These Soldiers Are Heading To Afghanistan Armed With Android Smartphones

If soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division happen to be on patrol in Afghanistan later this year and need support, they can probably just Google it.

That's because they will be the first to get all kinds of high-tech gear: radios, smartphones, and wirelessly-networked vehicles, according to Watertown YNN.

"In many places, we're so far removed," Col. Walter Platt told YNN. "We're using hand and arm signals and old FM communication much like we did in World War II."

The centerpiece of the technology push is with Android smartphones, such as the Motorola Atrix, which will be issued to every soldier.

From Brendan McGarry at Military.com:

Soldiers wear the smartphones, which can't make calls, inside a padded case on their chests. The devices are connected to Rifleman Radios on their backs. The larger communications equipment is installed on heavy, blast-resistant trucks.

The Army worked on a real-time communications system called Land Warrior years ago before killing it, but now it looks like it has been reborn. The system had an eyepiece (sort of like a bulky version of Google Glass) that presented information such as maps and troop locations.

"Honestly the eyepiece alone would be great if it was light and fast," Captain Justin Burgess, who tested the LW system, recently told Business Insider. "During a firefight during the day with no infrared, it would be invaluable."

The new system seems be doing just that — reducing weight on an already overburdened soldier, giving them information they need, and allowing commanders to know exactly where everyone is.

"Intel can be shared more readily and quicker," Col. Platt told YNN about the system. "Now we know where we are, but we also know where reported enemy sightings are so now we can take the initiative and attack the attackers that were waiting in ambush for us."