World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine
SPECIAL SECTION
Unmanned Aerial Systems
Command Leader Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel Commander Air Force Special Operations Command
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August 2012
Volume 10, Issue 6
Hydration Systems O SOF Training & Mission Readiness Shotguns, Grenade Launchers & Smart Ammo
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Special Operations Technology
August 2012 Volume 10 • Issue 6
Features
Cover / Q&A
SOF UAS
SPECIAL SECTION Unmanned Aerial Systems
6
Examine the latest in the myriad unmanned aircraft that can do it all, from providing intelligence on the enemy to putting steel on targets, without placing a pilot in harm’s way. By Peter Buxbaum
Smaller UAVs
12
These aerial systems are incredibly small and light. But their value is tremendously outsized, as these ISR platforms send live full-color video or other data back to special operators. By Peter Buxbaum
UAV Payload Systems
15
While remotely piloted systems are technological masterpieces by themselves, their true value lies in the ISR and other systems they carry to provide life-saving knowledge to U.S. warriors. By Henry Canaday
21 Lieutenant General Eric E. Fiel Commander Air Force Special Operations Command
Shotguns, Grenade Launchers and Smart Ammo Take a tour of the latest in systems that enhance the basic rifle or carbine, allowing the special operator to pack an added punch. We also examine mortars and smart ammo. By Henry Canaday
25
Departments 2 Editor’s Perspective 4 Whispers/People
Hydration Systems—Potable and Portable Because special operators often move through austere terrain with polluted streams and lakes, they are at risk of contracting debilitating diseases. But treatment and storage systems ensure the water they drink is safe and clean. By Dave Ahearn
18 Black Watch 35 Resource Center
29 SOF Training and Mission Readiness It is critical for special operators to attain peak proficiency before embarking on the high-risk missions they execute. Advanced training systems provide them with a winning advantage over a dangerous enemy. By William Murray
Industry Interview
32 36 Jay McConville Executive Vice President ChandlerMay
Special Operations Technology Volume 10, Issue 6 • August 2012
World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine Editorial Editor Dave Ahearn davea@kmimediagroup.com Managing Editor Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com Online Editorial Manager Laura Davis laurad@kmimediagroup.com Copy Editor Laural Hobbes lauralh@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents Christian Bourge • Peter Buxbaum Henry Canaday • Jeff Goldman • William Murray Leslie Shaver
Art & Design Art Director Jennifer Owers jennifero@kmimediagroup.com Senior Graphic Designer Jittima Saiwongnuan jittimas@kmimediagroup.com Graphic Designers Amanda Kirsch amandak@kmimediagroup.com Scott Morris scottm@kmimediagroup.com Kailey Waring kaileyw@kmimediagroup.com
Advertising Associate Publisher Scott Sheldon scotts@kmimediagroup.com
KMI Media Group Publisher Kirk Brown kirkb@kmimediagroup.com Chief Executive Officer Jack Kerrigan jack@kmimediagroup.com Chief Financial Officer Constance Kerrigan connik@kmimediagroup.com Executive Vice President David Leaf davidl@kmimediagroup.com Editor-In-Chief Jeff McKaughan jeffm@kmimediagroup.com Controller Gigi Castro gcastro@kmimediagroup.com Operations Assistant Casandra Jones casandraj@kmimediagroup.com Trade Show Coordinator Holly Foster hollyf@kmimediagroup.com
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE Special operators are warriors’ warriors who execute death-defying missions on a daily basis, but they shun the spotlight. They own the night but never wish to be seen in the daylight of publicity. However, they should still receive the accolades of a grateful public, which never hears of most of their exploits. Happily, for one brief moment they will receive the recognition they are due, when the National Defense University Foundation (NDUF) honors Admiral Bill H. McRaven and the men and women of SOCOM. NDUF will present them with the 2012 American Patriot Award at a gala November 15 in Washington, Dave Ahearn D.C., to celebrate their patriotic leadership and devotion to country. Editor “Admiral McRaven and the men and women of U.S. Special Operations Command have played a vital role in the security of our nation, taking global responsibility to protect our freedoms against terrorist networks,” said Albert C. Zimmerman, chairman of the board of directors of the National Defense University Foundation. Previous recipients of the award have included former astronaut and Senator John Glenn, General Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and General David H. Petraeus. Only on rare occasions has the veil of classified security been lifted for the public to see the kind of work that SOCOM performs for the nation, such as the mission to take out September 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, a mission that McRaven executed before taking command of SOCOM. While that brilliant and brilliantly planned feat commanded worldwide headlines, the unknown routine actions of special operators are no less compelling. For example, a Marine assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, was awarded the Silver Star medal for gallantry. Staff Sergeant William E. Burch was awarded the military’s third highest medal for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in Afghanistan, where he came under heavy enemy fire on April 6, 2010. Though wounded, he charged up a hill in the face of enemy fire, laid down suppressive fire, and aided a wounded comrade. He continued to disregard his wounds throughout the 10-hour firefight. That is the mettle of a special operator, and just one reason why the NDUF award is so rightly deserved.
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WHISPERS SOCOM Obtains up to $500 Million of Comms Systems L-3 Communications announced its L-3 GCS subsidiary has been awarded a contract by Special Operations Command to provide special operators with worldwide communications. Under the contract, L-3 GCS will develop and manufacture very small aperture terminal satellite systems. The program, Special Operations Forces Deployable Node-Family of Terminals, will provide tactically deployed SOF users with worldwide communications connectivity. Total contract value is up to $500 million over the next five years. “L-3 GCS is honored to have been selected for this program, which represents new business for our unit and highlights the priority our customer has placed on SATCOM equipment. We look forward to a continued productive partnership with SOCOM, ensuring their deployed users are equipped with the best possible communication systems,” said Bob Jacobson, president of L-3 GCS. “L-3 GCS will begin delivering tri-band Hawkeye III Lite 1.2M terminals and quadband 2.0M terminals later this year and we are currently ramping up our engineering and production capabilities to meet our customers’ objectives.”
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Agreement Set to Offer UHF Tactical Satellite Solutions Harris CapRock Communications has signed a multi-year, multi-channel agreement with Astrium Services to offer end-to-end ultra-high frequency (UHF) tactical satellite solutions for international and U.S. government users. The joint Harris CapRock and Astrium Services end-to-end commercial UHF service will be launched in spring 2013. Harris CapRock now joins Astrium Services in providing UHF solutions across the entire Skynet fleet as a global channel partner. Astrium Services owns and operates a fleet of military-grade geosynchronous communications satellites with both UHF and X-band payloads. UHF is the ultra-critical communications link designed for users at the tactical edge, and for command and control reach-back. As the most robust beyond-line-of-sight communications available, access to scarce UHF satellite capacity is becoming increasingly important. In February, the government launched the first of five next-generation UHF satellites known as the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS). Despite the substantial increase in capacity and capability offered by MUOS, the demand for UHF satellite capacity still exceeds supply by over 200 percent, according to recent government reports. The joint Harris CapRock and Astrium Services end-to-end commercial UHF service offers domestic and international users access to an unprecedented level of control over UHF capacity.
The service will include dedicated 25 kHz and 5 kHz satellite channels for use with any UHF tactical satellite (TACSAT) capable radios, including several prevalent Harris models such as its Falcon II and Falcon III product lines. Using a new Harris TACSAT waveform, offered as part of the end-to-end service, users will be able to actively manage their channels by splitting the capacity into multiple networks for simultaneous users—a significant improvement over current levels of capability. The UHF service also will support legacy UHF waveforms such as DAMA and IW when using Harris Corp. government infrastructure. “UHF is essential when assured tactical communications are a must,” said Tom Eaton, president, Harris CapRock. “Because we are part of Harris Corporation, we are able to combine industry-leading radios and waveforms with Harris CapRock’s satellite and terrestrial infrastructure to offer end-to-end UHF solutions to customers operating in extreme environments. We also are enabling something our customers have never had before—full control over their UHF missions.” “Astrium Services pioneered the concept of commercially supplied military-hardened SATCOM capacity, and this represents another step forward in delivering real capability directly to the end users,” said Simon Kershaw, executive director Telecom Governmental, Astrium Services.
PEOPLE
Col. Clayton M. Hutmacher
Army Colonel Clayton M. Hutmacher has been nominated for the rank of brigadier general. Hutmacher is currently serving as
4 | SOTECH 10.6
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
commander, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Special Operations Command Korea, U.S. Forces Korea, Republic of Korea.
Brigadier General Eric P. Wendt, deputy commander, Regional Command North, International Security Assistance Force, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, was named commanding general,
Brigadier General Charles A. Flynn, special assistant to the commanding general, U.S. Army Forces Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., was named deputy commanding general, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
Robert Newberry has been assigned as special advisor to the assistant secretary of defense, special operations/ low intensity conflict, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Policy, Washington, D.C. Newberry previously served concurrently as deputy assistant secretary of defense for prisoner of war/missing personnel affairs and director,
defense prisoner of war/missing personnel office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Policy, Washington, D.C. AR Modular RF announced the addition of Joe Reminder, a 25-year RF sales veteran, to its U.S. sales staff as the East Coast regional sales manager.
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BECAUSE IT’S NOT JUST YOUR JOB, IT’S YOUR LIFE. Enhanced perception & awareness can save lives. FLIR continues to pioneer innovative security & force protection sensor systems that enable you to see the unseen. When lives are at stake you need clear, accurate information you can trust.
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© 2012 FLIR Systems. Inc.
SOF UASSECTION Special Section SOF UAV SPECIAL
UAVs yield big benefits,
new capabilities for warfighters.
By Peter Buxbaum SOTECH Correspondent militaries. The Shadow 200, designated observe targets over time. FMV provides The first instance of a military use of as the RQ-7B by the Army, can see targets a capability to understand human activity full motion video (FMV) on a drone came up to 125 kilometers away from a tactical over and above the insights to be derived in 1982 when Israeli forces deployed video operations center. The Shadow 400, which from still imagery. cameras on early-genercan be launched and recovered onboard There are several UAV platation unmanned aerial ship, has been deployed with allied naval forms of varying sizes (see systems over Lebanon. forces. Control of the Shadow 400 can be accompanying articles on small Since that time, the use transferred between ship and land-based UAVs and UAV systems) which of UAVs to capture FMV control stations. have the capability to transmit has become ubiquitous The Shadow typically carries an optical full motion video to ground in warfare. Their use by payload consisting of a forces. These undergo U.S. forces increased laser pointer, a video a constant evolution drastically in Afghanicamera and an infrared in their capabilities. At stan and Iraq. camera. The Shadow the same time, there There has also been Vance King has a gross takeoff are new developments an explosion in the numweight of 400 pounds in systems that faciliber of sensors and platand cruises at 15,000 tate the utility of UAVs. There forms that provide FMV available to the feet. is a movement toward universal U.S. military: a few dozen assets 10 years Recent enhanceground control stations that can ago has increased to thousands today. ments to the Shadow control UAVs of different manuUAVs, because they are able to collect have targeted its facturers as well as technologies intelligence without putting personnel in endurance and its tacthat boost the bandwidth availharm’s way, have emerged as a key comChris Pehrson tical common data link able on UAVs so that they can ponent in the U.S. military’s FMV strategy. capability, noted Vance King, vice president better accommodate warfighters’ requireThe volume of video taken in Southwest for tactical unmanned aerial systems at ments for FMV. Asia in any given year can be measured in AAI. “We incorporated an extended wing AAI Corp.’s Shadow UAV was first flown decades. on the existing fuselage to increase the in 1991 and is in service with the U.S. Army Video brings a key added value over Shadow’s endurance by six to 10 hours, and Marine Corps, and several foreign still imagery intelligence in its ability to 6 | SOTECH 10.6
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SOF UAV SPECIAL SECTION depending on the payloads it is carrying and how much fuel it is using,” he said. “The extended wing also adds to the Shadow’s payload capacity.” General Atomics produces some of the better known UAVs, including the Predator, flown by the U.S. Air Force, as well as the Army’s Gray Eagle. Some 230 Predators and 50 Gray Eagles are currently in service. The Predator and Gray Eagle have both grown bigger and heavier over the years, enabling them to carry twice their original payload of sensors (as well as Hellfire missiles). “We have also improved the digital data links on both platforms to provide more throughput for full motion video,” said Chris Pehrson, director of strategic development for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. The UAVs also use the same heavy fuel that the Army uses for all of its ground and air vehicles. The Predator B, also known as the MQ-9 Reaper, has in the last few years
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been rewired to improve reliability and power distribution. “Certain payloads require more power,” noted Pehrson. “The payload capacity for the MQ-9 is up to 3,000 pounds, up from the original 500 pounds.” The UAVs are equipped with an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) video camera that enables both day and night operation. “These provide a narrow field of view but the camera can zoom in and capture pretty good detail,” said Pehrson. The platforms are also capable of carrying synthetic aperture radar, which enables weapons to hit a moving target and can return photo-quality images of the ground. “The radar can capture wide areas,” said Pehrson. “If something of interest shows up, you can then slew the EO/IR camera over it to see what it is.” Wide-area motion imagery, signals intelligence and hyperspectral sensors are also capable of being mounted on the UAVs.
