Officially, it’s called the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit. Unofficially, it’s called the “Iron Man” suit. Regardless, Adm. William McRaven, the man in charge of U.S. Special Operations Command, expects America’s special operators to be outfitted with the advanced gear by 2018.
“Several years ago during a hostage rescue operation in Afghanistan, a SOF (special operations forces) warrior was killed going through the door. Afterwards, one of the young officers asked me a question I couldn’t answer. He said, ’after all these years in combat, why don’t we have a way to protect our operators going through the door?’” Adm. McRaven told attendees of a National Defense Industrial Association symposium on Tuesday, Stars and Stripes reported.”
With all the advance in modern technology, I know we can do better. Consequently, at SOCOM we have established a program called … TALOS,” Adm. McRaven said.
According to Stars and Stripes, the development of the “Iron Man” suits requires collaboration among 56 corporations, 16 government agencies, 13 universities, and 10 national laboratories.
“That suit, if done correctly, will yield a revolutionary improvement in survivability and capability for special operators,” Adm. McRaven said. “If we do TALOS right, it will be a huge comparative advantage over our enemies and give the warriors the protection they need in a very demanding environment.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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