Active Military

War Is Hand-Held on Battlefield of the Future In the valleys of FT. IRWIN, Calif.--For nearly a century, the essential gear for the front-line infantry soldier has been a rifle, boots, canteen and helmet. Soon, it may also include a hand-held computer linked to satellites. U.S. military officials believe the system, developed by engineers at TRW Inc.'s research laboratory in Carson, could alter the way wars are fought by giving soldiers unprecedented …

…within 15 seconds, rendering it useless. And the systems can be remotely shut off by commanders. Computers also communicate with specially designed encrypted links and password protection. Pentagon officials said it will take months to analyze the outcome of the latest exercise, but supporters already seemed to gain a morale victory. "In the past, we saw them rolling right over the Blue forces," Col. Antal said. "That didn't happen this time. There were some grinding fights."