World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine
SPECIAL SECTION:
GAME CHANGING INNOVATIONS
Special Ops Doc Col. Harlan (Hal) M. Walker II
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November/December 2013 Volume 11, Issue 10
Command Surgeon SOCOM
Advanced Optics O SOF Unplugged SOF Personal Protection O Weapon Accessories
Specia l Ope r a t io n s Te c h n o lo g y
issue
2014
Cover Q&A
Special Section
Editorial Calendar Features
Trade Shows
Closing Date
Who’s Who at SOCOM & House/Senate Armed Services Committees
Feb. 12.1
James F. Geurts Acquisition Executive & Senior Procurement Executive SOCOM
MAR 12.2
Rear Adm. P. Gardner Howe, III Commander SOPAC
Next Gen Motion Imagery
SOF Sustainment Programs Modular Handgun Systems New Energy Sources
SO/LIC* (Feb. 10-12) AUSA Winter (Feb. 19-21) ArmorCon (Feb. 26-27)
1/27
TALOS Development
UGVs Diver Gear Tactical Headsets ISR in the Pacific
Homeland Security (Mar 10-12)
2/25
SeaAirSpace* (Apr 7-9) SOFEX (May 5-8)
3/25
4/28
KASOTC Anniversary Supplement
APR 12.3
Rear Adm. Sean Pybus Commander, NSHQ NATO
Tactical Vehicle Review
Expanded Language Proficiencies Long Range Dry Submersibles Deployable Infrastructures SOFIC Preview
2014 SOCOM Program Management Updates
MAY 12.4
Adm. Bill McRaven Commander SOCOM
Program Management Updates
3-D Training/ Simulation & Mission Planning Large Data Caveats USV/UUV
AUVSI* (May 12-15) SOFIC* (May 20-22)
Night Vision Review
Compact Communications Systems Identity Masking Technologies Harsh Weather Warrior Gear SOFIC Highlights
Military Vehicles Expo Night Vision Systems
5/27
JUNE 12.5
Brig. Gen. Christopher Haas Commander USASFC
JULY 12.6
Michael A. Sheehan ASD SO/LIC
Aerial Firepower
Operator Health Behind Unmanned Systems Rugged Computers/Tablets
Warrior Expo East
6/24
AUG 12.7
Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel Commander AFSOC
Sensor/Situational Awareness
Stealthy Air Transports Small UAVs Non-Lethal Devices
Air & Space* (Sept. 14-16)
7/28
SEP 12.8
Col. Archibald M. McLellan Commander Marine Special Operations Support Group
Portable Energy Systems
3-D Terrain Aware Helicopter/Flight Symbology/Brownouts IED Detection Tactical Weapon Sights
Modern Day Marine*
8/29
OCT 12.9
Douglas J. Richardson PEO-SRSE SOCOM
Captain Eugene Gray Commander Deployable Operations Group, USCG
Ambulatory UGV Wearable Computers Commando Survival Gear
AUSA Annual SpecOps Warfighter East
9/26
SOMA*
11/26
USASOC 25th Anniversary Issue & Timeline
DEC 12.10
Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland Commander, USASOC
SOF Medicine/ Medical Gear
Unmanned Weapon Systems FMV on the Move Equipping SOF Warrior
*BONUS DISTRIBUTION
Special Operations Technology Features
November/December 2013 Volume 11, Issue 10
Cover / Q&A SPECIAL SECTION:
5
GAME CHANGING INNOVATIONS
Audio Enhancements
Special operators make countless sacrifices that the average citizen will never hear about. Industry veterans have taken it upon themselves to ensure SOF has their sense of hearing on duty and long after their military service. We take a look at the latest gear keeping operators shielded from audio harm. By William Murray
8
Game Changers
Merriam-Webster calls a “game changer” a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way. SOF operators simply call them advances that help them achieve mission success more effectively. You’ll be surprised how many have come out recently. By John Doyle
16 Colonel Harlan (Hal) Walker II Command Surgeon SOCOM
12
20
24
Operators have many items in their toolkit that don’t require a power source. Chief among them is access to safe, clean drinking water. Combined with ingenuity, SOF teams can be just as lethal whether they are plugged in or completely off the grid. By Jeff Campbell
The demand for optics continues on a quick pace of exponential growth due to the mechanisms that enable analysts to take a close look at what the enemy doesn’t want seen. From SWIR cameras and stronger, thinner windows to training before and during combat, operators’ vision is more clear than ever. By Jeff Campbell
Through the course of a career, tactical operators discover items that improve their effectiveness. Once an industry innovation gets in the hands of an active operator, a common response is, “Why didn’t I think of that?” From stocks and grips to integrated rail and combat support systems, we look at who did and explain why it’s made just for you. By Scott Nance
Hydrate, Recruit!
Departments
Transparent Haze
Just What you Need
Industry Interview
2 Editor’s Perspective 3 Whispers/People 14 BLack WAtch 27 Resource Center
Michael J. Barthlow
Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Iris Technology
28
“SOF medicine is unique because the center of gravity is the SOF combat medic/ corpsman. Everything the Surgeon’s Office does aims to maximize SOF warriors’ survivability and medical care in remote and austere combat environs.” —Col. Harlan (Hal) Walker
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Special Operations Technology Volume 11, Issue 10 • Nov/Dec 2013
World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine Editorial Editor Jeff Campbell jcampbell@kmimediagroup.com Managing Editor Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com Online Editorial Manager Laura McNulty lauram@kmimediagroup.com Copy Editor Sean Carmichael seanc@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents Peter Buxbaum • Henry Canaday • John Doyle Jeff Goldman • Hank Hogan • William Murray Scott Nance • Marc Selinger • Leslie Shaver
Art & Design Art Director Jennifer Owers jennifero@kmimediagroup.com Senior Graphic Designer Jittima Saiwongnuan jittimas@kmimediagroup.com Graphic Designers Scott Morris scottm@kmimediagroup.com Eden Papineau edenp@kmimediagroup.com Amanda Paquette amandak@kmimediagroup.com Kailey Waring kaileyw@kmimediagroup.com
Advertising Account Executive Philippe Maman philippem@kmimediagroup.com
KMI Media Group Publisher and Chief Financial Officer Constance Kerrigan connik@kmimediagroup.com Chief Executive Officer Jack Kerrigan jack@kmimediagroup.com Executive Vice President David Leaf davidl@kmimediagroup.com Editor-In-Chief Jeff McKaughan jeffm@kmimediagroup.com Controller Gigi Castro gcastro@kmimediagroup.com Trade Show Coordinator Holly Foster hollyf@kmimediagroup.com Operations, Circulation & Production Operations Administrator Bob Lesser bobl@kmimediagroup.com Circulation & Marketing Administrator Duane Ebanks duanee@kmimediagroup.com Circulation Barbara Gill barbg@kmimediagroup.com Data Specialists Raymer Villanueva raymerv@kmimediagroup.com
When Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel outlined his priorities during a keynote presentation at the Center for Strategic International Studies’ (CSIS) Global Security Forum, special operations—along with cyber and ISR advances that benefit SOF—was highlighted in the short list. To make the global SOF network continue to grow and expand, industry and friendly nation partnerships are necessary, along with increased funding. SOCOM’s budget is safe for now thanks in part to DoD resources allocated in light of budget uncertainty. At the CSIS Forum, Secretary Hagel addressed six priorities that will shape future defense efforts that continue to have a focus on institutional reform. While these changes include deep cuts, including the Jeff Campbell Editor secretary’s push for a 20 percent reduction across all headquarters staffs, the SOF community received news that protection for the strides made in emerging capabilities was solid. “As our potential adversaries invest in more sophisticated capabilities and seek to frustrate our military’s traditional advantages, including our freedom of action and access ... around the world,” Hagel said, “it will be important to maintain our decisive technological edge.” The secretary said the greatest responsibility of leadership remains the people defense leaders serve. Those people include the civilian workforce, servicemembers and their families, and those quiet professionals who take on the world’s most dangerous missions. Before the need for a contingency operation arises, humanitarian efforts by conventional forces ensure military information support operations aren’t starting from square one. The U.S. Navy was quickly on the scene, strengthening Philippine partnerships while supporting Operation Damayan, the global response to Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. Of note in the supplies sailors brought ashore: eight pallets containing 1,920 gallons of water. In “Hydrate, Recruit!” readers may recall downing a full canteen in boot camp, while learning about sustainable, safe water. One system is now further forward than any of its type has been before; its bladder can store up to 3,000 gallons of treated water at a time. And for small teams out beyond the FOB, there’s a new filtration system that vanquishes the waterborne parasites a couple iodine pills can’t get on their own. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me your questions and comments on this issue and what’s in store for SOTECH in 2014.
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WHISPERS SWCS Receives Army Level Award for Logistical Success
The United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) along with other units within the United States Army Special Operations Command received recognition for exceptional supply, maintenance and logistical readiness in the Heritage Auditorium of the USASOC headquarters building. The 2013 Combined Logistic Excellence Awards ceremony recognizes the best logisticians within USASOC. The purpose of the CLEA program is to enhance the logistical readiness and effectiveness of USASOC organizations. The Army’s CLEA program consists of the Army’s Awards for Maintenance Excellence, the Supply Excellence Award and the Deployment Excellence Award programs. Colonel Martin S. Wagner, the deputy chief of staff G4 and host of the awards ceremony, congratulated all of the awardees and noted their performance that shows efficiency and stewardship in resource management. “It’s an honor and privilege for me to be here and award those who are doing the routine things routinely well,” said Wagner. Richard M. Holcomb, deputy to the commanding general, USASOC, said he believes how a unit runs logistics, maintenance, is indicative of how the organization conducts daily business. “Units who account for their property well are truly exceptional and probably do everything else well also,” said Holcomb. By Staff Sergeant Shelman Spencer, USAJFKSWCS www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
SAR Training Sim Contract Award Lockheed Martin has received a $113 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to design, develop, field and sustain aircrew training devices for HH-60G Pave Hawk search and rescue helicopters. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver eight HH-60G training simulators, spares and logistics support to the U.S. Air Force as part of the Pave Hawk equivalent distributive repeatable operative simulators (PEDROS) trainer program. The simulators will be used to prepare aircrews for the full spectrum of personnel recovery, including combat search-and-rescue missions in multiple environments. “PEDROS brings a unique deployable training and simulation capability directly to the aviation warfighter,” said Monty Watson, director of aviation programs at Lockheed Martin missiles and fire control. “We are leveraging manufacturing and logistics support from our missiles and fire control business, as well as design expertise from our mission systems and training business, to support the PEDROS training program.” The HH-60G PEDROS simulator will be embedded with aircrew squadrons, giving them increased access to training and simulation scenarios, improving aircrew readiness and eliminating the need to travel to training facilities. The simulator reduces
aircraft maintenance costs, saves flight hours, and includes software upgrades and enhancements that increase speed and capability. It is also re-locatable to support long-term deployments. “Lockheed Martin has a legacy of delivering mission simulation and training systems for H-60 aircraft, including U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force special operations helicopters and Air Force combat rescue helicopters,” said Vic Torla, business development director for training solutions at Lockheed Martin mission systems and training. “The new HH-60G PEDROS simulators will provide affordable, on-site training options to keep aircrews certified and aircraft available for missions.”
PEOPLE
Capt. William D. Swenson
President Barack Obama awarded former Army Captain William D. Swenson the Medal of Honor for his courageous actions while serving as an embedded advisor to the Afghan National Border
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Police, Task Force Phoenix, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan in support of 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy in Kunar Province, Afghanistan on September 8, 2009. He is the sixth living recipient and the first officer to be awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. The Secretary of Defense has nominated Army Colonel Kurt L. Sonntag to the rank
of brigadier general. Sonntag currently serves as U.S. Army Special Operations Command chief of staff. The Navy SEAL Foundation, as part of its restructuring to respond more effectively to the Naval Special Warfare community, has named retired U.S. Navy SEAL David M. Cooper president. In this new role, Cooper’s primary responsibilities include public relations, as well as building relationships with current and prospective key donors and constituents.
