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Land Warrior Army Suits Simplified, Linux-ized
Dosco Jones writes 'The Army is drastically simplifying the makeup of its high-tech soldier ensemble, the Land Warrior, in an effort to make the system less prone to failures and easier to use,' National Defense reports. Defense Tech continues: 'After the last version of Land Warrior failed reliability tests earlier this year, the Army switched gears and decided to make the system less complex and modify the hardware to make it compatible with the new [and controversial] Stryker infantry vehicle. Changes include a more simplified data bus and a Linux-based operating system, as opposed to Windows. 'Evidence shows that Linux is more stable. We are moving in general to where the Army is going, to Linux-based OS', says the program's manager, Lt. Col. Dave Gallop."
Evidence shows that Linux is more stable
I'm sure they'll be hearing from Commander Gates about that one shortly...
-insert a witty something-
Each fighter would get equipped with a small, 500 megahertz computer running Windows 2000...
"Although it has been much improved over earlier prototypes, the system was deemed 'unreliable' and unlikely to survive the rigors of combat," National Defense says.
The thought of Windows even being considered for such a mission critical application (i.e. keeping our boys alive) scares the bejeezus out of me... kinda brings a new meaning to "blue screen of death".
The cost of war just went up by $699
The Marines are going to run FreeBSD, because linux just isn't tough enough.
Fatal error : Could not find gunfile.dll. Please reboot your soldier. now it will be : YOU! STOP, OR I'LL SEND YOU TO /DEV/NULL/.
"The enemy is approaching. Fire away!"
"I can't, sir... There's no compatible driver for this missile launcher yet!"
I recommend downgrading all versions of Soldier to the basic "naked man with stick" functionality which was immensely popular and robust for a good portion of the version history of Soldier. There'd be a lot less problems in the long run, as long as all users comply with the downgrade.
Freedom: "I won't!"
...it's all made by the lowest bidder. And by that criterion, Linux is the clear choice.
One thing that nobody's managed to explain to me is how your average 11 Bravo is expected to carry an extra fifty-odd pounds of electronics.
Land Warrior? I'd settle for a fucking infantry boot that wasn't the height of 1950's technology.
Sadly, we run Windows NT. We'd also never get expensive crap like a warrior suit... hell, my deuce-gear was first issued in 1964 according to the supply ticket.
Sure, we got the cool new camouflague that makes us look like the Waffen SS, but as far as cool crap like this, we have to wait 5 years for the Army to get tired of playing with it.
All's true that is mistrusted
The Army chooses Linux to build the soldier of the future but the Department of Homeland Security chooses Windows. Maybe the Army can protect us from the Department of Homeland Security!
No trees were harmed in the composition of this; however, numerous electrons were inconvenienced.
Speech like that weakens Windows, which weakens the economy and cuts down on campaign contributions to GOP causes. W and the "Justice" Department will be having Gallop arrested as an obvious enemy combatant any second now.
More stable. Like that's so important. It hasn't mattered to Windows for years!
Everyone knows that they are just covering up the fact that they couldn't afford to buy a REAL OS, you know, with the lack of funding the U.S. army gets and all.
Nobody uses Linux for an other reason than its cost, which is actually more than Windows when you take in account its TCO cause windows has all those neat add ons that make life more productive, like clippy.
Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
"The minesweeper simulation did not seem to adequately train our engineers"
I'll let other /.ers discuss the reliability of Linux over Windows, but an interesting note is that the original LW had 2 processors but the newer version has 1. The question is whether part of the reliability issues on 2 processors is due to Windows handling multiprocessors or simply the hassles of getting 2 processors to work together. The articles do not discuss in detail what really happened. Simplicity is however a good thing when it comes to reliability. It would be something if the stuck with a 2 processor design but made it work with Linux.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
"You have loaded new ammo in your gun -- Please contact Microsoft for a new activation key."
BSD is designed. Linux is grown. C++ libs
The Military Analysis Network has a more complete description of the Landwarrior's various subsystems. Sounds like you would need a very stable OS to handle all the communications, geographic, thermal imaging, and directional software it must be running.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/gro und/iav.htm
"In February 2002 the Army named its new interim armored vehicle after two soldiers who received the Medal of Honor. The Stryker is named in honor of Spc. 4 Robert F. Stryker, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War, and Pfc. Stuart S. Stryker, who received the award for his actions during World War II. Both men were killed in action. They were not related."