The Gorgon Stare wide-area persistent surveillance system was developed by Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) and mounted on a General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper to provide wide-area ISR capabilities to the U.S. Air Force. After a shaky start, the system has been successfully deployed to Afghanistan and has achieved good results. According to an SNC document, “each Gorgon Stare orbit provides uninterrupted, 24/7 visible and infrared coverage of city-sized areas, giving real-time motion video directly to theater and tactical forces engaged in combat and support operations.” The system provides motion video in three coverage tiers: the full field; multiple sub-views of the full field; and high resolution chipouts of individual views, each of which can be streamed to multiple viewers. Data from Gorgon Stare, as well as other sensors mounted on Predators and Gray Eagles, can be transmitted to warfighters on the ground by way of a small
SOTECH 10.6 | 7
SOF UASSECTION Special Section SOF UAV SPECIAL Doug Limbaugh, Kutta’s CEO. “We demfrequency from manned and unmanned L-3 Communications device known as the onstrated this capability for the Army last airborne assets, noted Karl Fuchs, the comROVER (originally developed by the U.S. year controlling the Shadow, Gray Eagle pany’s vice president of technology. Air Force as the Remote Operations Video and Hunter.” “The biggest advantage Enhanced Receiver). The With the Bidirectional Remote Video to satellite communications ROVER product line, now Transceiver, an operator can slew a camera is ubiquitous coverage,” he in its sixth generation, is to a particular location through a graphisaid. “L-band communicacapable of receiving video cal map interface on a handheld device. tions direct to the ground feeds from overhead airThe warfighter can click on the same interimplies some existing infraborne vehicles and from satface to determine the UAVs route. “The structure to leverage. In ellites and can be vehicle operator can define a route by clicking on some areas that is not the mounted or handheld. In its points on the map,” said Limbaugh. “The case.” latest iterations it is capable UAV and its payload are then programmed IDirect has worked to of transmitting as well as autonomously to satisfy the mission. The integrate its satellite comreceiving. Johan Hansson warfighter soldier just has to sit back and munications technology on An innovation in the watch the video as it unfolds.” the aircraft providing the UAV platform is coming The Army is considering deploying FMV. This has included working on antenfrom the Saab Group in the form of a 3,000 of the bidirectional transceivers, nas, modems and routers. “This work has 520-pound rotary wing platform called the according to Limbaugh, in a formal proresulted in increases in output from 512 Skeldar 200. A rotary wing platform repgram of record. A future iteration of kilobits per second at first to 2 megabits resents several advantages over fixed wing the transceiver will include a mannedper second, and in the latest efforts to 12 to aircraft from an ISR perspective, according unmanned teaming capability, which will 14 megabits per second off a 60 centimeter to Johan Hansson, vice president for aeroallow control of a UAV from the cockpit aperture antenna,” said Fuchs. “Once you nautics marketing and sales at Saab Group. of a manned aircraft such as an Apache get over 12 megabits you can accommo“The Skeldar can carry as much payhelicopter. date high definition full motion video.” load as a fixed wing UAV of the same size,” Kutta is also working on a universal The development of universal ground he said. “But unlike the fixed wing platground control station that will be able stations has helped warfighters by allowing forms, the Skeldar does not require launch to interoperate with a variety of UAV systhem to retrieve data on one device from assistance nor a paved runway to land. It tems. “The unified ground control stamultiple ISR platforms. AAI’s One Syscan take off and land pretty much anytions refers to our graphical user interface, tem Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) is a where, including a naval vessel with very which scales nicely from a modular video and data syslimited space. Once it is in the air it has the small form factor device like tem that enables warfightability to maneuver and hover. The Skeldar a personal digital assistant ers to remotely downlink doesn’t have to be continuously flying. It all the way to a command live surveillance images and can stop and turn around and that makes center display,” said Limgeospatial data directly from it suitable for tracking targets, especially baugh. “We have an ongoing tactical UAVs, including the in terrain where there can be obstacles. effort with the Air Force and Shadow, and the Predator. Larger UAVs require more time to turn the Office of the Secretary of AAI is currently in the around and can’t fly at slow speeds.” Defense for using handheld final testing of a new uniThe potential for hovering or flying at controllers for unmanned versal ground control syslow speeds benefits the collection of data resupply.” The product comtem that incorporates the from some types of sensors. “For some senKarl Fuchs plies with the NATO interoptactical common data link. sors, like penetrating radar or software like erability protocol for UAV “The new device can handle three-dimensional mapping, you get better ground stations, STANAG 4586. encrypted data as well as adding interoperquality data if it is collected at slow speed “The advantage of using our universal ability to the system,” said King. “If the or at hover,” said Hansson. ground controller, especially the handheld mission gets altered because of a situation FMV cameras are easily integrated into device, is that it is small and lightweight in the field, operators can bring in a Gray the Skeldar, noted Hansson. “More and and modular in design,” said Limbaugh. Eagle or Shadow, which can then take more sensor interfaces are becoming stan“It allows a warfighter to dismount from full motion video and relay it to another dardized,” he said, “so it is just a question a convoy operation and take UAV control system.” of plug and play.” along with him. It is designed around a Kutta Technologies Inc. has developed IDirect Government Technologies, a touch-screen interface, it can be hooked a bidirectional video transceiver, a softprovider of satellite communications to the up into any Internet Protocol-based radio, ware product, which currently is loaded U.S. government, has applied its expertise to and its human-machine interfaces, such on the OSRVT. “The Bidirectional Remote allow UAVs to transmit FMV to warfighters as a joy stick or a slider, can be swapped Video Transceiver allows a warfighter with on the ground. Most of today’s FMV is broadout. It is sunlight readable and also night a laptop to take control of a UAV,” said cast directly to the ground over the L-band 8 | SOTECH 10.6
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SOF UASSECTION Special Section SOF UAV SPECIAL vision goggle compliant. Milspec testing is ongoing now.” More intelligence is currently being built into unmanned aerial systems, which will enable teams of UAVs to work better together in spotting and prosecuting potential targets and provide possible targets to human operators as well. “Machine-to-machine interfaces are going to be improved,” said Derek Lyons, vice president for sales and marketing at Prioria Robotics, maker of the small Maverick UAV. “The planes are going to have to talk to each other with digital data links. That is something we are working on right now.” Enhanced communications would enable teams of UAVs to work together on hunter/killer missions. “The systems would be equipped with something akin to facial recognition software,” said Lyons. In other words, they would be able to recogAn Air Force MQ-1B Predator takes off from Ali Base on a mission in theater. [Photo courtesy of DoD] nize a target of interest. When the target is spotted, the hunter UAV would communiposition to procure a new system. It could said King, “which can include the HD video, cate the coordinates to the killer vehicle to conceivably be fielded by 2015, but I don’t electro-optical/infrared sensors, synthetic prosecute the hit. think it will move that fast.” aperture radar and signals intelligence senA similar idea will go into systems Although the Air Force may not be sors. We are working with over 15 payload that will take the burden off human able to procure a new platform as fast vendors to try to bring their capabilities into operators to spot potential targets within as General Atomics would like, Pehrson the system.” large volumes of video footage. Next year, sees a continued strong role for UAVs in General Atomics’ Lyons predicted, capabilities pursuing ISR missions. “New starts will Predator C, which is curwill be in place that will enable be difficult unless there is an operational rently being tested, is a the unmanned systems to comneed. But with the drawdown in the size jet-powered aircraft that municate the location of potenof the military, ISR will become even more will provide significant tial targets to human operators. important and won’t suffer as much as enhancements over and “The UAV will cue the operaother areas. It is too risky to give up indiabove current Predator tor to the target,” said Lyons. cators and warnings. ISR will stay pretty platforms. “It is a differ“This will provide better results robust,” he said. ent class of UAV,” said than depending on the operator The role of special forces is likely to Pehrson. “Because it is to spot targets himself.” grow, Pehrson predicted, and UAVs will be jet powered, it can fly AAI is working on a new Derek Lyons accompanying them wherever their misat over 200 knots. That version of the Shadow, the M2, sions take them. “UAVs give special operameans that it can be which will be able to accomtors a tremendous force multiplier,” he more responsive to situations as they arise. modate high definition video sensors. said. “It gives them situational awareness The Predator C can reposition itself across “The ground control system is already HD for whatever they are doing. We anticipate the battlespace faster.” ready,” said King, “but we are still working that we will be able to maintain healthy This UAV, while not considered stealthy, on the payload for Shadow M2 and it is not production of our UAVs because the plathas a lower signature, which means it has ready for deployment yet.” form’s capabilities remain compelling.” O greater survivability capabilities. It also has The M2 will have a larger fuselage as significantly greater payload capacity. At well as a longer wingspan than the current 6,000 pounds, it can carry twice the paygeneration of the UAV, which will provide load of any current Predator model. opportunities to carry more sensor payThe U.S. Air Force has bought one loads. (The Shadow is also in the process Predator C for research and development. of being weaponized by the U.S. Marine For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn at davea@kmimediagroup.com “The Air Force is doing testing and evaluCorps.) or search our online archives for related stories ation,” said Pehrson. “With today’s budget “For the first time, the M2 will allow for at www.sotech-kmi.com. environment the Air Force is not in a the simultaneous use of mission payloads,” 10 | SOTECH 10.6
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SOF UASSECTION Special Section SOF UAV SPECIAL
Light aircraft provide huge benefits. By Peter Buxbaum SOTECH Correspondent The development and deployment of small unmanned aerial vehicles has emerged as a growth industry in recent years. Special operations forces have developed requirements for small UAVs, primarily for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and have deployed them extensively in the Southwest Asian theater. Smaller UAVs that can be operated by a small team of ground troops, or even a single solider, open new possibilities for delivering full motion video and other imagery to the lowest tactical levels. Capabilities of small UAVs have benefited from the miniaturization of a variety of payloads, including electro-optical and infrared cameras as well as radars and signals intelligence sensors. Smaller systems are tote-able in one or two backpacks, can be assembled in a few minutes, and often can be launched by hand. What all have in common is the mission to provide capabilities to small teams of front-line personnel. AeroVironment Inc. first introduced a small UAV called the Pointer 20 years ago and sold it to the U.S. Marine Corps. But it was only in the post-9/11 world that the capabilities of small UAVs came to be recognized, according to Steve Gitlin, the company’s director of marketing strategy. “The threat environment that continues to this day gave rise to increased demand for our solutions,” he said. 12 | SOTECH 10.6
“Technology is moving along at a rapid pace,” said Stephen Flach, vice president and director for small unmanned aircraft, at AAI Corp., a UAV maker in Hunt Valley, Md. “There has been reduction in size, weight and power requirements, enabling more sophisticated payloads and better capabilities to be integrated on smaller aircraft.” Lockheed Martin’s Stalker was developed in 2006 to quickly address requirements of the U.S. special operations forces. The 13-pound aircraft, designed to be carried and operated and handlaunched by an individual soldier, has a wing span of 10 feet. Lockheed Martin recently introduced a larger and more rugged version of the Stalker, dubbed the Stalker XE. “The Stalker takes a variety of modular payloads which can be swapped out in 15 seconds,” said Tom Koonce, small UAV program manager at Lockheed Martin. The UAV can be fitted with different payloads such as a daylight video camera, a low-light video camera, an uncooled thermal sensor, and a combined sensor and laser target marker. The Stalker has a lightweight, stealthy design and a very low acoustic signature. This helps the UAV deliver high quality imagery to the ground. “A quieter platform with less vibration is going to produce better quality video after the application of image stabilization,” said Koonce. “We have received phenomenal responses from customers for this size vehicle.” www.SOTECH-kmi.com
SOF UAV SPECIAL SECTION The Stalker XE system, with a 12-foot wing span, quadruples Stalker’s flight endurance to over eight hours, thanks to a propane fuel cell. The XE was tested last year and is now in production. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has purchased several, as have other customers whose identities are classified. AeroVironment currently has three small UAV models in production. The Raven weighs 4 pounds and has a wingspan of 5 feet. The vehicle is laden with an electro-optical or thermal payload and its electric motor runs on a battery pack that keeps the unit aloft for 90 minutes at a time. The system, including its ground controller, fits into two rucksacks that weigh less than 15 pounds. The Wasp, which weighs 1 pound and has a 28-inch wingspan, has an endurance time of 60 minutes. The Puma weighs 13 pounds and boasts two hours of endurance. It carries electrooptical and infrared cameras on a gimbaled payload and is capable of landing in the water or on land. “These systems provide video and infrared imagery to operators using handheld controllers,” said Gitlin. “Since the systems can be transported in a backpack, they can provide information to the frontline warfighter. They are launched by hand and can operate between 10 and 15 kilometers from their ground stations.”