SOTECH 11.10 | 3
WHISPERS
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Tactical Tracker Placed in the Shadows ISR products, training, and technical support provider Advanced Mission Systems (AMS), recently announced the launch of its newest product for tagging, tracking and locating (TTL): the ShadowWolf tactical (SWT). Designed for slap-and-go installation, precision tracking and target acquisition, and long-duration mission life, the next generation of ShadowWolf also includes a revamped, Web-based controller that uses the latest geolocating and mapping technology from Google. Ideal for rapid deployment in hostile or denied-access areas, SWT is as small as a deck of cards and features an internal power supply and antenna for concealment. The mission life of the tag is two weeks or more, depending on the data reporting rate selected by the operator. The web-based controller has been integrated with Google Maps and allows the operator to conduct near-real-time precision
tracking or collect information over several days/weeks to build pattern-oflife profiles. The new controller also provides the capability for automatic alerts using geo-fences and the ability to analyze historical data using parameters such as frequency of stops/visits to a particular location. “We redesigned the ShadowWolf system after several discussions with law enforcement officers and special operations forces who are regularly conducting TTL missions,” said Mike Albert, advanced force operations director at AMS. “The capability, performance, ease-of-use, and affordability of this system make it ideal for use in hostile or denied-access areas where the device must be non-attributable and disposable.”
Surplus Military Vehicles Enter Peacekeeping Role In storage for years, even decades in many instances, surplus U.S. Army vehicles are being brought back to life at Elbit Systems of America’s Land Vehicle Center (LVC). Located in San Antonio, the LVC takes non-operational military vehicles, with obsolete technology and unserviceable equipment, and completely refurbishes and restores them. “Our expertise is giving new life to decades-old vehicles,” said Kurt Huff, vice president, services and support solutions. “When an M113, Bradley, HMMWV or other vehicle rolls out our door, it is fully mission-capable. All our customer has to do is fuel up and connect the battery.” The Elbit Systems of America LVC consists of a 36,000-square-foot facility and a 30-acre test track where refurbished vehicles undergo a series of tests to ensure their mission readiness. Its predominant customers are ally governments that purchase the
4 | SOTECH 11.10
surplus equipment from the U.S. government. Deploying refurbished vehicles allows these nations to increase their defense capabilities at a fraction of the cost newly manufactured vehicles would require. Elbit has assembled a work force at its LVC that can meet the challenges inherent with updating a vehicle that may be 50 or 60 years old. Every member of the LVC team is cross-trained and specializes in two or three key services, and the facility can staff at levels ranging from 20 to 200 employees as required to meet customers’ needs. “The highly skilled personnel at the San Antonio Land Vehicle Center are putting vehicles that were collecting dust into peacekeeping roles around the world,” said Raanan Horowitz, Elbit Systems of America’s president and chief executive officer. “When you see the before-and-after transformation of their workmanship, it’s simply remarkable.”
Afghanistan IT Management Contract Awarded General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been awarded a task order to provide IT management services in Afghanistan to support U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Middle East District reconstruction and infrastructure-development programs. The task order was awarded under the Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-2 Services (ITES-2S) contract and has a potential value of $16 million over 18 months if all options are exercised. Under this task order, General Dynamics will install, manage and upgrade a variety of IT infrastructures and systems in Afghanistan. Additionally, General Dynamics experts will train users of unclassified systems and provide help-desk support services. “General Dynamics has been supporting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for more than five years,” said Zannie Smith, senior vice president of General Dynamics Information Technology’s National and Homeland Security division. “We are proud to provide the Corps with continuous information management and information technology support while they conduct critical drawdown operations in Afghanistan.” The USACE Middle East District provides quality, responsive engineering, construction and related services that support military operations, international objectives overseas and national emergencies. The Middle East District is a subordinate element of the Transatlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The ITES-2S contract is a multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract awarded to General Dynamics in April 2006.
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Protecting against hearing loss while improving situational awareness.
By William Murray SOTECH Correspondent
The difficulty is nothing new. “It’s a challenge in the military Balancing the needs of personal safety with situational awareculture,” said Fallon, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served ness and individual comfort is a key issue in personal protection for 24 years active duty. Some in the military accept hearing loss as equipment for the U.S. military. As they have seen their funding a necessary evil that comes with the rigors of military service in hosincrease and missions multiply in response to emerging threats, tile zones with equipment that has greater strength and lethality, he special operations forces have usually emerged at the forefront in said. In combatting hearing loss, it would be helpful, according to acquiring and deploying the latest gear, according to vendors. Fallon, if the military had a better understanding Hearing loss—even temporary—affects the quality of the tactical impact of personnel’s hearing loss to of life of U.S. personnel, according to Eric Fallon, a provide more motivation to take the issue seriously. technical service specialist in hearing conservation at There may be few current or retired military as 3M’s personal safety division in St. Paul, Minn. “Your qualified as Fallon to speak about audiology issues, hearing isn’t something you have to lose to serve given his impressive resume. Before retiring in your country. You can leave [military service] with 2012, Fallon served as director of the audiology your hearing intact,” he said. Thousands of veterans and speech center at Walter Reed National Military of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, unfortunately, have Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Fallon is certireported hearing loss arising from their service to fied by the American Speech-Language-Hearing country, resulting in $1 billion in benefits payouts by Association and is a Fellow of the American Acadthe Veterans Administration. Eric Fallon emy of Audiology. In addition, he is a Council for Fallon credited the U.S. Special Operations ComAccreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservamand with being at the forefront in promoting ear tion Course director and member of the Military Audiology Associaprotection for personnel through acquiring products such as the tion. Fallon’s service record is a source of strength. 3M Peltor tactical communications headsets. One of the challenges “Impulse noise, such as from weapons, can lead to temporary that Army and conventional force military leaders face, on the other threshold shifts,” which, without sufficient recovery time, can lead hand, is promoting the benefits of ear protection as outweighing the to permanent hearing loss, Fallon said. “More short-term impacts, comfort of not wearing such protection. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
SOTECH 11.10 | 5
repeated exposures, lead to long-term hearing loss,” and unfortunately there appears to have been an acceleration of such hearing loss as a result of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, he said. Fallon sees promise in the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) soldier tactical communications and protection system (TCAPS), a hearing protection and augmentation program designed to promote auditory aids that protect each operator’s health while also enabling situational awareness. TCAPS allows soldiers to hear remote sounds, such as whispers, at enhanced levels with better clarity, while reducing or removing exposure to hazardous impulse noise and blast overpressure. To combat hearing loss and provide an alternative to coiled earpieces, which can be uncomfortable, Boise, Idaho-based clinical audiologist Matt Murphy created Ear Hero. He began development in 2005 and incorporated his product in 2010, with initial adoption by sports enthusiasts who wanted to listen to music while exercising yet still remain aware of their surroundings. Murphy sees potential for increased sales in law enforcement and the military. The product is so small that it does not block the ear canal; Murphy said that it’s easy to forget that one is wearing Ear Hero given its small profile, and that users rarely report ear fatigue. Ear Hero improves situational awareness by lowering the volume of loud noises coming through internal speakers while increasing the volume of quieter noises such as whispers in the immediate vicinity. A number of FBI, Secret Service and White House Communications Agency members have purchased and deployed Ear Hero, with word of mouth spreading about the product. The price point for Ear Hero—$149—needs to come down over time to enabled widespread adoption in large organizations such as the military, according to Murphy. The catch-22 is that a lower price point would likely only come through significantly increased sales to larger enterprises, such as the military. A lower price point would enable Ear Hero to be a disposable accessory for military operators to use in training and in theater. Murphy sees potential integration with Bluetooth technology and perhaps encryption for military users as future possibilities for Ear Hero, as he tries to make sure that the product meets emerging user needs. Otto Engineering Inc., similarly, has been working to provide better hearing protection for military personnel, including Army and U.S. Special Operations Command personnel. Headsets produced by Carpentersville, Ill.-based Otto, which hug the neck and hang low, similarly reduce the noise heard by operators when there is a spike in noise sensed through digital sound processing, said Todd Kuchinskas, Otto Engineering’s national account manager for military and federal sales. These Otto headsets, which range in price from $300 to $2,000, are undergoing rigorous beta testing and field tests to ensure they work well under duress, according to Kuchinskas, who has worked for Otto Engineering for more than six years. “We’ll be happy to release them in [the third or fourth quarter of calendar] 2014,” Kuchinskas said. In a quiet environment, conversely, Otto headsets can raise the sound floor after sensing it. One can define the noise floor as the measure of the signal created from the sum of the noise sources and unwanted signals within a measurement system, where one can define noise as any signal other than the one being monitored. Ear cups have worked well for some military members, according to Kuchinskas, but adequate ear protection, conversely, requires 6 | SOTECH 11.10
that users wear ear protection through custom ear molds and foamy ears. Another form of personal protection is integrating communications into operators’ helmets. Conventional forces are trying to deploy avionics from heavy track communications to the individual warfighter so that every single operator in theater has communications integrated into other body armor equipment. Integration issues with legacy equipment have sometimes dogged such initiatives. “There’s massive complexity of working with new and old equipment on the battleground,” said Corey Noble, vice president of sales and marketing at Selex Communications Inc., a Finmeccanica Inc. company based in Reston, Va. “You can’t plug and play,” he said, which would be the preference of military personnel when in training missions or operational theaters. In addition, some military operators are comfortable wearing inter-aural headsets while some others can’t, according to Noble, whose company works with helmet manufacturers such as Revision Military of Essex Junction, Vt. Noble joined Selex Communications from Acerline Racal Acoustics in 2011, where he sold into the Army’s Program Director Vehicle Intercom Systems and Marine Corps MRAP Active Noise Reduction headset programs. At Acerline Racal Acoustics, in addition, he also helped equip Navy SEALs with their vehicle communications before the Afghanistan invasion in 2001. Soldiers also have varying levels of power and weight needs. “There is a whole new level of issues when it comes to situational awareness,” to ultimately help soldiers make faster and better decisions in combat, Noble said. Helmets with microphone accessories are sometimes very helpful to U.S. military personnel in enabling communications with fellow soldiers and commanders in theater, according to Noble. The PEO Soldier Program’s Nett Warrior is a next-generation dismounted situational awareness system for combat use by the U.S. Army. Nett Warrior helmets, also known as enhanced combat helmets, may ultimately replace old style advanced combat helmets (ACH), currently used by the Army, while continuing to provide ballistics and fragment protection through a snug fit around the ears. Fielded by PEO Soldier in 2003 to replace the personnel armor system for ground troops Kevlar helmet, ACH units were designed from the modular integrated communications helmet. PEO Soldier officials are reviewing new helmet designs and communications systems. Selex Communications officials have been working on Nett Warrior for four years on the tactical headsup display situational awareness system as a means to increase the situational awareness of dismounted soldiers and create the possibility of a wireless system that could receive data not only from fellow soldiers and combat leaders, but also unmanned aircraft and unmanned vehicles. With product innovations over time and an increase in demand, Army officials have seen the weight of electronic systems decrease, while power availability is increasing, along with improved pixel resolution in such electronic displays. The tactical heads-up display situational awareness system would be compatible with the joint tactical radio system and would be integrated into key communications platforms, such as the enhanced position location reporting system and the soldier radio waveform. In some cases, next-generation helmets with increased communications capabilities will fit within the shell of a larger, more secure www.SOTECH-kmi.com
helmet. “They provide heavy protection for the user and receiver” of communications, Noble said. Noble predicted that deploying U.S. warfighters with smartphones could bring them up to the connectivity level of foreign fighters from developed countries, so U.S. warfighters can engage in blue and red force tracking from a smartphone. “The Army wants to bring cell phones and smartphones onto the battlefield,” said Noble, who has worked in battlefield communications for 25 years. Service officials feel they can overcome any potential security vulnerabilities, with the operational advantages of smartphones outweighing any potential liabilities. “The traditional problem is the lack of ad hoc networks that could work with the battle group” in the operational theater, Noble said. In aviation, U.S. pilots could be operating on a separate network than the infantry due to the prevalence of legacy systems, according to Noble. As they envision the fighting force of the future, military leaders would like to overcome this problem without making their communications networks vulnerable to adversaries. By the end of 2013, Selex officials plan to deliver to the Army 30 Wolverine product systems, a next-generation communications system with a relatively simple user interface that allows soldiers to simultaneously monitor three modes of communications, according to Noble. Operators can use up to two headsets and two body-worn radios, plus a vehicle/aircraft intercom system or smartphone, at one time for an increased capability.
