Sotech 12 3 final

World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine

Special Section

King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center Anniversary

Partnership Promoter Vice Adm. Sean A. Pybus Commander NATO SOF HQ

Deployable Infrastructures O Disposable Mortar SOFIC Preview O Expanded Language Proficiencies

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

April 2014

Volume 12, Issue 3

Special Operations Technology Features

April 2014 Volume 12, Issue 3

Cover / Q&A

KASOTC Special Section

10

King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center Anniversary

A one-of-a kind special operations facility in Amman, Jordan, is celebrating its fifth year of delivering cutting-edge training. Join us for an inside look at the accomplishments of the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center.

Interview with Brigadier General Aref Alzaben

13

What We’ve Always Known

With an area of focus covering 20 Middle Eastern countries, theater special operations command central (SOCCENT) has been at the epicenter of OEF well over a dozen years.

The SOCCENT commander shares with SOTECH why fruitful progress there is directly attributable to trusting friendships.

Interview with Major General Michael K. Nagata

5

Shelter in Place There’s no place like home, but when the mission takes you beyond the FOB, your home-awayfrom-home, shelter options exist that provide a both a sturdy workspace and protection from the elements.

By William Murray

19

The Art of Communicating

To aid a local population in its defense against insurgencies, it helps to speak the language. To provide the best assistance possible, operators need to be more than proficient.

By John M. Doyle

Departments

22

26

Military, government and academia stakeholders will converge in Tampa in May for the annual special operations forces industry conference. In addition to updates from SOCOM leadership, defense partners will have new and updated systems on display for endusers’ examination.

By Jeff Campbell

The mortar has been around since before the Civil War. However, without expensive R&D, we can improve its performance capabilities further with existing technologies.

By William I. Oberholtzer

First Look

Doug Hazelman Vice President Product Strategy Veeam Software

28

Vice Admiral Sean A. Pybus Commander NATO SOF HQ

Tech Squeeze

Industry Interview

2 Editor’s Perspective 3 Whispers/People 14 BLack WAtch 27 Resource Center

16

“I view the ability to robustly share information and communicate using voice, video, and data across the NATO SOF enterprise as indispensable to our role as a central hub for all SOF related activities in the Alliance.”

—Vice Adm. Sean A. Pybus

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Special Operations Technology Volume 12, Issue 3 • April 2014

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 Ads and Materials Manager Jittima Saiwongnuan jittimas@kmimediagroup.com Senior Graphic Designer Scott Morris scottm@kmimediagroup.com Graphic Designers Andrea Herrera andreah@kmimediagroup.com Amanda Paquette amandak@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 Editor-In-Chief Jeff McKaughan jeffm@kmimediagroup.com Controller Gigi Castro gcastro@kmimediagroup.com Trade Show Coordinator Holly Foster hollyf@kmimediagroup.com

SOCOM’s leaders are taking turns at speaking directly to SOF families and friends about upcoming initiatives and current programs that impact them.

Last month, it was Lieutenant General John F. Mulholland Jr., SOCOM’s deputy director, who gave it a go. The general and his wife Miriam spent just over an hour addressing questions from the command’s Facebook page along with live queries via Google Hangout for the SOCOM virtual town hall.

Next month’s SOTECH just may be the last time we see the commander on the cover, as a well-deserved retirement is approaching. Admiral McRaven has taken on a few pet projects, which fellow SOCOM leaders have recently confirmed will see continued support once the commander does decide to Jeff Campbell Editor hang up his cover. At the 25th annual NDIA SO/LIC, it was the vice commander who reassured attendees that the tactical assault light operator suit wasn’t just a fancy idea, but a program the command is committed to. During the town hall, the deputy director addressed a topic that often comes up during these virtual town meetings: preservation of the force and families (POTFF). “Regardless of the change of command, we are committed to POTFF,” Mulholland said. “POTFF is now a program of record within the U.S. SOCOM budget,” he added, confirming that POTFF is a done deal.

While some things are set in stone, budget concerns remain a bit more fluid, forcing SOCOM’s decision makers to weigh what’s needed most. “We can be responsive in fielding new equipment, but it’s a challenge,” Mulholland said. “You’ve got to find the balance between your current needs and your future needs. We work with industry so they can bring us technology that’s already developed.”

Whether you’re an industry vendor just getting your feet wet with SOCOM, or have fully leaped in, took in what you learned about the command’s needs at the recent SO/LIC event, and are armed with the latest piece of kit that might just be missing from the SOF toolbox, you’re ahead of the curve. SOTECH’s giving you an inside look at what’s on the mind of many a special operator as we take a tour of the global SOF network in these pages, having a peek at what’s in store next month at SOFIC, hearing how the NATO Special Operations Headquarters is strengthening the bond between Allied SOF, and celebrating five years of world-class training at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center.

Operations, Circulation & Production Operations Administrator Bob Lesser bobl@kmimediagroup.com Circulation & Marketing Administrator Duane Ebanks duanee@kmimediagroup.com Circulation Barbara Gill barbg@kmimediagroup.com Denise Woods denisew@kmimediagroup.com Data Specialist Raymer Villanueva raymerv@kmimediagroup.com

KMI MedIa Group LeadershIp MaGazInes and WebsItes Border Security & Emergency Preparedness

Ground Combat Technology

Geospatial Intelligence Forum

Military Advanced Education

Military Information Technology

Border Threat Prevention and CBRNE Response

A Proud Memberof:

Military Logistics Forum The Publication of Record for the Military Logistics Community

Subscription Information

Special Operations Technology

ISSN 1552-7891 is published 10 times a year

by KMI Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction without permission is strictly forbidden. © Copyright 2014.

Special Operations Technology is free to qualified members of the U.S. military, employees of the U.S. government and non-U.S. foreign service based in the U.S. All others: $75 per year.

Foreign: $159 per year.

Corporate Offices KMI Media Group 15800 Crabbs Branch Way, Suite 300 Rockville, MD 20855-2604 USA Telephone: (301) 670-5700 Fax: (301) 670-5701 Web: www.SOTECH-kmi.com

SPECIAL PULL-OUT SUPPLEMENT USTRANSCOM

Border Guardian Michael J. Fisher

Resource Aligner Vice Adm. William A. “Andy” Brown

www.BSEP-kmi.com

March 2014 Volume 3, Issue 1

www.MLF-kmi.com

November/December 2013 Volume 7, Issue 10

Chief U.S. Border Patrol

Deputy Commander U.S. Transportation Command

Aerostats O CBRN Decon O Responder Comms O DHS NextGen IT Night Vision O Cargo Screening

Reverse Auctions O Defense Transportation O Afghanistan Retrograde ILS O Supply Chain Efficiencies O DMSMS O Senior Logisticians

Exclusive Interview with:

GAIL JORGENSON Acquisition Director USTRANSCOM

www.BSEP-kmi.com

www.GCT-kmi.com

Military Medical Military Training & Veterans Technology Affairs Forum

www.M2VA-kmi.com

www.MT2-kmi.com

www.GIF-kmi.com

www.MAE-kmi.com

www.MIT-kmi.com

www.MLF-kmi.com

Navy Air/Sea PEO Forum

Special Operations Technology

Tactical ISR Technology

U.S. Coast Guard Forum

www.TISR-kmi.com

www.CGF-kmi.com

www.NPEO-kmi.com www.SOTECH-kmi.com

WHISPERS

Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

USASOAC Looks at Corrosion U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command used their recent corrosion symposium to discuss the way forward in corrosion control and to build stronger relationships with corrosion subject matter experts.

“We saw the symposium as a great effort to expand and continue to build our collaborative relationship with the Army’s corrosion prevention community,” said Sergeant Major Michael A. McClenahan, USASOAC G4 sergeant major. “We were able to discuss corrosion prevention training, proper reporting and proper storing of items to reduce the amount of corrosion. All of this should reduce the overall cost associated with equipment sustainment.”

Over the course of the two-day symposium, subject matter experts spoke on a variety of topics related to corrosion. Some of the events included a briefing from Corpus Christie Army Depot Commander Colonel Billingsley Pogue, an information brief on the monitoring of class-nine aircraft parts and a walkthrough of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)(Airborne) buildings, which showcased some of the steps USASOAC has taken to reduce the risk of corrosion.

“We covered a fairly broad spectrum, especially considering we were limited to a two-day

event,” said Timothy L. Morgan, the USASOAC G4’s special projects coordinator for the Aviation Maintenance Sustainment Branch. “By the time you factor in some movement around the facility and lunch, we were really stuffing 13 pounds of sugar into a 10-pound sack.

“We did a walkthrough of our Allison Aquatics Training Facility, where our soldiers train how to egress an aircraft in an overwater ditching situation,” he continued. “The facility is plagued by corrosion due to the chlorinated water and water spray on a daily basis. We were able to highlight our plan to dehumidify the entire facility as well as a tentative plan to provide a clear water rinse system to the entire inside of the building.”

