BOOTS ON THE GROUND

WALNUT HILL

- Terry Wieland

The Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk. III was the standard British service rifle in 1914. The superb infantry of the British Expeditionary Force could lay down a field of fire comparable to massed machine guns.

Ever since men began fighting in organized groups, strategic thinkers have been looking for ways to overcome enemy infantry. From the beginning, the armed man has been the military unit that wins battles – alone, or in small or large groups. No one has ever won a war without infantry, but strategists keep searching.

The first infantryman was a man with a club, then a spear, then a sword and shield; this progressed to bows, crossbows and finally muskets and rifles. Initially deployed in small bands, later formed into cohorts and legions, eventually infantry was organized in sections, platoons and battalions. Always, though, the essential element was the individual and his personal weapon.

In September, the Economist published an article about the future of warfare, focusing particularly on technological developments to make infantry more effective. The U.S. is spending big to develop tools of “enhanced reality.”

The immediate objective is an infantryman’s helmet with a clear visor and headphones. The visor will serve as a screen, with digital information constantly displayed in the man’s line of vision, relayed by a computer attached to the chest. This would include the distance to whatever the soldier is looking at, following his eye movement and projecting the information immediately. There would also be warnings of enemy activity spotted by drones or satellites, flashed onto the visor in real time.

One outfit is even working on contact lenses to provide the same information, able to track the slightest eye movements, with no helmet required.