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Wanted: Special-Ops Battle Suit With Cooling, Computers, Radios, and Sensors
An anonymous reader writes "U.S. military researchers are asking industry for ideas on a futuristic uniform for Special Operations warfighters that involves agile air-conditioned armor with embedded computers, sensors, communications radios and antennas, signal processors, wearable displays, and health-monitoring systems. Among the technologies Special Operations Command officials are interested in most (PDF) are advanced armor to protect warfighters from bullets, shrapnel, and other battlefield threats, while preserving their mobility. The suit also may involve powered or unpowered robotic exoskeletons to improve warfighter performance and endurance, while enabling the warfighter to operate silently and unseen."
Tony Stark was preceded by a few decades by Robert Heinlein's Mobile Infantry in Starship Troopers.
Yes. Soldier is the term typically used for someone in the Army. As opposed to Airmen, Sailors, and Marines. Warfighter is the more general term for anyone int he military.
Actually, both were beat out by real devices! Powered Exoskeletons
In addition, (according to wikipedia) the first fictional reference was E. E. Smith's Lensman series in 1937, although devices were being built before then.
Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75. -Benjamin Franklin
The War Department didn't become the Defense Department. It became the Department of the Army and was removed from the cabinet, as was the Department of the Navy (which didn't get a name change). The Defense Department was, by necessity, a new department because it was created to oversee the Army, Navy and the new formed Air Force, whereas the War Department had been responsible for only the Army since 1798 (nine years after its founding).