Knowing the attendees had a broad background in corrosion experience, Morgan wanted to ensure they were all aware of the importance of working together to develop a common solution to the problem.

“Our biggest emphasis during the symposium was that this is not SOAR(A) on its own,” Morgan said. “We wanted to encourage dialogue and participation across the Army and even other services. Each individual unit doesn’t need to spend its resources individually to accomplish the

same goals. We show the most responsibility by all sharing in the endeavor on both an informational and fiscal level.”

In an effort to do their part and cut down on additional corrosion costs, USASOAC recently had a cocoon wrap put around a metal-framed pole barn they use for parts storage. The attendees had a chance to walk through the barn and see how a cost-effective building wrap could help prevent corrosion and save a lot of money in parts down the road.

While attendees were briefed about the effectiveness of the wraps, they were still reminded that even inside a building, all personnel are responsible for taking the necessary precautions to prevent equipment damage.

“The single most important thing soldiers can do to prevent their equipment from corroding is to be able to identify the problem so that he or she can clean and treat the corroded area and save the Army billions of dollars,” said Master Sergeant Mark B. Baker, the USASOAC G4 Aviation Maintenance Support Branch sergeant major.

By Staff Sergeant Thaddius S. Dawkins II, U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command

PEOPLE

Lt. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold

Air Force Lieutenant General Bradley A. Heithold has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. Heithold is currently serving as the vice

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Base, Ill. Caruso comes to AFSOC from Special Operations CommandKorea and arrives in April.

Major General Edward M. Reeder Jr., commander, Special Operations Joint Task Force-Bragg, U.S. Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., has been assigned to commander, Special Operations Joint Task ForceAfghanistan/North Atlantic Treaty Organization Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.

Brigadier General Christopher G. Cavoli, deputy commanding general (Operations), 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, has been assigned to commanding general, Joint Multinational Training Command, U.S. Army Europe and Seventh Army, Germany.

Chief Master Sgt. Matthew Caruso

Chief Master Sergeant Matthew Caruso was recently named the command chief for Air Force Special Operations Command. Chief Master Sergeant Bill Turner left AFSOC in March to become the senior enlisted leader of U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force

Brigadier General Ronald F. Lewis, deputy commanding general (Support), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort

Campbell, Ky., has been assigned to chief of public affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Army, Washington, D.C. Command Sergeant Major Lyle Marsh became the new command sergeant major 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Campbell on March 7.

Tactical & Survival Specialties Inc. (TSSi) President and CEO Bill Strang has announced the selection of Phil Scheible as TSSi’s vice president of business development.

SOTECH 12.3 | 3

WHISPERS

Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

Taking Special Operations Forces Academic Training into the Future Leadership from throughout U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base and the local community gathered at MacDill Air Force Base to break ground for a state-of-the-art education facility that will take special operations forces academic training into the future.

The first shovels full of dirt were thrown for the construction of the Joint Special Operations University at the facility’s new site across the street from the SOCOM headquarters building. Participating in the ground-breaking was Dr. Brian Maher, JSOU president; Army Lieutenant General John Mulholland, SOCOM deputy commander; Retired Army General Doug Brown, former SOCOM commander and chairman of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation; Command Sergeant Major David Betz, JSOU senior enlisted advisor; Bob Buckhorn, mayor of Tampa; Retired Vice Admiral Joe Maguire, former commander of Naval Special Warfare Command and president of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation; Air Force Colonel Andre Briere, 6th Air Mobility Wing vice commander; and Army Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Nelson, Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District deputy commander During his opening remarks, Maher credited three previous SOCOM commanders with making JSOU what it is today: retired Army General Pete Schoomaker, who envisioned JSOU and launched it at Hurlburt Field, Fla.; Brown, who ensured JSOU grew; and retired Admiral Eric Olson, who kept the vision alive. Maher said it was Brown who was mostly responsible for the current state of the academic institute.

“From the onset, he saw the vision of the Joint Special Ops University co-located with the headquarters, but he didn’t just talk about it—he acted on it,” Maher said. “He also saw a JSOU that was expanding beyond just a classroom and just the couple of courses we were doing at Hurlburt. So it

wasn’t just a small building, a make-do building, it was a true world-class facility that he envisioned and made sure that the money and the concepts were there to use that building in the way he envisioned. He truly is the man that got us to this place, stuck with the vision and kept that alive during his tenure.”

Mulholland praised the efforts of JSOU and added this is the right time to modernize and expand.

“This couldn’t come at a better time,” he said. “As we endeavor to ensure America’s special operations force remains relevant to our nation’s security requirements of tomorrow, it’s abundantly clear that the need for a highly and appropriately educated special operations force is essential to that.”

The new 90,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in the fall of 2015, will serve as the hub for joint and combined SOF education for U.S., international and interagency personnel. The building will have 16 classrooms, an auditorium, two lectionaries, a research library and a room for classified briefings.

JSOU was established in September 2000 with the mission to develop SOF and enablers for operational and strategic leadership; to educate military and civilian leadership in the employment of SOF; and to conduct research on issues on national security issues critical to the SOF community. Last year more than 8,200 special operations, interagency and international students, from enlisted members to executive leaders, participated in various seminars and courses offered by the university. Currently, JSOU is working to earn accreditation as a degree-granting university to better serve the needs of the nation’s special operations forces.

By Marine Corps Master Sergeant F.B. Zimmerman

Tribute to Stray 59 A 1st Special Operations Squadron (SOS) crew conducted their annual wreath drop February 26 off the coast of the Philippines to pay tribute to the crew of Stray 59.

Stray 59 was the call sign of an MC-130E from the 1st SOS that crashed February 26, 1981, during an exercise, killing eight of the nine crewmembers and 15 special operators that were passengers. The memorial flight has been flown by the 1st SOS every year since the crash.

“It’s an honor to pay tribute to our fallen Stray Goose comrades and remember their sacrifice,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mike Jackson, 1st SOS commander and aircraft commander for the memorial flight. “By nature in our SOF community, events like this truly resonate. We don’t forget, and we view our heritage as a real resource even as we continually look ahead to improve how we execute our ops. It was a gorgeous day in the Philippines and over the memorial DZ. The mission was flown to Talon II and 1st SOS standards.

We’re proud to keep this tradition going.”

By Technical Sergeant Kristine Dreyer, 353rd Special Operations Group public affairs

4 | SOTECH 12.3

POTFF Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) providers gathered for an immersion day to learn about the missions of the 1st Special Operations Wing and its units at Hurlburt Field, Fla., March 11, 2014.

POTFF is a U.S. Special Operations Command initiative focused on helping special operations forces and their families.

“Our mission within POTFF is to be proactive in helping airmen and their family members achieve their goals,” said Marisa Olin, 1st Special Operations Mission Support Group family support coordinator.

The team of POTFF providers includes social workers, psychologists, military family life counselors and family support coordinators who are assigned to each of the 1st SOW’s groups, the Airman & Family Readiness Center or Hurlburt’s chapel. Those working in specific groups integrate themselves in the units so airmen become more comfortable seeking help.

By Senior Airman Michelle Patten, 1st Special Operations Wing public affairs www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Deployable infrastructures become more durable, energy efficient and easier to set up.

By William Murray SOTECH Correspondent

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Deployable infrastructures, long the province of disaster relief operators, are now set to take down tents as the tool of choice for U.S. military planners. Rapid deployability, energy efficiency, ease of set up and durability are three key features that special operations forces want to see with deployable infrastructures, according to four leading vendors with decades of experience supplying such units to the U.S. military.

Sequestration and budget cuts have forced many government agencies to conduct temporary facility support training without using outside resources, according to Richard M. Cheek, emergency management director for business development at Deployed Resources LLC, of Rome, N.Y., who spoke with SOTECH just days before the fiscal 2014 federal budgets received congressional approval. The reduced conventional force operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have also clearly played a role in reduced military ordering of deployable infrastructures, but operations activity and budgetary outlays by the U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa, Fla., will likely be steady for years to come, given current trends.

Vendors provide a range of expandable and non-expandable products and services for forward operating bases and other specialized SOF requirements, including deployable dog kennels, secret compartmented information facilities, container showers and sinks, restrooms, and shelters for smaller groups of forces, generally 60 to 75 operators. Vendors also provide mobile laundries, mobile showers and restrooms, command centers, billeting facilities, and temporary water, power and sewer systems to the U.S. Special Operations Command, enabling operators to focus on what they do best.

These deployable structures can generally be set up within a day, and many users benefit from more energy-efficient LED lighting oftentimes available through the units. The bread and butter of the vendors is providing military standard 463L air mobility pallets to military organizations.

