Aruba Networks already installed the "world's largest" WLAN network at The Ohio State University, but its latest deployment just seems strangely more, how do we say... patriotic. Tag-teaming with Babylon Telecommunications, the pair has rolled out a WiFi network that will provide internet access to over 20,000 US soldiers at Joint Base Balad in Iraq. Believe it or not, there was no existing authorized web access at the base before these two stepped in, but thanks to a contract awarded by the Army & Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES), troops at the largest US military base in the region can now e-mail loved ones with ease, test their ping times from the sandbox and join a few online poker tournaments during down time.

[Via InformationWeek, image courtesy of DefenseLink]

Ah, ha! So, that Chinese S.W.A.T. team we caught ridin' dirty on Segways earlier this week actually had a reason to be carrying on like they were -- they were performing anti-terrorist drills in preparation for security during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Comically enough, the drill was said to be one of "rapid deployment," though we aren't told how many spills were taken when officers tried to actually maneuver one of these things around, aim at a target, pull a brown bag down around their head and keep it from spontaneously reversing. Just one question guys: what's with the tiny guns?

[Via CNET]

iRobot has unleashed yet another semi-autonomous robot ready to take on whatever the battlefield throws at it, but this one's got a much better feel of where it's headed. The PackBot with Mapping Kit ups the ante by "creating a real-time two-dimensional structural map for the soldier while on the move in theater," essentially enabling the operator (and his / her squad) to see what's just ahead without having to slip into potentially dangerous scenarios to find out. Apparently, the kit utilizes an array of sensors and artificial intelligence to relay the structural map while "simultaneously detecting and avoiding obstacles in its path." Heck, let's just strap a railgun on this thing and let the soldier kick back at the base.

[Thanks, Jonas]
Read - Press release
Read - PackBot with Mapping Kit homepage

It's not as if we haven't seen weapon-wielding robots before, but Robotex is aiming to create a new breed of mechanical soldier that's quick to build and cost effective. The Silicon Valley startup has garnered quite a bit of funding from angel investors, and apparently, it has already created a two-foot tall, motorized robot that can travel ten miles per hour, spin around "on a dime," be controlled remotely and most importantly, "blow a ten-inch hole through a steel door with deadly accuracy from 400 meters." Reportedly, such a critter can be crafted for under $50,000, which is said to be "six times" cheaper than similar alternatives already being tested in Iraq. Of course, there's no telling how soon (or not) these things will actually be called into duty, but we can bet there's already a list forming to be the one behind the remote when it is.

[Via InventorSpot]

Being dropped into no man's land without a hint of what's going on around you can't be fun (or safe, for that matter), but scoping out foreign territory in a hurry just got a lot more reasonable. The Army's Rapid Equipping Force has developed the Rapid Deployment Integrated Surveillance System, or RDISS, which "can be installed quickly and with minimal training." Deemed "simple" to setup, the system is designed to "improve situational awareness for soldiers at joint security stations and combat outposts throughout Iraq," and plans are already in place to establish "hundreds" of these systems in various locales by the year's end. Nah, it's not nearly as hip as using GPS-equipped spy squirrels, but we guess it'll do the trick.

[Via The Raw Feed]

We've seen a variety of systems designed to better inform soldiers of what's truly going on around them, but a new setup devised by Thales UK weds an advanced GPS module, a digital magnetic compass, a microprocessor, and a "fully ruggedized display" to provide near-real time situational awareness information. Dubbed MILTRAK, this concoction equips field soldiers with a portable display which seems to work an awful lot like your basic top-screen radar (think Counter-Strike), as it displays the positions of "similarly equipped friendly (blue) forces overlaid on a relational display, raster map, or geo-referenced aerial photograph." Moreover, those in battle can purportedly share and follow routes, which enhances communication and keeps platoons from running astray. Heck, they may even forget that the bullets flying around them are real.

