SUPERHERO OR SUPERVILLAIN? SOLDIERS DRESSED FOR FUTURISTIC BATTLEFIELD

October 30, 2013

Taiwanese Special Forces troops in bullet proof body armour and full face vests. Picture: Supplied. Source: NewsComAu

THEY look like superheroes or supervillains from the big screen, only they are real life soldiers.

New high-tech equipment and body armour developed for armies around the world is turning troops into flesh and blood versions of video game warriors.
The science fiction video game-style equipment is designed to save the lives of soldiers in modern battlefield situations, such as roadside bombs or close combat with high-powered assault weapons.

Taiwan’s military uniform for close range combat features full-faced masks. Picture: Supplied. Source: NewsComAu

Face protection, in particular, has become paramount, with the US opting for maximum vision for its soldiers in battle conditions.
Taiwan's military armour for one of its elite combat units, designed for maximum protection against close range shots features full-faced masks and bullet proof body armour including chest and leg protection.

The equipment is designed to save the soldiers in modern battlefield situations. Picture: Supplied. Source: NewsComAu

Soldiers wearing the uniform have been likened to the character Deathstroke in Teen Titans, or the Footclan from TMNT.
In the US, a new helmet developed for the army transforms troops into the cybernetically enhanced human super-soldier, Master Chief John-117, from the Xbox game, Halo.

The super-soldier from video game, Halo. Picture: Supplied. Source: NewsComAu

The latest helmet for the US Army incorporates night vision goggles, heads-up display technology and communications earpieces and microphones.
The digital display projected on the inside of the visor is similar to Google Glass.
A detachable ballistic visor and lightweight jaw piece provide added protection against the higher number of facial injuries resulting from roadside bombs.

The real deal: the new hi-tech helmet provides protection from roadside bombs. Picture: US Army. Source: NewsComAu

Ballistic eyewear company Revision released the helmet after four years development by the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Centre in the US, reports KitUp.
In regions like Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers had suffered face injuries from the fragments of improvised explosive devices and fling rocks and glass, necessitating improved protection, said Don Lee, who lead the Natick project.
"Going by a recent (Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injury in Combat) report, of all the injuries to the head, 72 per cent are to the face," Lee told army.mil.
"When the soldiers wore the prototype systems with the visor and mandible, it was the first time that they weren't eating sand and dust and rocks going down the road.
"Being able to don that (mandible and visor) protection when needed or being able to remove it when not needed is the big 'wow' factor."

The ‘HEaDS-UP’ helmet has a digital display on the visor like Google Glass. Picture: US Army. Source: NewsComAu

Called the Helmet Electronics and Display System-Upgradeable Protection, or HEaDS-UP, the helmet helps maintain the head's natural centre of gravity, reducing strain and fatigue, Lee said.
Biomechanics improved the fit, balance and weight of the helmets.
"If you hang a quarter-pound (110 grams) on the front, it feels like nothing, but what about after a 12-hour mission?" he said.

Like a superhero: an US army officer models the new hi-tech helmet. Picture: US Army. Source: NewsComAu

The scientists, who looked at 300 combinations involving helmets and head gear, hope to share their data with Army's medical community to reduce neck, shoulder and back injuries.
Last weekend, it was reported an Australian soldier in Afghanistan was saved by "state-of-the-art" body armour which reportedly stopped a round from an Afghani soldier piercing his body.
Australian troops have been wearing more than $27,000 worth of combat gear on duty in Afghanistan.

Combat gear for Australian troops has increased almost sevenfold in 15 years. Source: News Limited

The Australian was shot in the chest by the Afghani soldier just outside the capital Kabul, but the resulting wounds have been described by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as "minor" and the soldier has since returned to work.
Chief of the NZ Defence Force, Lieutenant General Rhys Jones, revealed details of the incident, saying the Australian's injuries could have been far worse.
"Initial assessment is that it's some of the shrapnel as the bullet hit the chest of the Australian and with the body armour, the bullet disintegrated," he said.
"Some of the shrapnel went into the arm of the Australian soldier that was hit, another part went into the foot [of the New Zealand soldier].
"We were fortunate that both the Australians and New Zealanders were wearing world-class self-protection body armour."
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