Special operations forces are among the only military customers that continue to purchase new equipment during this budgetary lean period, according to Mark Pickett, vice president of sales and marketing at AAR Mobility Systems, a Cadillac, Mich.-based global supplier of rapid deployment equipment and mobile SOTECH  12.3 | 5

tactical shelters. U.S. Special Operations Command has “force strengthening priorities,” so officials set money in the budget for deployables, he said.

His company provides specially-manufactured internal airlift/helicopter slingable container units.

AAR Mobility Systems, which has provided its products and services to the military for more than 45 years, is seeing an increase in services businesses, as some government agencies decide to maintain existing deployable infrastructure, according to Pickett. “They are looking to repair and sustain the assets they have on hand,” Pickett said. His company’s services unit has been busy in recent months as a result of this trend.

“Ruggedization and durability, the ability to be reliable, are very important” to special operators, according to Pickett. Many of the vendors that specialize in the military market provide products that meet mil-spec standards for transportation through air, land, rail and sea.

Energy efficiency is becoming more important to military users of deployables, according to Morgan Brooke, vice president at CAMSS Shelters, a Monroe, Wash.based company founded in 1985 initially In business with the military for nearly a half-century, AAR Mobility Systems provides specially-manufactured container units. [Photo to provide rapidly-deployable, lightweight, courtesy of AAR Mobility Systems] durable shelters to specialized customers Thermacam directs hot air away from a CAMSS Shelters supplies the CAMSin remote and harsh environments, includdeployable shelter, and reduces the footS15HD, a ruggedized, all-weather military ing handling wind loads and snow loads. print and collects power by using efficient shelter system that can be Some military users like the solar panels. set up by two personnel flexible configurations avail“We’re constantly developing shelters within 30 minutes, accordable through some of CAMSS that are lighter weight,” said Brooke, who ing to company officials. The Shelters products. has worked with CAMSS Shelters since CAMSS15HD provides 70 CAMSS Shelters worked 1998. This process includes testing materipounds per square foot snow in Iraq with the U.S. Air als for use with the shelters, which are made load for extreme conditions.

Force to supply deployable with aluminum frames and mil-spec fabric Personnel can operate it in a field hospitals during U.S. covers. CAMSS Shelters sells a one-piece wide range between negative military operations there. frame system with reduced dependence on 55 degrees to 125 degrees “They want something that’s power and air conditioning.

Fahrenheit. going to last,” Brooke said of Richard Cheek Nick Catanzariti, vice president of sales If a deployable shelter is U.S. military officials. at Sea Box Inc. of Cinnaminson, N.J., a new CAMSS Shelters sells rmcheek@deployedresources.com energy efficient enough that and used intermodal storage box manufacone air conditioning unit can everything from aircraft turer for shipping and cargo, cited the cost cool two shelters, then milihangars to billeting shelters, of fuel during OEF’s peak and transportatary buyers are more interand its Air Force and Army tion costs as the cause for the need for ested in it, since products customers have acquired and lightweight, energy-efficient products durlike CAMSS SolarFly can deployed 2.5 million square ing deployments. Sea Box sells units that show a 50 percent or greater feet of its shelters to the field, are collapsible down to 2 feet, and users can drop in energy consumption. making the company a leadstack the containers on top of each other for According to CAMSS offiing provider. Military buyers greater energy efficiency. cials, CAMSS Insulcam can don’t just want shelters that Sea Box is providing at least 43 expandreduce air conditioning by are durable, but ones that able bicon shelters (EBS) to the U.S. Air 42 percent in extremely hot drastically reduce energy Nick Catanzariti Force through a five-year, multimillion temperatures, while CAMSS consumption in the field.

6 | SOTECH 12.3

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

We don’t just build shelters...

AAR’s 20-Foot ISO Shelter modified for use in an LCS as a berthing module • built and tested to MIL-S-901D, Grade B Shock • can function as a berthing module, as well as SCIF, mobile medical, and training functions • provides a means of egress for personnel and equipment with an escape hatch and a personnel door • mechanical securing rails installed on interior walls and ceiling • end wall has an apature for an ECU and one for an electrical service panel

we build your shelters.

Because it’s not a one-size-fits-all world, we design, build, and integrate shelters to meet your specific mission requirements. From LCS Berthing Modules to C4ISR Systems to Expeditionary Units, our lightweight, rugged shelters are rapidly deployable and can be integrated and deployed to any environment via air, land, or sea.

AAR’s 20-Foot MECC ISO Shelter used to test and trouble-shoot electrical systems on M1 Abrams tanks.

AAR’s 20-Foot Expandable 3:1 ISO Shelter rack ready for use as Command and Control Center.

201 Haynes St. • Cadillac, MI 49601 • 800.355.2015 • Mobility.Systems@aarcorp.com • www.AARMobilitySystems.com

dollar GSA Schedule contract, with fully containerized hygiene systems that are mobile, deployable and capable of being rapidly packed up for transport, storage and redeployment throughout the world.

Each EBS features two shower containers, two latrine containers, and a full connectivity kit with storage container that allows the system’s electric and plumbing to be easily connected to the military’s current utility system. The insulated containers that make up this system can be heated or cooled to comfortable temperatures even in extreme weather conditions and are substantially more energy-efficient than current tent-based hygiene systems.

Four expandable bicons, 10 feet by 8 feet in dimension and ISO-certified, make up each EBS. When deployed, each bicon expands to triple in size.

Each Sea Box shower bicon offers six shower stalls with curtains, six sinks with internal water heater, six mirrors and shelves, and benches and towel hooks.

Each latrine bicon provides six toilets with privacy doors, four urinals, and two sinks with mirrors and shelves, according to company officials. All bicons have energy-efficient LED lighting and low-flow water fixtures. Each system includes a connectivity kit with all of the hoses, pumps, electric cables, and environmental control

MILITARY PILOTS COUNT ON DAVID CLARK AVIATION HEADSETS FOR CLEAR COMMUNICATION

Rugged reliability, clear communication and proven performance — these are the reasons why military pilots all over the world count on David Clark aviation headsets.

The most trusted name in military aviation.

For more information call 800-298-6235 or visit www.davidclark.com Made In USA

© 2013 David Clark Company Incorporated ® Green headset domes are a David Clark registered trademark.

230-28725 MILAV 485x69 SOTECH.indd 1

8 | SOTECH 12.3

w w w. d av i d c l a r k . c o m

connections necessary to give it quick setup capabilities with the standard military BEAR utility system.

A team of four, according to Sea Box officials, can set up the hygiene systems in the field within three hours.

Shelters are expandable so that they can accommodate a kitchen and sink for hygiene, which is critically important for readiness and personnel effectiveness. Customers for the hygiene shelters include the Air Force. “They can be fully insulated and integrated with electricity,” Catanzariti said of his company’s shelters. Sea Box is seeing government agencies that want to integrate showers, kitchens and other needs into rigid wall containers for deployment, with the ability to accommodate fire suppressor systems.

The advantage of some deployable units over tents is that constructing a floor with planks for a tent can be time consuming, according to Catanzariti. The Air Force has used wooden beam tents during deployments. “Rigid wall shelters are easier,” he said. “The military is moving more and more toward rigid wall shelters,” he said.

One can also stack shelters on top of each other to ensure greater insulation and energy efficiency. “It gives you one-half the [energy] footprint,” he said.

A key factor is the meeting of military specifications for shipment on military planes, ships and other transportation options. Sea Box, for example, has customizable deployable equipment that meets mil specs for ocean cargo containers. “They are built for EMI and SCIF requirements,” Catanzariti said.

In terms of durability, according to Catanzariti, military customers are using some deployable equipment with an eye towards a 20-year life cycle.

CAMSS Structures sells to the Air Force, Army and Department of Homeland Security, among other agencies. Officials at Aberdeen Providing Ground, Md., tested a $10,000 shelter by CAMSS Structures, repeating the setup process 50 times, and the unit showed durability. The best recorded setup time was three minutes and 15 seconds.

“Turnkey equipment for forward operating bases is our specialty,” Cheek said.

Deployed Resources holds a GSA Schedule contract and is a veteran-owned small business that is ISO 9001/14001 certified and owns all its equipment and self performs all its work, according to Cheek. Deployed

3/29/13 11:06 AM

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Resources was the first “green” base camp provider in 2012, and the company is in compliance with Army Net Zero initiatives for energy efficiency.

In business since 2001 when the 9/11 terrorist attacks enabled the company to provide quick response services for Federal Emergency Management Agency and support personnel, Deployable Resources manufactures equipment for a 75-person special operations contingent, just as it fabricates equipment for a 2,000-person camp responding to a natural disaster.

Deployed Resources is one of FEMA’s five approved vendors for natural disaster response. Setup can take about 24 hours for a deployed structure to serve a 75-person camp, according to Cheek.