AeroVironment has also developed a nano-sized UAV, thanks to a contract with DARPA. “The Nano Air Vehicle program was initiated to develop a new class of air vehicles capable of indoor and outdoor operations,” said Gitlin. “It employs biological mimicry to look like an object in nature. The aircraft is designed to provide new military reconnaissance capabilities in urban environments.” AV’s Hummingbird nano air vehicle weighs less than 10 grams and has the ability to carry a payload of up to 2 grams. “We have successfully demonstrated the Hummingbird transmitting video back to controllers,” said Gitlin. “Several potential customers are considering the product.” AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems recently won two contracts to provide its Aerosonde small unmanned aircraft system, together with support services, to the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the Navy. The SOCOM contract is a three-year, $600 million pact that includes support operations. The Navy’s ISR Services awarded AAI, along with two other companies, a contract encompassing land- and sea-based unmanned aircraft systems operations for the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. “The Aerosonde is a high-performance system that incorporates a heavy-fuel engine for superior endurance,” said Flach. “The aircraft’s electro-optic/infrared payload delivers day-and-night, persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.” The
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SOTECH 10.6 | 13
SOF UASSECTION Special Section SOF UAV SPECIAL
An Aerosonde made by AAI Corp. skims over tree tops. [Photo courtesy of AAI]
75-pound Aerosonde can also accommodate a second payload. It doesn’t require a runway but can take off and land where there is 250 square feet of open space. Arcturus’ T-20 UAV has an empty weight of 110 pounds. In a typical configuration, the T-20 carries 32 pounds of fuel plus a 35 pound payload. Endurance in that configuration is up to 16 hours. “The T-20 launches from a catapult that can be assembled by one person in 10 minutes,” said Steve Smith, a senior application engineer at Arcturus UAV. “The T-20 UAV is modular and can be assembled in less than an hour and operated by as few as two people.” The T-20’s key attributes are its ability to carry payloads heavy for its size as well as its long endurance. Smith attributes the T-20’s performance to its monocoque construction, a technique in which the fuselage skin is used to bear weights and which eliminates the use of bulkheads and braces in the interior of the aircraft. “That means that the entire interior of the aircraft is hollow,” said Smith. “The T-20 has an extremely rigid and lightweight fuselage, which makes it a very rugged platform that can carry a lot of weight for its size.” T-20 payloads can include EO/IR, hyperspectral sensors and signals intelligence sensors. The payload bays’ modular design allows for payloads to be easily swapped. Arcturus has delivered 60 unmanned aerial systems to customers including the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy. Recent developments in small UAVs include equipping the vehicles with increased processing power on board in order to facilitate greater navigational autonomy and to reduce the amount of data filtering that needs to take place on the ground. Prioria Robotics Inc. developed a micro unmanned aerial system, the Maveric, a single-person portable system equipped with Prioria’s processing platform, called Merlin. “Merlin provides Maveric with on-board collision avoidance capabilities,” explained Derek Lyons, the company’s vice president for sales and marketing. “The vehicle automatically looks for and finds a safe altitude in mountainous terrains, sloping elevations, or urban settings with buildings or trees.” 14 | SOTECH 10.6
The enhanced processing capabilities also allow the aircraft to transmit smoother images back to the ground. “That means the ground station doesn’t have to be that robust,” said Lyons. “It doesn’t have to crunch a huge amount of data to make a better image. Flying at 500 feet, you can get a really close look with a lot higher resolution than with a Predator or a satellite.” Prioria’s Maveric is equipped with bendable, carbon fiber wings, allowing it to be stored in a 6-inch tube and deployed in less than two minutes with no assembly. The standard payloads for the Maveric, with a 28-inch wingspan and weighing 2 pounds, include an analog gimbaled electro-optical camera and a fixed side-look infrared camera along with an analog zoom camera. Prioria is will soon be introducing new payloads, including a mapping application, a digital gimbaled zoom camera, and digital fused EO/IR sensor. The mapping utility will “deliver geo-rectified images that can be pulled directly into Google Earth or Falcon View,” both mapping applications, said Lyons. “The digital gimbaled zoom camera has 10 megapixels [and] is able to track a person at 750 to 1,000 feet. The images are stabilized onboard so that the image looks like it was taken in hover mode. With the EO/IR camera the UAV can work through dusk and then at night.” The U.S. Army has purchased several Maverics for evaluation. The Canadian military purchased 60 units and deployed them to Afghanistan. Future small UAVs will also be able to provide “full motion color video at resolutions that meet customers’ ISR needs,” said Koonce. He also expects chemical, biological and radiation sensors to be integrated on small UAV platforms. Gitlin predicted that UAVs will continue to shrink in size. “The smaller you make the UAV,” he said, “the greater the potential to push these capabilities lower in the force structure.” O For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn at davea@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
SOF
SPECIAL SECTION UAV SPECIAL SECTION
By Henry Canaday SOTECH Correspondent
Systems provide critical clout for ISR and more, even on the tiniest UAS.
Unmanned aerial vehicles played a critical role in reconnaissance and gathering intelligence in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Many UAV platforms have been developed and proven their worth. But equipping UAVs with the right components is just as important as supplying the aircraft. Private firms are steadily expanding the capabilities of UAVs while keeping size, weight and power (SWaP) within tight limits. Better equipment is coming in signals intelligence (SIGINT) to locate targets, sensors and cameras to watch them, weapons to destroy them and electronic warfare (EW) to deal with enemy threats. Kor Electronics, a subsidiary of Mercury Computer Systems, builds communications intelligence sensors that can, from a single aircraft, locate radio transmissions, explained Dave Edwards, vice president of ISR systems. Kor is now focusing on the RQ-7 Shadow, but its 25-pound SIGINT package would fit on anything of the same or larger size as the Shadow. Unlike time-difference-of-arrival (TDOA) systems, which need multiple aircraft to geo-locate a signal emitter, Kor’s SIGINT can locate the emitter using just one aircraft. Reapers and Predators already have the less efficient TDOA location capabilities. Singleaircraft SIGINT could shorten the sensor-to-shoot time, increase return on investment and yield longer endurance. Edwards said SIGINT capability is one of the top two UAV priorities of the Marines, Army and Special Operations Command. “They want to locate and find the emitter with broad area surveillance, then use electro-optical (EO) or infrared (IR) to validate the identification, then bring in Gray Eagle or a manned aircraft to hit it,” Edwards explained. Kor designed the system to fit widely deployed medium-sized UAVs. There are many more Pumas AEs and RQ-11 Ravens than Shadows, Edwards acknowledged. “But they are too light to carry this.” He estimated there are about 600 medium-sized UAVs
already deployed that could carry the Kor product. “We can work with anything larger than Shadow.” The Kor system would also be easy to retrofit. Unlike other SIGINT products that need antennas spread over the aircraft, Kor’s system is all in one easily installed pod. “All we need is power, navigation and a data link,” Edwards said. Kor has a strategic alliance with Shadow manufacturer AAI. In mid-June, Kor was expecting to sign a contract with the Army for integration and testing of its SIGINT on the Shadow. The company is also in discussions with Northrop Grumman and General Atomics for application to their UAVs. He believes the new product “is a game changer.” Goodrich specializes in high-performance, compact, rugged, uncooled short wave infrared (SWIR) sensors, with the highestsensitivity SWIR cameras available. Business Development Manager Joshua Poulin explained, “SWIR light is reflective light, which gives us images with shadows and contrast that make them very similar in appearance to visible imagery.” Unlike mid-wave and long-wave IR thermal sensors that sense heat, SWIR imagers provide highly detailed images suitable for target identification. SWIR imagers can also see through haze, fog and other atmospheric obscurants and see throughout thermal crossover at sunrise and sunset. Goodrich SWIR cameras provide high-sensitivity day and night imaging at room temperature, and some models can image in starlight-only conditions. Not needing cooling, Goodrich cameras can be small and require little power. For additional illumination, SWIR illuminators are available that cannot be seen by either the naked eye or by common night vision goggles. “Furthermore, Goodrich near infrared (NIR) and SWIR cameras can see all commonly used battlefield lasers and beacons,” Poulin said. Goodrich cameras come in different models, suited for different UAVs and missions.
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SOTECH 10.6 | 15
SOF UASSECTION Special Section SOF UAV SPECIAL The GA640C-15 is ideal for UAVs that allow higher SWaP. A quarter of the size of comparable SWIR cameras and needing only a third their power, this model is well-suited for large Tier I UAVs. Ideal for multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging, Goodrich’s GA1280J is a high-resolution SWIR imager suitable for Tier III and larger UAVs. Goodrich’s SU640HSX-1.7RT is a high-performance, military-rugged, SWIR imager capable of laser spotting during both day and night operations. Also ideal for multi-spectral and hyper-spectral imaging, it can be used on nearly any UAV. Poulin said Goodrich will release this summer a new 1,280-by-1,024 pixel camera with even smaller pixel pitch, 12.5 microns and snapshot operation that will capture each pixel within a frame simultaneously. Stark Aerospace offers a line of plug-in optronic payA Shadow unmanned aerial vehicle is poised for launch from a catapult. [Photo courtesy of DoD] loads (POP) in a variety of sizes, including the POP300, MiniPOP, MicroPOP and the MOSP3000, its largest Military products must meet tough technical specifications, sensor. Stark also makes the POP300-D and MiniPOP-D, which such as small SWaP, high mean time between failure and reliable are equipped with laser designators, and the GTADS, which is a link performance, noted John Procacci, business development backpack version of the MiniPOP. manager-ISR. And the military is looking for open-architecture The POP300 and POP300-D are flown on the Shadow by the functionality to avoid being locked into one system, product or Army and Marine Corps. The POP300 is an advanced multiplesupplier due to proprietary technology, Procacci said. “Smart supsensor stabilized payload for observation, surveillance, tracking pliers work very hard to offer military-grade products that can be and targeting. Reconfiguration in the field is easy for flexibility in easily integrated into platforms.” choosing sensors. Changing UAV cameras has a positive impact, since sensors are POP300 has a thermal imager, continuous-zoom daylight TV, constantly improving. “That is the perfect time to look at upgradNIR capability and a laser pointer on dual-axis stabilized gimbals. ing the video radio solution as well, which is also improving over Options include an optical magnifier for the thermal imager and time,” Procacci said. IMT has solutions that are much lighter and daylight TV, a laser designator (POP300-D) and a video motion more capable then some legacy units and use less power. “Unlike detector. The 10- by 15-inch POP300 weighs just 35 pounds. other radio companies, we can customize end-to-end solutions Starks’s MOSP3000 is used on the Hunter and the Heron. The that can upgrade UAV video radio range, performance and realHeron is flown by Stark’s Flight Services subsidiary. At 14 by 23 time image-distribution options.” inches, this model weighs 61 to 68 pounds, depending on configuMBDA Missile Systems makes the GBU-44/B Viper Strike ration. The MOSP3000 has full digital controls and is optimized glide bomb that was used on MQ-5B Hunters in Iraq. Weighing for laser designation from airborne platforms with an automatic 44 pounds, the bomb is fired out of a common launch tube and boresight for all its sensors. The four-gimbal, stabilized platform’s uses GPS and a semi-active laser seeker to guide it to the target, sensor package can include a variety of TV and IR sensors, laser explained Vice President of Business Development Douglas Denpointer, rangefinder and designator. The MOSP3000 is suited for neny. MBDA is looking at other large UAVs that the Viper Strike medium altitude, long endurance and tactical UAVs. might be launched from. Stark always brings a focus and advanced technologies to its MBDA is also developing the small air bomb extended range end-user requirements, emphasized Jon Waldrop, senior vice pres(SABER), which could be flown on the Tier II UAV Arcturus T-20. ident of business development. “We listen to customers and deliver Weighing just 13 pounds, the SABER would be suited for similar requirements in an affordable and effective way, not according to UAVs that cannot carry the heavier Viper Strike. Like the Viper what is convenient for us.” Strike, the SABER would glide and seek its target with both GPS Waldrop predicts the future will see more capable and even and semi-active laser. And because both weapons glide to the lighter systems, especially for special operations troops. Apart ground, they can hit targets within a wide range of directions from from lightness, he said, warfighters increasingly seek much clearer the UAV aircraft, not just in one direction like a rocket. images and more persistent UAVs that can fly missions longer. In the U.S., MBDA markets the dual-mode Brimstone missile Integrated Microwave Technologies’ military, aerospace and that flies from U.K. aircraft. “It could fly off any UAV that carries government group specializes in innovative digital microwave video the [AGM-114] Hellfire, for example, the Predator B,” Denneny solutions for defense, security and law enforcement applications. noted. IMT makes ultra-compact transmitters and receivers, microwave The dual-mode Brimstone is unique in using two seeking links, digital, portable and fixed airborne video systems and specialty mechanisms, semi-active laser and millimeter wave (mmW). “The antennas. It has worked with several large defense contractors. 16 | SOTECH 10.6
