Dominant Logistics
VOL. III: PRE-Transformation - Giving Joint Vision Some Glasses
Before engaging in any further "transformation" efforts, it is critical that we establish some realistic long term plans for what the force should be. Our efforts taken today must be leading us on a path to some ultimate long term point. But when one peruses the available information of the DOD's future plans, Joint Vision 2020, what is strikingly absent is anything that embodies a significant departure from the status quo. It can be accurately described as a three step process: Talk a bunch of smack that has little basis in reality, throw a bunch of computers at the existing force, and call it a transformation.
For all the talk of dominant manuever, full spectrum dominance, and focused logistics, JV2020 does not appear to offer any advances of significance to the art of war. There are no new capabilities or concepts in this vision - merely taking existing resources and using them in new ways. There is nothing wrong with doing this, as long as the existing resources are up to the task but there is no indication that this is the case. The nature of war is changing and it is imperative that we take steps to adapt to these changes. I will leave the discussion of future doctrine to those more qualified than myself.
This article is meant to outline those technological areas that should be the focus of our future research and development efforts. Current plans are insufficient to meet future needs in an effective way while these concepts should offer a tremendous improvement to existing forces. Consistent with current plans, these ideas should be able to be fielded and ready to perform within the next 15 to 20 years if we take their development seriously and devote the necessary resources. None of this involves re-inventing the wheel but these concepts are unique as far as I am aware. All of the following is conceptualized by myself - any resemblence to existing plans or concepts is purely coincidental and should be viewed as verification of the soundness of the concepts as I am not one for immersing myself in sci-fi efforts.
The Multipurpose Power Suit
Efforts have been ongoing to develop exo-skeletons (external skeletons) for increasing the load bearing capacity of the soldier. I believe these efforts are misguided as they view load bearing capacity as the major problem where the real problems are actually the abilities of the individual to operate at a high level under load in hazardous environments and conditions. What good is the ability to carry 200 lbs if you still can't move at high rates of speed and you still cannot operate effectively when attacked with chemicals or when operating in extreme cold or heat? What I propose instead is an exo-body design that I call the Multipurpose Power Suit, or MPS.
The MPS is literally an entire body that will be worn by the user. It will be sealed using it's own skin, it will include electro-mechanical muscles, it will have it's own climate system to regulate body heat and perspiration, it will even have it's own equivalent to lungs, eyes, ears, and a brain, all of which would be based around an exo-skeleton. To understand the potential of this concept, realize that if done properly, the MPS will allow the user to:
Now then, at first glance one probably thinks the author is nothing more than a dreamer but if you stop and consider each concept on it's own, they are all possible but limited today using exsiting technology. This concept is nothing more than the merger of what we can already do into a more useable and functional package that can be extremely useful in many military, scientific, societal, and commercial applications. Let's move forward to what the suit will actually be and then we can see just how much potential there is in the MPS.
Inner Skin
The inner skin of the MPS should be of a raised rib construction where the ribs are formed by tubes filled with a heat transfer medium and the space between ribs offers ventilation through an integrated airflow system. The transfer medium can serve in either heating or cooling modes to adapt to the environment and can also be tailored to hide the body from thermal sensors. The ventilation serves to augment the human perspiration system and includes a desicant to control humidity in the suit and also serves as an overpressure system to protect against NBC contaminants.Exo-Skeleton
The structural component of the MPS bears the weight of the suit as well as the user. It is articulated at the joints to match human movements as much as possible. Specific elements of the skeleton will be addressed individually.Muscles and Secondary Skin
Moving outward, the next layer serves a number of functions. It provides ballistic and trauma protection as well as serving as the power application element of the MPS. The "muscles" of the MPS are modules shaped similar to the actual muscles of the human body. Their outer structure should be of hard Kevlar or similar ballistic materials while internally there should be a linear electromagnet system capable of pulling a strap that functions as a human tendon (the part of the muscle that attaches muscle to bone). The "muscles" are attached to the skeleton while a Kevlar mesh or chain mail type material fills the gaps for overall protection. The "muscles" outer structure serves a second purpose as EMP protection.Outer Skin
The outer skin of the MPS consists of multiple layers of materials like Nomex and Gortex to seal the overall package against the elements and environment. The suit is to be proof against fire, water, and moderate levels of radiation and must also be abrasion resistant. This layer also holds the muscle and second skin layer snug to the skeleton and limits overall noise.Torso and Head