Deployed Resources has played a role in many disaster response operations in the United States during the last 13 years, from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina to Superstorm Sandy. “My truck is ready” for quick disaster response deployment, Cheek said. Deployed Resources has also shown flexibility in

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

providing long-term lease facilities to military customers through operations and maintenance funds to enable sites to be active while military customers wait for military construction funds to become available.

In addition to some level of flexibility, one requirement among military customers interested in deployable equipment, according to AAR Mobility Systems’ Pickett, is for shelters to be specially configured so that they have electromagnetic interference shielding. AAR Mobility Systems sells more than 600 products through its GSA Schedule contract, making it a one-stop shop for some military organizations, with approximately 160 products sold through a Defense Logistics Agency contract. AAR Mobility Systems officials have spent a lot of time in Tampa, Fla., speaking with U.S. Special Operations Command officials about their emerging needs for customization in deployable units and demonstrating the company’s products and capabilities, building upon the special operations work the company already performs.

AAR Mobility Systems sells a 20-foot aluminum ISO container, which is a berthing shelter for use on littoral combat ships that meets Navy 901D Grade B shock tests.

AAR Mobility Systems also sells expandable shelters for operations on formal operating command and control facilities. In addition, AAR Mobility Systems sells rapidly deployable mobile tactile shelter systems and air cargo pallets and palletized systems.

In June 2013, AAR Mobility Systems announced that the Army had passed its lightweight multipurpose shelter (LMS) Type V through first article testing, a key milestone in the production and delivery of a shelter system. The Army uses LMS shelters mounted on HMMWVs to house and operate command and control equipment for situational awareness and tactical support in theaters of operation. 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.

SOTECH 12.3 | 9

KASOTC Special Section

King Abdullah Special Operations Training Center Anniversary World class special operations center has five-year plan to enhance training.

Brigadier General Aref Alzaben Deputy Director General/Military Commandant King Abdullah Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) Aref Alzaben graduated from the Royal Jordanian Military Academy in 1986. His first assignment was to the 82nd Airborne Battalion, where he served as an airborne platoon leader. Since 1988, he has been deeply involved in counterterrorism, serving in the Jordanian Counterterrorism Company in the 101st Special Forces Battalion from squad assault leader to team leader, commander of the rapid intervention team, special forces instructor, intelligence officer in the 71st Counter Terrorism (CT) unit since its establishment, and military information officer at the former Yugoslavia with the U.N. protection forces. He was assigned as an exchange officer with the U.S. Army, at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, N.C.; upon his return to Jordan Special Forces he was reassigned at the special forces school to train the Jordanian Special Forces.

On March 16, 1999, under the direction and guidance of His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein, Alzaben was assigned as the commander of 71st CT Battalion (CTB), which he led until August 21, 2002. After graduation from staff college in Jordan, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. His Majesty the King then reassigned Alzaben to command the 71st CTB once again.

In 2004, Alzaben attended the first program on terrorism and security studies seminar at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, 10 | SOTECH 12.3

where he was selected as a guest speaker for several senior executive seminars.

In 2005, Alzaben attend the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., for nine months under the Regional Defense Counterterrorism Fellowship program, and graduated from the School for National Security Executive Education in the Counter Terrorism Fellow Program. In 2007, Alzaben was assigned as the adviser to the commander of Yemen’s Republican Guard and the special forces.

In 2008 Alzaben was transferred from the Joint Special Operations Command to be a member of the oversight strategy board for KASOTC. In 2010, he commanded Task Force 222/C in Afghanistan with the international security assistance force (ISAF), as part of the U.S. 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. During his command in Afghanistan he was awarded the U.S. Meritorious Service Medal from the president of the United States for his exceptionally meritorious service in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the ISAF. During his command, Alzaben was responsible for creating and implementing an information operations campaign called Voices of Modern Islam to win hearts and minds through the support of the local population.

After the completion of the mission in Afghanistan he was assigned as the commander of King Abdullah II, 37th Royal Special Forces Brigade. After two and a half years serving as special forces

commander, Alzaben transferred to KASOTC as deputy director general/military commandant.

In 2012, Alzaben was awarded the Special Operations Command Medal by Admiral William H. McRaven.

Q: Congratulations on KASOTC’s fifth anniversary. Tell me about the facility’s background and history and how far you have come in the five years since opening the doors.

A: On May 19, 2009, King Abdullah II of Jordan officially opened the 1,235-acre KASOTC, located approximately 35 kilometers outside Amman, Jordan, which made the goal of strengthening regional cooperation a reality.

KASOTC is a 500-acre state-of-the-art training center that is the world’s first and largest special forces training facility of its kind, specializing in counterterrorism and internal security missions. This worldclass training complex is located northeast of Amman, and provides an environment for U.S. allied forces to improve their skills through realistic training scenarios and combined exercises on common ground where they can learn from each others’ real life operational experience. The site facilitates multilateral partnerships that leverage participating nations’ experience, expertise and resources. Users will have access to a multi-use tower; 100- and 300meter live-fire, tactical, driving and urban ranges; and classroom facilities. www.SOTECH-kmi.com

KASOTC is a state-of-the-art special operations forces training center with the capability to provide SOF units an environment to enhance their operational capabilities.

Q: Are the facilities available for friendly country forces to reserve or lease for their own specific training requirements?

A: The center is open for all friendly forces and special operations groups to conduct their own approved training at KASOTC; also, they can coordinate with the KASOTC training division to use existing KASOTC specially tailored programs. His Majesty King Abdullah II has said, “We believe that if your partners are strong, then you will be strong.”

Q: How often do you host joint training exercises with partner special forces units? Can you add capacity or are you booked heavily throughout the year?

A: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is an ally in the fight against global terrorism. “Jordan continues to be a key partner and play a positive role in the region,” former U.S. Central Command Commander General David H. Petraeus said in a statement to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. “Jordan participates in many regional security initiatives and has placed itself at the forefront of police and military training for regional security forces.” In addition to its regular participation in multilateral training exercises, Jordan promotes regional cooperation and builds partner capacity through its KASOTC. KASOTC is a premier training facility and a training destination to all friendly forces throughout the world. We are heavily booked for training and exercises throughout the year.

Q: Are the training facilities at KASOTC considered finished or are there aspects and elements that you still wish to add?

A: KASOTC is always expanding on our training facilities, either by actual training grounds or in customizing training programs. www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Q: There was talk of adding maritime training facilities, perhaps in Aqaba. Is that still under consideration?

A: The project is still under consideration and we are in the process of finalizing blueprints to create such facility to enhance KASOTC’s maritime training programs. Maritime training still takes place at Aqaba in coordination with our counterpart Unit 71 at their maritime training facility.

Q: Do you have industry partners that supply you with systems such as targeting and range systems, cameras and surveillance systems, weapons for training purposes, special effects (sound, smells, lighting, etc.)?

A: The instrumented KASOTC military operations on urban terrain (MOUT) site developed by General Dynamics replicates a real-life urban environment and supports four simultaneous training operations.

The site includes 56 training buildings and a mock A300 aircraft fuselage; a centralized and integrated range operations center to monitor and control all audio, video, special effects and target technology; networked day/night thermal cameras with 360-degree coverage to capture exercises for after action review; soundeffect speakers that project hundreds of realistic sounds, including shouts, animal noises and gunfire; integrated targetry; and special effects, such as rooftop explosion with debris, a concussion wave cannon, an automatic weapons simulator, simulated smells, a fog generator and an improvised explosive device kit.

Zannie Smith, senior vice president of General Dynamics Information Technology’s Army solutions division, has said, “Providing realistic and high-quality training is paramount to successful combat readiness. We are proud and excited to be a part of the development and operational team for this premier training facility. The KASOTC instrumented MOUT site was built with the latest technology available and allows us to share this expertise with our government’s allies, adding to their combat effectiveness and supporting their security interests.”

Q: What are the expectations for the next five years at KASOTC? A: Continue to enhance our training capabilities. We at KASOTC remain a key and valuable partner in the fight against violent extremists and contribute significantly to regional stability, security, counter-terror training, and host major initiatives for developing security capabilities.

Jordan was the first country to bring attention to the issue of terrorism falsely linking itself to Islamic religion, and the role of His Majesty King Abdullah II has been important in clarifying the picture to western public opinion by issuing a document (Amman Message). The reason for the Amman Message was to identify throughout the Islamic world and also to the West what Islam means, what our tenets are, and what our beliefs are.

All those that take the lives of innocent people, that live on destruction and hatred, they have nothing to do with it. Then in fact, the word extremist is wrong.

You can’t be a Muslim extremist or Christian extremist or Jewish extremist because if you are Jewish, Christian or Muslim, you believe in the rule of God and that does not allow you to do the crimes that these extremists do. So we’re trying to get the moderate majority of Muslims to stand up. The Amman Message started as a detailed statement released the eve of the 27th of Ramadan 1425 AH (November 9, 2004 CE) by H.M. King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein in Amman, Jordan.

