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" Pentagon officials today announced big changes for its closely watched Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, aiming to bring combat sensors and robots to the battlefield more quickly.  The new emphasis rests on delivering gear to infantry fighting guerilla groups in war zones, rather than developing new armored vehicles and artillery to thwart traditional, better-equipped foes. The recalculated time line makes FCS much less of a far-out plan, with new equipment now set to reach forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in late 2010--about five years earlier than originally planned.  Today&amp;#039;s priority shift will push the manned ground vehicles toward the back of the line while fast-tracking communications systems for intrusion detection, plus platoon-level unmanned aerial vehicles (like the Micro Air Vehicle) and small unmanned ground vehicles (similar to the PackBot from iRobot). &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;re listening to our soldiers and commanders in the field, and we are giving them the capabilities they need--as fast as we can so that they can win in the current fight,&amp;quot; says Army Chief of Staff George W. Casey, Jr. &amp;quot;We&amp;#039;re able to do this because of the developmental efforts that have matured technology over the last few years.&amp;quot; The FCS system is controversial for its large price tag--already at $160 billion and growing--and complaints that is does not address the needs of today&amp;#039;s battlefields. This heat comes not just from the system&amp;#039;s consistent foes but also from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Gates has been pushing the Pentagon away from buying equipment for future wars to better address the needs of current fights. While arguing to curtail the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter program in May, he called the tendency to fund advanced weapons systems &amp;quot;nextwaritis.&amp;quot;  The House Armed Services Committee, meanwhile, recently recommended cutting $200 million from FCS, in part because members said the money is needed for current conflicts. Leading Democrats on the HASC today released a statement saying the move was &amp;quot;a positive step toward improving the FCS program,&amp;quot; but added that they have concerns that &amp;quot;this new plan may not allow for adequate testing of the equipment due to its very tight schedule. In addition, the overall FCS program remains far over budget, far behind schedule and unaffordable in the long term.&amp;quot; Starting next month, a brigade of soldiers at Fort Bliss will begin tests on UAVs and small ground robots from Boeing and SAIC before deciding whether the Army should purchase them. The future, it would seem, is coming faster.  RELATED STORIES * FIELD REPORT: Stryker Crews in Iraq Rally to Defend Rides  * SPECIAL REPORT: Are Unmanned Fighters Ready for Combat?  * PM NEWS: The Inside Story of the SWORDS Robot in Iraq  * PODCAST: Are Robots Ready for War With FCS?  * EARLIER: Why Soldiers Don&amp;#039;t Like Land Warrior Gear From FCS  * EARLIER: Breaking Down Future Combat Systems, Dollar by Dollar   Miniature unmanned aerial vehicles will be rushed into duty in Iraq and Afghanistan after a priority shift at the Pentagon. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a12084/4270598/>