GI Joe, meet Buzz Lightyear. The torso would be of a hard shell configuration that replaces the conventional helmet with a sort of canopy system. A dual canopy of scratch-resistant and bullet-resistant materials will be used with the outer canopy also having a device that cleans the canopy on retraction into the hard shell. Humidity controls are included with the inner skin to eliminate fogging of the canopy while the head can move freely in all directions remaining protected from all conditions. An overhead "roof" protects the canopy from falling debris and blows from the rear. Sensors on the shoulder areas will be slaved to movement of the head, similar to the sensors on the Apache helicopter, and will feed conventional night vision, thermal, and normal telescopic views into a heads-up display on the inner canopy. Radio, GPS, rangefinding, and IFF data can also be integrated into the display as can external feeds from computers and Land Warrior compatible vision devices. Under the canopy, speakers provide controlled audio feeds that can be controlled, enhanced, or even translated by the MPS computers. The MPS can also be operated with the canopy left open and the data and systems would be available on a screen at roughly chin height that can serve as a normal screen or as the projector for the HUD. The hard shell protects the torso against high velocity projectiles and also houses the subsystems that enable the MPS to function.Hands
The hands of the MPS consist of a removeable gauntlet that integrates into the various systems of the MPS. The middle fingers and back and palms of the hand are combined to form a single digit that is integrated into the skeleton and has controlled movement while being ballistically protected. The index finger, thumb, and pinky finger are not physically augmented but would remain protected with mail/Kevlar to allow for free control and movement with maximum tactile feel. The bionic digit is powered and computer controlled to allow for gripping and lifting of heavy loads. With this capability, the user can climb or rappel ropes of virtually unlimited length without the need for harnesses or safety devices and while keeping the user in an upright position. The fingertips of the digit allow the user to scale buildings and rock walls with minimum protrusions.Feet
The feet will be integrated into the actual MPS but will also use various overboots depending on the application. For example, combat roles may use a mine resistant overboot while space applications would use an electromagentic gravity boot. Other boots may include traction devices, propulsion devices for underwater use, or even weapon systems.Power Systems
The MPS can be designed around different power systems depending on the application. One obvious option would be fuel cells that generate electricity through chemical reaction. Another option is a micronuclear generator that would draw the released electrons from radioactive sources to provide power. A third option is to use microturbine engines that generate power using an engine that is actually etched from a block of silicon, not unlike a microprocessor. Power will be augmented with batteries and capacitors while additional power will also be regenerated by the "muscles" of the MPS during movement to provide feel and control in the suit.Climate Systems
The user of the MPS will be held within an environment that will be entirely controlled. Breathable oxygen will come from a rebreathing system, environmental oxygen extraction systems, and onboard reserves. Temperature will be maintained through a heat exchange system capable of providing cooling or heating as the application dictates. Humidity will be controlled by a desicant system that can extract water from the air circulating within the suit.Power Boosters
Some joints within the sysem will be augmented by either electromechanical or chemical devices to provide short, high-powered bursts for jumping and punching. Boosters within the leg muscles would enable the user to jump to the top of a three story building without assistance of any kind. The user can also punch through walls or doors of heavy wood, cinderblock, or even light metal construction. These same boosters allow for impacts that would otherwise kill a human by breaking the fall of the user.Controls
The MPS would be computer controlled and include radio and data systems as well. The suit will incorporate sensors that detect of the movement of the user and translate this into mechanical movement of the muscles in the suit. The computer can also include programmed modes for specific tasks like running at cruising speed, climbing, jumping, and punching. Some features will be voice activated while others will be accessed by buttons or eye movement controls.
Now then, the MPS is obviously a very complex system but the potential uses for this design are many. As a military system, the MPS would replace existing chemical protection systems, armor protection systems, most sighting systems and radios, and other gear in a package that should weight about 150lbs overall. Concerns over maintenance are addressed by existing plans to transition our logistics support to a logpack based system. The proposed logpack program is based on providing the user with all sustainment items on a two day schedule. The MPS will be designed to operate for two days - it simply replaces the logpack in our logistics plans. Food, water, and ammunition should be included in the MPS for military applications and maintenance and repair of the suit can be provided in the rear areas that are planned for assembly of logpacks.
To defray much of the costs of developing MPS, we must emphasize the wide variety of non-military uses for this concept. For example, this suit could be used to replace diving suits for deep water activities, protective gear for fire fighters particularly those fighting forest fires, space suits for space applications, and it can also be used in entirely new areas. For example, miners could use this suit for protection against a variety of hazards as well as to increase performance and capabilities, especially in deep mines where little air and lots of heat are present. Agriculture groups could also benefit from this as migrant workers are replaced with MPS users that can locate crops ready to harvest and harvest them much faster and more efficiently than an unassisted human. This technology should be a primary concept for future research and development efforts.