Q: The annual Warrior Competition is hosted by KASOTC and the Jordanian armed forces. This year’s event takes place April 30-May 5. Please share the background of the competition with us.

A: The Warrior Competition was originated to complement the grand opening of KASOTC in May 2009. It started with humble beginnings, seeing only three teams competing after only a month of preparation. Since then, it has been held annually and now sees more than 30 teams participating each year.

SOTECH 12.3 | 11

KASOTC Special Section Q: Now this year, tell me about the teams that you are expecting. Do you send out open invitations and accept the first to respond or do you try and geographically spread out the competing teams for a more global feel?

A: Invitations are sent out every year at the pleasure of the Jordan Armed Forces.

Typically, teams that are allowed to attend must represent a military or law enforcement entity. This year, we are expecting in the neighborhood of 30 teams representing a variety of countries, which span the globe.

Q: What events will the teams be competing in? Are there any new events this year?

A: This year, we have created all new events. Some of the events will embody components of some of our favorite past events. You will see much more of KASOTC’s training areas utilized for the events this year. Additionally, the event names and descriptions are more vague this year as to increase the “mystery factor” and see how the teams can respond to short-term planning.

Q: Are there countries that have professional competition teams? How do teams from more operational units fare when up against teams that work together for longer periods of time?

A: Yes, some countries/units have the benefit of experienced competitive teams that may remain together and train for various worldwide competitions. On the other end of the spectrum is a forwarddeployed and operational team, possibly on a ship, that attends the competition because they happen to be in the region.

While this is a competition to test skills, there is some benefit that comes with having the experience of past competitions to leverage. Some very capable and combat-proficient teams may not always be able to showcase their talents in competition form as well as they have in real-world operations. While winning the competition crowns you as the champion in this venue, it does not say you are the 12 | SOTECH 12.3

U.S. and Jordanian special forces train together at the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC), a turn-key facility ideal for pre-deployment training. The center marks five years May 19. [Photo courtesy of KASOTC]

best on a battlefield or real-world operation. All these teams train to fight crime and terrorism to keep their countries safe and their ability to be successful in that arena is the real test. The most important by-product of the competition is the ability for all the different teams to build professional networks and friendships.

Q: Do you have industry partners that you work with to make the event come together?

A: SOFEX is a long-time partner of KASOTC and the Warrior Competition and we always try to coordinate efforts during their Special Operations Forces Exhibit every two years. Additionally, several of KASOTC’s former instructors work with MissionX and have experience with past Warrior Competitions. Therefore, they are value added to the KASOTC team when organizing the event. This year we will also see two wounded combat veterans who received life-changing injuries working alongside our other “event officials.” That means you will see these guys out there managing live-fire events and running ranges.

Q: What do you hope teams take away from the Warrior Competition when it’s all over?

A: First and foremost, I hope they come to see what an impressive facility KASOTC is and how it can aid them in their training programs. Just as equally important is the hope that they will use this opportunity to break down the walls between them and build some lasting relationships with other teams. After all, this is a counterterrorism training center and we are all allies in this fight to protect our countries and communities.

Q: How do you think the 2015 Warrior Competition will top this year’s event?

A: That is a tough one. However, I take comfort knowing that KASOTC has assembled an all-star staff under Brigadier General Aref Zaben’s leadership and that sets the stage for creative ideas and even more efficiency. Watch out 2015! 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.

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

What We’ve Always Known Human nature axiom reviewed: friends more willing to trust, take risks than strangers.

Major General Michael K. Nagata Commander U.S. Special Operations Command, Central Major General Michael K. Nagata serves as commander, Special Operations Command Central, a sub-unified command of CENTCOM. He and his wife, Barbara, have five children.

Commissioned as an infantry officer in 1982, he served with the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry in South Korea until 1983. In 1984, he joined Army Special Forces, and served in 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) until 1987.

After attending the infantry officers advanced course, he again served with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Okinawa, Japan. In 1990, he joined a special mission unit where he served as a troop commander until 1994.

After attending the U.S. Marine Corps command and general staff college, he returned to the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Fort Lewis where he served as the 3rd Battalion Executive Officer and the Group Operations Officer until 1997.

He then served in a special mission unit as an operations officer until assuming command of 1st Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group at Fort Bragg in 1999, where he was responsible for the special forces qualification course. From 2000 to 2002, he served as a squadron commander in a special mission unit.

After graduating from the national war college, he served in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence until 2005. He then assumed command of a special mission unit, and served there until 2008.

He then served within the intelligence community as a deputy director for counterterrorism until 2009. From 2009 to 2011, he deployed to Islamabad, Pakistan, where he served as the deputy chief, Office of the Defense Representative to Pakistan.

From 2011 to the summer of 2013, he served as the deputy director for special www.SOTECH-kmi.com

operations and counter terrorism (J-37) of the Joint Staff.

Nagata has deployed extensively throughout his career, participating in contingency and combat operations in such varied locales as Somalia, the Balkans and Iraq.

foreign SOF, counterterrorism and security forces. We have learned how much we have in common with regional and international SOF elements that all are concerned with the enduring terrorist and extremist threat that continues to challenge much of the world.

Q: What do you consider to be some of the most important lessons of the past decade of conflict?

Q: What benefits are gained from your relationships with other military commanders in the area, such as Jordan, Afghanistan, Bahrain and Qatar?

A: The principal lesson we should absorb is that special operations forces must continue to change. In many ways, the entire approach of SOF to war, insurgency and terrorism has been fundamentally altered by the crucible of these years, and we have learned a great deal about how to generate mission effectiveness in an increasingly complex world and against increasingly adaptive adversaries. But that journey is incomplete, and probably will never be finished. If change is the key to success, the lesson we should draw is that continued change is vital, necessary and irreplaceable.

Of course, nothing is more difficult than constant change, but it is the key to unlocking our future whether we like it or not.

Q: As you travel in the CENTCOM area of responsibility, what have you learned?

A: We have learned that our region presents a very diverse and complex character. For example, we have learned that many of our partner countries and their military forces are being deeply challenged by extremism, instability and violence. We have learned how much Afghan National Security Forces have learned, matured and grown to make impressive strides in securing their own country.

We have learned how deep the humanitarian crisis in the Levant, and its consequences, has become. We have learned how rich and deep our special operations relationships have become with an incredibly impressive array of

A: We have learned, or perhaps re-learned, what we always knew: that building and nourishing personal and professional relationships with our regional counterparts makes solving today’s problems, anticipating future problems, and finding paths to mutually beneficial progress far more effective. It’s simply a reflection of human nature—friends will always be more willing to trust each other and take risks for each other than strangers will.

Q: As we approach the KASOTC anniversary, what has its establishment meant to SOCCENT? A: KASOTC has been one of the most important locations in the region for creating SOF capability, for establishing the personal and professional relationships I’ve already described, and for preparing regional and U.S. SOF operators and forces for the rigors of a demanding and sometimes dangerous world.

It has also been a home away from home for hundreds of U.S. servicemembers and SOF operators, and where we have come to appreciate, learn from, and deeply respect the culture, traditions and people of Jordan and their armed forces. 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.

SOTECH 12.3 | 13

BLACK WATCH Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support TSSi The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., recently announced that TSSi (Tactical & Survival Specialties Inc.), Harrisonburg, Va., has been awarded the Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (TLS) Program contract. The TLS contract is a five-year contract (two-year base period and three one-year options) that provides logistical support to military commands, federal agencies and other authorized customers worldwide. TSSi was awarded their original TLS contract in 2009. In addition to TSSi, DLA awarded contracts to five other government contractors. The total estimated contract value to all awardees is $4 billion over the potential five-year contract period.

In order to best serve the end-user, TSSi expanded its workforce and created a department solely dedicated to managing the TLS contract following the initial contract award in February 2009. TSSi President/CEO Bill Strang commented, “We are proud of the support we have provided the Defense Logistics Agency over the past five years on the TLS contract. DLA has an extremely important mission of providing support to the nation’s warfighters, and they require industry partners who understand the daily challenges faced by the

DLA team as well as the needs of their customers. These are the same customers TSSi has been supporting since we were founded nearly 35 years ago. Award of this follow-on contract confirms that we have continued to make improvements to our customer service over the past five years. We have placed an emphasis on going the extra mile to meet the equipment needs and delivery requirements of DLA and our military customers.”

The TLS Program contract expands the procurement options available to federal agencies and military units, streamlines the procurement process, reduces the government’s warehousing and logistics requirements, and provides rapid response to urgent military requirements. Rebecca Curry, TSSi’s director of contract management for the TLS contract, said, “DLA looks for industry partners who can deliver a quality product, at the best value to the warfighter, on time, every time. With those goals in mind, TSSi has focused on continuous improvement in the service provided to DLA and its customers. This new iteration of the TLS contract will receive the same high level of dedication from the TSSi staff.”

