Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon and Minister
for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare, have announced the roll out of high-tech
devices that will help in the treatment of injured soldiers by measuring the
impact of explosive blasts.
The blast gauges measure the impact of blasts, particularly from
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
They display a yellow, green or red light to indicate the level of pressure
from a blast.
The gauges will help medics in
Afghanistan treat injured soldiers by detecting and capturing data from blasts
that will then be used to guide treatment.
“The trial will enable medics to access data to immediately assess
the effects of blast pressure and acceleration from an IED or other explosion
on a soldier,” Snowdon said.
“We all know the injuries footballers and boxers get from a big
hit. Being hit by the blast of a bomb is much worse,” Clare said.
“Bomb blasts can put enormous force and pressure on the brain.
These devices measure that and help our medics treat our soldiers who have been
hit.”
The new blast gauges are being rolled out by the Army’s
Diggerworks Team, which is responsible for developing combat solider capability
and are similar to the United States Marine Corps’ Gruntworks.
The blast gauges have now begun to roll out.
Over 10,000 gauges will be rolled
out to troops over the next 12 months.
Soldiers will wear three blast gauges – on the outside of their
helmet, on their non-firing shoulder and on their chest.
The gauges are
designed to withstand tough weather conditions and weigh less than 29g each.
The technology was developed by the United States Defence Research Projects
Agency (DARPA).
United States troops in Afghanistan are also trialling these
gauges – and have collected information from more than 250 blasts to date.
Snowdon first saw this technology applied to equipment worn by
troops from the US when he visited DARPA headquarters in Washington in 2011.
“This is part of making sure we continue to apply world class technology to our
defence force, giving health professionals the latest technology to treat brain
injuries resulting from a blast,” Snowdon said.
The Government has committed over $1 billion in equipment to
protect our troops in Afghanistan, including;
· new combat body
armour,
· upgraded Bushmaster vehicles,
· enhanced mine and IED
detection equipment,
· enhanced mine and IED
detection equipment,
· Maximi machine guns and a new
combat uniform.