The All Element Combat Vehicle
The concept of the All Element Combat Vehicle (AECV) is to have a vehicle that can operate in all of the primary earthly elements of land, water, and air. The closest existing vehicle to this concept is the current M113 but we need to expand and fine tune the design to enhance our overall abilities. This concept is intended to operate with the following characteristics:
Now, this design may seem pretty outlandish but as we look at each of the systems that will make up the overall vehicle, we will see that this concept is not only entirely feasible but also quite practical. In many ways, this vehicle may even be more practical than our current combat vehicles.
We start with a configuration not unlike that of the current M113. In this design, we will be widening the vehicle to allow for greater room between the chassis and the track system for enhanced survivability and greater airflow for lift systems. This also allows us to give the side armor more slope for better resistance to kinetic energy weapons. We will also be lengthing the vehicle and these changes should allow for sufficient room for a full squad along with the inclusion of our exotic power systems.
The basic powertrain of the AECV is a hybrid combination using a diesel engine and electric drive motors for all track and lift systems. Track systems will be powered by sprockets on the front while lift is generated by four articulated fans under the vehicle, not unlike that used on the Joint Strike Fighter for VTOL operations. Directional control in flight modes comes from tilting the fans. Propulsion in amphibious mode comes from the tracks while the hover option allows for high-speed movement over water. Power for the lift fans comes from a capacitor system that is charged by the main powertrain but allows the vehicle to fly solely from electric power. This capacitor system will also power an active RPG defense system and can also be used for extended stealth operations on the ground by augmenting the main powertrain batteries.
Self deployment capability comes from a system similar to that used in the proposed Helicopter Self-Deployment System consisting of a bolt-on wing assembly, complete with engine systems and flight controls. The wing assembly bolts to the exterior of the AECV to enable the vehicle to fly up to 6000 miles wing-in-ground effect or up to 2000 miles in conventional flight. The vehicle's hover mode serves as the landing system and the kit can be jettisoned if the vehicle is heading directly into action.
In action, the AECV can hover over minefields, fly over obstacles, or operate as a conventional tracked combat vehicle. The vehicle itself is more survivable while the addition of flight capabilities and stealth capabilities making this a very flexible design that can replace existing M113s and Bradley Fighting Vehicles as well as other systems. The proposed configurations include:
Armored Personnel Carrier
A basic APC configuration for transporting mechanized infantry forcesRolling Arsenal Vehicle
A light infantry system with an 81mm gun mortar turret and jump seats for carrying personnel extermally while additional gear is carried internally. For self-deployment, the personnel would move via conventional aircraftMobile Gun System
The replacement for the Bradley Medium Tank armed with a 75mm high velocity cannon that can be used as an anti-tank system, an anti-personnel system, or an anti-aircraft systemArtillery-AntiTank System (Artank)
The long-term replacement for the towed 105mm howitzer mounts the gun in a remote turret and fires existing 105mm projectiles with separate liquid propellant. Can be used as a light tank or as an artillery piece and can fly to distant ammunition pointsArmored Fighting Vehicle
A combat vehicle with a 30mm cannon designed for infantry support missions, particularly in cavalry type roles where the flight and extended stealth capabilities of the AECV would be usefulArmored Escort Vehicle
The primary ADA asset of the ground force features a 40mm anti-aircraft cannon that can also serve in anti-tank and anti-personnel roles. Also carries Stinger missiles and an AESA radar system for targeting and enhanced communication capabilities with JTRSTracked Support Vehicle
A logistics and general purposes vehicle featuring palletized systems for a variety of rolesCommand & Control Vehicle
A dedicated C&C vehicle for support of mechanized operations
Current goals are to obtain the ability to deploy a Brigade Combat Team to a threat area in 96 hours or less. The use of AECVs would enable us to deploy multiple division size elements in a comparable time frame. Moreover, these forces would be far more capable and far more survivable in combat actions.
A Flying Destroyer
One of the bolder R&D efforts going on today is a project at Boeing called the Pelican. This is basically a huge plane that is intended to carry up to 1400 tons of cargo over long range using the wing-in-ground effect concept. At first glance, this concept looks intriguing although I have to question the viability of the concept overall. It will likely be hugely expensive and while it offers much greater speed than a ship, cargo moved by ship does not tend to be time sensitive and the speed of the Pelican may offer no real advantage while significantly increasing costs. There is also the issue of using land bases for operating the aircraft as most airports are not likely to be suitable for the Pelican and there doesn't appear to be a plan for amphibious capabilities - which seems odd for a plane that will be flying less than 50 feet above the ocean under normal operating conditions.