Combatant Craft Medium Award

Sought Innovation SOCOM

Oregon Iron Works Inc. Oregon Iron Works Inc. has been selected by U.S. Special Operations Command as the awardee to provide the Combatant Craft Medium Mk1 to the government.

Oregon Iron Works Inc. was one of two companies previously awarded indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contracts in September 2011 in support of the CCM Mk 1. The CCM Mk 1 Program is an acquisition program to develop, test, produce, field and sustain a modern, agile, adaptive, technically relevant, reliable and operationally capable combatant craft system in support of SOCOM. The government has tested and evaluated the test articles provided by the two Phase II CCM Mk 1 awardees during Phase III of this evaluation, evaluated final proposal revisions and has made a final down select decision awarded to Oregon Iron Works Inc. “This is an exciting time for Oregon Iron Works,” said Corey Yraguen, president of Oregon Iron Works Inc. “We are proud to build this craft for the men and women of our special forces who bravely serve our country. I am proud of our entire team and what they have accomplished in earning this award, which has been seven years in the making.”

14 | SOTECH 12.3

SOCOM has issued a request for information to solicit technology experimentation candidates from research and development organizations, private industry and academia for inclusion in future experimentation events coordinated by the U.S. Special Operations Command. The intent is to accelerate the delivery of innovative capabilities to the special operations forces warfighter.

SOF experimentation will explore emerging technologies, technical applications, and their potential to provide solutions to future SOF capabilities. After review of the technology experimentation nomination submissions, the government may invite select candidates to demonstrate their technologies at the USSOCOM-sponsored technical experimentation event.

Experiments will be conducted from July 8-17, 2014, at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Ind., and will explore emerging technology solutions and revolutionary improvements in technology for special operations warfare. Any technology-based experiment conducted at the event should provide a revolutionary improvement in SOF operations. www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

Biometric Device Evaluation SOCOM SOCOM and other members of the DoD and intelligence community are planning an operational test and evaluation (OT&E) of tactical biometric devices. This OT&E will consider the operational performance of each device and provide this feedback to each supplier. This evaluation will: • • •

assess face/fingerprint/iris collectability (through failure to acquire and failure to process calculations) assess face/fingerprint/iris quality and matchability (using DoD standard algorithms) survey usability by characterizing the number/severity of operator mistakes and the usability of collected data.

This evaluation will take place at Fort Bragg, N.C., in September 2014 and will involve representative populations of subjects and operators.

Mission-specific Rifle MGI Industries Maine-based MGI Industries, manufacturers of the Marck 15 “Hydra” platform, a base system which the user can configure to any mission-specific rifle, has announced that the 5.56 Hydra configuration is now available in complete weapon system or as a conversion package. The complete weapon system comes in a standard pistol case.

This rifle features the complete modularity and interchangeability of the Hydra modular rifle system. The 5.56 Hydra weapon system is ready to fire right out of the box and comes standard with a modular lower receiver with a 5.56 mm magazine well, the QCB-D upper receiver and a 16-inch barrel with a low profile gas block or with an A2 style front sight tower. By simply changing the bolt, barrel and mag well without tools on this system the user will be able to fire 40+ calibers, including .22 rimfire, .223 or 5.56, 6.5 grendel, 6.8 spc, .450 thumper, .458 socom and the .50 Beowulf.

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

A New Combat Rescue Helicopter Finally Awarded Sikorsky The Air Force recently announced its intent to award a competitive contract for a new rescue helicopter to carry out the personnel recovery mission.

Due to the criticality of this mission, the Air Force will realign about $430 million from other Air Force priorities beyond fiscal year 2014 through 2019 in order to award the combat rescue helicopter (CRH) contract to United Technologies’ Sikorsky.

“Moving forward with the CRH contract award protects a good competitive price and effectively uses the $334 million Congress appropriated for the program,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.

In light of the fiscal situation, the Air Force has made many tough choices to balance strategy and budget.

“Over the last 10 years, the Air Force has discussed upgrading the platform that performs this sacred mission for all DoD personnel who go into harm’s way,” said James.

“This mission is part of the military ethos, and the Air Force is committed to providing it.”

The contract is expected to be signed not later than the end of June 2014. Before moving forward with the contract, the program must complete a Milestone B review including independent cost assessments. In order to enable this timeline, Sikorsky must also agree to extend its pricing through June.

“The competitive price and the funding provided by Congress will allow us to award the CRH contract, but we could still face significant challenges to keeping this effort on track,” said James. “We will need to work with Congress throughout 2015 budget deliberations, and if the FY16 DoD budget drops back to sequestration levels, this program, along with many others, will need to be re-evaluated.”

Support for Navy EOD Engility Holdings Inc. Engility Holdings Inc. has been awarded a position on a $24.9 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for engineering and technical support at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division.

Under this new, three-year, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, Engility professionals will support engineering, systems engineering and technical analysis, and development of programs and technologies that will support the EOD warfighter mission.

“We are honored to win a position on this award and we are proud of our longstanding relationship with our Navy customer,” said Engility President and CEO Tony Smeraglinolo. “Engility’s highly skilled team of experts currently support this important mission on another contract and this award will give us further opportunity to proudly continue that support.”

SOTECH 12.3 | 15

Partnership Promoter

Q& A

Uniforms and Accents Are the Only Differences Among Allied SOF

Vice Admiral Sean A. Pybus Commander NATO SOF Headquarters

Vice Admiral Sean A. Pybus is a career Naval Special Warfare (NSW) SEAL officer with multiple Joint Special Operations duty assignments.

He graduated from the University of Rochester in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a regular Navy commission through NROTC. He graduated BUD/S training in December 1979, with Class 105.

Pybus has served in SEAL, underwater demolition, special boat, and SEAL delivery vehicle tours within NSW, and has held positions at Joint Special Operations Command and United States Special Operations Command. Command tours include units in Panama, Germany and Bahrain, as well as duty as commodore, NSWG-1, San Diego. As a flag officer, he has served as J-3, Center for Special Operations, SOCOM, 2007-2009; commander, Special Operations Command Pacific, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, 20092011; commander, Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, Calif., 2011-2013. He is currently commander, NATO SOF Headquarters, Mons, Belgium.

He has participated in special operations in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal (1), Defense Superior Service Medal (3), Legion of Merit (2), Meritorious Service Medal (3), and various other awards. He is also a 1998 distinguished graduate of the Naval War College with a master’s degree in strategic studies.

Q: When we last spoke, you led U.S. SOF in the Asia Pacific theater. What are some differences and similarities you see in the operators on different sides of the globe?

A: The SOF operator is the same in both regions. Here in NATO, I have a staff of SOF from 29 nations, and except for different uniforms and accents, they are the same high caliber SOF operators I encountered among our allies and partners in the Asia Pacific theater. They are dedicated professionals who thrive on ambiguity and embrace challenge.

SOF in Europe have advanced significantly over the last decade due in large measure to their employment in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Following September 11, many allied SOF from Europe stepped forward to support the United States and put boots on the ground during the early stages of Afghanistan. In 2006, as NATO took the lead in Kabul and later across Afghanistan, the NATO SOF identity 16 | SOTECH 12.3

began to crystalize. Several years on, what were initially disparate national SOF efforts have matured into a NATO Special Operations Component Command in Afghanistan operating as a unified effort in support of commander, International Security Assistance Force.

The NATO special operations transformation initiative that was approved at the 2006 NATO Summit in Riga, Latvia, established NSHQ’s foundation for NATO SOF to train, operate and learn together. That direction from the NATO heads of state and government continues to provide our azimuth today for developing interoperability and commonality among SOF across Europe.

Q: How is BICES performing for you? Are there lessons learned from its employment that could benefit the global SOF network as a whole?

A: Battlefield information collection exploitation system (BICES) came about in the Bosnia crisis to enable the Allies to share information. In 2007 the NATO Special Operations Coordination Center (NSCC—forerunner to the NSHQ) was looking for a common dynamic platform to underpin NATO SOF operations/intelligence fusion, and BICES fit the bill. All the European Allies used it, and several of NATO’s partners such as Finland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Switzerland and Ireland also had access. www.SOTECH-kmi.com

SOTECH_Real_Heavyweight:Layout 1

The NSCC pursued leveraging this system to undergird the SOF human network and connect national SOF in capitals and on the battlefield to the broader NATO enterprise from the strategic to the tactical level.

We have steadily pursued stitching this network together over the last several years and now have about 85 percent of the NATO SOF community of interest connected via secure voice, video and data. What is important to note is that SOF BICES is not limited for just NATO business, but can be leveraged for multilateral and bilateral secure connectivity as well. In many cases the Allies and select partners have no other means of a common classified communication system, so in that sense it provides an additional return on investment for country X to be able to coordinate with country Y and pass sensitive data via BICES where previously it was sent in the clear.

