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The Belgian Soldier Transformation (BEST) was launched in 2002 as a study within the Belgian Defence Staff (Staff Department for Strategy). In March 2004, it was decided to convert it into a soldier modernisation project within the General Directorate for Material Resources.
BEST is based on the premise that the infantry soldier should be considered as a "system" on his own. As such, the project calls for the development of new uniforms, personal and combat equipment and individual weapons in view of an integrated "soldier system" approach. The idea is to apply the concepts of integrated design that are being proposed within other NATO programmes. Accordingly, the Project Officer BEST is tasked with the follow up of the different NATO programmes within NAAG Topical Group 1.
BEST'S aim is to provide an integrated, modular and effective fighting system to troops having to fight on foot at close range to the enemy, the so-called dismounted (close) combat. The individual soldier as well as the whole unit (squad, platoon and company) is considered as a weapon system, in the same way as a ship or an aircraft. The BEST sub-systems will be consequently optimised to augment capability at all levels, and the whole system will be constructed on the assumption that the squad is the basic combat unit. In this vision the dismounted squad is a sub-system of its future vehicle.
The future soldier system programmes that are underway in different countries will be analysed to identify the sub-systems that are identical, followed by an evaluation on what impact robustness and security have on the total throughput. BEST will concentrate on soldier-to-soldier communications within a section, platoon or company including Network Enabled Capabilities (NEC). BEST will address possible technical solutions, as well as point out certain models of equipment....