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SOF UAV SPECIAL SECTION laser initiates, then mmW takes over,” Denneny stressed. “It is very accurate, superior to the Hellfire.” Fired from a fighter aircraft, the missile recently hit an 18-foot boat in rough seas. Raytheon’s Advanced Communications and Countermeasures division has two parts, an identification friend and foe (IFF) unit and an EW unit, explained New Business Director Karen Steinfeld. “EW is the ability to target different threats in the electronic spectrum, from communication systems to radar,” Steinfeld explained. “EW is able to target and attacks those threats.” Raytheon IFF products are used on both manned and unmanned aircraft. Most of its EW work has so far been done for manned aircraft, but that is changing. Raytheon is now developing the architecture to migrate its EW capabilities in UAVs. Defense customers need lower SWaP for UAVs and also want open architecture so they can integrate products from different vendors. “We are looking at open-standard software and open hardware,” Steinfeld said. “We are also looking at common hardware modules so we can lower the logistics burden and support multiple UAVs.” Steinfeld sees this EW move as just one part of the Defense Department’s overall effort to migrate more duties and capabilities from manned to unmanned aircraft. “Naturally it will apply first to larger UAVs, and then we will try to look at lots of variants.” Installing EW on UAVs “will be practical in very near term,” Steinfeld predicted. “It is doable today, but the challenge is to do it well. You can always do it for a point solution, but supporting multiple platforms is the harder part.” Another Raytheon division, Space and Airborne Systems, is also involved in UAV equipage. In July Raytheon was awarded a contract for four radar pods with ground moving-target indication and synthetic aperture radar for U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reapers. Raytheon will also make the ground stations. The radar is an innovative and scalable surveillance and targeting solution, according to Mark Sims, director of strategy and business development for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. The radar provides increased resolution, range and coverage to find and track threats such as vehicles and individuals in near real-time, both day and night. Raytheon also developed the multi-spectral targeting EO/IR system used by the Air Force on the MQ-1 Predator. The ultimate aim is to bring significant capabilities down to very small UAVs. Emmen Aerospace makes these small UAV aircraft and an aerostat platform. It also integrates sensors and other equipment on these platforms, explained Robert Fitzgerald, CEO of The Bosh Group, which is acquiring Emmen. For example, Emmen’s Swiper weighs just 2.8 pounds, but can stay aloft for up to 65 minutes at speeds of 20 to 35 miles per hour with its gimbaled color EO and IR sensor. The Super Swiper is a little larger and can stay in the air for two hours, and fly at up to 70 miles per hour. Emmen’s rotary wing Condor weighs 40 pounds and can fly at altitudes up to 12,000 feet while carrying up to 2.3 pounds of panand-tilt cameras and sensors. Bosh will be modifying some of these UAVs with a special eye on the requirements of Special Operations Command. Emmen’s www.SOTECH-kmi.com
founder once served in SOCOM, so the platforms are already small and very portable. “We emphasize low cost, high reliability and easy maintenance,” Fitzgerald stressed. For example, the Swiper can be maintained with rubber bands and duct tape. B.E. Meyers makes laser pointers and illuminators, as well as cameras and sensors and SWIR devices, explained Chief Executive Officer Greg Quarles. Meyers equipment is now used on about 80 percent of UAVs. “We have been doing this for about 10 years,” he said. Meyers works closely with UAV manufacturers, helping them decide what equipment can be fitted, and how and where it can be best fitted, on the UAV. SWaP is critical in this step and Quarles is proud of his engineers’ ability to both design leaner and more capable equipment and to optimize it for new platforms. The future will bring an even more intense focus on SWaP. In addition, Meyers is increasingly being asked to design the entire gimbaled package, along with providing the lasers, sensors and cameras that go inside it. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn at davea@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
Foot-mobile tactical computing for precision targeting, C4ISR, situational awareness, and other mission specific applications. www.bdatech.com
SOTECH 10.6 | 17
BLACK WATCH
What’s Hot in Special Operations Gear
ISR Video Kit Developed for Long Operational Life OmniWatch The OmniWatch portable ISR video kit has been developed with the capability to autonomously detect targets, classify them, capture target video in real time, and communicate the information to distributed users over a wireless network. The small physical size means it can be deployed by one person and easily camouflaged in a target area of interest. The kit provides the information to immediately identify hostile or illegal activities for up to 30 days on one small battery. Long operational life is provided by using McQ iScout sensors to trigger an image processing node (IPN). The IPN remains in a low power state while listening for iScout target detection events. When a target is detected the video cameras and image processing are turned on. The video kit begins operation by storing video until WiFi communication is established with a TNet wireless base repeater that connects the video with the user interface. When the connection to the user is established, the IPN streams the initial several seconds of stored video then transitions to live video so that no target imagery is lost. The target detection and the video information
is stored on a database and displayed in real time on a map-based user interface. The user can review any video event using familiar DVR controls in the user interface. The video kit is compatible with commercial smartphones and tablet devices.
Simulation System Aids Airborne Warfighters’ Training at Fort Bragg Systems Technology Inc. Systems Technology Inc. announced new product additions and features to one of its flagship military grade products, ParaSim, in correlation with a new installation at Fort Bragg, N.C., and a new upgrade to the Australian Army. ParaSim 5 includes all new graphics with scene extents over 200 miles across, new canopy malfunction simulations, a custom wind field entry system, software controlled motorized frames and advanced jump log recording system. The upgraded version of ParaSim 5 boasts many new features which will strengthen and increase training capabilities, and enhance training operations such as static line, military free fall and high altitude parachute operations. STI recently completed a successful installation of six ParaSim jump stations and a central network controller at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School. This state-of-the-art network features ParaSim’s new software-integrated motorized suspension frames. This recently completed installation—as part of an effort funded by the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office—will be used for military free-fall and static line training. 18 | SOTECH 10.6
“The new features to ParaSim 5 will drastically change and improve how military operations are executed without putting soldiers/crew, etc., at risk while training for search and rescue, combative warfare and bail-out ejections while in the field,” said David Landon, CEO of Systems Technology Inc. “Our advanced technologies will change the landscaping of how we combat terrorism and train our special armed forces in the field.” In addition, Systems Technology Inc. recently worked with local representative Defcon Technologies Ltd. to upgrade the Australian Army’s ParaSim network at the Parachute Training School in Nowra, New South Wales, Australia. This six-station network, originally installed in 2008, was upgraded to ParaSim Version 5 with complete replacement of all simulation computers.
Aircraft Protection System Introduced Elbit Systems Elbit Systems introduced J-Music, the newest member of its directed infrared countermeasures, or DIRCM, systems family. It is designed to protect medium-to-large aircraft such as transporters, special mission platforms, tankers and others against shoulder fired missiles. Based on the same proven technologies of the C-Music system, selected by the Israeli government to protect passenger aircraft, J-Music is an advanced multi-spectral infrared fiber-laser based DIRCM system, which rapidly acquires and tracks incoming man-portable missiles, commonly called Manpads, and deflects them from the target using a powerful laser beam. J-Music is a distributed system, meaning that components can be installed in various locations onboard the aircraft, enabling an optimized installation solution for protection of the aircraft. Interfacing with the aircraft’s missile warning system, J-Music provides an integrated, comprehensive and cost effective solution. J-Music is lightweight, compact and can be easily installed on a wide range of aircraft types, in single turret or multi-turret configurations. Operational advantages include: • Rapid response • Protection against multiple, simultaneous missile threats • Very high reliability due to the advanced fiber laser and sealed dome architecture • Requires minimal maintenance, hence minimizing aircraft down-time www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
New Configuration of Tactical System Goes to Air Force Black Diamond Advanced Technology Black Diamond Advanced Technology has received a firm fixed-price contract for a unique configuration of its Modular Tactical System (MTS) from the U.S. Air Force/Air Force Materiel Command Aeronautical Systems Center. This procurement is for the Battlefield Air Operations (BAO) Operator Control System (OCS), a dismounted, precision-strike and communications-control solution primarily used by special operations forces. The purpose of the BAO Kit program is to upgrade the current equipment suite of the battlefield airmen in five areas: communications, computers, human input/output, power generation and management, and software. The OCS consists of a wearable vest with cable runs, cables, power manager and computer. The Black Diamond Advanced Technology MTS is a wearable multi-mission system that funnels control of mission-critical peripherals to a central display to eliminate battery and equipment redundancies and lighten load-out. As an off-the-shelf solution with a patent-pending cablemanagement cummerbund system, the MTS allows the Air Force to fulfill its OCS requirements and field a truly footmobile solution. As a component of the BAO Kit, the MTS allows Air Force Special Operations Command special tactics squadrons, combat control teams, tactical air control party, and Guardian Angel pararescue personnel to meet stringent digitally aided close air support requirements for participation in U.S. and joint operations worldwide.
future
GPS Receiver Technology Completes Multiple Tests L-3 Communications L-3 Communications announced its Interstate Electronics Corporation (L-3 IEC) business successfully completed multiple test firings of its next-generation Military Code (M-Code) GPS receiver technology. This milestone represents a significant breakthrough in GPS receiver modernization and validates the unit’s survivability and performance in extreme guided munitions environments, the company stated. L-3’s gun-hardened, next-generation M-Code GPS receiver prototype was fired from a 155 mm Howitzer and tracked the M-Prime signal from several modernized satellites to successful target impacts. This achievement represents the first-ever use of the M-Code GPS technology in a weapon system, and provides critical validation of the hardware and software performance in a projectile. Importantly, this first-ever successful test supports a congressional mandate to implement M-Code technology on all future and existing Department of Defense platforms and their objectives for technical innovations capable of offsetting future threats. L-3’s next-generation design presents a flexible hardware and software configuration for GPS integrators and is capable of tracking www.SOTECH-kmi.com
legacy and modernized signals. The receiver will be applicable on a variety of host platforms, including guided munitions, unmanned aerial systems, soldier systems and ground mobile systems. “Our backward and forward compatible next-generation receiver provides a proven, low-cost solution for development programs as well as an upgrade option for current fielded systems,” said Todd Gautier, president of L-3’s Precision Engagement sector. “Our solution supports a seamless technology transition when M-Code is fully operational and deployed, and the design meets long-term security and information assurance standards.” SOTECH 10.6 | 19
“The U.S. Special Operations Command will rely more on industry self-funding R&D of military equipment and weapons.” *
MetaVR and Battlespace Simulation’s JTAC simulator (a self-funded private venture) was recently granted accreditation by the Joint Fire Support Executive Steering Committee for types 1, 2, 3, and day/night control, and laser target designation. **
* Quote from James Cluck, acquisition executive and director of the Special Operations Research, Development and Acquisition Center at USSOCOM. ** Draft accreditation assessment report issued by the Joint Fire Support Executive Steering Committee on June 19, 2012. Real-time screen captures are from MetaVR’s visualization system and Afghanistan 3D virtual terrain and are unedited except as required for printing. The real-time renderings of the 3D virtual world are generated by MetaVR Virtual Reality Scene Generator™ (VRSG™). 3D models and animations are from MetaVR’s 3D content libraries. Photograph of the F-16 simulator built by International Simulation & Training Systems (ISTS) courtesy of SSgt. Dan DiPietro, 158 FW, Vermont Air National Guard. © 2012 MetaVR, Inc. All rights reserved. MetaVR, Virtual Reality Scene Generator, VRSG, the phrase “Geospecific simulation with game quality graphics”, and the MetaVR logo are trademarks of MetaVR, Inc.