Using a technology first developed by Sprint Nextel, mounted and dismounted troops can use the ruggedized Smart Push to Talk unit in land and maritime environments, enabling the user to choose a scalable configuration that is tailored to a mission profile and its requirements. The Wolverine product system’s smart hub senses which headset, radio or smartphone that the user is utilizing and makes necessary adjustments. Like Noble, Otto’s Kuchinskas sees potential in communications equipment that can fit beneath ruggedized helmets which could provide complete communications between soldiers in the field for improved situational awareness. “It’s important to increase the hearing protection,” of military operators given the extensive hearing loss suffered to date, he said. “Traditionally, they haven’t gotten good protection,” he said of U.S operators. It’s clearly time to change this state of affairs to provide better protection for servicemembers, given their sacrifices. “New weapons systems are much louder than previous generations of weapons systems,” said Kuchinskas. Clearly, the threats to the auditory health of U.S. operators in training exercises and combat theaters aren’t going away anytime soon. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Jeff Campbell at jcampbell@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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SOTECH 11.10 | 7
SPECIAL SECTION: GAME CHANGING INNOVATIONS
Game Changers Companies offer technologies to make special operations faster, lighter and more efficient. By John M. Doyle, SOTECH Correspondent
Money is tight in Washington these days, but the threats are many in the post-9/11 world. The challenge for manufacturers and suppliers is to come up with technology that can change the game as currently played: meeting a need at a low cost and with a small footprint. And several companies—some may surprise you—are offering equipment and services to do just that for special operations forces. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a “game changer” is a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing situation or activity in a significant way. The products, devices and services featured here all fit that description. They make special operations forces’ (SOF) tasks easier or let them perform them faster, with lighter equipment—or, in some cases, in a way that’s never been done before. Sometimes the challenge is just to come up with the materials and ideas to create a simple solution to a perennial problem, like evacuating casualties from a combat zone. A Virginia Beach, Va., company, Matbock LLC, has come up with a light, compact litter that can easily fit in a soldier’s backpack and be assembled in the field in well under a minute. Known as the lightweight integrated field transport (LIFT) system, it consists of a multipurpose bag made of light rip stop parachute material weighing just 10 ounces. It can also be used as a sensitive site exploitation bag to collect materials like enemy documents, computers and other items sought for intelligence purposes after a SOF operation. Unzipped, the bag opens out into a soft litter long enough to accommodate a special operator in full gear. But with lightweight carbon fiber poles, the soft litter converts to a semi-rigid one allowing two operators to carry as much as 400 pounds. Sean Matson, one of the founders of Matbock, said the litter is designed for the special operations market: the type of people on the ground who have to carry a guy from 100 meters to a couple of kilometers. That way, he added, “The medic doesn’t have to come to you. You’re able to transport this [wounded] guy with some type of support instead of a fireman’s carry.” The carbon combat poles collapse into five sections a little over 1.5 feet long. Together they weigh just 2.8 pounds. Litter and poles combined weigh
only 3.5 pounds, almost 2 pounds lighter than the lightest medical litter on the market now. Matbock’s motto is “Lighter Faster Warriors,” based on the concept that “ounces equal pounds and lighter warriors are faster warriors.” Navy SEALs back from a deployment in Afghanistan who had access to the LIFT said they “took it on every operation they went on,” Matson said. Another simple tool is made by ReconRobotics of Edina, Minn. The company makes the lightweight Throwbot, a simple-to-use, cameraequipped micro-robot that can be thrown over a wall or through an open window to show special operators what they can’t see without putting themselves in danger. “The days of running through the door and putting yourself at risk are just rapidly vanishing,” said Ernest Langdon, director of U.S. military programs for ReconRobotics. “You’re going to send something in ahead of you to do that reconnaissance.” He called the Throwbot a game changer for SOF because “it changes the way they look at tactics. The robot puts you in a situation. It gives you eyes in the room.” The latest version, the Throwbot XT Sensor, looks kind of like a black dumbbell. It weighs 1.8 pounds. The combined weight of the
Above: Marines test the solar portable alternative communications energy system in Afghanistan. [Photo courtesy of Iris Technology] Left: Lutron’s Energi TriPak includes technology that senses when an office or meeting room is occupied, empty or getting too much sunlight and can adjust the lighting through a wireless controller. Together, these devices sense, adjust and conserve electricity and are easy to install even in a forward operating base. Less energy used means trucking in less fuel for generators through dangerous areas. [Photo courtesy of Lutron]
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SPECIAL SECTION: GAME CHANGING INNOVATIONS style batteries and distribute power to operate tactical equipment. Marines in Afghanistan have used the SPACES solar panels on an extended patrol and in the words of one lieutenant: “We stayed out three weeks and didn’t need a battery resupply once,” according to a Defense Department video. The Marine Corps is buying SPA II, the newest version of SPACES. Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded a $7.8 million order to acquire 1,563 solar power adapters. The company’s other business, supplying cryocooler electronics for the aerospace industry, has given Iris Technology experience in “how to be power efficient and put a lot of electronics in very small packages without creating a lot of heat,” said Michael Barthlow, Iris Technology’s chief strategy officer. “We can leverage that knowledge and drive it into the tactical ReconRobot’s Recon Scout XL throwbot can withstand being thrown as high as 30 feet onto a roof or dropped product line,” said Barthlow, who noted he was an Iris Tech15 feet through a window. The newer Throwbot XT Sensor can handle a 30-foot drop or a 120-foot toss onto a nology customer 14 years ago when he was a Marine Corps roof. [Photo courtesy of ReconRobotics] communications officer. Another energy-related company is Pennsylvania’s Lutron Elecmini-robot and the operator control unit (OCU) is just 3 pounds. tronics, one of the leading suppliers of lighting controls. Lutron Equipped with a black and white video camera, an infrared sensor that founder Joel Spira invented the solid state electronic rotary dimmer in enables the operator to see in complete darkness and a one-way (listenthe 1959. Now the company makes wireless controls that can dim or only) microphone, the Throwbot can be directed by a single operator turn off lights in large buildings on stateside military bases or large forusing a single joystick on the OCU. Moreover, the company makes ward operating bases (FOBs) like Baghram and Kandahar in Afghanirobots that operate in several frequencies, which allow war fighters to stan. Lutron makes all sorts of wireless controls that can turn on lights operate multiple robots in the same environment at the same time. when a person enters a room, turn them off again when the room is In addition to being light and dependable, the small unmanned ground vehicle can be thrown laterally up to 120 feet to land on a roof and begin sending video images. It can be dropped safely from a height of 30 feet—even onto concrete—and still operate. It can even survive immersion in a foot of water for up to five minutes. The little spy is also quiet, operating just 22 decibels—far quieter than a whisper. In fact, some units have come back from deployments saying bad guys didn’t even know the robot was in the room with them. And if they do see it, “they’re afraid it’s going to explode and they flee,” Langdon said. “There’s really nothing like it out there,” he said, noting that before the larger but less rugged Throwbot Scout was introduced in 2007, the smallest available ground robot weighed 35 pounds. He said 2,400 Throwbots have been sold to the military, more than 300 of them going to special operations units. “The Marines have been very successful in some of the commando missions in doing the advise-and-assist role where the Afghans can use our robot very easily,” Langdon said, adding: “From the special ops standpoint, that’s a big deal because it means ‘I can give this to someone who is not a technical wizard and they can operate it very easily.’”
Power When Needed Iris Technology, a small Irvine, Calif., company, is one of several offering cutting-edge technology to replace or reduce electricity use— especially in the field. The company is the major integrator of reliable tactical power systems for the military, including the solar portable alternative communications energy system (SPACES), a family of mobile solar power and power distribution products. SPACES delivers portable power to charge batteries, operate communications equipment and run small electronic accessories in remote environments. The StarPower module gets power from one or more solar panels, BA-XX90 and zinc-air batteries, fuel cells, or commercial and NATO vehicles. The module then allows the user to charge multiple BB-XX90 www.SOTECH-kmi.com
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SPECIAL SECTION: GAME CHANGING INNOVATIONS empty, and increase artificial light indoors when outside light is dim or fading. The company also makes automated shades that block indoor glare on sunny days. “It’s not a game-changing weapons system by any means,” said Andy Wakefield, Lutron’s director of government solutions. “You’re not going to use our dimmers to see over hills or around corners. But we do make things that are automated and take the thinking out of saving energy,” he said. And that is a major goal of the Defense Department, which is not only trying to cut energy expenses in fiscally constrained times but is also trying to cut dependency on foreign oil and reduce the risks to personnel that come from transporting oil and other fuels from supply depots to FOBs by ground convoys. The Obama administration set a goal last year for the Army, Navy and Air Force departments to develop systems that will create three gigawatts of renewable energy at their A multi-INT processing, exploitation and dissemination interface gives analysts a look at ground covered by installations by 2025. UAVs. BAE said its multi-INT system is tailored to the SOF community. [Photo courtesy of BAE Systems] In most office buildings, lighting accounts for 39 percent of electrical usage. “Using some of these easy technologies, you can This next-generation satellite system will deliver significant technisave a good amount of energy and make things possibly a little more cal and cost efficiency for mobile, high-bandwidth applications. secure,” Wakefield said. EpicNG will provide three to five times more capacity per satellite Jason Koehler, manager for Lutron’s government team and than the traditional satellite fleet with expected throughput up to 60 a former Green Beret officer, said Gbps (billions of bits per second), typically 10 times more than existing special operations forces may not Intelsat satellites. The high-power capacity will allow SOF users faster use Lutron’s technology in the field, uploads of data from a variety of existing platforms and terminals, but they do back at the base. “In according to information received from the Bethesda, Md., company. special operations, they use cutting This will significantly increase throughput on a uniform, global basis edge technology to train and fight and offer critically needed, high availability. Spot beams and wide the enemies of our country, but they beams will enhance performance over larger geographic regions, with are still using a light switch in their the ability to focus on unique coverage areas where higher throughput team rooms and offices,” Koehler and increased bandwidth would help meet specific mission requiresaid. In both the continental United ments. In addition, flexible connectivity between beam-types (user, States and overseas, he said, garrison gateway, or wide), along with portability, provides full adaptability to Mike Barthlow commanders are being evaluated for operational requirements and locations that change over time. how energy efficient they have made BAE Systems’ multi-intelligence payload combines several comtheir bases. “Energy efficiency and bat-proven sensors in a package small enough to be loaded onto productivity are the two key things” smaller unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) like the Shadow or Integrathat game-changing technologies can tor. bring to military installations within The multi-intelligence payload package has a reduced size, weight the special operations community, and power requirement enabling integration onto group 3 unmanned he added. air systems. It combines multi-function radar and a signals intelligence payload with fusion and tracking algorithms for drones like AAI Corp.’s Shadow, Schiebel’s Camcopter, the Navmar TigerShark Satellites, Sensors, Sights and Insitu-Boeing’s Integrator. John Kelly, director of Advanced ISR and Drones Andy Wakefield Solutions at BAE Systems, said the multi-INT system is “tailored to the SOF community.” Special operations forces are “SOCOM is in need of the kind of predator-class ISR that is availalways in need of faster commuable now on large UAS platforms,” said Kelly, “but they need a payload nications technology and with the that can fit on a smaller tactical UAV platform that is easier and less increasing use of unmanned aircraft costly to operate.” The BAE Systems game changer is available in a for surveillance and reconnaissance, fuselage-integrated version or in a pod attached to the fuselage or there’s also a need for more bandwing. It includes the capabilities to spot moving targets and detect width to handle the data flow. Intelsat ground disturbances, as well as take high-resolution radar images General Corp. believes its EpicNG with advanced synthetic aperture radar. It is largely compatible with satellite platform, an evolution of the existing ground stations. There is also a lightweight compact signals Intelsat network infrastructure, will intelligence payload capable of detecting, identifying, voice copying, provide high performance and high John Kelly direction finding and geolocation of a variety of emitters. throughput, at a lower cost per bit. 10 | SOTECH 11.10
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SPECIAL SECTION: GAME CHANGING INNOVATIONS “We’re not talking about SOCOM going out and procuring a new fleet of group 3 UAVs; what we’re talking about is retro-fitting the existing Shadows, Schiebels, TigerSharks and Integrators,” Kelly said. “With shrinking budgets but increasing SOCOM mission challenges around the world far from forward operating bases, affordability has got to be, perhaps, the number one requirement,” he added. Elbit Systems Ltd (ESL) is a global leader in unmanned systems, having a large array of large-to-small UAVs in its portfolio. Elbit Systems of America has taken ESL’s tier 1 small UAS and reconfigured it to U.S. requirements and is under contract to the U.S. Army Raymond Chapman as Skylark 1 LE block II. Block II is also being considered by the special operations forces for their close range ISR mission. Elbit Systems of America is also a leading manufacturer in laser technology for detection, ranging and targeting. “We do lasers extremely well,” said Raymond Chapman, Elbit’s director of special operations solutions and a former Air Force combat controller and special ops navigator. And Skylark, or a similar small UAV, would be the perfect place to mount Elbit’s Micro Designated Marker, a 4.5-ounce laser marker.