I view the ability to robustly share information and communicate using voice, video and data across the NATO SOF enterprise as indispensable to our role as a central hub for all SOF related activities in the Alliance. We leverage our system on a daily basis in a variety of routinely executed events, bringing together nodes of our SOF network. Collaboration requires the linking the human domain of SOF via a technical means with the appropriate tools to enable productivity. NATO SOF BICES is a critical enabler to the NSHQ’s Allied and partner SOF collaborative network.

Q: SOCOM is one of the few commands whose budget will grow in the coming year, according to the National Defense Authorization Act. Is that good news for NSHQ or does your command receive funding through NATO? A: We are not funded via SOCOM. We do maintain an active relationship with them, particularly in the realm of SOF training, education and doctrine. Also, SOCOM remains a very strong advocate for our role and mission for SOF within NATO, which I deeply appreciate. I think the growth of the SOCOM budget reflects recognition of the continued, if not increased, utility and relevance of SOF to the current and future security environment.

This perception is also mirrored by many of the senior defense officials I interact with across the Alliance. There is clearly an acknowledgment that SOF is an instrumental tool in today’s uncertain, dynamic and amorphous security environment.

Q: What are some pieces of kit or platforms you’d like to see NSHQ acquire in the coming year?

A: I’m very satisfied with what we have and what we have acquired in recent years, particularly for communications.

Q: The King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center in Jordan is marking five years of training the world’s elite operators. How has NSHQ benefitted from training at KASOTC, and have you brought elements from training at various venues into the classroom?

A: I am familiar with the KASOTC and understand it is a really superb training facility. Jordan is part of the NATO partnership program known as the Mediterranean Dialogue, which also includes Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

While my predecessor accompanied the previous supreme allied www.SOTECH-kmi.com

3/25/14

10:15 AM

At 2 1/2 lbs, It’s A Real Heavyweight In Booster Amps

The KMW1031KT is the lightest, most compact 20-watt booster amplifier kit for military transceivers.

The entire kit weighs less than 2.5 lbs. But it’s a real heavyweight when it comes to performance, durability, and ease of use.

It covers the 30 – 512 MHz frequency and is SINCGARS, HAVEQUICK, IW, HPW and DAMA capable. It supports all 5 watt tactical radios such as Harris AN/PRC-152, Thales MBITR AN/PRC-148 plus others.

The KMW1031 can be powered by a single battery or a 12 or 24 volt vehicle system. The portable, waterproof kit includes everything needed to boost radio signals: Amplifier, antenna, RF cables, battery cable and tactical vest pouches for both the amp and antenna.

It couldn’t be easier. Or more dependable.

To learn more, visit us at www.arworld.us/propVid or call us at 425-485-9000.

modular rf

Other ar divisions: rf/microwave instrumentation • receiver systems • ar europe The Battle Tested logo is Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM. Off. # 3,821,099.

Copyright© 20134 AR. The orange stripe on AR products is Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM. Off.

SOTECH 12.3 | 17

Page

commander Europe (SACEUR) and visited the King and KASOTC, our interaction with Jordanian SOF has been limited during my tenure.

Q: What can NSHQ learn from unfolding, unstable situations like recent turbulence in Crimea? How quickly are you able to take real-world events and discuss them in a classroom setting or explore how a NATO SOF element could assist?

A: First and foremost, it is evident we live in a very uncertain world. A scan of the horizon around the Mediterranean basin, North Africa, and more recently the situation in Crimea all serve to definitively demonstrate this. One of our lines of effort is to support NATO operations. We do that in a variety of ways, from facilitating force generation for SOF across NATO nations, supporting NATO planning and crisis response with SOF subject matter expertise, enabling NATO SOF intelligence, facilitating manning, logistics and computer information systems, and providing SOF command and control through our deployable Special Operations Component Command–Core element when called upon by SACEUR. Because we are the proponent for NATO SOF policy, doctrine, training, education, standards and evaluation, we exercise a great deal of agility in bringing current events and ongoing operations into our classrooms as part of the NATO SOF school curriculum.

Many of our intelligence courses that prepare SOF analysts for the NSHQ’s SOF fusion cell and SOF task forces train on the actual threat data from Afghanistan and in some cases then pick up their same work strand upon their rotation into theater. This kind of flexibility in our learning environment over the last several years has been immensely valuable.

Q: On an international SOF panel at the 25th Annual NDIA SO/LIC, you participated in a discussion about the role smaller countries can play in the global SOF network. What are some ways you’re working with smaller European countries to better understand the region as a whole?

A: Be careful assuming that small geographical size is relational to SOF capability contribution. In some cases some of the “smaller” nations have been punching well above their weight for years as part of the team in Afghanistan.

Some of our SOF Allies with smaller force structure might have knowledge, information, perspective or access that we simply might not have in the U.S. regardless of our capabilities or capacity. This might stem from historical legacies in parts of the world, or operations in another location provide familiarity with a piece of geography we don’t have access to, or a particular view or manner of operating that is simply outside of our professional training or culture. So I would say that many of the “smaller” countries in the SOF network bring many skills and capabilities that may not be evident on the surface.

As an example, many of our NATO SOF Allies in the Baltic region have a very different but well-grounded historical perspective on the current and future threats faced by the Alliance. They view the world from a very different optic than the rest of NATO, and if you drill down and spend some time with them, you understand the validity of their perceptions. Understanding and sharing these types of perceptions is a significant value derived from the 18 | SOTECH 12.3

A Dutch soldier learns basic carry techniques for evacuating a military working dog. Multinational students received training to enhance their medical skills to support NATO soldiers, sailors, and airmen and treat and stabilize combat trauma casualties using SOF oriented medical procedures and skills. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/by Martin Greeson]

networking of SOF. We enable and facilitate coordination of NATO SOF leveraging this network, and we do this on a daily basis. In many instances the network is also employed for bilateral and multilateral activities that have nothing to do with NATO business. This is value added and it is difficult to understand until you see it work in crisis or see the positive effects of simply enabling information flow between two SOF entities.

Q: What final thoughts do you have for the civilians and servicemembers supporting the mission of NSHQ? A: I think it is evident that we live in very uncertain and dangerous times with a myriad of threats and security challenges facing us. These threats do not afford us the luxury of neat categories of compartmentalized work. This blurring of the threat in a highly interconnected world necessitates not a whole of government or whole of society approach, but instead a multinational interagency comprehensive approach. But getting there is an extremely complex challenge, where national and collective interests intersect in an extremely complicated manner.

I believe SOF has an instrumental role as part of the solution because of our proclivity to operate around the world in a cross cutting manner in many domains, disciplines and functional areas. Stitching together this SOF network is really only the first incremental step in a fundamental revolution in the way we view and approach security challenges. It will be important to retain the forward momentum we have achieved over the last decade by looking at every opportunity to codify our gains and take the networking of SOF to the next level. O www.SOTECH-kmi.com

SOCOM ramps up language skills for a post-Afghanistan world.

By John Doyle, SOTECH Correspondent As they shift from more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. special operations forces will be regionally aligned to the geographic combatant commands where they will be expected to have subject matter expertise, and that will require in-depth knowledge of the language and cultures they will encounter.

Navy Admiral William McRaven, chief of U.S. Special Operations Command, said that will mean SOCOM will have to beef up training for languages ranging from Spanish and Portuguese in South America to French, Arabic and a dozen other languages across Africa and the Middle East, and to a wide range of languages across Asia and the Pacific Rim. “We are in the process of realigning our CONUS [continental United States]-based forces to focus more closely on regional problem sets, ensuring that our personnel are true experts in the terrain, languages and cultures in their respective areas of responsibility,” McRaven told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s emerging threats subcommittee March 11.

Currently only Army Special Forces, which have used language skills for decades in their foreign internal defense, counterinsurgency and counterterrorism www.SOTECH-kmi.com

missions, has a broad base of foreign language speakers. Navy SEALs, Air Force combat controllers, Army special operations aviators and Marine Corps critical skills operators have limited, if any, language training.

That point was brought home during February’s Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict Symposium sponsored by the National Defense Industry Association in Washington, D.C., when Air Force Lieutenant General Bradley Heithold, SOCOM’s vice commander, noted that of all the flag and general officers in the room, only Army Brigadier General Sean Mullholland, Special Operations Command South’s commander, was fluent in a foreign tongue: Spanish.

“I am completely hard on my people, the joint force that works for me, that they learn Spanish or Portuguese,” Mulholland noted. “As a TSOC [theater special operations command] commander, I have a language requirement that I think is critical. I have a program inside my command, a policy where they come in and learn six months of Spanish or Portuguese as part of the newcomer phase,” he added.

One of the basic tenets or SOF Truths is that competent SOF cannot be created after emergencies. That would seem to be the case for foreign language competency as well.

