How many accessories is too much?
The below photo is of a Spanish solider carrying a H&K G36 rifle fitted with the Spanish Future Solider program (COMFUT / COMbatiente FUTuro) accessories. The rifle is equipped a huge day/night scope with integrated ballistic computer and camera. For close quarter combat (and when the main optic's battery runs dry) an EOTech holographic sight is included. Along with the scopes, an underbarrel grenade launcher and rail-mounted flashlight add a few more pounds to the already heavy weapons system.
Given Spain's current economic situation, I don't think we will be seeing this system deployed anytime soon.
[Hat Tip: Max Popenker]
:):)
All that weight and he still can’t maintain proper trigger discipline…
…That aside, and in response to your question (“How many accessories is too much?”), However and whatever givs the selected user the best tool for the job. Me, I prefer a light rifle with a sling, optic system and light. I wouldn’t use an IR laser if i, and others around me didn’t have gogs, and nor would I use a foregrip, custom pistol grip or stock. Me, I think that that suggests the weapon system itself is the problem; If you are using the same weapon that you have done since ’63, yet you have fitted it with so much furniture, optic and rail that it is unrecognisable from the original, why not just start again? Is it that people hate new systems and don’t want to change?
Sorry to rant.
Bye
RGN
When I think of ‘future soldiers’ I always think of the Colonial Marines in Aliens. They seemed pretty high tech in 1986, but compared to today’s Marines they’re behind in some areas, still ahead in others. Those pulse rifles don’t even have optics.
The United States is also planning on making future soldiers with technology rarely matched in the rest of the world. HOWEVER, they look nothing like this. This looks like the Iron Man made in the caves. It seems like it has alot of stuff that could really be used in combat, but having too much puts far too much strain on the soldier. I hope they dont send this soldier in with that suit on. While all his friends run away from bullets and get behind cover, he’ll have to walk like godzilla, but his steps wouldnt be nearly as big. The United States’ Future soldier program, to my knowledge, is going to have a private server in some goggles the soldiers can wear. From there, they can supposedly have jam-free communications, so they can call in outside supports if they need it. The idea of having a private system sounds good, and it doesnt seem to be bulky, but I guess it would be pretty expensive. Never-the-less, these guys could use the same thing, they just need to get all that equipment off their back. Thats why the United States’ is working on an unmanned transport vehicle, so they can get troops and supplies to the battlefield without risking drivers.
just looking at all that junk i can feel a hernia coming on, and i thought the old ww2 and ’50s era field marching pack was bad back in the day.
Oh god, thank god I only served in Kopassus (Indonesian special force). Our CO never ever allowed us to carry anything heavier than around 45 to 60 pounds of gear.
@Icchan, you’re dead on the money. CLUSTER F***
Blitzkreig: You’re doing it wrong.
The guys that sell Tacticool junk to our “enlightened leaders”: http://3.asset.soup.io/asset/0750/9139_80ee_400.jpeg
The engineers must have gotten their idea from starcraft
WOW, does it have a spoon and fork that fold out of the stock too???
All of this and the poor guy lacks nuclear capability? Poor sense of forshadowing…
Did anyone ever think of the cost? If they equip 5 soldiers with the equipment they meet their budget limit
@mnor
Spain has free health care fyi
He looks more like a eod guy. I’m guessing this is why spain is in economic trouble.
By the time the guy decides to use which weapon/option, the enemy is probably already have laser sight on him. It doesn’t look practical either.
The developers don’t seem to lack of money. What they lack is good old common sense.
Jeff, re: medieval armor
Soldiers in the Late Middle Ages carried much lighter kit into battle than our troops. Its a bit apples and oranges but a fully outfitted soldier might have 30 kilos armor with head to toe coverage and depending on preferences 6 kilos extra weapons (say pollaxe, dagger and sword) and maybe a little bag of stuff, maybe.
Thats a lot lighter (about 50%) and comparing threat to threat, more protective as well.
As for this kit, no one can carry that much gear into battle for long and it will do no good vs new threats on the battle field but I suppose military pork barrel spending in universal
Somebody tell the PLT SGT that the new LT has reported in.
It really make him look like a Kaskrin in Warhammer 40 000. With tons of useless gears.
All that and they still use chocolate chip pattern????
Not just the weapon…look at his body armor. He’s wrapped up so tight. Reminds me of A Christmas Story.
Someone needs to send Spain a Spanish Edition of S.L.A. Marshall’s “The Soldier’s Load and the Mobility of a Nation”
Here is another example of overloading. Unfortunately, this worked out
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Anders_Behring_Breivik_in_diving_suit_with_gun_%28self_portrait%29.jpg
At this point you might as well design a whole new weapon, and it’s still probably going to be damn heavy.
