Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble


The Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble program was a soldier modernization effort for combat ground troops of the United States Army. It focused on the areas of battery-powered items, such as individual soldier computers, heads-up displays, combat optics, aural boosting and protection, and microclimate conditioning. The SIPE system also included a modular clothing and equipment system. With SIPE, the Army began treating the individual soldier's combat equipment as one integrated system rather than an assortment of individual components.
The SIPE system was developed as a potential replacement for the standard Battle Dress Uniform, Battle Dress Overgarment, body armor, and load bearing equipment of past.
SIPE was succeeded by Land Warrior, and certain technologies developed under the SIPE program were migrated directly to LW.

History

As a part of the Soldier Modernization Plan, the Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble program was established by the Department of the Army as an Advanced Technology Demonstration in 1990. The lead organization for the ATD was the US Army Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center. The SIPE system was intended to increase lethality, mobility, survivability, command and control, and overall protection of troops.

Agencies, organizations and units involved

Major Department of the Army organizations included the Office of the Surgeon General, Army Research Institute, the Institute for Defense Analysis, and the Test and Experimentation Command.
The Training and Doctrine Command players included the TRADOC System Manager-Soldier, the US Army Infantry School, and the 4th Ranger Training Battalion.
The US Army Materiel Command's agencies involved included the Communications and Electronics Command, CECOM Night Vision and Electro Optics Directorate, the Chemical RD&E Center, the Human Engineering Laboratory, and the former US Army Laboratory Command's Harry Diamond Laboratories and Electronic Technology and Devices Laboratory.

Natick-established SIPE elements

A SIPE Management Office was established within the Office of the Technical Director at Natick to plan, direct, execute and manage the SIPE ATD program. The SIPE office was structured and staffed based on the type of expertise required by the major components or subsystems of the SIPE system, i.e. the integrated helmet, clothing, weapon, microclimate conditioning, and soldier's computer subsystems. The SIPE manager and staff worked closely with other project personnel at Natick, as well as other RD&E centers and contractors, to ensure that the technology development efforts and the programmatic elements were closely coordinated and mutually supportive to achieve the goals of the SIPE program. All team members, including outside agencies, were matrixed to the SIPE manager in order to execute required actions.
Matrix management of a project of this scope and magnitude was difficult because of the large number of players and organizations involved. All information flowed centrally through, and all technical and programmatic decisions were made by the SIPE manager in coordination with other appropriate organizations. The SIPE office also worked closely with USAIS to ensure that the program met the anticipated requirements of the user.
Natick initially established an internal steering committee consisting of the Technical Director, the Associate Technical Director for Technology and the Directors of the Individual Protection and Soldier Sciences Directorates to oversee the project and provide guidance and direction. To assist in the management of this complex project a SIPE Master Schedule was developed. Team members provided a monthly update of the status of their efforts to Dynamics Research Corporation for consolidation.

Contractor support

An Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry was held and proved to be extremely beneficial to governmental agencies, as well as industry, in terms of clarifying issues and exchanging information about requirements, capabilities, and technologies.
The SIPE ATD's Request For Proposal was written primarily by the SIPE office and the Natick contracting office with input from the user community. This resulted in awards to four major contractors:
Dynamics Research Corporation also assisted in managing the complex SIPE ATD project by maintaining the SIPE Master Schedule Update. This document was updated monthly with the current status of various elements of the project. Individual plans and timelines were developed by individual team members. Dynamics Research Corporation had the integration responsibility but because of the centralized decision making, lacked the authority to direct the activities of other players.

Approach

The SIPE ATD consisted of a 6 phase approach:
  • Phase I–Concept Development
  • Phase II–Component Development
  • Phase III–Integration
  • Phase IV–Initial SIPE Evaluation/Modification
  • Phase V–SIPE Procurement
  • Phase VI–SIPE Demonstration/Evaluation
The six phases employed the use of technical assessments, human factors assessments, modeling and simulation, and field demonstrations. Each method evaluated different aspects of combat or technical performance.