But what really strikes me about the Pelican is the fact that the first time I saw conceptual drawings of it, I thought of a ship that flies. Where many aircraft designers set out to make airplanes that can float, this concept is really taking a ship and making it fly. Which poses an interesting question: why not? If the Pelican can carry 1400 tons, why couldn't it carry sufficient hardware for seaborne operations, an 8in naval gun with appropriate support systems, some VLS capacity, and an advanced radar and sensor suite? Realistically, there should still be sufficient room to even have space and capacity for substantial amounts of cargo as well - at least as much as the current C-5B Galaxy.
What this would give us is a future concept for a Navy Destroyer to ultimately replace the current Aegis superships. Ideally, the "fuselage" would end up being a wave-piercing catamaran design while the overall ship would be of a trimaran design using outboard pods that would house propulsion systems. The wings would hold all of this together in a single package. We may even want to replace the planned turboprops with an enclosed turbofan in the outboard pods. A turret would mount on top housing the main gun and radar systems. Ideally, the tail of the craft could be lowered into the water to support amphibious operations. In this design, I'd scratch the land operating capabilities altogether and focus on seaborne capabilities. Our Flying Destroyer would give the Navy the following capabilities:
In short, this type of vessel could revolutionize naval operations. No longer would the nation have to wait weeks or even months for sustained capabilities to be available; the Flying Destroyer could be on scene literally in a matter of hours. It can serve as a weapon system, it can operate as a support system, and it can also serve effectively in non-combat roles.
For example, by including a significant cargo hold, the Flying Destroyer can also carry amphibious vehicles or even other support vessels to form a useful combination of systems for a variety of roles. In a major sea rescue effort, the ship could carry numerous life rafts, medical gear, and other systems as well as the personnel to rescue as many people as necessary. It may carry humanitarian aid and vehicles that can swim to shore and deliver the aid to locations where aerial support resources may not otherwise be available. Or it could carry multiple DSRVs and rescue teams to save submariners in trouble - the DSRV may be transportable by C-5B but submarines don't tend to go down in the middle of large airports, they go down where the Flying Destroyer can operate for as long as is necessary to get the crew home.
The Pelican may not pan out as a useful cargo plane, but it's design can be utilized in other ways to our benefit. Flying Destroyers are arguably the most important future concept that our Navy should be working towards. They can revolutionize our combat capabilities but they can also save lives and be a key ingredient in effective national defense. The Flying Destroyer must be a priority for R&D efforts.
The Advanced Space Gun
A combat team is in trouble in a foreign land - they are trapped and running low on food, water, and ammunition. Their cries for help have been heard but the enemy has sufficient ADA resources to prevent aircraft from getting aid to the force in time to make a difference. They will be out of ammunition and overrun in less than one hour; there's no time to scramble aircraft and get them to their location with the needed goods. A call goes out - in about half an hour, parachutes appear above the trapped forces delivering the critical goods. But these goods didn't come from theater stocks or even a prepositioned site - they came from the continental United States with a short journey through space. Science fiction? Or the logical capabilities of a mature space gun program?
As shown in other articles, I promote the concept of using space guns to enhance our abilities in space. The technology to turn this into reality is available today but in a limited capacity. At its maturity, space guns offer the potential to:
As our abilities to use space guns progress, the logical step is to group space guns together in batteries of about six tubes or so. Ideally, the matured program should have the capability to launch payloads of up to 5000lbs from each tube in a rapid salvo. A single battery fire would launch 30,000lbs of materials or munitions to where their destination may be.
To put this in perspective, 30,000lbs is a pretty typical heavy bomber payload. It also is a very useful quantity of support materials (my current logistic concepts call for supporting a light infantry battalion with about 15,000lbs of materials per day and this includes providing water). In a strategic role, this gun could deliver the equivalent of about 12 MIRV-capable ICBMs in a single salvo. In a conventional role, it could easily engage 60 strategic ground targets like bridges, buildings, or factories. And all of this comes with delivery times of about an hour to virtually anywhere in the world.
As the program reaches maturity, operational costs for this capability will be a fraction of available alternatives. Conventional air delivery of this quantity of materials would costs hundreds of thousands if not millions to many overseas areas - the gun concept could do this for a few thousand total and possibly even less. It cannot replace aircraft altogether - after all, this is clearly a one way ride. But for time sensitive missions of critical import, it is hard to find any realistic alternative to the space gun concept. It can support our future scientific efforts in space, it can serve an effective strategic role, it will free the Air Force to emphasize tactical missions for its aircraft and lessen the budgetary crunch caused by heavy bombers, and it can serve as a time critical logistics system.