DARPA wants system-of-system technology ideas for dismounted troops

The U.S military is seeking ideas for possible new technologies to give U.S. troops on the squad level a greater tactical advantage over adversaries.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, of DARPA, project for which white papers are being requested is called Squad-X, an effort to develop and build a digitized, integrated system of systems to organically extend squad awareness and influence through rapid collection and sharing of data.

"Today's dismounted squads use many different technologies to gather and share information," the agency said. "In many instances, however, these valuable but disparate inputs are not well integrated, leaving squad members without the degree of real-time situational awareness and support for decision-making that warfighters typically experience while on board aircraft and ships and in vehicles."

DARPA hopes to provide technology to troops that feature integrated access to, and control of, mobile sensors.

The technology would also provide a three-dimensional common operating picture and the ability to locate and identify friendly forces and threat locations in near real time.

The request for white papers is the first step in exploring potential technologies to build a Squad-X system.

"We want both traditional and non-traditional performers to share innovative ideas on how to actually build a system of systems that could provide squads with real-time, trusted information in an enhanced, integrated manner while operating in dynamic and complex environments," said Maj. Christopher Orlowski, DARPA program manager.