CASSIDIAN commissioned to deliver 400 equipment units of the Future
Soldier System to the Bundeswehr
Cassidian announced on March 2nd that it has been commissioned by Germany’s Federal
Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) to deliver a further
400 units of the Future Soldier System (Infanterist der Zukunft) in its basic
version (IdZ BS). This is part of an immediate procurement measure to meet
the needs of the Bundeswehr forces deployed in Afghanistan in the context
of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission. It means that
another 400 Bundeswehr soldiers will be supported by the tried and tested
soldier system for mission preparation and execution. This new delivery will
raise the Bundeswehr’s total number of IdZ BS equipment sets to 2,900.
An IdZ BS system for equipping an infantry squad (ten soldiers) consists of
an identical basic configuration for all soldiers (including modular bullet-proof
vest in protection class I to IV, C4I equipment including NaviPad for
situational awareness and transmitting messages, target data and images,
night vision device, tactical radio) and various special items (such as laser
range finder, camera, thermal image sighting device).
The system entered service with the Army, Navy and Air Force back in 2004
and has since proved its worth on the Bundeswehr’s foreign missions. It
offers soldiers not only protection but also highly increased capabilities in
terms of command and control, navigation and weaponry.