, keeping the wearer as comfortable as possible. Other sensors would detect injuries, the intake of harmful chemicals, and other physical harm, and built-in medical equipment would administer treatment as best able.
*Situational awareness - A front-mounted video camera, vision aides (such as night vision sensors) and sound detectors providing three-dimensional audiological hearing would be embedded in the uniform's helmet. The face visor would act as a heads-up display, voice-activated to show ground maps, locations of fellow troops, and other needed information.
*Communication - Real-time transmission would allow home base to see and hear everything the soldier does. This allows for provisions such as interlingual translation or sudden change of orders.
Augmentations
*Internal respirator - A breathing device built into the helmet eliminates the need for gas masks.
*XO Muscles - An exoskeletal structure on the legs permits the wearer to carry two to three times their body weight and feel only one time their body weight, increasing effective speed and endurance. No such enhancement is built into the arms or main body.
Projections
Soldier 2025 was showcased at the 24th Army Science Conference in 2004. While still in its conceptual phases, it was stated soldiers should be able to don combat uniforms similar to the showcased idea by the year 2025, as implied by the name of the project.
Possible termination
Some sources state that Soldier 2025 is part of the
Land Warrior program, which was terminated in 2007, and this project was terminated along with it. However, the connection between the two is unclear at this time and requires confirmation.
See also
*
Army Combat Uniform
The Army Combat Uniform (ACU) is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and some elements of the U.S. Coast Guard. Within the Air Force and Space Force, it is referred to as the OCP ( Op ...
*
Battle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is a camouflaged combat uniform that was used by the United States Armed Forces as their standard combat uniform from the early 1980s to the mid-2000s. Since then, it has been replaced or supplanted in every bra ...
*
Body armor
Body armour, personal armour (also spelled ''armor''), armoured suit (''armored'') or coat of armour, among others, is armour for human body, a person's body: protective clothing or close-fitting hands-free shields designed to absorb or deflect ...
*
Future Soldier 2030 Initiative
Future Soldier 2030 Initiative was a US Army program that was launched in 2009 with the mission to research and develop future soldiers' equipments, weapons and body armors. The program investigated various futuristic technologies, including min ...
*
Land Warrior
Land Warrior was a United States Army program, launched in 1989. It officially got its name in 1994, cancelled in 2007 U.S. Army Budget Request Documents FY2008 (page 4) but restarted in 2008. It has used a combination of commercial, off-the-sh ...
*
Shear Thickening Fluids
*
Supersoldier
A super soldier (or supersoldier) is a concept soldier capable of operating beyond normal human abilities through technological augmentation or (in fictional depictions) genetic modification or cybernetic augmentation. Soldiers that obtain greate ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Military.com: SoldierTechDocinthemachine.com: Army Axing High-Tech Soldier of Tomorrow
United States Army projects
Future soldier programs