http://www.metavr.com sales@metavr.com US 617-739-2667
Command Leader
Q& A
AFSOC Prepares for Challenges; MC-130, CV-22, UAS Assets Critical
Lieutenant General Eric E. Fiel Commander Air Force Special Operations Command Lieutenant General Eric E. Fiel is the commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. The command is the Air Force component of Special Operations Command. AFSOC provides Air Force special operations forces for worldwide deployment and assignment to unified combatant commanders. The command has approximately 16,000 active-duty, reserve, Air National Guard and civilian professionals. Prior to his current assignment, he was the vice commander, Headquarters Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C. Fiel has significant experience in combat and leadership positions in major joint contingency operations. He commanded a special operations squadron during Bosnia and Kosovo operations. From September 2001 to March 2003, he was forward-deployed as the joint special operations air component commander in Operation Enduring Freedom. From May 2006 to April 2008, he was forward-deployed as a task force commander multiple times for operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. His educational achievements include: 1980 Bachelor of Science degree in management, University of Buffalo, N.Y.; 1984 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; 1989 master’s degree in management, Troy State University; 1992 Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; 1992 Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va.; 2001 master’s degree in strategic studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; 2005 National Security Management Course, Syracuse University, N.Y.; 2008 Navy Senior Leader Business Course, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His assignments have included: April 2003 - May 2005, commander, 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M.; June 2005 - December 2005, director of operations, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.; December 2005 April 2006, commander, Air Force Special Operations Forces, Hurlburt Field; April 2006 - April 2008, deputy commanding general, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.; May 2008 - September 2009, director, Center for Force Structure, Requirements, Resources and Strategic Assessments, Headquarters Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla.; October 2009 - June 2010, chief of staff, Headquarters Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB; June 2010 - June 2011, vice commander, Headquarters Special Operations Command, Washington, D.C.; June 2011 - present, commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
He was a master navigator, with more than 2,000 flight hours in aircraft including the T-43, T-37, MC-130E/H and AC-130A/H/U. His major awards and decorations include: Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster; Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross; Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters; Air Medal; Aerial Achievement Medal; Air Force Commendation Medal; Joint Service Achievement Medal; Air Force Achievement Medal with oak leaf cluster; Combat Readiness Medal with oak leaf cluster; National Defense Service Medal with bronze star; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Kosovo Campaign Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Service Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal; NATO Medal (Former Republic of Yugoslavia). Q: What changes have you instituted in AFSOC since you took command a year ago? A: Changes within AFSOC are a continuing state. Our mission set is focused on providing SOF air worldwide, focusing specifically on SOF airpower in Afghanistan. To do that effectively, we must SOTECH 10.6 | 21
U.S. Air Force members from the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, Air Force Special Operations Command, wait to board a C-130 Hercules at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The airmen will practice combat operations in the Santa Rosa Sound. [Photo courtsey of DoD]
constantly review our missions, and that was one of the first things we did when I assumed command. We looked at missions, aircraft, personnel, organization and training—all in an effort to generate and sustain as much combat power as possible. Part of the initial review was to prioritize our mission set from one to eight like specialized air mobility and precision strike as examples that are at the core of what we do. If we are not able to do these core missions at the level required of us, other mission taskings either cannot be accomplished or are irrelevant. We are now actively instituting the changes we felt necessary, including re-missioning the MC-130W as an AC-130W gunship, standing up a special tactics wing, and rebalancing our posture overseas. We are also focusing a lot of effort into translating the CV-22 acquisition and MC-130 recapitalization programs into combat power on the battlefield. This involves providing the manning for both ops and maintenance, and ensuring we can train the force to meet an aggressive delivery schedule we need. Q: How well is the CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft performing during insertion and extraction missions? A: The CV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft is a game changer for special operations forces. The CV-22 has vertical take-off and landing capabilities like a helicopter, but flies en route at the speeds of a C-130. The result is a high-speed, long-range, vertical-lift capability. This requirement is not met by any other fixed or rotary wing platform in existence. In a large operating area like Afghanistan, moving SOF rapidly is an imperative, and at the same time a serious challenge due to the terrain and weather. The CV-22 gives us the ability to place SOF teams literally in the field in a time frame we couldn’t possibly meet in years past. Even though we are deploying the CV-22 in combat, we are only about 50 percent complete with our program of record acquisition. This means that we are still training initial crew and maintenance forces and maturing the weapons system as a whole. The aircraft, ops and maintenance crews are achieving a great performance in combat. 22 | SOTECH 10.6
Q: Is AFSOC still interested in obtaining perhaps 3,000 iPads or other tablets for the electronic flight bag program to be used on missions in special ops aircraft, and if so, what is the outlook for the program? A: Yes, the contract was recently awarded to Executive Technology Inc. of Phoenix for Apple iPads. AFSOC’s goal is to provide Air Commandos an electronic flight bag that is equally cost effective, secure and provides the best technological capability available to our airmen. The transition from paper flight publications to an electronic tablet is an obvious choice for so many aspects, and we are committed to get this capability fielded where it is needed. Keeping flight publications/information current is a daunting task, especially when you consider it on a global basis. Even with the best information updating capability, having to print changes, then accomplish a paper remove and replace to complete the transition to the user is a logistical nightmare. And the cost is tremendous—both in dollars and workload. Contrast that with the ease of electronic download. There is no comparison. Q: You spoke of changing the MC-130W mission. What drove a change of mission for this insertion and refueling platform? A: We have never had a very large gunship fleet. We have only eight AC-130H and 17 AC-130U models—not a large number. The H-models are 48 years old, and the newest U-models are over 20 years old. As the demand for special operations capabilities increased, so did the demand for precision fire support, straining our capability to provide the coverage needed. Even though the AC-130J is our future capability, we needed additional gunship capability to bridge the gap and relieve pressure on the current fleet. Modifying the MC-130W and re-designating it as the AC-130W was the best option to address this requirement quickly and within budget constraints. We designed the Dragon Spear precision strike package as an add-on, requiring minimum modification to the MC130W airframe, providing a high-definition surveillance and sensor capability, a 30 mm gun, and stand-off precision guided weapons. This was another success story of a small team developing, testing, www.SOTECH-kmi.com
training, and delivering combat capability to the battlefield in minimum time. Plus, the Dragon Spear precision strike package will translate into the AC-130J as we continue to recap the AC-130 fleet. Q: In September, you took delivery of and flew the first MC-130J Commando II to Cannon AFB, N.M., an infiltration-exfiltration transport plane that can both refuel other planes and be aerial-refueled itself with a boom. What is your assessment of this new asset? A: That was a historic event for Cannon AFB. It marked a milestone in improving the combat capabilities of AFSOC and more importantly the 27 SOW. Members of the 522 SOS will rewrite history as they fly the MC130J Commando II. The delivery of the new J-model begins the long-awaited recapitalization of our older MC-130E/P aircraft. We are still developing the training and tactics to fully exploit the capabilities of the J-model, and to help do this, we tapped the C-130J-model experience existing within the 193 SOW [Pennsylvania National Guard]. Their experience in operating the J-model has helped us build the initial training and tactics procedures, as we work with AETC to establish the formal training pipeline requirements for the MC-130J. We are also developing a new terrain following radar for the MC-130J. The project is contracted with a 2013 goal for our first operational test aircraft. If testing goes well, we could be fielding the new combat capability by 2015. Not only will we have increased capability, but we will decrease the number of variants we possess while reducing the maintenance and flying hour costs. Q: What is your view on the MQ-9 Reaper, the MQ-1B Predator, the small WASP and other SUAS? A: There is a high demand for tactical ISR in the SOF battle space. Remotely piloted aircraft meet a significant portion of that demand. We began several years ago with the initial Predator acquisitions to build an ISR capability that was tailored to SOF specific needs. We had to create almost the whole process of pilot/ sensor operator coordination with the intel analyst and the SOF ground team. We have specific SOF needs and are still improving the coordination process, adding technological advancements, and adjusting our techniques to improve how we do our missions. Our commitment is to maintain 10 combat air patrols [CAPs] of unmanned ISR, and www.SOTECH-kmi.com
we consistently seek to maximize that program of record. Any time we can tailor any weapon system to better support the SOF warfighter, whether through improving the responsiveness of a platform or the performance of a sensor, we will pursue it. The smaller SUAS platforms have specific uses for our special tactics personnel in increasing surveillance over the hill. Ever since the first hand-launched SUAS with a sensor capability was used to prevent a ground team from surprise contact with the enemy, we have aggressively tested and fielded several platforms. These small platforms have become a critical enhancement to SOF ground teams. We have even created our own SUAS training school to teach employment tactics and techniques to our special tactics personnel. We continue to develop better SUAS platforms to add new capability to SOF ground teams. Q: There is a possibility of $487 billion of defense spending cuts over 10 years growing to roughly $1 trillion reduction over the decade. What cost-cutting moves have you already taken in the command? A: Regardless of any mandatory defense spending cuts, identifying efficiencies ensures we are constantly evaluating and improving the combat capabilities we provide to the combatant commands. We’re recapitalizing and repurposing 15 mission-design series into eight, aligning platforms to reduce maintenance and training costs in a way that fortifies our principal combat missions. And as we recapitalize our legacy aircraft, maintenance costs are projected to drop with each newer weapon system brought online. We examine each Air Force, SOCOM and DoD initiative for cost cutting to see if there is applicability to AFSOC, as well as always looking at adapting proven technologies to avoid development costs. Q: Has the drawdown of forces in Iraq and the reduction in forces in Afghanistan provided AFSOC with a lessened number of missions, or do you find that the number of missions actually is increasing and exceeds the number of available aircraft and special operators to perform them? A: Though conventional forces in Afghanistan may draw down, we expect special SOTECH  10.6 | 23
operations requirements to endure. SOCOM holds dual responsibilities in global counterterrorism and provision of combat-ready SOF to the geographic combatant commanders. Special operations forces are a tool available to those commanders, to be used in their overall strategy. As the aviation component for SOCOM, AFSOC will always seek to posture our assets in a way that supports the SOF mission in Afghanistan, the geographic combatant commanders outside the CENTCOM theater, and the global responsibilities of SOCOM as a force provider. Based on our past successes and contributions to the coalition campaign strategy, we are preparing for continued requirements for AFSOC to support operations in Afghanistan. Recapitalization and repurposing of our weapon systems as I
mentioned earlier will consolidate resources around our core combat capabilities to ensure those are as robust as ever for all supported commands in any environment. The Air Commando motto is any time, any place. That still holds true today. Q: AFSOC recently made Air Force history with the activation of the first Battlefield Airmen special operations wing. What transformations are you looking to accomplish with this new organization on behalf of battlefield airmen? A: Alignment of the 720th and 724th Special Tactics Groups, the Special Tactics Training Squadron, and the recruiting elements into a single organization in the 24th Special Operations Wing better prepares the special tactics community to meet the evolving requirements of a global SOF partnership. As the ground authorities on integrating airpower with SOF missions, these men have an incredibly unique signature on the SOF battlefield. As SOF grows, special tactics needs to grow with it. The level of effort and resourcing within this community was commensurate with that of an Air Force wing, and creating the organizational structure had positive advantages. Activation of the 24 SOW allows squadron commanders to focus on tactical employment downrange, group commanders to focus on operational concerns and coordination, while the wing executes strategic forecast and programming for evolving requirements. The new wing focus will include training requirements across special tactics including a growing concentration on human performance programs. Specialized athletic facilities and training programs are being created to meet the physical needs of special tactics personnel as part of a broad effort to fully resource SOF resiliency programs. Q: Do you have any closing thoughts on the people in your command and the missions they perform?
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A: The United States is at an unprecedented point in our history. For over a decade, America has been running major combat and contingency operations concurrently with an all-volunteer force. The mission here is unique; it draws dedicated professionals and that’s what makes AFSOC truly special. We’ve done a great job taking care of our aircraft and weapon systems through superb maintenance efforts. But after 10 years of war, we need to invest an equal level of effort in our human performance and resiliency initiatives. Whether physical, mental, social or spiritual, we’re following SOCOM’s lead and are committed to doing everything we can to strengthen our air commando’s resiliency. We’ve always lived by the SOF truth that humans are more important than hardware, and now we’re getting ready to make even more investments in our personnel. O
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Weapons advances cut collateral damage. By Henry Canaday SOTECH Correspondent Wars bring harsh experience and lessons learned. Combat identifies gaps in capabilities that need filling or at least require improvements and new systems. This has been true across the board in ground operations, and private industry has been working hard to improve critical ground capabilities.
