U.S. Army Fielding Options for the Objective Force Warrior

Thesis: Given its current procurement timeline, will the Objective Force Warrior's fielding options provide the light infantry unit with the capability to defeat an adaptive enemy on an increasingly asymmetrical battlefield? Over the course of the last decade, the Department of the Army (DA) has made a concerted effort to increase the capabilities of the infantry soldier. A few improvements include better small-arms and crew-served weapon ranges, enhanced weapon sight optics, smaller and lighter communications equipment, and night vision detection devices. All of these innovations were gradually introduced into the Army infantry inventory as incremental improvements to supplement current training, doctrine, and force capabilities. Objective Force Warrior is an integrated soldier fighting system for the light infantryman that is being designed to increase the fighting capabilities of the infantry soldier. It has several subsystems. These include the weapon, helmet assembly, protective clothing, and computer-integrated, radio-receiving unit. The entire unit is coordinated by a computer-processing unit which will integrate into the digital battlefield of the future Objective Force. The program is being developed with three priorities: lethality, survivability, and enhanced command and control; and the premise is that technology will allow the system to be fielded by 2008 with modular upgrade capability. This thesis analyzes three options for fielding the Objective Force Warrior using system design perimeters as outlined by General Shinseki's 1999 vision statement for the objective force.