Belgian soldiers could soon don ‘smart vests’

Belgium’s defence ministry will next month place an order for 40 smart vests with defence and security company Thales Netherlands. The ultramodern vests make it possible for ground troops to communicate directly with other soldiers and vehicles, to transmit their position to friendly troops via satellite and write messages or view maps via a touch screen. All electronics on the vest are powered by a small diesel generator that keeps the vest charged for 48 hours.

The first order is expected to cost about €5 million or €125,000 apiece. If the test lot is approved, the army will purchase an additional 4,300 smart vests by 2019, for a total expenditure of about €140 million. "The vests are quite expensive. We are first going to test them extensively to make sure they are worth the money,” says Tony Langone, spokesperson for defence minister Steven Vandeput.

The order is part of the Belgian Soldier Transformation (BEST) programme, which is intended to give the Belgian army a much-needed upgrade. The vests are an important step in the right direction, according to Langone, even though it is not yet certain that the purchase will go through.