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“They love the idea of a marker on a small UAV,” Chapman said. “It reduces the possibility of collateral damage.” Another game changer is a unique camera technology called lasergated imaging, which can provide night vision in total darkness and bad weather conditions such as rain, fog or snow, Chapman said. In laser gated imaging, a pulsed laser is used to illuminate the scene while the reflected light is detected by a camera with a short exposure time, known as a “gate.” The gate is delayed so imaging occurs at a particular range; thus, the image is only from the reflection of objects at that range, making them much easier to see in the dark. Laser gate imaging would allow facial identification of people sitting around a campfire at night, unlike thermal imaging, where the firelight contrasting with the surrounding darkness would normally wash out the facial features of those near it, he said. “It allows you to see through windshields. It also allows you to read license plates at night,” he added. “When we took it to the technical network test bed, the guys that saw it said, ‘Hey, this is game-changing technology,’” Chapman related. Special ops personnel he spoke with thought it could be used on a sniper scope or to assist night driving in total darkness but there is no service requirement as yet for the technology. “The challenge is getting it to a form where SOCOM may use it,” Chapman said. Currently Elbit’s laser gated imaging is about at the middle of the technical readiness levels (TRL) technology yardstick. “We’re working with SOCOM to see how we bring that up to level TRL 9 (full production),” Chapman said. O
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Hydrate, Recruit!
TerraGroup’s lightweight water purification system cleans contaminated water closer to the tip of the spear than any system of its size has before. [Photo courtesy of TerraGroup Corp.]
When SOF teams are long gone from home station or the nearest FOB, clean drinking water availability should be the least of their worries. It’s essential for survival under any conditions, so several firms are working to ensure troops don’t go without, whether on the go or temporarily stationed at one of the world’s most remote locations. While in uniform as the Marine Corps project officer for water systems at Marine Corps Special Operations Command, Jason Parrish and his team supported forward operating personnel in far-off lands. The unit he found most beneficial to Marines was the tactical environmental components water asset recovery (TECWAR) systems produced by TerraGroup Corporation. The retired Marine is now a senior project officer at TerraGroup and said the TECWAR lightweight water purification system (LWPS) is a resupply system currently used in forward operating bases in Afghanistan. “This lets you get it in farther than we’ve ever been able to before because our system is smaller, it’s lightweight, and it’s mobile,” Parrish said. “It reduces the logistics train significantly.” The LWPS makes it easier for a log train to leave the station because it fits on a 463L master pallet, the U.S. Air Force’s standard air-cargo pallet. Retired U.S. Army soldier David Taft is the training director at TerraGroup and former Army quartermaster corps petroleum and water department instructor. He recalled his time at a Fort Bragg unit that used the LWPS in different environments. “Some systems out there are big containerized units and won’t fit on a 463L pallet,” Taft said. “A small footprint is better for SOF elements.” It’s essential for small teams to have small footprints for many reasons beyond the obvious ones. “For one, it saves money,” Taft pointed out. “The LWPS more than pays for itself when you add up the cost of purchasing, shipping and storing bottled water.” The services are more cost-conscious than ever these days, and when troops are expected to do even more with less, the easier a system is to operate the quicker missions A couple iodine pills won’t catch everything to keep team will be accomplished. members safely hydrated. SureAqua’s water filtration system When Taft started his will. [Photo courtesy of SureAqua Corp.] 12 | SOTECH 11.10
Portable and not-so-portable water systems are accompanying operators closer to the battle space. By Jeff Campbell SOTECH Editor
20-year “water dawg” career, working with water was really simple, the soldier could take pride in knowing he or she understood how to operate the equipment and accomplish their mission, but over time, continual advancements have made systems more complex. “Forward on the battlefield, I don’t really need all that technology, bells and whistles; I just want to make potable water and get it out there as quickly as possible, and that’s what this system does,” he said. Ultimately, no price can be put on life. “There are people out there moving up and down the roads in Afghanistan and other austere environments transporting bottled water to different FOBs and camps,” Taft said. “So if you’re able to produce that water on base, that’s value added right there. Also, besides saving money, you have to look at the fact that it’s healthier, in my opinion, than bottled water, considering the link to BPA and adverse health effects.” In addition to water bottles’ possible link to cancer, fewer bottles on hand reduces waste. “Waste builds up pretty quickly at a remote base, and we are adding to it by having a whole bunch of bottled water sitting around,” Taft said. The LWPS is durable and reliable; during the production qualification test conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. In May, 2010, the LWPS operated more than 1750 hours with no essential function failures. The system is all-source capable, to include nuclear biological chemical-contaminated water. “Whether it’s a man-made or natural structure, we could draw from that source and provide water to the local population or to SOF,” Parrish said. In 2009, TerraGroup sent its first 25 systems off the assembly line to Afghanistan on an urgent need for forward area troops. “The Marines were passing over rivers, lakes and streams to get to the fight and they were carrying bottled water,” Parrish said, referencing a 2010 Marine Corps assessment of Afghanistan supply lines, where in one case study, out of 91 trucks, approximately 87 of those trucks had bottled water on them. “That’s a huge logistics train and if you can free up those trucks with bottled water, now you’re able to get more bullets there, more Band-Aids, and more beans-type stuff to the troops.” The base LWPS system comes with a bladder that can store up to 3,000 gallons of water at a time, and other extended capability modules are available, such as one that enables the system to produce up to 600 gallons per hour of fresh drinking water. Parrish called the LWPS a force multiplier because it touches every single person in a training or combat environment. “Water is a necessity,” he said. “You’re going to last about three days without water, and after that you are ineffective, not only as a combatant but as a human.”
Safe Water Outside the Wire Australian company SureAqua is very familiar with the diverse climates and rugged terrain found in Afghanistan and other locales www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Biters Beware The average Joe can identify with returning from a fall hike and starting to feverishly scratch reddened skin. Both civilians and military members’ current protocol is to medicate with calamine. Zanfel Laboratories Inc. is working to ease the frustrations of anyone who’s experiencing a rash outbreak with its product, Zanfel. Once applied, it begins washing away poison ivy, oak and sumac from the skin and relieves itching as quickly as 30 seconds. Steve Sisler, vice president of sales development at Zanfel Laboratories said what winds up happening when people self-medicate with calamine is they only get sicker and sicker. This could lead to troops leaving training and spending time sick in their quarters or in the hospital. “When [the Army] realized that it was between $500 and $1,000 a day to have somebody lying in a hospital bed, they found it’s pretty
SOF teams have spread to. Their personal portable water filters are becoming standard for our friends down under and the company is working to gain popularity among other allies. SureAqua Corp. Director Andie Domanko said while a lot of similar products are good at filtering out taste and odor, SureAqua filters are more active on a microbiology level. “Particularly for military use, if you want to access water immediately and know that product is working and not have a margin of error, you need to be using a SureAqua product,” she said. “Activated carbon may take out some bacteria initially, but you don’t know when that product degrades. The only way you do know when it’s degraded is your kidneys have started doing the filtering for you, which is exactly what you’re trying to avoid.” Domanko said the companies products stop filtering water through when it’s at the volume limit, while other products don’t know and keep filtering it through. The Australian Defense Force looked at that level of care, along with other standards including immediate access, high volume, performance, and shelf life. Among several tested this year, SureAqua was the only product to make it into the laboratory stage for further testing. “They also wanted a product that didn’t have spare parts which would rely on factories and pumps,” she said. “There’s a margin where products can fail when you need them the most; with SureAqua, use it once, put it back in your kit, it’s fine; use it again in six months.” Whether in the Outback or the Himalayas, climate change won’t have an effect on performance. “The only challenge for all water filters is if you use it and it freezes, that can damage the membrane,” Domanko said. “Certainly in climates of high temperature or high humidity, even those with high amounts of dust in the air, do not affect the performance of the product.” At the Australian government’s request, SureAqua was invited to join their stand at AUSA’s annual meeting this year to showcase their products. In just under three years, the government has tested SureAqua’s product both in the laboratory and out in the field. Now www.SOTECH-kmi.com
cost-prohibitive,” Sisler said. “The ultimate goal for us is to get this into every battalion aid station.” The company now has a contract with the Veteran’s Administration and is working on getting into the kitting process for soldiers and marines. The U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency assisted Zanfel in achieving its national stock number, which has helped them open more doors. At one Marine expo earlier this year, Sisler had 30-35 warfighters come up to the booth the first day, pull up a sleeve and show him pink stuff all over their arm, saying they couldn’t sleep. He gave them a sample and ten came back the next day saying they were able to sleep for the first time in a long while. The product’s developer is a chronic poison ivy sufferer. He found there was nothing else like it on the market and patented it. Inventions like this will help troops from the average Marine to the elite MARSOC operator return to the fight quickly. “The whole niche for this product is quality of life and improved readiness,” he said. “Get the troops back and improve safety because if they’re not worrying about the scratching from poison ivy, mosquito bites or bee stings, they can do their job.”
SureAqua is working to design a product specifically suited for the government’s needs. “To get to that point in less than three years is quite extraordinary,” Domanko said. “They could have gone with any product in the world and the only product that made it into the laboratory was SureAqua, all others were eliminated before that point.” Some American backpackers still use iodine tablets to reduce risk, but Domanko said that’s not enough and the European Union agrees, having ceased selling those tablets because they can’t clear waterborne parasites such as cryptosporidium. “They’re hard-shelled cysts, and chemicals actually cannot penetrate the hard shell at a level that is safe for it to be drinking water,” she said. “If you wanted to kill hard-shelled cysts in your water with chlorine, you would have to have it at such a high concentration and such a long contact time that the water becomes poisonous.” She’s found the military loves that SureAqua eliminates the risk of water-borne illness because whether they’re in a support function or on the front lines, service members need a gold standard of care. Another risk is user error—people may not use the right amount of chemicals in an effort to find a quicker solution. “Sometimes people think if they put more in, it’s going to be safer,” Domanko said. “No, more is poisonous.” SOF teams cannot afford that margin of error, using a product not correct for the environments they operate in. Beyond the FOB, they don’t have access to a forward military standard-cleaned supply of water. “If you don’t have access to that safe water and you’re in a hydrate or die situation, you need something that’s going to work now, not something that’s going to take a while and hope that you’ve used it properly.” O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Jeff Campbell at jcampbell@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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BLACK WATCH Carbine Integrated Rail System
Business Expansion and Name Change Thales Defense and Security Inc.
Mission First Tactical Mission First Tactical has introduced the Tekko metal AR carbine integrated rail systems (T-MARC), which replaces any plastic factory handguard with an Americanmade, 7-inch, lightweight aluminum, hard coat anodized rail. The T-MARC requires no tools or gunsmithing for installation. Screwless installation of the unit does not require any alterations to the rifle. The four MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rails provide a secure platform for mounting a variety of accessories from vertical grips, lights, lasers and bipods. Monolithic construction of the T-MARC eliminates gaps commonly found between the receiver and the rail.