[Via TheRawFeed, image courtesy of Army]

This certainly won't go down as the first (or last) time that a shocking photograph and antsy storytellers blow an event out of proportion, but the HP iPod that reportedly saved the life of Kevin Garrad of the 3rd Infantry Division was actually nothing more than a battle scar. Kevin's body armor is actually the unsung hero, as he didn't even know he was shot until he fished around for his Pod and found a mangled piece of white / chrome kit instead. He did mention that he missed having his tunes on tap for the battlefield rituals, and certainly didn't mind it lessening the blow of a bullet to his armor, but it looks like Apple (or should that be HP?) will have to remove this now-nullified crowning achievement from the trophy case.

[Via The Raw Feed]

Kevin Garrad of the 3rd Infantry Division looks to have gotten a little assistance from an unexpected source while on a street patrol in Iraq recently, when the iPod in his pocket got in the path of a bullet fired at close range, slowing it down enough that it didn't pierce his body armor. As if that wasn't a rare enough occurrence, as you can see above, the iPod in question was an HP iPod -- imagine the odds!

[Via Digg]

Air-conditioned vests have certainly graced the bodies of armed men and women before, but an elusive new breed is being tested in the multi-million dollar Spinnaker Building at the University of Portsmouth to ensure that it'll keep soldiers cool from the brutal conditions in Iraq. Scientists at the school weren't at will to disclose all the nitty gritty details about the classified gear, but we do know that these bad boys utilize "a combination of air, liquid, and new applications of old technologies such as converting paraffin wax into liquid in chambers within the vests to absorb heat from the body." The gist of the testing is to create a suit that actually improves one's ability to make sound judgments while in the field and under extreme conditions, and it was also mentioned that a mysterious US defense contractor is hoping to tweak these and have 'em out "within one to two years." Now, if only these things were available en masse for our poor laps, we'd really be in business.

[Via Gizmag]

Although glitzy, stat-filled jerseys are certainly sufficient ways to get information off your chest (ahem), a new vibrating vest could give "body language" an entirely new meaning. Joining the air-conditioned and insulating renditions, this snazzy vest features a "tactile display" on the back, which is created by 16 small vibrating motors that are connected to an internal wireless control unit. The jacket "writes symbols and messages on its wearer's back," and while the actual writing resembles Braille more than text, it can supposedly be used to "send important commands to soldiers or firefighters, warning them of imminent danger when ordinary radios cannot be used." Commands are beamed to the vests via a wirelessly-enabled computer, and can stealthily inform platoons to stop, look in a specific direction, run, or slow down. The US Army is partially funding the research, as it hopes to investigate different ways to communicate when hand signals and / or radio transmissions aren't effective. During initial testing, results have shown nearly flawless interpretation by participants, and while we're not exactly sure when we can expect rumble-equipped gear to grace our armed forces, the problem of "excess noise from the motors" has to be quelled before hitting the battlefield.

[Via BoingBoing]

If you've ever played a round of Team Fortress as a medic, you know how rough it is out there on the battlefield, and having cutting-edge medical gear makes everyone's life a lot easier. Verathon is looking to assist medically trained soldiers in the field handle throat injuries with its GlideScope Ranger, which enables easy viewing of the endotracheal tube, larynx, and vocal cords. The video laryngoscope provides a "clear, real time view of a patient's airway for fast intubations in military / emergency settings," and boasts a "Cormack-Lehane grade I or II view 99 percent of the time." Able to withstand the most extreme conditions, this portable device touts an "easy learning curve," so the operator should have no trouble seeing the less-than-pleasant issue(s) on the "non-glare monitor." The unit also sports an anti-fogging camera, "50 to 60 degree viewing angle" (so the whole platoon can get an eyeful), and the ability to perform 20 intubations on a single battery charge. Unsurprisingly, the GlideScope Ranger was crafted by a Vietnam veteran, and while we aren't sure if these will be made available to us common citizens, you might get lucky at your local PX.

[Via MedGadget]