Program Executive Office-Soldier is currently enhancing and fielding new military equipment to troops, emphasizing a range of upgrades from cold weather gear to loitering munitions. This is part of a broader strategy to continuously improve soldier gear. Recently, the office has made strides in lightening body armor, providing blood coolers for lifesaving measures, and developing new cold weather gear for soldier testing.
During a meeting with Army Times prior to the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting & Exposition, program officers highlighted their latest equipment advancements. Among these innovations is the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, which has been rebranded as the Soldier Borne Mission Command. This device, which was previously configured as goggles, is being redesigned to a glasses version that is more compact.
In September 2023, Rivet announced a $195 million agreement to advance this project, claiming it will serve as the Army’s next-generation situational awareness and mission command platform for dismounted units at the company level and below. Furthermore, Anduril secured a $159 million contract that same month for an initial prototyping phase aimed at developing a night vision and mixed reality system aligned with this program. The two companies are scheduled to deliver 70 systems each by March for evaluation, with a plan to have the comprehensive architecture and hardware package ready by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027.
Additionally, PEO-Soldier is exploring the Purpose Built Attritable Systems, a kit comprising four five-inch and two ten-inch quadcopters that can be utilized as one-way attack drones or for dropping munitions. Lt. Col. Will Taylor described the device as a munition rather than a traditional drone, noting that it should be viewed as a projectile rather than an aircraft. Complementing this effort is the Switchblade 600, a larger loitering munition equipped with a Javelin warhead designed to penetrate tank turrets. The Army has already deployed 138 of these units across 12 different units, with an additional 1,600 on order for future deployment.
In the realm of soldier protection, Lt. Col. Ken Elgort introduced the new Lightweight Small Arms Protective Inserts (LSAPI), which provide ballistic protection equivalent to that of the Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI) but are 1.5 pounds lighter. A significant contract of $65.5 million was awarded in September for the production of 72,179 LSAPI plates, officially kicking off the manufacturing process. Additionally, fresh helmet pad designs have been approved to improve comfort and fit for soldiers.
For operations in cold environments, new tactical clothing, snowshoes, skis, and cleats are slated for testing this winter, with reports suggesting some units could receive complete equipment upgrades by fiscal 2028. Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, and 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, are presently evaluating a specialized poncho designed to protect against electromagnetic detection.
Lastly, PEO-Soldier is introducing advanced medical devices, including the Sparrow ventilator that automates respiration assistance, blood coolers for field medics to create ice packs, and a monitoring system to record blast exposure during a soldier’s Army service. Additionally, a developing medical trauma sensor will provide real-time key health metrics to facilitate faster medical responses.
This multifaceted initiative reflects the commitment to enhancing soldier safety, operational efficiency, and overall mission readiness.
