Marines recently wore solar-powered systems during a recent field-training exercise, to determine if the devices would provide a practical means of charging batteries and purifying water. The Office of Naval Research developed the solar-powered Marine Austere Patrolling Systems (MAPS), which were built at Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center, Va. If the systems prove useful, they could eliminate considerable weight from the already burdensome gear Marines now carry into the field. Conceivably, Marines who now carry 60 pounds of gear could see that figure drop to 13 pounds. The solar panel itself is the size of a sheet of paper. During one recent test, conducted by the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, troops wearing the devices were the only units in the field that were able to keep their radios powered. That test took place at the Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Calif.