I’m not the only one who’d never join infantry purely due to their being 100% chance of suffering a permanent injury for ones entire life. The weight soldiers have to suffer under nowadays is unprecedented in history, just too much.
man just give me a rifle with a decent sigth sistem, a good body armor and a pair of bots and im ready, who needs all those computers and stuff to calculate the ballistic trayectory of a flat shooting like the 5.56? and about 40mm nades, well with a good range finder the basic iron sigths works just fine with a m203, this super suit says “im too dam heavy and bulky to be efective in combat but who cares i fill the pokets of corrupt politicians”
want to make a future solider?, provide the troops with a rifle ( firing a real intermedium round, but well if its imposible the 5.56 will do it just acceptable) a good optic and training to use both proficiently in realistic conditions.
Tacticlol: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
This is what happens when you put technocracy and people that watched too much Star Trek and read too many sci-fi books behind the wheel.
Can you imagine the cheek (or should I say “chin”) weld he’d need to use the EoTech.
The insurgents are going to PWN him.
or maybe they’ll just push him over and watch as he trys to get back up LOL
That photo is very old. I saw it some years ago and you can check the new spanish digital cammo pattern in google to prove that it is no longer issued. I will try to find some pictures of that project “COMFUT” (combatiente futuro) aka Ninja de Centro Comercial that I saw last october and it was something totally different and much better although still very heavy and outdated.
The russian concept of modern modular gear is so far the most convincing.
http://dudelol.com/soviet-engineering-with-versatility-in-mind/
Give this man an exoskeleton-type of armor to cover it all up… Oh and some oxygen tanks… And a jet pack… There! Space Marine!
How much accessories is too much?
That much apparently…
Day/Night scope, eotech, laser, light, UBGL. That is heavy to lug around, a rough, wild-a** guess puts it at around the same or above the weight of a FN Minimi.
Now let’s add the weight of ammo, body-armor with add-on coverage(shoulders/neck), the HUD-visor attached to the helmet the comms he appear to be carrying on his back, water, elbow-/knee-pads, the LBV. That add’s up to knee and back problems later on in his life if he plans on doing alot of dismounted ops in afghan hills and heat. Hope he’s got good medical.
Is that setup intended to be used by every soldier in a given group, or just 1 or 2 of them?
It does seem rather… unwieldy.
Combat turtle!
Like that man there have too much crap to move around much you got too much gear.
WOW look at all that whizbang bullsh*t, war is war and dead is dead lets save the world a HUGE pile of money let`s issue ALL armies some decent swords and let them hack the sh*t out of each other. If your going to kill a man you should have to look him in the eye.
Eh, AN/PSQ-20 is a goggle not a clip-on sight.
Height over bore on the EO Tech? The G36′s carry handle is larger, taller, and generally more in the way than the one on the M16/M4. I also don’t understand the ginormous optic on it either. ACOG or SpecterDR plus a clip-on night sight such as the AN/PVS-22 or maybe the larger AN/PSQ-20. Don’t need a night sight? Take them off.
Also, this guy may be just a bit over burdened or armored…
Isn’t the holographic sight located too high from barrel-stock line??? I think it is! I mean if you try to look through EOTech sight, where will your buttstock be ??…I guess too low!
:):)
Need to add a drum mag, a bipod and it’ll be a really full “tactiCOOL” rifle
The “B” Model comes complete with a Washing Machine and a mini fridge.
FAIL – his face is uncovered and the gun lacks a PEQ-2, bipod and integrated breaching shotgun. Go back the drawing board, Spain.
That looks like total misery. ugh, he has to be hating life.
That guy look exhausted and he isn’t even dirty yet.
#1. I have not been there, I have not done that.
But, this is starting to remind me of the history channel show on the Knight in shining armour, the battle tank of the middle ages. Early spears and arrows would not penetrate, clubs and swords were useless.
Until someone snuck around behind him with a rope, tripped him so he was like a turtle on his back with many entry points for pointed weapons.
I appreciate the modern technology provided to the fighting man, but what about plain old tactics and training?
Again, I have NO idea what goes on in modern combat, this is just my two cents.
Looks kind of embarrassed, doesn’t he?
What’s the ‘antenna’ looking thing sticking up?
Is it an antenna? Or?????
At what point does the equipment become so much that it makes it impossible to use other than in a static defensive position? Unless every soldier looks like Schwarzenegger in his prime how are they supposed to lug all the extra crap and still be able to fight effectively?
Another thought is WTF is the scope so huge? When a video camera can be barely bigger than a credit card, and a cell phone can run a ballistic program why the bulkyness? Or is Spain’s tech that old?
he’s still missing a shotgun and a bayonet attachment.
the number of “motivational posters” i’ve seen in terms of accessories…wish i could post them here.
It reminds me of the uniforms the future cops wore in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s pilot, “Encounter at Farpoint.”
Just watched that the other day. Not a Trekkie, or Trekker.
NTTAWWT
Wow, not to mention the weight of all the kevlar hes toting… Wrist plates… Really? I hope thus was taken at a dog and pony show and not a training evolution.
Seems like too much trouble just to launch a few 5.56 rounds at people.
That poor bastard will be exhausted after walking 20 feet!
I hope they have a good program for fixed back problems.
