Matrix Comes to Protect Iraqi Bases

The Army Stryker brigade now fighting in Iraq will be first in line to receive a new radio-frequency kit that allows soldiers to detonate mines from several kilometers away. The technology, called "Matrix," was developed by the Army's Picatinny Arsenal in NJ to meet growing base-security needs in Iraq. Matrix will deploy to Iraq under an urgent material release with a specific time limit. It is an interim, urgent response solution using old munitions like the M18 Claymore, until a new system known as Spider can be fielded around 2010. Tactics for using Matrix were developed by the Army Engineering School, and the U.S. Army's Rapid Equipping Force acquisition agency will sponsor a demonstration. The devices will primarily be used for fixed-site security at forward operating bases.