Thales Communications, a provider of advanced communications technologies for warfighters and first responders, announced a company expansion and the change of its company name. Through recent acquisitions and intra-Thales mergers, the company’s increased technology base and product portfolio now include adjacent markets. To better represent its focus and offerings, Thales Communications has changed its name to Thales Defense & Security Inc. Two Thales businesses merged with Thales Communications—the navigation, surveillance and simulation segment of the Thales air traffic management organization, and the former Thales USA Defense and Security, both long-time partners of Thales Communications. They join Tampa Microwave, Visionix and InterSense, the businesses acquired by Thales Communications during 2012. Tampa Microwave is the provider of the world’s smallest, man-packable, tactical SATCOM terminals for high-bandwidth, voice, video, and data battlefield communications, and Visionix and InterSense are the developers of industry-leading helmet mounted display and motion tracking technologies. “Our diversification within the defense, federal and commercial markets is enabling us to broaden
our technology base and increase our value to our customers,” said Michael Sheehan, president and chief executive officer of Thales Communications, who continues in that role for Thales Defense & Security. As part of the intra-Thales mergers, two other Thales businesses came under management control of Thales Communications, with no changes in their leadership—Thales e-Security, a provider of data protection solutions, and the Thales-DRS joint venture, Advanced Acoustic Concepts, a provider of advanced sonar systems. “Thales has essentially consolidated its U.S. defense and security businesses under one company,” said Alan Pellegrini, president and chief executive officer of Thales USA. “This has created a larger, stronger company with operational and market synergies that will benefit both shareholders and customers.” In addition to its locations in Maryland, including the headquarters campus in Clarksburg, Thales Defense & Security has facilities in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. The company website has changed to www. thalesdsi.com, and employee email addresses have changed accordingly.
Active Underbody Blast Mitigation System Unveiled TenCate Advanced Armor USA TenCate Advanced Armor USA unveiled at the AUSA Conference the industry’s first available active underbody blast mitigation system, called TenCate ABDS active blast countermeasure system, to reduce casualties and injuries to troops riding in vehicles that are hit by IEDs. According to TenCate, third party tests have confirmed that the TenCate ABDS active blast countermeasure system can dramatically mitigate the deadly impulse energy effects of an IED blast. Crew survivability is improved because the system minimizes the brutal launch into the air, the violent flight, and the destructive slam back down to earth associated with a vehicle experiencing an IED or mine blast event. TenCate is working with several DoD agencies and U.S. military vehicle makers to evaluate the system for use on a wide range of vehicle platforms, including a multi-year cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command. “Our talented engineering team has raised the bar on IED protection,” said Mark Edwards, president of TenCate Advanced Armor USA. “The TenCate ABDS active blast countermeasure system is the world’s first practical active underbody blast mitigation solution, and it’s ready to save lives.” The system digitally senses how an IED will affect a ground vehicle and—in the fractions of a second in which an IED explodes—detects, 14 | SOTECH 11.10
analyzes and directs a powerful active blast countermeasure to protect the vehicle and the troops on board. The system mitigates the acceleration force that launches the vehicle into the air, the vehicle’s flight, which is a major contributor to injuries, and also the vehicle’s destructive crash down to the ground.
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Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Mobile App Security Provider to Release Major Upgrade Seecrypt Group Inc. Seecrypt Group Inc. has announced improved functionality and features of its nextgeneration software that will support Seecrypt, a commercially available mobile app built on military-grade technology that enables companies and individuals to connect via voice and text over a private network, utilizing end-to-end encryption that changes security keys with every message sent and received. The new software—known as SC3—will offer users an enhanced interface design and expands platform support beyond Android and Apple iOS phones to BlackBerry 10 and Windows mobile devices. Support for desktop systems such as Windows 7 & 8 and Mac OS X is also in development and anticipated for release in 2014. Specific feature upgrades, which are fully protected by the encryption technology, include the ability to integrate an address book, send voice messages, send group text messages and send text messages with attachments.
Users will be able to send encrypted messages even when offline, send encrypted attachments and secure conference calls. In recognition of increasing global concerns regarding individual and business communications, Seecrypt’s latest round of technological advancements is based on internationally recognized principles without reliance on a particular infrastructure employed or approved by a specific country or standards body. “Without a doubt security has become a concern for practically everyone in business or government,” said Mornay Walters, chief executive officer of Seecrypt Group Inc. “We hear a constant stream of news items involving the exposure of critical company or confidential institutional information, which all have a negative impact, monetarily or otherwise. With the first iteration of Seecrypt we responded to the obvious need for private and secure communication and now—with SC3—we have taken that safekeeping one step further.”
Single/Dual In-ear Comm Systems TEA Headsets •
• •
Connects to multiple types of two-way radios, intercom systems, computers and mobile phones Parasitic power consumption from radio Submersible down to 20 meters
TEA Headsets unveiled its new Invisio V30 single/dual in-ear comm system at the AUSA’s annual meeting in late October. The tactical headset systems is intuitive and builds from the Invisio V60, an in-the-ear solution that the company says offers dual communication and full certified hearing protection with situational awareness maintained.
Black Hawk Helicopters Heading South Sikorsky Aircraft United Technologies Corp. subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft has delivered to the Colombian Army two S-70i Black Hawk helicopters incorporating a helicopter terrain awareness and warning system (HTAWS) as standard equipment. Colombia is the first country to field S-70i helicopters equipped with HTAWS, which Sikorsky has customized for the unique requirements of the combat assault and utility missions. “HTAWS will give military operators 360-degree situational awareness in low visibility, day or night, and at altitudes as low as 75 feet,” said Jennifer Caruso, Sikorsky vice president of Army and Air Force Programs. “As a new baseline capability for all S-70i Black Hawk aircraft, this high-resolution system will enable aircrews to perform their demanding missions with greater safety and effectiveness.” Sikorsky delivered the two HTAWS-equipped S-70i helicopters to Colombian Army officials during a ceremony at the company’s Florida assembly and flight operations facility in West Palm Beach. Colombian aircrew then flew the two aircraft to the Army special operation aviation military base in Tolemaida, a distance of almost 3,000 nautical miles. The aircraft arrived after approximately 30 hours of flight. Colombia is the first South American country to buy the S-70i Black Hawk helicopter variant, which Sikorsky first delivered to an international military customer in 2010. These two aircraft will join five other S-70i helicopters in Colombia acquired in January. Developed in collaboration with Sandel Avionics, the military HTAWS consists of a dedicated sunlight-readable display compatible with night vision goggles located in the center of the S-70i aircraft’s instrument panel. Integrated with the aircraft’s dual GPS/INS system and digital map, radar www.SOTECH-kmi.com
altimeter, heading system and air data computer, the system displays the GPS location, along with terrain, roads, obstacles and transmission lines. Audible warnings via the aircraft’s internal communications system alert the pilots to obstacles. Pilots can adjust the system to one of four sensitivity modes—normal, low, tactical and obstacles only—designed to reduce false alerts when missions call for flight operations at increasingly closer proximity to the ground. In addition to HTAWS, the Colombian S-70i aircraft also come equipped with a rescue hoist, an Integrated Vehicle Health Management System that will monitor the aircrafts’ engines, transmission and rotors, as well as additional radios and other unique mission equipment. The contract includes ground support equipment, spares and technical training. “The delivery of these two S-70i helicopters will help Colombia,” said Colonel Felipe Sandoval. “These aircraft are not simply machines, they are the hope of our soldiers, families and our country. I express my most sincere gratitude and thanks to your team that made this delivery possible.” Sold directly by Sikorsky to international militaries and government agencies, the S-70i helicopter delivers the same power and lift performance as S-70M Black Hawk aircraft. The S-70i model can be customized easily by Sikorsky to specific mission needs, to include radar, ballistic protection, medical litters, extended range fuel tanks, an external rescue hoist, and cargo hook among other features. Colombia is one of the world’s largest operators of Black Hawk helicopters. In addition to the seven S-70i aircraft acquired this year by the Colombian Army, the country’s National Police, Air Force and Army also operate 96 UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters. SOTECH 11.10 | 15
Special Ops Doc
Q& A
Directing Radical Advancements of Tactical Combat Casualty Care
Colonel Harlan (Hal) M. Walker II M.D., M.PH., M.A. Command Surgeon U.S. Special Operations Command
Colonel Walker became the command surgeon for U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in March 2013. Previous key medical assignments include Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR) command surgeon, SOCOM clinic commander, U.S. Military Academy cadet health clinic commander and 12th Aviation Brigade flight surgeon, which included multiple OIF and other operational deployments. He earned his M.D. from Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Penn. He was a transitional intern at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., and completed his residency and board certifications in aerospace and dive medicine at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. He earned his Master of Public Health degree at the University of Texas medical branch and a Master of International Affairs at California State University, Sacramento. He is a U.S. Navy and Continental Airlines certified crew resource management instructor, and Army and Navy certified aviation safety officer. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1980. Prior to becoming a physician, he was an Army aviator for 16 years as a UH-1 instructor pilot and CH-47 pilot-in-command. He had numerous aviation commands, to include the U.S. Army combat skills instructor pilot course, Camp Roberts Army Airfield, and Fresno Army aviation flight facility. His culminating aviation assignments were as an acting CH-47 battalion commander and California Army National Guard state aviation safety officer. His awards and decorations include: Master Army Aviator, Master Army Flight Surgeon, Navy Dive Medical Officer, Parachutist Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Bronze Star, Army Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters (OLCs), Air Medal with 2 device, Army Commendation Medal with four OLCs, and the California Commendation Medal. He has authored, co-authored and edited numerous professional and non-professional publications. Q: Colonel Walker, what differentiates SOF medicine from other military or civilian medical endeavors? A: There are many differences, but the seminal characteristic that makes SOF medicine unique relative to all other medical systems is that the lynchpin of SOF medicine is the SOF medic/corpsman. In most other medical enterprises, key roles are predominantly held by physicians, physician assistants and/or nurses. In SOF 16 | SOTECH 11.10
medicine, SOF medics/corpsmen are not just the primary health care provider; in many instances they are the only medical provider. SOF medics must occasionally do things we do not expect of senior physicians, such as single-handedly diagnosing and treating multiple complex trauma victims, then providing sustaining life-support measures in remote and austere conditions for up to three days while continuing to fight a combat mission. While there are medical practitioners with greater depths of knowledge and skill in specific medical roles, there is no health care role that demands the breadth of tactical medical knowledge and hands-on skills required of a SOF medic/corpsman. Q: Since becoming the command surgeon in spring 2013, what is your vision and direction for the surgeon’s office? A: Every mission, priority and effort within the SOCOM Surgeon’s Office is filtered through the lens of how to maximize SOF warriors’ survivability and medical care in remote and austere combat environs. To those ends, we focus on providing the best macro-level policies, guidance, budgets, training and equipment to the service SOF components and theater special operations commands (TSOCs) so they can maximally support SOF medics/ corpsmen and their medical missions. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Q: How do SOCOM Surgeon’s Office efforts support the command’s overall objectives? A: The Command Surgeon’s Office continually assesses medical functional areas to best support the SOCOM commander’s lines of operation: win the current fight, global SOF network (GSN) expansion, preservation of the force and families, and rapid resourcing. I’d like to highlight some of our efforts to establish a positive future and azimuth for our SOF medical community. Win the current fight: We joined forces with CENTCOM, ISAF and SOCCENT surgeons’ staffs to coordinate current and future SOF medical support in Afghanistan. Final decisions are still pending, but we proactively and frequently convey our requirements to best support SOF warriors and medics in Afghanistan to the Joint Staff surgeon and her staff members. Paramount concerns are expeditious medical evacuation of our sick and wounded, and access to higher echelons of care within the CENTOCM AOR as our general purpose forces draw down. GSN expansion: For the SOF medical enterprise, GSN expansion is a two-pronged effort—effectively organize U.S. SOF medicine globally, and enhance linkages with partner nations and agencies. The first step is to ensure internal U.S. SOF medical structures are properly networked. To that end, we are synchronizing U.S. SOF medical advisory groups that define health care policy, medical training and education, and medical research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E).We are redefining roles and linkages for the SOCOM board of command surgeons, Joint Medical Enlisted Advisory Council (JMEAC), Curriculum & Examination Board (CEB), and newly formed biomedical RDT&E advisory group (BRAG); each of these entities has a specified place within an annual battle rhythm. Every task and event feeds the requirements or missions of the next to produce a coordinated, long-term measurable outcome for the SOF enterprise. This internal focus on requirements, coordination, representation and synchronization will set the stage for a network that can grow and expand to more effectively include other agencies and nations. Simultaneously, the Surgeon’s staff is fully engaged with SOCOM HQ, TSOCs, NATO SOF HQ and other agency POCs to further the GSN campaign plan incrementally when opportunities arise. With SOCOM J8 and TSOC Surgeon Staff inputs, we help shape and influence future TSOC medical capabilities by developing medical manning baselines catered to each TSOC’s unique mission needs. Additionally, we encourage partner nation and agency participation in the semi-annual Joint Special Operations medical orientation course held at the Joint Special Operations University; we have had several partner nation and agency participants to date, and numerous NATO SOF medical leaders are committed to providing