Shotguns and Grenade Launchers Beretta now offers the GLX160 A1 grenade launcher, designed to be fully integrated with the ARX160, Beretta’s candidate for the individual carbine competition. With a fast-mount attachment, the GLX160 can easily be added to any rifle with a proper interface. Vice President of Military Sales Gabriele DePlano stressed that the GLX160 was made as small and lightweight as possible, only 2.2 pounds, using polymer or aluminum except for steel in areas subject to critical firing stresses. The GLX160 integrates with the ARX160, used by Italy and other nations, smoothly, with no clamps, bolts or pins, and it has both a manual and assembly safety. A foldable ladder sight indicates eight positions at 50-meter intervals from 50 to 400 meters. Controls on the GLX160 are fully ambidextrous. On the defense side, Beretta also represents Benelli, whose M4 shotgun has been used by the Marines since 2000. “It is the only combat-proven semiautomatic shotgun on the market, rugged and reliable,” DePlano emphasized. The M4 can convert to pump action so it can cycle between lethal fire and door breaching. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
The M4 is an auto regulating gas-operated shotgun with a seven-round magazine, a collapsible, three-position stock, Picatinny rail and parkerized finish, explained Joe Coogan, spokesman for Benelli USA. “It is distinguished by its rugged modular stock and extended magazine. Because of simple and reliable design, it is easy to maintain.” The M4 is used by Italian, Libyan, Slovenian and Irish special forces, Slovakia’s Special Defense Division, U.K. forces, and the U.S. Army, Marines and Navy SEALs. The M4’s telescopic stock is collapsible and the magazine holds seven standard or six magnum cartridges, plus one in the chamber. Coogan said current-production M4 shotguns have screw-in chokes, so they can accept the special chokes designed specifically for breaching. Earlier versions had to be held two to three inches back from doors for breaching. Beretta has also developed the less-than-lethal LTLx7000 to deliver accurate lethal and non-lethal fire from 50 to 230 feet with only one type of ammunition. A special barrel and range finder allows this 12-gauge shotgun to bleed explosive gas out for short range but use all the gas for long range, thus maintaining the same velocity and energy at both distances. The weapon fires a highdeformation, spin-stabilized projectile with enough accuracy to hit a 500 mm target at 70 meters. Converting the LTL from non-lethal to lethal configuration requires only a simple barrel assembly and cheek-piece replacement. SOTECH 10.6 | 25
DePlano said the new firearm is at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7 and Beretta is waiting for a customer to develop it further. O. F. Mossberg & Sons’ 590-A1 has been in military service for 25 years, fully meeting all military specifications. Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Taylor said the 590’s heavy-walled barrel protects the shotgun from damage by banging against hard objects and a parkerized finish makes it very durable in saltwater and other elements. A new flex system enables the change-out of the 590’s stock and forearm without tools such as Allen wrenches. In use by law enforcement, the improvement is being considered by military customers. Mossberg also makes a saw-tooth breaching tool that can be jammed in a door to get a grip. “Then you can pull or blow though the gap,” Taylor noted. “It can cut through a concrete block.” Unlike breaching tools that screw onto barrels, A shotgun can be used in forced entry. [Photo courtesy of DoD] the Mossberg device is machined onto the barrel, RM’s M203PI snap-on launcher assembly (SOLA) can mount making it very durable. the M203PI grenade launchers on an M4 or M16 rifle without a Remington offers its 870 and MCS pump shotguns and 1187P rail. The SOLA adaptor mounts to the magazine well and bayonet and R12 automatic-loading shotguns, according to Gregory Baralug for a secure mounting point without altering either weapon dat, director of Remington Defense USA. itself. It carries its own 400-meter pop-up sight. The 870P Breacher fires 12-gauge loads including standard, Griffin said RM’s M203grip gives 40 mm operators the advanbuckshot and breaching rounds. For efficient transition between tages of the forward vertical grip popular on M4s and M16s. Availloads, it has a Velcro side saddle, retention holster and buttonable in two sizes, tactical for low profile and a battery-storage sling attachment. version that has a watertight compartment, the grip is also ambiThe modular combat shotgun (MCS) Breacher is extremely dextrous and can be switched among rifles with tools. compact with pump action and a Pachmayr pistol grip for effiBreaching with shotguns is sometimes done with special ciency and control. It has a three-shot tube magazine plus one in rounds. Ruag Ammotec’s 12/70 Magnum Entry l allows for rapid the chamber. door breaching at a point-blank range to maintain the element of Remington’s 870 MCS serves virtually any close-range scesurprise and minimize risk of collateral damage. A 12-gauge, 2.75nario. Modifications can be made rapidly without tools with the inch cartridge, the Entry I is a special round designed to destroy 870 MCS’s quick-change stock system. door locks and hinges at close range. The pressed zinc-powder proRemington’s R12 auto-loading Tactical Shotgun has a selfjectile completely disintegrates upon impact and transfers its high adjusting, short-stroke, dual-piston gas operating system for verkinetic energy to the target. There are no ricochets or backsplashes satility, reliability and minimal maintenance. It fires all standard with the Entry 1. It can penetrate 3 mm of sheet steel up to 2 cm 12-gauge rounds for both lethal and breaching duties. “Best of and five layers of fir wood up to 2 cm. all, the unique operating system and revolutionary recoil pad fire Ruag’s 12/70 Magnum Entry II is for rapid door breaching from magnum loads with almost 20 percent less felt recoil,” Baradat a distance, up to 30 meters. It is designed to destroy door locks stressed. As Remington’s newest offering, the R12 is expected to and hinges and to be used against booby traps and for explosive add configurations in the future. ordnance disposal missions. Shooters can thus engage targets from Finally, Remington’s 1187P gas-operated, semi-automatic a safe distance with the Entry II. shotgun has a wealth of features, including 14- and 18-inch interColt’s M203 grenade launcher is a 40 mm weapon that attaching changeable barrels and rugged parkerized finish. to an M4 carbine and the M16A2 and A4 rifles. Offering light weight, RM Equipment makes the M203PI enhanced grenade launcher it can fire a range of 40 mm high-explosive and special-purpose module 40 mm grenade launcher, standalone mounting systems rounds. The M203 can be fired on its own while attached to a carbine for the M203PI and M203, M203grip, Railgrip, G36grip, RMgrip or rifle, thanks to a self-cocking firing mechanism, with barrel latch, and FastRail Picattiny Rail Accessory, according to the company’s trigger and positive safety lever. Todd Griffin. The M203 comes in several models, one with a 12-inch barrel The RM M203PI 40 mm universal grenade launcher system has for the M16 and two models with 9- and 12-inch barrels for the M4. a quick-disconnect feature that allows fast, tool-free installation It weighs as little as 2.5 pounds and has an effective range of 400 and removal in any conditions. The mounting system can adjust meters. The M203 fires high-explosive, armor-piercing, buckshot, for any gun length and can be mounted to virtually any rail system. practice and specialized 40 mm ammunition. RM’s M-203PI 40 mm modular grenade launcher mounts on any For forced entry, the M203 can blast open windows and doors. It combat rifle. It is thus ideal for forces that use mixed rifle models also can inflict casualties among groups of hostile forces, penetrate but want to use a single 40 mm launcher system. 26 | SOTECH 10.6
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bunkers and damage soft-skinned vehicles. It is not intended for use against armored or heavy vehicles. The M203 has been in service since 1969, when it began replacing the standalone M79 grenade launcher. The M203’s under-barrel system has allowed infantrymen to carry a rifle, but easily switch to the grenade launcher when needed. Heckler & Koch makes the M320 GLM, a 40 mm single-shot add-on grenade launcher that can be attached to the M16 rifle or M4 carbine, the HK416, HK417 or a variety of other weapons equipped with an under-swung Picatinny rail. It fires high-explosive, armorpiercing, irritant-gas, smoke and illumination rounds and, with its side-opening breech, also longer non-lethal rounds. Ladder sights on the M320 are located on the side of the grenade launcher, not the rifle or carbine it attaches to, so these sights do not require re-zeroing every time the M320 is reattached. An optional day-or-night sight is offered, which can be mounted with mechanical sights. The M320 has a double-action mode, with an ambidextrous safety and barrel-release lever. After a misfire, the M320 shooter merely pulls the trigger again. The side-loading, 8.46-inch rifled barrel is made of lightweight aluminum and is spring-actuated for quick loading and unloading. A retractable butt-stock allows the M320 to be used as a standalone launcher, rather than being added to a rifle or carbine. An integral Picatinny rail also allows it to be used with a folding vertical foregrip, so it can be used as a grenade pistol in confined spaces. The M320 was developed using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology and is in the current Army support network. The first M320s were fielded in the summer of 2009.
Smarter Ammunition, Smarter Weapons
The XM395 precision guided munition is produced by ATK. [Photo courtesy of DoD]
Government and industry have been working together on quarter of fy 2013. PGK is a GPS-guidance kit with fusing functions another major need: new weapons and ammunition systems that for the 155 mm M795 and M549A1 high-explosive projectiles, for will be more lethal when needed and much more accurate all the 155 mm M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers and for 155 mm time. The principles of guidance and range control, first applied to M777A2 towed howitzers. “It turns our current stockpile of convenair power and heavy bombs, are now well along in application to tional high-explosive projectiles into near-precision projectiles with ground weapons, starting with heavy artillery and now in progress CEP of 50 meters or less,” Burke said. for mortars. The general aim is to obtain the accuracy of pinpoint The purpose of the XM25 individual semi-autoweapons without replacing entire platforms and, somematic airburst system is to defeat enemies who hide times, even the inventories of rounds already in stock. in defilade behind cover of walls, buildings or terTwo of three planned increments of Excalibur have rain, explained Lieutenant Colonel Shawn Lucas, been fielded and are in use overseas. The third increproduct manager for individual weapons for Project ment, which Walsh expects to deliver the same range Manager Soldier Weapons. This type of cover has and accuracy as, but higher reliability and lower unit often frustrated current small arms. The XM25 is costs than, the first two increments, should be fielded also called the counter defilade target engagement in fiscal year 2014. system for the gap in current capabilities it fills. The 120 mm Accelerated Precision Mortar InitiaThe semi-automatic XM25 weighs just 12.5 tive (APMI) was fielded in March 2011 to Army forces pounds, is less than 20 inches in length and carries in Afghanistan. APMI is a GPS-guided 120 mm mortar Lt. Col. Shawn Lucas four rounds in its magazine. It has fully integrated high-explosive cartridge with 10-meter CEP precision day-and-night optics and fires a high-explosive 25 capability, said Peter Burke, deputy product manager mm airburst projectile. The brains of the XM 25 are its target acquifor Guided Precision Munitions and Mortar Systems. It is currently sition and fire control system with thermal capability including used by all ground-mounted 120 mm mortar platoons in theater. direct-view optics, laser rangefinder, compass, fuse setter, ballistic Burke said fielding was planned for mounted 120 mm mortars on computer, laser pointer and illuminator, and internal display. Stryker mortar carriers by end of June 2012. The XM25 gunner finds the target with one button and then adds A 155 mm precision guidance kit (PGK) is in development with or decreases distance with two other buttons. This effectively selects fielding planned under an urgent material release in the second www.SOTECH-kmi.com
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the range for detonation to destroy the target. “He may place it above or to the side of the target depending on the situation,” Lucas noted. The fire-control system messages the round during its flight and the round’s turn count will track the distance traveled, allowing it to detonate the airburst at the selected range. “That is what is revolutionary,” Lucas said. “We have never had that in a shoulder-fired, direct-fire weapon before.” In late July, a critical design review was scheduled to lock in design, a major step forward in acquisition. Three dozen systems are expected to undergo operational assessment in 2013 to help determine training, techniques, tactics and procedures. This will tell “how will we introduce it to squads and platoons, how will it alter the squad, how will we employ it with carbines and grenade launchers,” Lucas explained. The program is on track for low-rate initial production in the first quarter of FY14. The Army plans to deploy XM25 to all brigade combat teams, probably two per squad, and field one XM25 to each special operations A team. “The Marines are interested observers,” Lucas noted. In addition to the current air bursting high-explosive round, the Army may add armor-piercing, less-than-lethal blunt, less-than-lethal airburst and door-breaching rounds. ATK has a precision-guidance kit for 155 mm artillery that would allow military forces to use their existing rounds rather than spend extravagant amounts of funds on new ammunition. GPS can give conventional 155 rounds precision capability, explained Rod Gibbons, spokesman for ATK Defense. The 155 mm guidance kit uses canards similar to the Joint Direct Attack Munition and GPS tracks its location. A small internal generator does not need any external power source. Instead, the generator gets its power from the round’s spin. This enables it to power the GPS and steer the round with the canards. The kit has been field tested and is in final-design phase. “The Army must still make a decision on full-rate production,” said spokesman Jarrod Krull. Based on ATK’s precision guidance kit for 155 mm artillery, the XM395 combines GPS guidance and directional control surfaces. The ATK system for precision-guided mortars converts the Army’s conventional mortar rounds by replacing tail sections to give them more spin, making them spin rapidly like artillery rounds. This XM395 is the projectile used in the APMI and has already been fielded in Afghanistan. The XM395 gives brigade commanders organic, accurate indirect fire capability, especially in mountainous terrain inaccessible to artillery or in built-up areas where conventional fire support could cause collateral damage. It also works on reverse slopes, narrow gullies and urban areas, difficult for low-angle fire. ATK was also a partner in development of the XM25. The new weapon allows soldiers to “point where they want to,” explained Krull. “They can adjust to aim above a wall and program it to burst just past the wall for lethality,” he noted. Five prototypes of the XM25 were sent to Afghanistan two years ago for training and important lessons were learned. Krull expects it will take another a year for the XM25 to be ready for production, and he said the Army still must decide on the quantity desired. ATK makes the ammunition for the XM25 and is responsible for integrating ammunition, rifle and fire-control systems. Heckler & Koch makes the rifle itself, and L-3 makes the critical firecontrol system. 28 | SOTECH 10.6
Spc. Brett Waller of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Cavalry Division, Task Force Maverick, from Ponca City, Okla., waits for word if the latest mission is a go from Combat Outpost Red Hill. [Photo courtesy of DoD]
Teaming with BAE Systems, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems has developed a GPS-guidance kit for the 81 mm mortar for the U.K. army. This 81 mm roll controlled guided mortar (RCGM) was based on General Dynamics’ previous work on 120 mm mortars, explained Joe Buzzett, director of technical programs. “We used as much of the unguided system as was possible,” Buzzett emphasized. For control of the round during flight, the RCGM uses fixed canards on a bearing and GPS controls, much like Excalibur or JDAM. RCGM was demonstrated for the Army at Yuma in early 2012. Unguided 81 mm mortar rounds have a 40-meter CEP. Firing 16 rounds at 980 to 4,000 meters, RCGM achieved a median missed distance of 4.6 meters. “You need a bigger sample for a true CEP, but we got less than 5 meters and it has a very high TRL,” Buzzett noted. “They have not had a very mobile precision system before.” The RCGM can be fired from existing M252 81 mm medium mortars, and General Dynamics estimates a 30 percent reduction in logistic burdens as greater accuracy means fewer rounds needed to complete mortar missions. Three-quarters of RCGM components are already in production and combat proven. The Army is first pursuing a requirement for guided 120 mm mortars. “Then we will see about the 81 mm,” Buzzett said. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn at davea@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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Systems transform polluted streams into safe water for warriors. By Dave Ahearn SOTECH Editor A special operator can take on and take out an enemy combatant who is 6 feet 5 inches and solid muscle. But an enemy that is far less than a thousandth of an inch can defeat that special operator for days. The enemy in this case is a disease organism such as Escherichia coliform (E. coli) bacteria, a fecal contaminant often found in lakes and streams in the austere environments where special ops missions are executed. That is why, while combatants may experience great thirst while on an extended mission, they dare not drink water from local streams, or even from wells—unless, that is, the water has first been purified and made safely potable. Especially in hot climates such as Iraq, warfighters without water may become dehydrated, leading to incapacitation on the battlefield. Fortunately, a wide array of solutions is at hand, from water storage units that can slake the thirst of a combatant during a protracted mission, to purification systems that can take water from a highly polluted stream or lake and transform it into pure, sparkling H2O. Aspen Water Inc. of Richardson, Texas, offers water purification capabilities that can serve the hydration requirements of sizeable military units. Aspen Water units are in use with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps, Ed Atchley, vice president of marketing, said. “We cut our teeth on special forces” with the purification systems now used by naval special warfare personnel and others. And Aspen systems aren’t just found on battlegrounds, Atchley noted: They are in high demand in disaster zones, where natural calamities—earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and more—can be compounded if the local populace is stricken with waterborne diseases. For example, he added, military rescue teams have used Aspen Water systems to serve victims of a typhoon and massive flooding in Thailand. Aspen gear is “used worldwide in disaster relief,” he observed.
