From GI Joe to starship trooper: the evolution of information support for individual soldiers

As we approach the millennium, numerous programs and research plans have focused on the use of advanced technology to improve the effectiveness of military forces. Examples include: the Army XXI concepts and the Army After Next (http://cacfs.army.mil/aan.html) concepts for military technology beyond the year 2020. Technologies to improve the effectiveness of soldiers include advanced tactical communications, the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) system for precise geolocation, fire and forget smart weapons, improved sensors, and multi-sensor data fusion systems. The interest in such technology is exemplified by the recent movie, Starship Troopers, based on a science fiction book by Heinlein. This paper summarizes some of the innovations provided to soldiers to transform them from the era of GI Joe to an anticipated era of the starship trooper. In particular, we analyze information technologies such as advanced sensors, multi-sensor data fusion, and automated reasoning