attendees for future courses. Preservation of the force and families (POTFF): The Command Surgeon’s staff remains an integral member of the POTFF team. We engage, inform and follow up with the service SOF components, TSOCs, Joint Staff surgeon, Defense Health Agency, Defense Health Board, Office of the Secretary of Defense [health affairs] and other entities to advance POTFF initiatives. We also assist in developing performance measures which are critical to POTFF programs’ long-term funding, viability and success. Responsive resourcing: Our constant socialization of SOF 2020 visions and concepts with the services and all aforementioned agencies has resulted in long-term resourcing initiatives to support TSOC requirements. We have led efforts to address current global casevac/medevac and biosurveillance gaps. As a result, the Joint www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Staff Surgeon’s staff and Medical Research and Materiel Command (MRMC) have responded to and endorsed our support requests, and are generating studies to find solutions that will provide SOF warriors and medics/corpsmen valuable medical assets and information in the turbulent years and decades ahead. The SOCOM commander’s four lines of operation permeate and inform all we do in the Surgeon’s Office. They form the template that directs all our efforts to meet SOF medicine and SOCOM’s long term goals. Q: How often are you able to effectively communicate with service SOF component and Theater Special Operations Command Surgeons? A: Informally, my staff and I communicate nearly every day with our service SOF component and TSOC Surgeons’ staffs on a myriad of topics via phone or email. Formally, we have three major communication mechanisms: a monthly video teleconference with all SOF component and TSOC surgeons and their staffs, a detailed monthly situation report, and meetings of the SG Board/JMEAC/ CEB/BRAG. These three pre-scheduled, recurring methodologies ensure we systematically communicate with, and receive feedback from, the entire SOF medical enterprise at least every two weeks. Q: You previously mentioned biosurveillance; can you give us a better understanding of what this entails and what the SG Office is doing to enhance timely and complete bio surveillance information for the SOF enterprise? A: Identifying and comprehending the world’s disease and biological threats are critical to protecting SOCOM and DoD forces. Over the past year, SOF planners and medics have worked to develop and implement new information systems that will enhance global biological situational awareness by aggregating and integrating information into a single-source common operating picture. This will assist in rapidly identifying locations and scopes of new disease outbreaks and biological events, and provide more timely decision-making for operational forces. In addition to enhancing protection of U.S. forces, this capability demand will foster a whole-of-government approach to support the national strategy for countering biological threats. When fully developed, the biosurveillance common operating picture should draw on allied government, corporate and other NGO resources to provide real-time updates down to the grid square level to support SOF missions. Biosurveillance programs will also be a GSN information gathering and sharing opportunity. We are working diligently with our Joint Staff Surgeon counterparts to make an enhanced global biosurveillance network and tool a reality as rapidly as possible. Q: After 10-plus years of sustained fighting, is the SOF combat medic more tested, experienced, and capable than ever? A: SOF medics/corpsmen are currently the most tested, experienced and capable medics in the world. They have effectively applied and radically advanced tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) concepts and skills over the past decade. That said, SOF medics have often had ample access to the robust evacuation and medical assets provided by a mature conventional forces theater. SOTECH 11.10 | 17
This was not the norm for SOF operations prior to 2001 and it will not likely be the norm in the future. As we shift from developed theaters to more remote locales and missions, SOF medic prolonged casualty care and management skills must be re-emphasized. We must continue to hone medic skills to know when evacuation is essential, and sustain multiple casualties for days when evacuation is not readily available or tactically feasible. We must give them the training, thought processes, confidence, trust and flexibility to accomplish their difficult missions in isolation. Our medics must also be prepared to manage all aspects of health care for SOF teams, partner units and indigenous populations. Routine daily sick call, minor emergency, and preventive medicine tasks and skills need to be re-visited. All SOF medic/corpsmen common core training, validation and empowerment are encapsulated in our Command Medical Certification Program (CMCP). The CMCP provides SOF medics/corpsmen required sustainment training that cannot be waivered, SOF enlisted medical capability interoperability standards, credentialing for a baseline scope of practice, and medical skill level recognition for non-SOF entities such as civilian medicine and international partners. SOF medics/corpsmen are the best at what they’ve been doing, but we must plan for a substantially different future and continue to improve and expand their skill sets and currencies. Q: What improvements have you seen in operators getting past the peer stigma of asking for help with mental health issues? A: Positive changes have been many and dramatic. The SOCOM commander and command sergeant major (CSM), and other senior leaders across the enterprise, continually encourage SOF personnel to seek help and assure them there will be no command reprisals. CSM Faris has openly and repeatedly conveyed his personal experiences in seeking help and overcoming stigma to educate the enterprise that we are all vulnerable to the ravages of mental and emotional instability. The SOF truth that people are more important than hardware has resulted in preserving the force being the command’s highest priority. The POTFF task force is identifying potential mental and emotional health detractors and solutions, and pursuing best practices to prevent and treat suicidality, homicidality, family discord, substance abuse and other related problems. Embedded behavioral health teams are improving and increasing care access, mission readiness, early identification of personnel with behavioral health challenges, communication between health professionals and unit leaders, and continuity and quality of care. Chaplains and family readiness group coordinators provide additional spiritual, mental and emotional health outlets and resources for warriors and family members. While we have made great strides in providing guidance and resources, and reducing stigma at institutional levels, we still have a lengthy battle to overcome stigma amongst peers. Persistence and perseverance at all leadership levels, and recurrent education of the force remain the keys to eventually overcoming stigma within peer groups. Q: Are there any medical issues you’re researching regarding the possibility of women serving on the front lines in SOCOM? A: Women have been adjuncts to and part of specified SOF missions for many years. SOF medics/corpsmen have always been trained to diagnose and treat female-unique medical issues for 18 | SOTECH 11.10
our own forces and indigenous populations, so there is no current requirement to generate additional SOF medic training requirements. Q: What is the SG Office’s role in SOF medical R&D? A: The Surgeon’s Office plays a significant role in SOF medical research and development. Our primary R&D roles are ensuring synchronization with numerous efforts by myriad DoD, academic and industrial agencies conducting this invaluable work, and aligning these efforts with capability gaps defined by the SOF medicine enterprise. Critical in this effort is the expansion of strategic partnerships throughout DoD and civilian agencies that support us. Over the past several months we improved our integration with the Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Center [SORDAC] to leverage their science and technology scouting and program management expertise. We formalized SOCOM’s role in the Defense Health Program (DHP) Medical Training and Health Information Sciences Research Program by appointing subject matter experts from across the SOF medical enterprise to Joint Program Committees within the DHP RDT&E program; this ensures SOF medicine is involved in research and development efforts at all developmental levels. We also established the Biomedical RDT&E Advisory Group to be a focused collaborative forum for SOF medical research, development, testing and evaluation. The BRAG synchronizes and monitors SOF medical RDT&E activities, efforts, requirements and capabilities gaps across the SOF enterprise and with external agencies. This group includes stakeholders and subject matter experts from each service SOF component, and the SOCOM and medical RDT&E communities. These improved R&D and BRAG partnerships will positively impact responsive resourcing of innovative SOF medical technologies and equipment. Specific current projects include improved physiological monitoring, trauma management, canine medicine, tactical combat casualty care, freezedried plasma and POTFF programs. We expect these efforts to have near- and long-term benefits on our efforts to win the current fight and expand the GSN. Q: Are there devices that have been developed and fielded recently that you’ve found valuable, and any equipment items you’d like to add to the SOF medical pack in the near future? A: Our office is actively engaged in the development processes of numerous new medical devices; several are nearing completion and will likely become components of medical sets made available to SOF medics. Several junctional tourniquet prototypes are being evaluated by SOF medics in field conditions and by research agencies. The committee on tactical combat casualty care (CoTCCC), Army Institute of Surgical Research, and Medical Research & Material Command are conducting several studies. The CoTCCC is currently changing TCCC Guidelines to allow the use of multiple junctional hemorrhage devices (CRoC, JETT and SAM-JT). At this time, there is no scientifically validated evidence indicating one device is more effective than another, so we continue to evaluate. As junctional hemorrhage tourniquets and other new devices become available, it is a SOF medic/corpsman and operational unit decision to include them in their medical kits for any given mission profile. Our office makes a concerted effort to www.SOTECH-kmi.com
minimize our roles in medical decisions that are best made at the decentralized unit and individual medical practitioner levels. While we actively push industry and academia for both incremental and revolutionary ideas to improve field medicine, our office also focuses on improving research and development processes. We are expanding networks within SOCOM and throughout DoD, academic and industrial communities to share ideas and improve our understanding of what is required and possible. We expect these efforts to provide optimal SOF medical assets with reduced acquisition times and costs in the long term. Q: What is the current status of freeze dried plasma (FDP) use within SOF? A: Due to several challenges, FDP is currently available to a relatively small SOF population within USASOC. Present FDP availability, funding and managerial requirements limit FDP use to those engaged in overseas contingency operations, and its administration is governed by an investigational new drug (IND) protocol approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDP used in the protocol is provided by French agencies until the FDA approves a U.S.-made FDP, at which time the IND managerial steps should be reduced. As of mid-October, USASOC units have used FDP in combat on three occasions. FDP availability and use remains a top priority within SOCOM and throughout DoD. We are working closely with the U.S. Army
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MRMC and the Institute for Surgical Research to streamline the current IND protocol and increase FDP product availability. We are actively seeking expansion of the IND to larger SOF populations to increase opportunities for saving lives in combat. We are also pursuing changes to packaging of the current FDP product in response to suggestions from the field. SOF medics requested an alternative container to the fragile glass bottle; to date, SOCOM change requests have been well-received by MRMC and the French FDP provider. Q: Do you have any closing thoughts regarding the role of the Command Surgeon’s Office within SOCOM? A: I will close by reiterating my opening comments, which merit repetition. SOF medicine is unique because the center of gravity is the SOF combat medic/corpsman. Everything the Surgeon’s Office does aims to maximize SOF warriors’ survivability and medical care in remote and austere combat environs. To accomplish these goals we work through the service SOF components and TSOCs so they can maximally support SOF medics/corpsmen and their medical missions. All of us in the SOCOM Surgeon’s Office will never lose sight of these simple but critical perspectives. We remain open to and request any and all inputs which may enhance SOF medicine. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to share the Surgeon’s Office goals, initiatives and efforts with you and the SOF enterprise. O
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Laser fusion experiments conducted by Exelis Geospatial Systems’ precision optics business at the University of Rochester may lead to high-powered laser beam weaponry for the future operator. [Image courtesy of Exelis]
Advances in optics systems are enabling operators to see right through the fog of war. By Jeff Campbell, SOTECH Editor Positive identification (PID) of a target can be the last step before receiving full permission to complete a mission. Many variables can limit SOF operators’ ability to key in on traits or identifying marks on the subject in question. As a Marine operator, Shane Hazel squinted through haze, fog, dust and smoky atmospheres attempting to achieve the best visual acuity possible under austere conditions. Now, as the USMC business development professional for Sensors Unlimited–UTC Aerospace Systems (UTCAS), he’s creating awareness in the SOF community of the advanced optics systems in the Princeton, N.J., firm’s short wave infrared (SWIR) systems product line. “When you introduce SWIR technology to the battlefield that can image through debris, haze and smoke with the clarity that SWIR cameras give you, it just paints such a clear picture of what’s actually happening,” Hazel said. “It takes the guesswork out of situational awareness on the battlefield.” Those are the decisions that have to be made in split seconds Shane Hazel because when they’re not made with certainty, lives are on the line. Sensors Unlimited’s SWIR imaging products provide a TV-like picture to the end-user. According to Hazel, the definition and 20 | SOTECH 11.10
clarity provided by the company’s systems is superior to thermal and night vision optics and provides a platform that could change tactics, giving the operator an advantage on all battlefields. “The technology is also unaffected by flashes or extreme heat, allowing the operator the capability to image in the thick of the fight and in direct sunlight to provide operators dozens of new capabilities in a clearer definition,” he noted. Hazel shared that the company is working to create SWIR and long wave infrared (LWIR) “image blending.” “With image blending, Sensors Unlimited–UTAS is combining the clarity and capabilities of SWIR with LWIR’s ability to highlight potential threats at greater distance or ‘first detection’ with extreme clarity to enable PID. For an operator, SWIR is an amazing technology. Image blending is absolutely a game changer for the SOF community because it provides a tactical edge over our adversaries.” The bottom line is, without SWIR systems offered by companies like Sensors Unlimited, situational awareness is limited. Hazel calls their near-infrared and SWIR cameras a force multiplier. The main niche they’ve found is for laser spotting. “When you’re talking targeting, for example, all battlefield lasers, whether they’re legacy IR markers, the lasers coming of jets, or lasers coming off UAVs, can be simultaneously viewed on our system by a SOF ground warfighter to identify who’s targeting what,” Hazel said. Sensors Unlimited’s SWIR products are used on UAVs, manned reconnaissance aircraft and in handheld systems. That handheld www.SOTECH-kmi.com
system can enable a reconnaissance Marine like Hazel to pull in an image, record it and take snapshots of what’s happening on the battlefield.
