An example for a challenge linked to the physically demanding work in harsh environmental conditions is the management of heat stress. Non-compensable heat stress can lead to physical and cognitive performance losses as well as lifethreatening heat-related illnesses. Root cause are conditions specific to the military service: Soldiering is hard physical work, often in protective clothing due to complex
threats (e.g., ballistic body armour, Chemical Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) protective gear) whose insulating properties impede or even prevent the dissipation of work-induced metabolic heat build-up. Heat dissipation is especially impaired in hot climate zones.

Another key challenge in the defence context is to ensure that soldiers will have the best chances of survival through fast and live saving medical treatment when seriously wounded in a military conflict or battle situation. In case of a large number of severe injured soldiers, it is necessary to have a fast and precise assessment of the critical status of the victims to calculate the number and treatment priority by triage through an emergency physician. If vital signs like pulse rate, blood pressure, oxygenation and other vital information like blood loss, trauma and electrocardiogram can be determined fast and transmitted from the incident by the use of wearable sensor systems wireless to the emergency physician who performs the triage and first medical treatment, the effectiveness of care and chance for survival can be improved.

The soldier of the future will need technological solutions to sensor and monitor information coming from both its surrounding (such as threats) and its physiological state (parameters associated with the stress experienced by the soldier and its health condition, etc.). Another important aspect is the ability of knowing their location with a high level of precision, as well as being able to receive and provide information related to their present situation. Furthermore, these additional functionalities will also mean more information exchange between the soldier and its equipment. Innovative human-machine interface (HMI) directly integrated into the textile will therefore enable to control the implemented functionalities or to get feedback from  them while preserving or even enhancing mobility and ergonomic aspects. Furthermore, smart textiles will have to ensure the safe operation of wearable electronics and enable safe communication, considering the importance of protecting electronic equipment, data and soldiers against electromagnetic radiation.

Smart and multi-functional textiles enable to integrate different components and devices in uniforms and soldier systems and to widen their range of functionalities. To respond to challenges such as the ones listed above, functionalities can includemonitoring of the environment and of the soldier’s physiological state, localization, communication, energy management, protective functionalities (e.g., protection against the environment, signature reduction, including thermal radiation, fire protection, electromagnetic radiation protection and neutralization of dangerous chemicals).