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohiib1.htm
"Rank and organization. Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company E, 513th Parachute Infantry, 17th Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Wesel, Germany, 24 March 1945. Entered service at: Portland, Oreg. Birth. Portland, Oreg. G.O. No.: 117, 11 December 1945. Citation. He was a platoon runner, when the unit assembled near Wesel, Germany after a descent east of the Rhine. Attacking along a railroad, Company E reached a point about 250 yards from a large building used as an enemy headquarters and manned by a powerful force of Germans with rifles, machineguns, and 4 field pieces. One platoon made a frontal assault but was pinned down by intense fire from the house after advancing only 50 yards. So badly stricken that it could not return the raking fire, the platoon was at the mercy of German machine gunners when Pfc. Stryker voluntarily left a place of comparative safety, and, armed with a carbine, ran to the head of the unit. In full view of the enemy and under constant fire, he exhorted the men to get to their feet and follow him. Inspired by his fearlessness, they rushed after him in a desperate charge through an increased hail of bullets. Twenty-five yards from the objective the heroic soldier was killed by the enemy fusillades. His gallant and wholly voluntary action in the face of overwhelming firepower, however, so encouraged his comrades and diverted the enemy's attention that other elements of the company were able to surround the house, capturing more than 200 hostile soldiers and much equipment, besides freeing 3 members of an American bomber crew held prisoner there. The intrepidity and unhesitating self-sacrifice of Pfc. Stryker were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service."
http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/mohviet2.htm
"Rank and organization: Specialist Fourth Class, U.S. Army, Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Loc Ninh, Republic of Vietnam, 7 November 1967. Entered service at: Throop, N.Y. Born: 9 November 1944, Auburn, N.Y. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sp4c. Stryker, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving with Company C. Sp4c. Stryker was serving as a grenadier in a multicompany reconnaissance in force near Loc Ninh. As his unit moved through the dense underbrush, it was suddenly met with a hail of rocket, automatic weapons and small arms fire from enemy forces concealed in fortified bunkers and in the surrounding trees. Reacting quickly, Sp4c. Stryker fired into the enemy positions with his grenade launcher. During the devastating exchange of fire, Sp4c. Stryker detected enemy elements attempting to encircle his company and isolate it from the main body of the friendly force. Undaunted by the enemy machinegun and small-arms fire, Sp4c. Stryker repeatedly fired grenades into the trees, killing enemy snipers and enabling his comrades to sever the attempted encirclement. As the battle continued, Sp4c. Stryker observed several wounded members of his squad in the killing zone of an enemy claymore mine. With complete disregard for his safety, he threw himself upon the mine as it was detonated. He was mortally wounded as his body absorbed the blast and shielded his comrades from the explosion. His unselfish actions were responsible for saving the lives of at least 6 of his fellow soldiers. Sp4c. Stryker's great personal bravery was in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army."
Stryker info
And, of course:
Stryper info
The army's been very good about its transformation plan. In case some /. readers haven't heard it in its full glory, here it is:
OK, pre-9/11, the Army embarked on a very controversial plan. Basically, they looked at all the wars that we have any realistic chance of being in. Then they looked at what we have to fight them.
The problem was this: we have oodles of heavy tanks, which pretty much kick all kinds of ass. But they can only win where they can be brought to bear. They're so heavy that they require massive transportation time and cost (not to mention a friendly port to set up in). Another problem is that while tracked vehicles can be heavier and go places that wheeled vehicles can't, they are very maintenance intensive. They need lots of fuel and spare parts, which requires still more ships or a massive airlift.
Bottom line: unless we're fighting on the Korean penninsula or in Europe, where were pre-positioned, it would take six months to fight a war anywhere, and that's assuming we had a friendly neighbor to give us a place to set up in.
