ers by granting expeditionary support through potable water production at the forward edge of the battle
area. WFAS provides warfighters
the means to continuously generate potable water during all phases
of operations without increasing the
distribution footprint.
WFAS is a unit-level water generation system that extracts potable
water from the atmospheric humidity. The system is mounted on
a 7.5-ton trailer and is projected to
generate 500 gallons of water per
day. There are also smaller capabilities that can be mounted to existing
platforms.
The average output capability of
today’s system is five gallons of water for every one gallon of fuel. Although there is a trade-off between
water and fuel, the system still offers
an 80-percent overall reduction in
transportation requirements related
to water support.
WFAS forward on the battlefield
has the potential to significantly reduce or eliminate the distribution of
bulk water within modular brigades
and dramatically reduce bottled water requirements.
WFAS may yield the following
benefits:
Allow production and storage at
the point of consumption.
Reduce water distribution.
Reduce force structure.
Reduce the logistics tail.
Counter potential enemy water
threats.
Visualize enemy forces targeting
resupply convoys with the intent of
depriving friendly forces of water.
WFAS counters that threat and enables forces to conduct continuous
operations to generate their own water, prolong endurance, and extend
operational reach.
IPMDS
The Intelligent Power Management and Distribution System (IPMDS) is a far-term technology that
comprises a combination of hard
ware and software that optimizes
the production, distribution, and
use of electrical power. IPMDS incorporates automatic phase balancing, ground fault protection, and
enhanced 24/7 power distribution
reliability to reduce Soldier support,
intervention, and training.
IPMDS reduces the requirements
for energy during expeditionary operations and the amount of power generation equipment needed
during initial entry. Without degrading capabilities, this system increases unit endurance and freedom
of action, while reducing man hours
related to maintenance and transportation. Recent studies have projected a 30- to 40-percent reduction
in the amount of fuel used for power
generation.
The following benefits can potentially be achieved by IPMDS:
Counter the enemy’s potential
threats to U.S. Army energy.
Reduce energy requirements.
Reduce maintenance and transportation requirements.
Reduce force structure.
Reduce fuel demand.
Picture a remote brigade combat
team operating autonomously and
relying on host-nation support for
power generation. The tactical operations center receives orders to relocate the site and reestablish operations at an area outside of the power
grid.
The IPMDS can expedite the
move while maintaining functionality and make the reestablishment of
operations more seamless. IPMDS
eliminates host-nation power generation support requirements, allowing
for a leaner, more self-sufficient, and
more expeditionary force.
CASCOM conducts globally responsive sustainment rehearsal of
concept drills to validate sustainment roles and responsibilities and
recommend restructuring options.
One of the drills’ major objectives
is to use each emerging technology
in a simulated operational environment to determine which emerging
technologies will enable expeditionary sustainment support of strategic
landpower.
CASCOM has coordinated with
a host of organizations and science
and technology stakeholders to establish a forum for greater integration, synchronization, and collaboration. As the Army moves forward
to a more capable, leaner expeditionary force, more experiments,
evaluations, exercises, wargaming,
and other efforts focused on determining the force design of 2025 are
necessary.
Soldiers at all levels must share in
the effort of making the Army of
2025 the most highly trained and
professional land force in the world.
This will take the support and continuous effort of the entire Army
team over the next 10 years.
Moving forward, capability developers will continue to leverage
science and technology to meet the
CSA’s intent. Capability developers
will conduct activities along three
primary lines of effort: force employment, science and technology
and human performance optimization, and force design.
The science and technology line
of effort will continue to focus on
identifying game-changing technologies to optimize the force. Science and technology communities
will remain deliberate and continue
to coordinate and provide senior
leaders with capabilities that retain
overmatch, increase capability, and
foster a leaner expeditionary force.
Capt. MuShawn D. Smith serves as a
logistics capabilities development analysis officer in the Science and Technology
Branch of the Combined Arms Support
Command’s Sustainment Battle Lab. He
holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Tarleton State University and is
a graduate of the Combined Logistics Captains Career Course and Capabilities Development Course.
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2014 17