Patriot Exercise Prompts Key User Feedback

  • Published
  • By Mr. John A. Plaga
  • 711th Human Performance Wing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  By participating in the Air National Guard's annual international Operation Global Patriot exercise, this year conducted at Volk Field and Fort McCoy (Wisconsin), Air Force Research Laboratory researchers have acquired information critical to in-progress Small Business Innovation Research work towards a trio of urgently needed capabilities: Risk Assessment for Frontline Troops, Advanced Head-Mounting Flight Environmental Devices, and crashworthy stowable troop seating for helicopters.

While Patriot is designed primarily to increase the readiness and combat capability of National Guard units, other US and coalition military units usually participate as well. Recognized as a joint venue wherein technologies at different developmental stages can be integrated for evaluation in a collective context, the event leverages new advances and also promotes the timely transfer of viable capabilities to the warfighter. Assessing early-stage technology development efforts in a realistic environment translates to a means for gathering key feedback from users at a point in the development process when possible deficiencies, such as human systems integration issues, can be addressed with minimal effort, cost, and time.

Patriot participants provided valuable information on how current ground missions are planned and how RAFT route-planning software could potentially be optimized for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. They supplied the helicopter seating contractor with details regarding the various sizes and weights of backpacks worn by troops--instrumental knowledge in terms of designing future seats that can not only accommodate packs but also protect troops during crashes. Meanwhile, participants who evaluated AHMFED (a device that will ultimately enable night vision goggles to be worn without the use of a helmet) supplied feedback already being used to modify the product to better meet Airman needs.