Virtual Vision Before operators enter the battlefield, there are virtual opportunities to train on various scenarios. The Christie HoloStation is a front-projected system with special optics on the lenses of the projectors that maximize the light and resolution on the screen with virtually no loss of pixels, immersing the viewer in a large surrounding environment. Christie has taken the University of Illinois’ cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) technology a step further, developing unique technology that makes visualization in a CAVE-like structure possible in a portable environment. “A CAVE is typically a large scale room that you would walk in that may have three, four, five or six sides that are lit up, from typically rear-projection enclosures,” said Larry Paul, Christie’s senior director of technology and visualization solutions. “What that allows you to do is walk right up to the screen and be immersed in the content without casting any shadows.” The CAVE isn’t just displaying 3-D visualization technology, it uses perspective tracking, where the direction of what the user is looking at and what they’re seeing is relative to all the walls viewed from that viewpoint. “The computer knows where the person who’s operating the system is,” Paul said. “As the Inspired by academia, Christie has taken the University of Illinois’ cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE) technology and developed person moves around, the world renders for CAVE-like portable structures, the Christie HoloStation. [Photos courtesy of Christie] that viewpoint.” An operator or corpsman training in a toward you, rather than walking into the world the way you would six-sided CAVE on proper medical assistance to a wounded teamphysically on your feet,” Paul said. “Your feet don’t move, but your mate would be able to walk around that “virtual” person as the immersion happens in the same sense it may in a video game viewpoint relative to the 3-D projection adjusts. The system is where you have the point of view and you’re walking through a optimized for one particular point in space, so the farther from space.” that point the trainee goes, the more distorted the view; an object The most portable version of this technology is Christie’s Holothat seemed to be seamlessly wrapping around a corner would now Stage Mini, a two-sided CAVE with just one wall and floor. “Both look oddly bent around that corner. the HoloStation and HoloStage Mini will easily support two users Christie developed its HoloStato be able to interact in the same space,” Paul noted. tion as a full size CAVE in functionAn advantage of these virtual environment-type spaces for ality, except that instead of walking training is that trainees can be side by side and they can also be around within the CAVE, user bring at a remote location. “You can set up these pods and have many the media to forward, via a wand people experiencing the perfect view all on the same content, but or a control stick, still immersed each from their own viewpoint,” Paul said. on four sides—three walls and a Users inside a HoloStation will feel like the room they’re in is floor—with more than a 180-degree relative to the training scenario: If in the virtual world it would horizontal field of view. be 60 feet deep, that’s what your brain tells you, even though the “You move your head and interwalls of the room are actually only a few feet away. “What’s really act with things, but mostly what Larry Paul amazing is where they interact with the room and just by the way you’re doing is pulling the world www.SOTECH-kmi.com
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they move their head, they see things differently,” Paul said. “If you’re in a battlefield situation working with close field range and everything is right in front of you, you have a wounded soldier sitting right in front of you, but the space that you’re in could be an open field, it could be a tent, it could be whatever the situation would be in a real environment.” The platform enables a new level of transportability for virtual training, as the HoloStation can be broken down and set up in a tent or office situation. The minimum requirement for the selfcontained system is a 9-foot-tall space. “It even has doors that let you close it up so you can be in a light-tight environment even if you’re not in a particularly light-tight environment,” Paul said.
Protected Clarity So now you’ve identified the target and it’s time to engage. In the heat of battle, soldiers sometimes must grab whatever’s available for protection from enemy fire. A recent example is Medal of Honor recipient Captain William Swenson’s quick use of a civilian pickup truck to aid in rescuing wounded teammates when an armored vehicle wasn’t available during the Battle of Ganjgal in Kunar Province, Afghanistan. Exelis Geospatial Systems is endeavoring to produce windshields and windows that will mirror the bulletproof protection of large military vehicles, but be available to standard pickups, sedans
and helicopters. “We cannot dismiss the heroics of Captain Swenson, who saved so many of his teammates, as something trivial,” said Dan Adams, director of Exelis Geospatial Systems’ precision optics business. “Certainly that pick-up truck that he was equipped with would have perhaps reduced the risk to him and his compatriots if it had been equipped with these armored windows.” This is a relatively new area for Exelis, where a customer has asked them to develop what Exelis precision optics calls cylindrical windows. They differ from flats that Adams, a retired Air Force officer, said are relatively easy to make. “At Exelis Geospatial Systems, precision optics specializes in being able to take large pieces of material to make optics on the order of 200 millimeters and higher, all the way up to 3 to 4 meters in size.” Exelis uses the natural material sapphire, and is also looking at man-made spinel, the present material of choice for this development. That material helps engineers make the glass thinner while still retaining ballistic protection properties, so the glass can be used on a truck or sedan found anywhere SOF teams may be deployed. “You’re doing this with much lighter weight, and the vehicle isn’t necessarily going to stand out from other vehicles you might try to blend in with,” Adams said. Whether a ground vehicle or on an air surveillance platform, the material needs to be equally protective and transparent. The transparency is critical both for the human eye to see through and for sensors to get a clear picture of what lays ahead.
Skin Deep
New optics technology enables corpsmen to see below an operator’s skin. With all of the latest technology to give The devices flood near infrared light our SOF operators the best situational awaredown on the skin’s surface, which Chris ness available, sometimes their location is Schnee, general manager and vice president compromised. It’s just the reality of the battleof sales and marketing at Christie Medifield that troops will get hit, but when they cal Holdings, said is completely harmless do, an outstanding Navy corpsman is usually with no heat, radiation, or laser eye safety nearby to help a teammate issues. “The hemoglobin in recover. your blood absorbs the near A new advancement in infrared; the surrounding tisoptics technology is helping sue reflects it. The device capmedics locate trouble spots tures that and runs it through below a warrior’s skin. It’s the heartbeat of the machine, currently in use for training its patented algorithms, and at hospitals throughout the it sends back a real-time United States and may soon video on the skin’s surface,” be available to health care he said. professionals on the front The patient’s skin then Chris Schnee lines. The technology is called becomes the movie screen. VeinViewer, and it has existed “We can do some amazing since 2005. The device was created by Lumithings with that information beyond just netx, which was acquired by Christie Digital. seeing vein targets,” Schnee said. “We can In 2010, the division became Christie Medical actually see down to about a centimeter, Holdings, Inc. and that summer they released up to 10 millimeters deep for peripheral IV the 3rd generation VeinViewer Vision, a assessment and blood draw.” smaller, cart based unit. Early last year, ChrisAt first glance, one might call the device tie released its fifth-generation model, Veina “vein stud finder.” There are technologies Viewer Flex, a hand-held unit which has out that can handle that much already, but life-saving applications for military members. Schnee said VeinViewer can do quite a bit
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more. “With that projection of a vein pattern, you get not only structural information, which is amazingly anatomically aligned to exactly where it is beneath the skin’s surface, but you can start to assess the anatomy, start to assess the blood pattern,” he said. “The nurses, for the first time ever, … get to see hidden valves. They can see where veins split off and become bifurcated.” A vein that looked perfect for an IV to the human eye alone now can be assessed as more than just a target. With VeinViewer’s assistance, a corpsman can place a finger gently on the patient and see blood refilling the vessel after letting go. If that’s a sluggishly filling vessel, a better target may be right next to it. Using those precious seconds to find the optimal vein versus the quickest one may save time in the long run. While the handheld Flex unit isn’t military spec, Schnee said it’s amazingly light, portable, and tested to 60601 drop specs. “You can use our device anywhere on the body, in the dark of night, in a hospital, in a physician’s office, in an ambulance; it really is an amazing revolutionary tool,” he said. “[On the battlefield] you have impractical conditions to be feeling and looking with lots of
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In the development phase, Exelis’ supplier has provided them with samples called “ballistic coupons” that the precision optics team is grinding and polishing at their factory in Rochester, N.Y. Presently, Adams’ team is working to eliminate “orange peel.” “That is when you apply the polishing tools to the surface, sometimes the result will be a surface that resembles that of an orange, with tiny pits,” Adams said. “Also, we’re looking to polish this glass to a certain specification that’s needed to give you the desired optical performance.” Exelis’ optics team is also providing optics supporting laser fusion experiments at the University of Rochester. Highpowered laser beam line technologies are far down the road from being in the hands of the warfighters of
the future, but to Adams it starts with a dream and the innovation goes from there. “We’ve all seen the cartoons and science fiction fantasies of soldiers with laser rifles as opposed to the standard ballistic types of weaponry,” he said. “To be able to develop something that’s affordable, lightweight enough, in terms of the power required to generate those laser beams, that is still way off in the future.” The university provided Exelis with a magnetorheological finishing machine that’s used to achieve the highly polished surfaces needed for optics that are going to be placed in front of high-energy laser beams. Exelis credits its customers for providing R&D funding, while making its own investments to further the technology. “In the case of the high-strength windows, our aim is to be able to, at an affordable price, turn these windshields or windows out that are applicable to both ground vehicles as well as helicopters,” Adams said. “The emphasis is on being affordable because the budget is only so large and getting smaller.”
The future is SWIR The team at Sensors Unlimited–UTAS is focused on enhancing the capabilities of the dismounted warfighter. “We really envision it as a game changer for ground troops, which number in the tens of Handheld SWIR cameras will help operators achieve positive target identification while thousands,” Hazel noted. He continued, “That’s where it really hits maintaining a small footprint. [Photo courtesy of Sensors Unlimited-UTC Aerospace Systems] home for the special operator as he can put the SWIR system on his weapon, he can use it as a helmet-mounted device, and he can use it as a handheld device.” With Sensors Unlimited’s handheld unit, the operator has a modular system where lenses and eye viewers can be swapped in and out. Also, side mounts can connect in multiple ports of the modular unit. Modernization efforts like this can be lost in some organizations, but Sensors Unlimited UTAS has a different approach. “The company has brought in the operators from various SOF communities and they’re listening to them, making rapid changes to respond to new requirements to make sure that Sensors Unlimited products are going to serve the special operations community and evolve at an unparalleled rate,” Hazel said. Hazel can recall how crucial it was to A “vein stud finder” in a sense, Christie’s VeinViewer technology can help medics find the ideal location to get an IV going on a be sure of the lasers he placed on targets in wounded SOF member. [Photo courtesy of Christie] theater. “If you couldn’t positively confirm a target or the area around the target, your abillight. This is really where VeinViewer would where I could see soldiers on the battlefield ity to prosecute a target was revoked,” he said. step in and, pun intended, illuminate the somewhat mimicking [a situation with] a “That positive identification for the guys out options which remain.” newborn intensive care unit child, a child there at the tip of the spear, the ability to make Christie currently has more thousands of that weighs less than a pound. If you have no that decision very clear for those who can’t see units placed in 72 countries. Compared to an options, in that particular area, don’t waste what they’re seeing, is vital to getting your ultrasound for example, where a technician seconds, don’t waste attempts. Find another mission accomplished and limiting the risk of needs to be certified regularly, VeinViewer part of that anatomy and get the procedure collateral damage and fratricide.” O training is completed within minutes. “You going before you run out of time.” turn it on, and you are going to immediately see the answer to two questions: What optimal vessels remain, and also, what is not there to prevent unneeded punctures,” Schnee said. “It is really the second question
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Many procedures done to save someone’s life in a hospital start with an IV so a clear line to send rehabilitation and pain stabilization drugs into the patient’s system is crucial.