You can see the strain on the soldier’s face from holding all that stuff up…
How does one say mall ninja in spanish? Ah yes, centro comercial ninja
His protectional gear (is that some kind of protective flap in front of his wrist?) and the uniform makes him look like an Imperial Guardsman from Warhammer 40 000.
his protective gear looks a bit thick and heavy too
Put a million dollars on a Soldier, you get…
1- A few corrupt Government bastards making it big;
2- A million dollars worth of junk, when the Soldier’s shot down, for being a walking-talking one-man-band, aka sitting duck.
This is either a new character from the new Tom Clancy future soldier game or the one man army perk was seriously upgraded from call of duty.
What you see is what Spain did with their entire defense budget..and that’s their lone military operator. He’s their Army,Navy,Marines and Air Force all rolled into one.
Don’t ask him about updating Windows 98 on his equipment though…
I have no doubt that the day/night sight with ballistic computer is coming soon, but it will have to get a lot smaller and lighter (and cheaper) before it’s acceptable for general use on assault rifles.
Looking at all that kit and weight, which is mostly forward of the pistol grip, my first thought was: “for pity’s sake, get a bullpup!”
And I thought the IOTV we just got at RFI was overkill……. If he falls, he’s go to need his whole fireteam to get back up!
NEXT ON MILITARY CHANNEL :- PIMP MY GUN!! Hosted by 50 Cent and Richard Machowitz. Tonight we show you how to mount and iPad on your M4 Machine gun so you can play AngryBirds while hunt some terrorist! ACCURACY of sniper rifle. POWER of M-16!
That man looks very unhappy.
I don’t even want to imagine how much of a nightmare that bore ratio would be for that EOtech. Seems like they are trying to equip the soldier for just about every gunfight in a season of 24
Now tell him to run up a mountain in Afghanistan. He might even be to heavy to roll down one.
now that is a “rooney gun” if ever there was one.
I guess movement isn’t a priority for a Spanish soldier. Who needs to move with a weapon system like that?!
All that and chocolate chip cammies.
That’s getting to be a little much.
What the picture doesn’t show you is that he’s being supported by a tactical segway.
This seems cartoony.
I think he needs some more accessories on that thing!
I prefer to leave my guns alone.
I only add accessories or make changes if I know they’re absolutely 100% reliable and practical.
A lot of people add way too much crap to their guns.
They treat their guns like a hobby project.
Like the ricer culture, some people in the gun community like to replace all of the stock parts on their guns with “cool” custom parts.
They might look cool (actually, I think they look awful usually). But they’ll also weigh a ton and slow your movement down.
They’ll also have all kinds of reliability problems.
Not to mention the ridiculous amount of body armor with the retro chocolate chip camo pattern. I think an EOD tech (in a full bomb suit) could out run him.
GEARDO!!!
Somewhere in Spain, a mall is missing its ninja,
The poor guy looks miserable. And judging by the apparent bulk of his armor and helmet, it gives the impression that he can barely move, or even see.
Get that man a bayonet! In seriousness, I’m a little surprised it doesn’t have the newer generation (G36kv) collapsing stock, unless the Spanish program started before the G36kv stock was available. Is Spain manufacturing their own rifles by license or just buying the German made weapons?
When the batteries outweigh your ammo or water, that’s too much.
I hate to be humping those gears. The amount of damage and stress place on the knees will be tremendous.
The gear on the G36 will no doubt made it very unbalance and will affect accuracy going off hand. I personally don’t like unbalanced firearms. No thanks.
Never like the carrying handle on the G36. The height over bore is just too much to bare. The day/night scope is huge.
Hate to go prone with all the armor he has on him. It probably affect him shouldering the rifle. Also arm movement might be limited.
Otherwise it look pretty neat. Great for movies.
I suggest it be named thusly:
Comprehensive
Lightweight
Utility
System
Tactical
Electronic
Rifle
Featuring
Urban
Combat
Kit
This is what you get when military procurement programs go unchecked.
More examples:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/08/pentagons-lightning-gun/
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/08/future-warship-ran-aground/
I used to work for a military supplier (radios, not arms). One of our product managers always started off his presentations with a picture of a soldier down on one knee, head bowed, with a massive rucksack and all kids of equipment hanging from harnesses.
The caption under the picture said, “We load down our troops with 200 pounds of lightweight gear.”
Spain is the definition of tacticool!
Jeez. Talk about encumbering the soldier.
What makes me laugh the most about these ridiculous programs is that no one has considered the soldier in all this. Have the inventors themselves strapped this on, taken it to the 100+ heat of the sandbox and fought?
I can bet good money that they haven’t and never would either. I’d be willing (and happy) to use something that was designed up to be convenient for the soldier, not this gaudy monstrosity.
My apologies for my rant, having served as a soldier in the British Army it really winds me up to see this crap.
That looks like it sucks.
I wouldn’t wear it.
“GET DOWN!”
“I can’t i’ll break something”
Oh that poor poor man.
Haha that’s awesome. No way I’d haul that thing through a desert.
I don’t think they’ve got the memo when the US army realized that the XM-29 OICW was too damned heavy.