The US Army has carried out two table-top wargames to simulate future conflicts in Europe, Latin America, and surprise surprise in the Middle East. They found that combat in the Middle East in the year 2015 will require innovative weapon systems and techniques that are unparalleled with the existing inventory of weapons. Smart mines, robots, quick fire satellites, decoy battalions, personal body computers are all considered but the infantry soldiers comes in for a great deal of attention reflecting the previous shift toward war without men. Wargame scenarios took place at the US Army Laboratory Command during two three day sessions in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The simulations produced 5,000 pages of data. Smart mines were successful in the European scenario, as was a Battalion dedicated to deceiving the enemy. False tanks created by a thermal signature and robotic decoys lured the enemy units into the open and the Army pounded the numerically superior forces with artillery. Robots became important in city fighting working alongside troops clearing buildings locating and killing snipers. Snipers were a problem in the US invasion of Panama. One of the most significant results was the use of the soldier as a weapon system. Individual troops were equiped with visors that display their units and enemy locations. Tiny personal computers showed when the soldier needed to drink water, or required a rest. One idea that dominated discussion sessions was the exoskeleton, an outer protective suit that would give troops the ability to leap over small buildings, hold larger, more powerful weapons, and trigger sensors. Back to MWAN #53 Table of Contents © Copyright 1991 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com