The result was the Army transformation plan. The idea is that they would get phase out most of their heavy tank divisions, and replace them with smaller, modular formations called Brigade Combat Teams. The BCT's job would be this: assuming the Air Force can clear a drop zone, we ought to be able to put a brigade anywhere in the world, opposed or not, within 96 hours of the President saying so. Four brigades within 14 days, and more (I don't remember how many) within 90 days. That's even if we drop in the middle of a shooting enemy.
One way we could do this was to get a vehicle that could be a little less armed and armored, and could be a little less mobile, but MUST be air-transportable. That's the Stryker. Think of it (excuse the roleplaying reference) as an Omnimech: a vehicle that is designed to be reconfigurable to do lots of different missions. So there's a communications loadout, and a tank-killer loadout and an infantry-carrier loadout, and lots more.
Post 9/11 lessons have been mixed. On one hand, invincible tanks in Germany did us absolutely no good when we suddenly found ourselves at war in Afghanistan. On the other, when we had a year to move them to Iraq, our tanks did extremely well-- and as DefenseTech points out, absorbs fire that would have destroyed Strykers. The gripping hand is that long occupations like Iraq are better suited to Strykers, LAV's or armored Hummers than to heavy tanks and APC's.
So, like most things, one tech isn't necessarily better or worse than another. You use whatever best fits the situation you're in. On that basis, I like the Stryker. An all-Stryker Army? No. But it is a very valuable program.
Most American war plans in the 90's were built around the idea of a set-piece conflict with an adversary (like China, Iraq or North Korea) that while not exactly equal in technology was at least comparable. 9/11 proved that asymmetrical conflicts would also happen: conflicts where the enemy's main goal is to demoralize our political leadership because they can't defeat us militarily.
And in those cases, we can't count on someone granting us entry, we may need to move very fast, and it might be in some remote corner of the world, far from our forces.
Related to that is improved command and control. Many of our casualties in the Gulf War were friendly-fire, so the Army worked on reducing that, too. Vehicles can now see on a map where others in their unit are (just like in a first-person shooter like BF1942). The problem is that the equipment is still too heavy and battery-draining to be useful for infantry. Hopefully, a vehicle-run 'subnet' can help alleviate this. And running it w/ Linux will hopefully improve efficiency and reliability.
Overall, I think the Army's on the right track with this. I'd hate to lose our heavy tank divisions-- those come in mighty handy. But a less powerful force that can actually get to the battle is better than an invincible juggernaut that is stranded somewhere else.
If this wasn't Slashdot, it would probably be something like "Linux Now Bring Used To Kill More People Than Windows".
[note to mods: THIS IS FUNNY]
Honorary Member of Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Process Servers
The Army does use SCO for a bunch of her computer systems, like for Field Artillery fire direction. It's kind of fun to watch people discover that backspace and delete aren't what they're used to.
Parent is dumb. Embedded systems are not designed like that system on your desktop. Typically in embedded applications you have a watchdog timer which will reboot the system within ms of the system locking up. With Linux this will take just a few seconds, and the system was running in RAM so no need to worry about disk corruption.
...the real advantage to using Linux as opposed to Windows in this instance is the ability to strip the OS down to the bare essentials required to accomplish the mission.
Windows is the kind of OS where cramming in as many features as possible is more important than many other things. Hence, this system running Windows is likely hogging up cycles and draining battery performing tasks that aren't needed or even wanted in a battlefield.
But with Linux you can strip it down so that every cycle is a neccessary one. Plus the NSA has plenty of experience hardening the kernel per it's whimsy.
The Military has experience fielding unix in ground combat systems. It's been proven time and again in combat. A Linux solution (or an embedded linux solution) allows the Army to customize even the very low levels of the software in addition to the legendary reliability it enjoys in other systems.
Windows has neither of those things and frankly is not suited to an environment where taking time to patch the OS or troubleshoot could cost you your life.
"Let him go, Ralph. He knows what he's doing." --Otto Mann (simpsons)
Gentoo: they would have the best weapons platform imaginable, but it would be functional only 1 week every month, the rest of the time would be spent compiling
Debian: they would have the most stable / reliable system, however instead of being compatible with Stryker, it would only be compatible with a WW2 Sherman, as this is the only piece of machinery certified as stable
Red Hat: they would have a fine piece of equipment, until they tried upgrading, then realised they also needed to upgrade their helmets. Upon upgrading their helmets they would realise that the new helmets would not work with their rifles. Upon upgrading rifles they realise that the new rifles are a version too high for their computers.