Evaluation methodology

Technical assessments

Technical laboratory tests were conducted to measure those aspects of equipment performance which can best be captured in structured, scientifically controlled experiments, such as: acoustic testing of the helmet, physiological testing in the environmental chamber, flow rate and pressure drop test of the microclimate conditioning/power subsystem, and acoustic testing of the long range hearing device.'
SIPE ATD technical assessments were published as formal reports:'
  • Preliminary Assessment of Three Conceptual SIPE Configurations vs. Standard, MOPP 2 and MOPP 4 Clothing Ensembles, dated 28 Sept 1992.
  • Clothing Configurations in Controlled Chamber Configurations; Draft Test Report for the Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble, dated 21 Dec. 1992
  • Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble Advanced Clothing Subsystem Phase II/III Technical Report Vol. I & II, dated 20 Aug. 1993.

    Human factors assessments

The human factors assessments of SIPE were designed and conducted to address MANPRINT-identified issues. These issues included man-machine interface, compatibility, comfort, sizing/fit, and mobility, as well as safety and training. Solving the aforementioned issues contributes significantly toward user acceptance and user-friendly soldier capabilities.
The US Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences gathered data on SIPE during the field demonstrations and the results are published in ', dated March 1993.' Researchers requested soldier impressions on and suggestions for the SIPE equipment. Army Research Institute personnel collected this data.

Modeling and simulation

can be used to address equipment, individual soldier, and unit performance under conditions which are too dangerous and/or too expensive to replicate in peacetime. The Institute for Defense Analysis used the Janus Combat Model, performing a simulation of a "standard equipped" infantry squad and an "SIPE equipped" infantry squad versus each other. Simulations included squad missions for defense of a position, reconnaissance and ambush in day, night, and in non-NBC and NBC conditions. The simulation's purpose was to generate estimates on squad effectiveness when using SIPE equipment.'
In the early 1990s, existing modeling and simulation capabilities throughout the Army lacked the level of resolution and detail necessary to adequately model intricate individual soldier issues and capabilities. Critical characteristics such as fire and movement, intra squad communication, and acoustic detection were not modeled or were not represented to the degree required.'
Modeling and simulation efforts on behalf of the SIPE ATD consisted primarily of technical analyses which supported:
  • Construction of ATD operation scenarios and their definition of operational measures of effectiveness
  • Formation of evaluation criteria for SIPE field demonstration exercises
  • Concurrent development of new modeling and simulation tools including the Integrated Unit Simulation System, and the Soldier System Hierarchical Model.

    Field demonstrations

The demonstration highlight was a series of Situational Training Exercises which assessed the ability of the SIPE squad performing standard dismounted infantry missions including Recon/Hasty Attack, Raid, Ambush, and NBC Recon. The STX phase highlighted many of the tactical enhancements and unique new capabilities provided by SIPE.
During the field demonstration, assessments were conducted by the Test and Experimentation Command on target detection, target engagement and land navigation. The TEXCOM Close Combat Test Directorate provided their assessment in "Test and Evaluation Report: Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble " dated Feb. 1993. The US Army Infantry School's assessment is in "Draft Test Report for the Soldier Integrated Protective Ensemble Tactical Field Demonstration" dated Feb. 1993.''''

Timeline

  • Initial Draft of SIPE System Evaluation Plan – 15 Oct 91
  • Draft of SIPE System Evaluation Plan coordinated with USAIS, AMSAA, HEL – 15 Nov 91
  • Final Draft of SIPE System Evaluation Plan Coordination – 1 Dec 91
  • Receipt of all comments on Final Draft of SIPE System Evaluation Plan – 31 Dec 91
  • Final SIPE System Evaluation Plan incorporated into SIPE ATTD Technology Development Plan – 15 Jan 92
  • Ability/Function Capability Pair-Wise Comparison – 30 Apr 92
  • Receipt of Technical Assessment Reports – Sep 92
  • Receipt of Human Factors Assessment Reports – Sep 92
  • Receipt of Technical Assessment Reports – Oct 92
  • SIPE Operational Demonstration – Sep/Nov 92
  • Receipt Human Factors Assessment Reports – Nov 92
  • Receipt of Operational Assessment Report from USAIS – Feb/Apr 93
  • Receipt of Simulation and Modeling Reports – Jan 93
  • SIPE System Evaluation Report – Apr 93