Soldiers

The US Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF), with the help of the crowdsourcing gurus at Local Motors, has launched ArmyCoCreate.com, a website designed to let soldiers, designers and engineers collaborate on identifying soldier requirements and designing prototypes to address them.

The US Navy's top SEAL, four-star Admiral William McRaven, is pushing hard for a modern suit of armor called the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS). Though not exactly an Iron Man suit, it's that ballpark.

The US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's communications-electronics center (CERDEC) have developed a military-grade Universal Battery Charger (UBC) to help soldiers in the field keep their electronics powered.

DARPA's Warrior Web program aims to build a suit that improves a soldier's endurance and overall effectiveness, while preventing injuries.

A new smartphone-based system is able to determine the location of snipers.

The Rheinmetall Group has been awarded an €84 million (US$112 million) contract to supply a further sixty of its Gladius "future soldier" systems to the German Federal Defense Force (Bundeswehr).

British soldiers in Afghanistan have been issued palm-sized Black Hornet Nano UAVs to scout around corners and obstacles for hidden dangers.

Scientists are developing breathable military uniforms that can also repel toxic substances, when needed.

Scientists have created face paint that protects soldiers against the heat of bomb blasts.

The US Army is preparing to test a new body armor tailored to fit female soldiers.

Fortifications designed to go up quickly find a low-tech solution to coming down quickly.

The U.S. Army is equipping its soldiers with Individual Gunshot Detectors (IGD) that use the sound waves generated by enemy gunfire to instantaneously determine its location and distance.