LFS: Each soldier must get a university degree in computer science before being allowed near the equipment.
GNU / Hurd: Soldier: "FIRE" Computer: "I cannot until you say GNU/Fire" Soldier: "OK, GNU/Fire at the enemy behind the building" Computer: "I cannot until you GNU/say GNU/Fire at GNU/the GNU/enemy behind GNU/the GNU/building...GNU"
I am Monkey, the Great Sage, equal of heaven!
The Army has an extensive selection process for new weapons, and they have stayed with the M16 series for 35 years now-- had something that better fits the needs of the troops and logistical requirements come along in the interim, you can bet that DoD would be using it. Developments in the 1980s with lasers and caseless ammunition (e.g. the HK G11 rifle) failed to improve on the performance of the M16 series, and DoD has continued to procure the M16 and more recently the M4 Carbine (a popular shortened version of the M16 issued to officers, tank crews, and troops other than front line riflemen). The current manufacturer of the M16 is FN Herstal in Belgium, and Colt is the manufacturer of the M4 Carbine. Both pieces are high-quality compared to a lot of junk in the private market. There are any number of manufacturers of M16/AR-15-type rifles, but Colt consistently brings the highest prices in private sales-- "if it's not a Colt, it's just a copy," as they say. While it is certainly possible to buy a better-quality AR-15 from a custom manufacturer, the Colt/FN combination offers DoD the best balance of cost, quality, and production capacity. There are developments under way now that may limit the useful life of currently issued weapons, but every rifle the DoD issues is designed to serve for many years in many sets of hands, with parts being replaced as needed. Check out your local Army surplus store and you'll see all manner of accessories, uniforms, and equipment that the DoD issues to its troops-- most of the *officially issued* stuff is high quality, while the aftermarket knockoffs are junk. You might be surprised at what gets issued...the Soldier Systems Center recently added the Vietnam-style Tomahawk to the Army infantryman's basic load.
Drill Instructor: "This is the seven inch combat knife, affectionately known as the KABAR. It has zero electronics and zero moving parts. It is the most reliable weapon you will every carry."
Guys, it ain't the OS. Environmental, maintenance, electronic, and embedded application issues are far more likely to cause problems. The OS issue may be a red herring. The article seems to indicate that the original Land Warrior dual CPU hardware was flaky and is being replaced by a piece of hardware from a different project with a single CPU, simplified bus, and is already running Linux. It's not clear if WinNT is really to blame. Recall the initial speculation regarding the Navy's USS Yorktown incident. Many gleefully blamed WinNT, eventually folks talked to the Chief Engineer on board at the time and the actual software developer and found out that it was not WinNT, it was a debug version of application software that was at fault.
Personally, I'd wager that Linux was simply a better fit (size, overhead) for the "other" embedded application. Or maybe the team was more experience with Unix than Windows. Switching the Land Warrior over to Linux to maintain commonality with other systems would justify the change as well.
Because as we all know, if the all of the world's militaries disappeared, why overnight, the whole world would live in harmony and peace. Especially if firearms were illegal everywhere. Then, no one would have any guns (because killers hate to break the law) or armies, and physically powerful gangs of merciless cutthroats with lots of sword and archery practice would definitely NOT roam the land pillaging and raping peaceful farmers and artisans. It's unthinkable, it's never happened. Why, before there were guns and armies, all people lived in a blessed Utopia free of disease, famine, rampaging predators and rival tribes trying to eat you. It was only when evil men created cities and armies to protect themselves (from God knows what! there was nothing to fear!) that life became to unbearably harsh and, GASP, *BABIES WERE KILLED*! Later, firearms were invented that allowed evil old ladies to actually protect themseleves from gangs of virile young criminals by, *HORROR*, SHOOTING THEM AND HURTING, OR EVEN KILLING THEM!
This madness must stop. I demand a return to good old days when there was no war, disease, guns, filthy capitalist pigs, or PVC packaging that's fucking impossible to open.