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Fortunately for personnel who employ Aspen Water systems, they take just minutes to set up and take down, and are transportable on many types of military vehicles. Electrical energy demands are minimal, “less than 1 kW,” he said. And that electricity can come from a wall outlet, from a vehicle battery or from the sun, thanks to a solar cell system. Aspen Water offers many different systems to meet varying requirements, including “the new one we just introduced, the Aspen 3300,” Atchley said. The Aspen 3300 can remove chemical or biological contaminants from up to 3,300 gallons of non-salt water per day taken from lakes, ditches, rivers or other streams, and do so quietly, a key point if the enemy lurks nearby. The purification system is carried in two rugged cases, one with the main gear weighing less than 100 pounds that can be carried by two personnel, and the other case carrying accessories and tipping off at 85 pounds. While at one time water purification units relied on a settling tank, a powder filter, chlorination, an activated charcoal filter to remove foul odors and tastes, and other steps, modern purification systems use filters and reverse osmosis, where water—but not contamination— passes through a membrane. In place of chlorination and the challenges of having to handle chlorine, plus the odor of the chemical, contemporary systems such as the 3300M use ultraviolet light, with the rays killing microscopic disease organisms such as cholera, typhoid, anthrax and polio organisms. BAE Systems offers hydration for combatants on long missions, sufficient to meet their needs, in MOLLE pack-style gear. “The benefit to using hydration carriers is that they hold a lot of water and can be conveniently worn by soldiers,” said Greg Kraak, director of war fighting equipment for BAE Systems. “It’s all about the design and how much fluid the carriers can hold. Those elements are key to keeping soldiers hydrated for longer periods of time.” Conventional maintenance and care for the system keeps it in good working order. “When using hydration carriers, the same basic hygiene and cleaning principles apply as canteens,” Kraak said. The BAE Systems Eclipse Performance Gear product line includes a hydration pouch and bladder. The pouch holds a standard 100-ounce water bladder in a low-profile design. It has additional attachment points at the top and side along with MOLLE snaps. One-inch elastic straps help hold the bladder in place, and there is a drainage grommet on the bottom. It only weighs 8.7 ounces, a welcome feature for electronics-laden combatants who carry loads of 60 to 120 pounds. McNett offers Aquamira lightweight water purification units that can be carried easily by special operators, while safely treating contaminated water from mud puddles and other risky sources. Gerald Craft, customer relations specialist with McNett, explained how these differing systems work. The Aquamira approach may involve, for example, a bottle that the warrior fills with water from a stream. Then he inserts a filter, attaches the top and squeezes the bottle to force the water through the purifying filter. Out comes H2O that is safe to drink. The filter will “remove 99 percent of your crypto [cryptosporidium] and giardia,” along with other disease-causing organisms, and “remove any particulates that may be present,” Craft noted. While the bottle is lightweight, another purifier is lighter still: a straw with a filter on the end that goes into a stream or other water 30 | SOTECH 10.6
source. The Frontier emergency water filter system allows a combatant to pull water straight from the source. A step up to the Frontier Pro water filter system yields a similar arrangement that can be used to fill a bottle or bladder on a water storage system, such as a CamelBak, Craft continued. The Frontier Pro connects to the bottle or bladder using a universal quick connect system. The special operator knows when the filter no longer should be used: when water no longer can be drawn through it. Because the Aquamira system is powered by the combatant, it needs no electricity or fuel. Special operators can purchase Aquamira water treatment units at PX stores. WorldWater & Solar Technologies Inc. offers solar-powered water purification systems that don’t require any diesel or other fuel hauled in fuel convoys that often are targeted by the enemy. Chief Operating Officer Davinder Sethi, Ph.D., explained how the systems can serve personnel on the move. The flagship water purification system is called Mobile MaxPure, able to produce 30,000 gallons of safe drinking water daily from freshwater streams or bodies of water, “and 3,000 to 4,000 gallons per day from a brackish or saltwater source,” Sethi added. Many military operations are conducted near ocean shorelines, so the saltwater capability can be a key asset. The unit, which furls into a 7-foot cube, can be airlifted in various military cargo planes or helicopters. “It fits into a standard international shipping container,” he said, or it can be towed on a trailer or placed on a standard shipping pallet. Setup and break down are easy, so that “within half an hour of arrival at the site, it is operating, producing pure drinking water,” Sethi continued.
The All Clear water purification system [Photo courtesy of CamelBak]
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Some 37 of the units have been shipped to Iraq, eight to Afghanistan, eight in Sudan, and seven to earthquake-striken Haiti, he related. There also are two in Japan, where an earthquake, resultant tsunami and nuclear power plant disaster displaced thousands of people. Not only can the Mobile MaxPure remove typical impurities from water, its filtration system also removes radioactive particles, he said. The solar-powered Mobile MaxPure is economical because it not only saves money by producing potable water from streams in Afghanistan—where shipped-in water can cost $16 a gallon—it also doesn’t require diesel fuel that can cost $400 a gallon in theater. That is critical because coalition fuel convoys are frequent targets of the enemy. Sethi recalled that a general at the Pentagon told him, “Forget the economics. You’re saving lives.” A smaller version of the unit is the Solar Hybrid Expeditionary Power and Purification System, a man-portable asset that can be carried in two suitcase-like containers. This is especially useful where the military is aiding disaster victims, with 10 to 30 people per unit. “Once again, it’s a complete stand-alone system, meaning integrated solar [power] with reverse osmosis water filtration and auxiliary electric power for cell phones and things like that,” he said. Solar power panels creating excess electrical power can be used to recharge computers, navigation systems, cell phones, radios and more. That means warriors don’t have to carry as many heavy batteries, lightening their load. The Worldwater purification systems, being solar powered, have batteries so they continue to operate after the sun sets. “And when the sun comes up, the batteries get recharged at the same time as the system is working,” Sethi added. Worldwater also provides a highly militarized version of the Mobile MaxPure that adds to the water purification system a complete solar powered local and satellite communications center as well. This militarized system is called PEAK: Prepositioned Expeditionary Assistance Kit.
BAE Systems long range assult pack [Photo courtesy of BAE Systems]
Aside from the water treatment hardware that can make salt water drinkable, Sethi explained that PEAK provides “20 smartphone handsets, so that when the system lands [at the objective], within a 5-mile radius, you have your own WiFi cell system, as well as—through the satellite terminal which is in the system—you can communicate via satellite with the … command center. So it’s a complete communications system that comes into operation in the middle of nowhere.” Another company with a major presence in the military hydration area has been L-3 Communications. But L-3 just spun off a separate company as an independent firm called Engility, and the hydration products are part of that spinoff. Leonard Maxwell, an L-3 veteran who now is senior systems engineer with Engility, described the hydration systems that have been offered for years. The 5.0 portable water purification system is the largest of several, able to pump out 1,000 gallons per day of fresh, potable water, while other units range down to 180 gpd. Even the big 5.0 unit fits easily in a HMMWV, with the portable water plant having dimensions of just 25 inches long by 20 inches wide by 8 inches high. There’s also a small bag of auxiliary equipment that goes with that, Maxwell noted. Each of the units, large and small, uses an ultraviolet (UV) light rather than chlorine to disinfect the water, and each features a reverse osmosis membrane. “The Marine Corps has a number of units they bought a couple of years ago,” he said. “We’ve upgraded them to the most current designs.” There also was another sale to naval facilities. CamelBak has long been known as a provider of water storage products, for water that already is drinkable. But the firm has a new product that takes impure water and renders it potable, according to Seth Beiden, CamelBak marketing manager, product and public relations. All Clear is simple: There is a 0.75 liter bottle that a combatant fills from a stream. The warrior places a lid containing a UV light on the bottle, turns on the light, “and in 60 seconds you have purified water,” Beiden said. “Each recharge will get you 80 refills of the bottle,” he noted. “So for most people … that was almost two weeks of use without having to recharge it. Because it recharges on a USB, you have unlimited options as to where to charge it,” he said. “Anything that has a USB port can charge the system.” As for appearance, CamelBak hydration systems are offered in “any camo, any size, any use,” he said. CamelBak markets the All Clear directly to special operators and anyone in the military needing hydration. Sure Aqua Corp, of Epping, Australia, has a water purification product, AquaSafe Straw, that requires no fuel or electricity. It is a tube that can be slipped into a glass of impure water, like a straw. Then the combatant drinks the water through the purifier. It can last for months, providing up to 500 liters of potable water. Using membrane technology, it filters out 99.9999 percent of bacteria. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn at davea@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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SOTECH 10.6 | 31
Pressures emerge for more realism and lower costs in training. Given their previous experience facing shrinking Pentagon budgets from the fall of the Iron Curtain until the 9/11 attacks, special operations mission readiness trainers say they are focused on meeting emerging needs and they can continue to meet the market demand for their services with realistic training, whether it involves Labrador retrievers or unmanned aerial systems, even when orders are smaller and more competitively sought. “As the military draws down and begins to respond to the threats they discern, we will continue to be a requirementsdriven company that will meet their needs,” said Jim Lynch, chief operating officer and executive vice president of K2 Solutions of Southern Pines, N.C. Founded in 2003, K2 Solutions’ principals are military veterans who have been involved in special operations mission readiness training since 1983. K2 Solutions is well-positioned to provide tailor-made, efficient training for small, more agile special operations forces at Special Operations Command, according to Kathryn Anderson, the company’s marketing manager. The company provides simulation training, rapid prototyping, real-world training scenarios and tailored training 32 | SOTECH 10.6
programs for the U.S. military and has the ability to rapidly prototype new equipment for training. It’s clear that special operations personnel undergo an exhaustive amount of training, from attending jump school to small arms training, water survival and learning language skills. The animals that special operations personnel use also need mission readiness training. K2 Solutions has made its name, in particular, through providing K-9 training for the military. K2 Solutions, for example, has trained Marine Corps Labrador retrievers for counter-IED mission duty in Afghanistan. In addition, the company has formed research and development partnerships with colleges and universities to enable military members to receive college credits through certain training programs. With the military drawdown in Afghanistan and Iraq, Anderson sees a greater need for such services, to help soldiers work toward receiving college degrees as they prepare to transition from military service to civilian life. J.P. Cervantes, chief executive officer of Centurion Advanced Security Group of Fayetteville, N.C., said that his company strongly prefers to train with
By William Murray SOTECH Correspondent equipment—whether it involves detector devices, trackers or other gear—that its military customers can use after the training has ended. The training is worthless if the military does not have access to the equipment for use after the course has ended, he said. Founded in 2006, Centurion Advanced Security Group is a small disadvantaged business and service-disabled veteranowned business that works with the Army and law enforcement customers, including in Puerto Rico, where the company has trained the police in high risk entry, kidnapping and ransom scenarios. A native of the island, Cervantes served for 16 years in the Army, including in U.S. special operations. Much of the Army’s mission readiness training needs involve surveillance, according to Cervantes. His company offers training in North Carolina, Puerto Rico, outside the continental U.S., and at customer locations. “We like to keep it realistic,” Cervantes said. In one week-long training course, for example, Centurion Advanced Security Group hired two primary trainers, two assistant trainers and 16 role players for a class of 10 soldiers. The 16 role players helped www.SOTECH-kmi.com
