For many years the market has had a need for a portable equivalent to a battlefield management system (BMS) for use by individual soldiers. But up to now the size and weight have made this impossible. Defence and security company Saab is now offering a solution.

“The problem has always been that soldiers cannot be given greater loads than those they already carry without becoming even heavier, slower and clumsier. If something extra is added, then something else must be taken away. It’s as simple as that,” says Johan Tofte, who is Product Manager for the 9Land Soldier sPad.

The 9Land Soldier sPad is a hand-held computer which has been developed in response to this precise problem. Starting specifically from the soldier, a lightweight system has been developed with a hand-held unit that weighs just 185 grams, less than half that of competitors’ equivalents. The system has also been designed to be flexible and easy to use, even in stressful situations.

The 9Land Soldier sPad has a 3.7-inch touchscreen designed to be usable with one hand. The screen is pressure-sensitive and can therefore be operated with gloves, and its illumination level adapts automatically to prevailing conditions.

“Knowing where you yourself are, where other members of the group are and being able to tell each other about the enemy’s position can mean the difference between life and death,” says Johan Tofte.