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Jeff Campbell at jcampbell@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
SOTECH 11.10 | 23
Troops come home armed with ideas to improve weapon use. By Scott Nance SOTECH Correspondent
Accessories for weapons—whether they’re replacement stocks, pistol grips, integrated rail systems, or others—may sound as if they’re “niceto-have” options, but often they provide special operators crucial benefits as they carry out their missions, according to executives at the firms that manufacture them. “What we strive to do is make the end-user—for lack of a better term—more comfortable, which means they’re more combat-effective,” said David Edelman, vice president of sales at Mission First Tactical (MFT), which manufactures tactical rifle accessories in the United States and is based in Bensalem, Pa. MFT’s “hottest product” with the military is its Battlelink minimalist stock, according to Edelman. The company developed the new stock to eliminate weight, provide better target acquisition, shot accuracy, operator comfort and ease of use, and still offer functionality such as custom accessory mounts and optimized sling configurations—and the product is intended as a slide-on replacement for any original collapsible butt stock. “It comes in at 5.8 ounces, so it’s lighter than your traditional waffle stock but still gives you all the added benefit feature of an over-engineered stock,” he said. 24 | SOTECH 11.10
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MFT partnered with chemical giant DuPont’s military plastics division to come up with material “stronger and lighter than anything currently out there,” Edelman said. “There’s been a big push on cutting weight for these guys as they’re humping up and down mountains for days at a time,” he said. The Battlelink minimalist stock uses that DuPontbased material. MFT also recently introduced its Tekko Metal AR Carbine Integrated Rail System (T-MARC), designed to replace any plastic factory handguard with a 7-inch, lightweight aluminum anodized rail. The company touts the fact that the T-MARC requires no tools or gunsmithing for installation and does not require any alterations to the rifle. Its military-standard Picatinny rails provide a platform for mounting a variety of accessories from vertical grips, lights, lasers and more.
GPS Mounts and Other Popular Accessories
Rick Masho
Enhancing Operational Capability Ryan Angold
MFT’s Garmin 401 GPS mount is another of its popular accessories, Edelman said. The metal bracket GPS mount is for the operator who prefers not to wear GPS on his wrist due to it getting in the way of other equipment and necessitating that he let go of his rifle to check navigation, he said. The MFT product mounts the GPS on the stock of operator’s rifle. “You can just look down and see what you’ve got going on, without having to remove your hands from the rifle, and stay combateffective,” Edelman said. “The idea here is the one thing they don’t want to lose above all else—aside from their lives—is their weapon. So now that you have [the GPS] on your weapon, there’s a much better chance of retention.” Vertical grips and integrated rail systems also are among MFT’s offerings, Edelman said. “We’re working on a new integrated rail system that’s going to be one of the lightest, trying to carve some more weight out,” he said. Calling the original A2 grip a “poor design” because “it’s too thin [and] it’s got that bump on the index finger that causes bruising and discomfort,” Edelman said MFT also sells replacement pistol grips. “In my opinion, a pistol grip is probably one of the best investments in upgrading your weapon. It’s relatively inexpensive, and makes a huge difference,” he said. “We developed a grip that fits the hand much better. Obviously, there are a lot of different hand sizes out there, so we did our best to try to create something that would fit everybody’s as comfortably as possible. “That’s your main point of contact with your weapon for sustained periods, so obviously, you’re going to want to pick up any efficiency by designing a part that encourages that,” Edelman added. Meanwhile, San Antonio, Texas-based Hot Shot Tactical recently introduced its new P-Rail light mount and HS900 light. Hot Shot Tactical’s P-Rail light mount is a universal fit system that allows quick and easy placement of a light on any milspec Picatinny rail, according to Rick Masho, the company’s vice president of sales. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
“Talking to military, SWAT operators, etc., around the country, we felt that we needed something that actually attached right to the rail system [and] would still give the operator the option of quickly attaching or removing their light,” he said. “They loved that idea where you can transition quickly [and] give yourself more options with your light. This actually goes onto your rail system, the light snaps into it, and then when you need it back as a handheld, you can snap it back out quickly and use it as a handheld again.” Masho touted the fact that Hot Shot Tactical’s light includes a built-in zoom function so an operator can use it to switch from a floodlight to spotlight. “It literally runs on a double-A battery, which guys love because they’re not worried about finding power sources—you can find double-As just about anywhere,” Masho said.
The military’s purse strings may be tight, but the makers of weapons accessories say they continue to see a market for their wares. “We’re still doing some pretty good work with [SOCOM],” said MFT’s Edelman. “Their budget isn’t what it was, but it’s definitely a little bit stronger” than other parts of the military. The key to successfully marketing accessories is ensuring they deliver a tangible benefit, the accessory makers agreed. “Overall, the military is always going to continue to work to lighten the load or enhance the operational capability of the warfighter,” said Ryan Angold, director of business development for the Army and Marine Corps at ADS, a Virginia Beach, Va.-based distributor of tactical gear which works with a number of manufacturers. Even in a constrained budget environment, “lasers and sensors and lights will remain important, and we’re going to make sure our operators have the best of capabilities,” said Aloysius Boyle, ADS sales manager working with Army and Marine Corps. “Technology constantly seems to be improving, and the military wants to adapt to that.” “If it’s an upgrade that’s going to increase lethality, accuracy, or make the weapon lighter, then yes, I do think there’s an interest there. But I don’t think they’re going to be interested in things that don’t have that effect on the soldier,” agreed Robb Meng, ADS category manager for weapons and optics. As SOCOM and the rest of the military pinch their pennies, “they need to upgrade the current systems that they have to be more lethal, be more effective,” rather than acquire new weapons. One example is the upgraded spotting scope for sniper rifles, which ADS distributes, said Meng. “We’ve sold quite a few of those into the Marine Corps,” he added.
Upgrading Worn, Broken Weapons The military will be actively looking for product improvements for current weapons, such as a new upper receiver or barrel with longer life-span, Meng predicted. SOTECH 11.10 | 25
“As these weapons come back from theater, and they’re worn out and broken down, [the military] needs to upgrade them without buying a whole new system,” he said. ADS has put together what it calls its bolt and barrel kit (BBK), which creates one purchase source for a number of smaller replacement parts and accessories. “We’ve kitted a solution called the BBK that provides the armorer with the ability to buy one item and get everything he needs in that one item, so he doesn’t have to place six different small parts. He can buy everything from one source,” Meng said. Likewise, the parts and accessories business shouldn’t be seriously dented even with the drawdown of U.S. combat forces in Afghanistan, Meng predicted. “That weapon needs to fire whether we’re intheater or whether the guys are training,” he said. “They’re still shooting, regardless—whether it’s at the range or a shoothouse. As the [drawdown] happens, there’s going to more training—less in-theater shooting [and] more on-the-range shooting. I don’t see that business necessarily going dramatically down.”
Combat Support System Combat Support System (CSS) sells a different kind of weapons accessory, of the same name. The wall-mounted CSS holds an operator’s helmet, rifle and tactical vest, said Antonio Myers, co-owner of the company, and who devised the original version of the CSS as a contractor working in Afghanistan. “The whole purpose behind the CSS mainly was to get gear off of the ground, up [and] out-of-the-way but easily accessible,” he said. “Over there, soldiers maybe have a 6-by-6-foot space. It’s definitely a space-saver option.” With night-visible tape on key points, the CSS is a quick, easy, accessible way “to recognize your gear,” Myers said.
A soldier exits a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter in the village of DarrahI-Bum, Badghis province, Afghanistan. [Photo courtesy of DoD]
“In pitch-black darkness … you can easily recognize where you gear is, and not have to fumble around with it,” he said. “Over there, you usually have your gear all over the floor or kind of spread out … one of the main benefits is being able to get to your gear and recognize where it is at all times.” The CSS is lightweight, portable, and a special operator can pack it in his gear and take it to his next location, Myers said. Also, if an operator gets his tactical vest wet, the CSS gives him a place to allow it to air dry, he said. “This is life-saving and expensive military equipment,” he said. “There’s never been anything like this, and it’s something so simple and really could benefit our guys whenever they’re deployed.” O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Jeff Campbell at jcampbell@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Special Operations Technology
Michael J. Barthlow Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Iris Technology of power for sister forces while conducting coalition operations. This could potentially have a significant positive impact on our ability to sustain joint coalition operations in remote corners of the world where infrastructure and other traditional power sources are scarce.
Michael Barthlow is the executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Iris Technology Corporation. As an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, Barthlow served as chief of Joint Theater Data Networks for the U.S. Central Command and as communications and information systems officer of an artillery battalion at Camp Pendelton, Calif. Q: Please tell us about Iris Technology’s efforts to replace or reduce electricity use. A: Since 2009, Iris has been developing solar-based technologies to reduce warfighter fuel and battery consumption. One of our current thrusts is “hybrid” (solar plus generator) power systems for forward operating bases and combat outposts. We have learned a great deal about power management since our 2010 Marine Corps award for the solar portable alternative communications energy system (SPACES). Advancements in this technology have led to the SPACES II system and yielded our Merlin family of lightweight tactical radio power adapters and have been the basis for our 2012 award of the modular advanced hybrid power system, which will be an integrated power solution that combines solar power generation, energy storage and advanced diesel generator technology in an optimal configuration. Q: How do the solar portable alternative communications energy systems enhance SOF operators’ power capabilities in remote environments? A: SPACES enables SOF operators a way to charge their radio batteries with solar power, or any other available DC power source. This allows the operator to carry fewer batteries and to make room for additional C4ISR equipment or other critical supplies for extended remote operations. In addition, since this power manage28 | SOTECH 11.10
Q: What other types of systems is Iris working to develop? ment technology has been deployed in the Merlin tactical radio power adapters, users are able to directly connect solar panels to the Merlin attached to a radio and recharge the battery while operating the system during the day. Both the SPACES star power controller, offering up to 600 Watts of power and weighing 2.6 pounds, and Merlin power adapter offering up to 250 Watts at 1.8 pounds, allow for multiple additional input and output power configurations allowing remote users optimum mission flexibility and sustainability in a system. Q: How do Iris’ systems help reduce the footprint of SOF teams? A: SPACES reduces load of the operator by reducing the number of batteries required for use during extended remote operations. Our hybrid solar systems can significantly reduce fuel resupply operations. Iris Technology’s high-capacity, lightweight, flexible, compact solar panels, power management controllers and radio power adapters minimize the weight that needs to be carried into the field and still provide the power needs for the individual and/or team. Q: How do Iris’ radio adapters help troops operate more effectively with sister services and allies? A: With Iris renewable energy systems, U.S. forces can provide sustainable sources
A: High-capacity, greater than 1 kilowatthr lithium-ion battery assemblies; power and control electronics for space-borne payloads, such as cryocooler controllers for infrared sensors; and four Kelvin refrigerators to enable superconducting electronics applications. In fact, it is this adjacent work on cryocooler control electronics that we are able to leverage in the development of our tactical power management systems. The environmental and size, weight and power constraints of space payloads require very efficient, highly capable, low heat control systems. This knowledge and technical staff provide a great deal of insight into our current tactical product research and development. Q: What else would you like the SOF community to know about Iris’ commitment to providing operators with cuttingedge technology? A: I want the SOF operator to look at our success with the Marine Corps to date and consider it a starting point for innovation, collaboration and solutions for SOF. We are very proud of our culture of practical and deployable innovation and pride ourselves in anticipating and responding to the needs of the warfighter. As a former Marine and customer of Iris over a decade ago, I can attest to this culture of practical innovation firsthand, and am very excited to serve the current and future generations of SOF warfighters with the very best tactical in sustainable power technology. O www.SOTECH-kmi.com
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February 2014 Volume 12, Issue 1
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
James F. Geurts Deputy for Acquisition SOCOM Features SOF Sustainment Programs The longer SOF teams operate outside traditional supply lines, the more critical the need to find innovative ways to get them what they need to accomplish longterm missions. Modular Handgun Systems Our handy operators can replace the internal spring or trigger from a handgun many times over its life cycle, but the M9’s steel frame is at the end of its days. We look at the status of the modular handgun system competition. New Energy Sources Some energy sources won’t be around forever. Oceanic, solar and wind are a few of the renewable energy options that have the potential to sustain American forces far into the future.
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