keep the training realistic, according to Cervantes, because role players can serve as waiters in a restaurant, taxicab drivers and other civilians that the special operators could expect to encounter in a theater of operations. Such training teaches junior soldiers and special operators that even civilians who appear innocuous could make note of what they say in a relaxed environment. Another special operations training provider, Bosh Global Services, provides training modules that are “extremely realistic,” according to Michael Gendron, vice president of aviation service at the Newport News, Va.-based company. “Our training modules incorporate lessons learned in theater, including current tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP), and meet [joint, SOCOM and Air Force training requirements].” Soldiers and Marines watch videos and engage in training that features hostile and permissive environments through K2 Solutions’ services, Anderson said. “They see the folks they will be in touch with on the ground every day” through such mission readiness training, she said. Close quarters training in buildings, moreover, has become more important for U.S. special operators, according to Cervantes. “Once you’re in a building, it’s more dangerous, and there is a higher likelihood of being shot at [by an adversary],” he said. Centurion Advanced Security Group tries to make sure that roughly 25 percent of training is classroom learning, with the rest scenario-based field training, said Cervantes. During a time of tightened budgets, the ability to deliver cost-effective training that government purchasers could charge to a government IMPAC credit card has become more important, according to Cervantes. The week-long training for 10 soldiers, for example, cost the Army less than $25,000, which is a common limit to IMPAC credit card purchases, according to Cervantes. “A lot of people are having trouble with the contracting system,” Cervantes said, in a statement that can apply both to government program managers and contractors. “The market is starting to slow down a lot,” as a result of the drawdown in Afghanistan and Iraq, Cervantes said of the military’s special operations mission readiness training needs. “It’s killing small business,” which continues to demonstrate the technical and programmatic abilities to meet the government’s needs but lacks some of the resources of larger businesses to earn the work, he said. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Maintaining a balance between U.S. military, law enforcement and private sector training work has enabled Centurion Advanced Security Group to ride out the current market challenges, according to Cervantes. “We don’t sell anything they don’t need,” K2 Solutions’ Lynch said of his company’s “client-driven” philosophy, whether the company is training in extrication techniques or operating shoulder-fired weapons. He estimated that 50 percent of company employees are veterans, and “most of us have skin in the game. Our kids are deployed in Afghanistan, and we take a lot of pride” in providing a key training need to U.S. military customer, so that as many young people as possible can come back safely, he said. Some special ops components are turning to e-learning provider Blackboard to cut down on classroom training to save on hotel, printing, travel and other significant expense items, according to David Palmer, national e-learning consultant for DoD and intelligence with Washington D.C.-based Blackboard. “These are real hard costs” in a training budget, he said, but the amount saved can vary widely, depending in part on how many trainers would have been flown in to conduct a classroom training exercise. It’s possible to save 50 percent of printing costs in a training program through using e-learning, according to Palmer. There are also significant start-up costs associated with launching an e-learning program, according to Palmer. Much thought and planning must go into such an initiative for it to succeed. “We can supplement what they do in a classroom environment,” Palmer said of the special forces community. Blackboard has been working in the special forces community for about eight years. “It was a mission for them to put things online,” for greater efficiencies and lower costs, he said. Many DoD organizations are opting for a hybrid learning environment, as opposed to a fully online one. In a 12- to 16-week training program, the first half of the training could take place using e-learning, according to Palmer. A hybrid or blended learning environment includes classroom learning and online activities for tests, exercises and discussions both as asynchronous and synchronous exercises. “It represents a shift in the learning paradigm” away from a classroom-focused
one, he said. “There’s a lot of institutional support for blended learning,” Palmer said. Government and military agencies can deploy Blackboard solutions across the appropriate network that meets the needs of the learners and of the mission, according to Palmer. On the back end, training supervisors and contractors can keep track of analytics, such as how long and what time military personnel sign in for their training, in addition to their answers for exercises and tests, according to Palmer. He also noted that there’s a “bring your own device” trend in military training, where personnel are able to bring their own mobile devices and use them for e-learning training, with a particularly strong Army mobile initiative. The form factors of smartphones differ substantially from desktop and notebook PCs, however, giving each user a much smaller screen size and smaller keypad. In an additional cost-saving measure, U.S. military units are more interested than ever in a “train the trainer” scenario through which contractors such as Centurion Advanced Security Group train one military member, who then trains his unit, according to Cervantes. “You have to have a balance in contracting,” he said. At the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) Joint Formal Training Unit, Bosh Global Services provides DoD Group 1-3 UAS training, which includes basic UAS qualification training, initial qualification training, mission qualification training and instructor upgrade training, according to Gendron. The training takes place at Navy Outlying Field, Choctaw, Fla. The students that Bosh Global Services trains are primarily from Special Operations Command components, such as Naval Special Warfare Command, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Air Force Special Operations Command and U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and Air Force Battlefield airmen, including special tactics and security forces. Bosh Global Services offers training on Raven, Wasp and Puma SUAS, according to Gendron. “We have the capability to provide training on larger UAS but that has not been utilized at the [Fleet Training Unit] yet,” he said. There’s a balance between cost savings and the need for standardized, high quality training, Gendron said. “The trend I’ve SOTECH 10.6 | 33
seen is for SOCOM to seek out high quality, standardized training at a reasonable price,” he said. “SOCOM wants assurance that their personnel are consistently getting the same high quality training so there is a uniform level of capability across the components,” he said. “Bosh has delivered that in spades. “ Gendron produced a testimonial letter from SOCOM UAS Training Assessment Report cover letter where the commander wrote, “Small UAS JFTU has implemented the highest quality Group 1 UAS initial qualification training program seen by the assessment team, which includes programs instructed at other service schools as well as contractor provided courses.” In the expanding and fluid environment of UAS operations, Bosh’s ability to react quickly to changes in TTP and get the changes incorporated into its training separates the company from its competitors, according to Gendron. “Through our support of the SUAS Joint FTU, United States Air Force Academy UAS training, and SOCOM (Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System or MEUAS) ISR, we have access to the latest Group 1-3 UAS training materials and TTP,” Gendron said. He noted that unmanned aircraft systems are only as effective as the skills of the individual operator, which highlights the importance of training companies such as Bosh Global Services. “Our personnel maintain recent knowledge of the most current TTP used in theater through feedback from FTU graduates
34 | SOTECH 10.6
and from our own SOCOM MEUAS ISR support personnel deployed to Afghanistan,” Gendron said. “We also ensure our personnel remain up to speed on system changes and employment issues as they affect unmanned operations. This constant interaction and resulting awareness of the entire spectrum of training impact-related contributors fuels innovation and ensures rapid reaction to changes. We work closely with the government, instructors, operators and subject matter experts to identify and fix gaps in SUAS training and TTP.” Laser Shot provides a virtual shoothouse that can train personnel using live fire, laser-weaponry or both, with 3-D characters moving and reacting in lifelike fashion, according to Laser Shot’s Chace Freel. An instructor can create myriad scenarios to keep trainees guessing what comes next, changing characters and other elements. Then there is an after-action review, where the instructor can go over each traninee’s actions. That can include seeing whether a given trainee’s shot killed a sim enemy by showing an X-ray view of the character, and whether the trainee’s round shattered a bone or pierced the heart or other organ. Lighting can range from bright rooms to darkness for night vision training, and the instructor can direct movements of the sim characters such as running, crawling, surrendering or other actions. Hostage situations can also be simulated. Blackboard works with the JFK Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg,
N.C., the Marine Corps Joint Special Operations Center, and the Air Force Special Operations Center, and conducts training at Fort Bragg and MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Blackboard’s Palmer is very excited about his company’s work with Rustici Software, which has been tasked by ADL, a DoD-affiliated research group, to develop the next generation e-learning standards through Project Tin Can to replace an e-learning standard that has been used for 10 years and has helped ensure e-learning systems interoperability. Rustici Software officials are promising a simplification that will eliminate the need for Internet browsers, make it easier for learners and instructors to interact, facilitate collaboration and conduct teambased learning. Project Tin Can should also have more robust security, since authentication will be tied to the user, rather than the content. Rustici Software officials think that Tin Can will help to make higher-stakes training possible, and over time, it seems likely that Tin Can conformance will become a requirement on more requests for proposals. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn at davea@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.
SOTECH RESOURCE CENTER Advertisers Index
NATION’S LARGEST INTELLIGENCE EVENT
Black Diamond Advanced Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.bdatech.com ChandlerMay Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.chandlermay.com David Clark Company.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 www.davidclark.com Esri. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 www.esri.com/sot FLIR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.flir.com/gs General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 www.ga-asi.com Leupold & Stevens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.leupold.com LGS Innovations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.lgsmobile.com MBDA Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2 www.mbdainc.com MetaVR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 www.metavr.com Persistent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.persistentsystems.com Selex Galileo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 www.selexgalileo.com Skedco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.skedco.com USGIF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 www.geoint2012.com
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Next Issue
September 2012 Volume 10, Issue 7
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
Colonel Jeffrey Fultz
Commanding Officer Marine Corps Special Operations Support Group
SPecial Section Non-Lethal Weapons
As the U.S. military strives to avoid collateral damage and civilian casualties, nonlethal weapons permit special operators to take out the enemy even when civilians are nearby. And a live, captured enemy can yield valuable intelligence.
Features
Language Translation and Cultural Training Sniper Detection Missile Systems
Bonus Distribution Modern Day Marine
Special Operators’ Higher Education Guide
We examine the many opportunities special operators have to advance themselves through education. Included is advice from educational service officers on selecting the right school; a round table discussion with admissions directors, with counsel on financial aid, the application process, transferring credits and much more; and operators’ and commanders’ comments on why education can provide the edge for warriors.
Insertion Order Deadline: August 28, 2012 • Ad Materials Deadline: September 4, 2012 www.SOTECH-kmi.com
SOTECH 10.6 | 35
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Special Operations Technology
Jay McConville Executive Vice President ChandlerMay James (Jay) McConville is the executive vice president for strategy and business development at ChandlerMay Inc. and the chairman of the board of AME Unmanned Air Systems Inc., a ChandlerMay company. The combined companies specialize in the design, development and manufacture of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), UAS ground control systems, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission management solutions for defense and intelligence customers. McConville is the former president and CEO of AME Unmanned Systems (then called AeroMech Engineering) and served four years as the vice president for strategy and business development for ChandlerMay. Before joining ChandlerMay, he was the vice president of reconnaissance and surveillance within a major defense firm, directing over $300 million per year of the company’s systems integration and engineering business. He has served in various other industry positions supporting defense agencies and the national intelligence community for over 15 years. Prior to entering industry, McConville served as a U.S. Army intelligence officer. Q: Could you tell us about the ChandlerMay product line and accompanying services? A: ChandlerMay Inc. is a leading manufacturer and developer of unmanned aircraft systems, including ground control systems, ground control software systems, command and control computing, and fully integrated unmanned aircraft systems. We are a major supplier of UAS ground stations to the U.S. Department of Defense and have fielded thousands of unmanned aircraft for defense uses around the world. Q: Do you also work with prime contractors in the unmanned systems area? A: Our focus is on working with the major integrator prime contractors in defense, to provide both research and development support to new systems, design and development engineering, manufacturing and production, as well as logistics and systems support. 36 | SOTECH 10.6
Fury is truly a strategic asset. With our small footprint for launch and recovery (no airfield needed) and our heavy-fuel engine, as well as our small support crew requirement and small signature, Fury 1500 can bring those strategic capabilities to the tactical battlefield and remote deployment locations. Q: How is ChandlerMay differentiating itself from other UAS manufacturers serving U.S. warfighters? We are a manufacturing company, and as we say in our literature, ‘We Build It!’ Q: Which systems are currently deployed with special operations and how is their mission enhanced with these systems? A: Our Fury 1500 UAS was built specifically to support a wide variety of special mission users, including special operations forces. Fury is completing its new system testing under a controlled U.S. government program, and we anticipate deployment in support of special missions within the near term. Q: Can you describe the payload options available with the ChandlerMay systems? A: We have multiple aircraft systems, ranging from small, handheld UAS assets carrying electro-optic camera systems and other payloads, to the Fury 1500, a true ‘multi-INT’ platform capable of simultaneously carrying a variety of payloads, including of course EO/ IR, but expanded to cover the waterfront in available surveillance and communications capabilities. Q: You mentioned the Fury 1500 UAS platform. Could you describe the Fury 1500 for us, and speak to how it can serve the warfighter? A: Fury 1500 is a ‘strategic asset in a tactically deployable form’ that can service many missions. With industry leading endurance and payload capacity, as well as plenty of on-board power and payload bay volume,
A: No other company of our size offers the fully integrated capability of ChandlerMay. At the same time, we maintain our flexibility and high levels of customer support. Fury 1500 is in itself a discriminating technology, as is our Sharkfin Mission Management and Control System, but it is the ability to fully field entire UAS systems for the warfighter with the highest quality that sets us apart in the market. Q: Where do you see UAS technology evolving and expanding over the next five to 10 years? A: UASs are still in the ‘Wright Brothers’ stage of development and deployment. There are many missions and capabilities still to be imagined and executed. As the U.S. national airspace opens up to the UAS, we expect to see unmanned aircraft used for a variety of missions, bringing the benefits of lower cost, increased safety (no pilots!) and improved mission coverage to the civil and eventually the civilian market. Q: Is there anything else you would like to add? A: ChandlerMay Inc. is bullish on the UAS market. There are so many benefits that are provided by unmanned systems, for military, civil and civilian uses, that the future will be filled with many uses still as yet unimagined. Companies like ChandlerMay Inc. that are able to provide quality systems, a proven track record of performance, and continuous innovation will be well situated for success. O www.SOTECH-kmi.com
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