Joe Hillyer, a former special forces officer who became proficient in four Asian languages during his years as a Green Beret, noted that learning languages—especially as an adult—isn’t easy. “You don’t learn a language overnight,” he added. Hillyer, director of business development for IDS International, an Arlington, Va.-based cultural training and consulting firm, had to master Thai, Lao, Indonesian and Tagalog for various special forces missions. “It’s like a marathon.

You’ve got to put in the miles,” he noted.

Faster Learning There are a number of companies that teach language skills using different methods. One is Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Carnegie Speech International, which grew out of language research at nearby Carnegie Melon University. The company is known for teaching English pronunciation for multinational corporations and the aviation industry to foreigners educated in English but with hard-to-understand accents. Carnegie Speech also teaches foreign languages for native English speakers, including programs for the U.S. intelligence community, in “critical foreign languages” such as Russian, Farsi and Iraqi Arabic.

SOTECH 12.3 | 19

During training in the use of VRTs, the Carnegie received funding from In-Q-Tel, troops to go into areas where they have technology can adapt to a speaker’s Souththe not-for-profit venture capital firm that little or no language skills on short notice. ern drawl or clipped New England accent; invests in high technology companies to keep A few dozen key phrases like “Halt,” or “Put gender doesn’t matter despite the differences the CIA and other intelligence agencies on your guns down,” could make all the difbetween male and female voices. That’s partly top of the latest information ference in life-or-death situbecause the VRT is sensitive enough to recogtechnology. ations. And that’s where the nize the speaker’s voice and project accurate, “They said we had some of Voice Response Translator, audible commands in settings with up to 100 the best technology for teachdeveloped by Integrated Wave decibels of background noise like traffic and ing speaking skills,” said Carntechnologies, a Silicon Valley crowds. egie Speech President Angela company in Fremont, Calif., The basic system, based on algorithms Kennedy. The three programs comes in. first developed by the former Soviet Union, is funded by In-Q-Tel—Speak The technology can contained in a pocket-sized device weighing Iraqi Arabic, Speak Farsi and translate spoken comless then 11 ounces, but has up to 80 hours of Speak Russian—use specialmands in English into battery life. The Defense Advanced Research ized, patented speech recogniover 50 languages comAngela Kennedy Projects Agency (DARPA), which has been a tion technology “that’s able monly spoken in counsponsor of machine language translation and to understand the student’s tries where U.S. and allied computerized language processing for three language production all the way down to the forces are deployed. They range from decades, purchased 2,000 voice translation sound level or the phoneme level. And so, not Hausa and Yoruba in West Africa to Southphone apps from IWT in November 2013. only are we teaching the standard vocabulary, east Asian-Pacific Island languages like The company has manufactured more than grammar, etc., we’re also able to train people’s Tagalog, Tausug, Tetum, Thai and Tok Pisin.

12,000 VRTs for military use. DARPA has pronunciation,” Kennedy said.

The technology, which can be integrated funded development of three earlier VRT Thanks to very acute recognition technolinto a laptop computer, headset, smartphone variants. ogy patented by Carnegie Speech, the software or loudspeaker, allows front line military But McCune cautions that the VRT will gives the student the ability to practice their personnel to communicate with non-Engnot replace human translators. “They augspoken language skills and get immediate lish-speaking people in their own language. ment them and give you a capability when feedback, unlike many other courses that The technology allows the speaker to utter you didn’t have one,” he said. emphasize reading and writing, or grammar a simple phrase like, “elite forces,” and the and vocabulary. “This software is able to listen device will translate that to “Attention! to what you are saying and tell you exactly Attention! Attention! You are surrounded by Social Media Intel what you did wrong and exactly how to fix it,” elite government forces. Abandon your weapKennedy said. “We keep a student model on ons, move out of the building into the open At the other end of the communication each student with literally hundreds of metwith your hands over your head and remain spectrum from a single operator speaking rics that cover vocabulary, grammar, speaking standing until you are secured by a governwith foreign partners in their native language fluency, pronunciation, listening comprehenment soldier. Do this and you will not be is translation of massive volumes of text: sion and reading fluency,” she said. The adapharmed.” There are also less forceful phrases foreign language big data for commanders tive learning software, in effect, creates a like “Need a doctor?” and “Don’t be scared.” and planners back at the headquarters, and customized curriculum just for that student.

Timothy McCune, president of Integrated situational awareness text for operators in All of the research on this intelligent Wave Technologies, said special operators the field. tutoring technology—which also comes out were the early adopters of the VRT techSDL Government, a Herndon, Va.-based of Carnegie Mellon—shows that students get nology, because of their frequent interactechnology and services company, offers to the same proficiency as classroom traintion with foreign nationals. The VRT proved large-scale language translation technoling in about a third of the training time. “So to be a useful tool for special operators ogy solutions for open source intelligence Carnegie Mellon has used these [computertraining large groups in Foreign Internal exploitation: translation of documents, ized] tutors to teach computer programming, Defense. “When you’re instructing a whole websites, foreign language news programs to teach math, statistics—and we have the bunch of guys what to do on the [firing] and social media feeds. For SOF needs, patent pending on it for teaching languages,” range, it’s really hard to get an interpreter these solutions include a multilingual intelKennedy said. to repeat exactly what you ligence collection platform “Our [government] work is mostly with want time after time: ‘Put that allows multinational the intelligence community but we’ve had your weapons down. Orient users to collect and analyze some special operations groups use the techdownrange. Lock and load.’ information in their native nology as well,” she said, noting the programs So the machine works well language, enabling collaboare accessible online only to licensed customfor routine repetitive instrucration with partner nation ers. tions,” he said, adding that, militaries and government with the VRT technology, “a agencies; multilingual chat trainer could go from Afghanthat eliminates language Help in the Field istan to the Philippines and as a barrier to communicathen Papua New Guinea and tion; and multilingual social But sometimes, requirements of the Timothy McCune still do really basic stuff.” media exploitation. service require special operators and other 20 | SOTECH 12.3

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

in the world that can keep “We’re a strong believer up with that volume, varithat you can use social media ety and that velocity,” Baltaas an indication and warnzar explained. “We can sift ing platform,” said Melchior through all those tweets to Baltazar, a former Navy pull out the ones that deal SEAL and SDL Government’s with cluster bombs, the secret president and CEO. Social police or water shortages, and media has become the preseparate those from ones talkdominant means of coming about the Sochi Olympics munication within the Third Melchior Baltazar or Justin Bieber.”

World, he said “and it’s a preSDLGov’s Enterprise ferred means of communicaTranslation Server translates over 40 lantion within many terrorist organizations.” guages including Indonesian, Thai, Chinese Complicating a translator’s job, social and Spanish. Its first Informal Language networking apps like Twitter have spawned translation engine, for Arab Twitter, enables the evolution of new dialects with their own accurate keyword, phrase and entity extracslang, acronyms (LOL, IMHO) and delibertion of the translated Arabic tweets to estabate misspellings (Where R U?). “Twitter is lish thematic, emotional or political meaning really its own language,” Baltazar said, callacross millions of tweets in real time. ing it “informal language,” and SDLGov has Baltazar explained that there are many developed specific algorithms to translate it. tools that analyze social media–sentiment Obtaining intelligence from Twitter feeds in analysis, link analysis, geospatial analysis, a foreign language is even more difficult, he temporal analysis—“but if you cannot transnoted, adding that during the Arab Spring, late the underlying content, your analysis is social media generated millions of posts per incomplete.” hour. “There’s no human translation army

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Social media information can be used as a mission planning tool. “It becomes part of your situational awareness,” said Baltazar, and “enables your scarcest translation resource—the human linguist— to focus their time translating the important stuff that we’ve identified, and not be bothered with the irrelevant stuff already filtered out.”

SDLGov’s technology is in wide use in the intelligence community and Defense Department because it is deployed behind a secure firewall where the material is translated. So there’s no need to worry about it going over the open network or being stored on public servers, Baltazar said. In addition, the technology can be deployed in a small form factor such as a handheld device like a smartphone, or someday mounted on a weapon so the operator doesn’t have to put their weapon down to communicate in a hostile area. 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.

SOTECH 12.3 | 21

Take note of upgraded or brand-new systems and products that vendors will display at SOFIC 2014.

By Jeff Campbell SOTECH Editor SOCOM’s industry partners are working year-round to support our nation’s silent professionals with the latest systems. They received clear direction as to the types of products SOCOM’S Special Operations Research, Development and Acquisition Center would like to have a close look at during the 25th annual National Defense Industrial Association’s Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict conference in Washington, D.C. Next month, it’s time to show SOCOM what you’ve got and why SOF operators need it. The theme of this year’s annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference near SOCOM headquarters in Tampa, Fla., is “Strengthening the Global SOF Network.” If the following sampling of the latest products and systems that will be on hand with new features or on display for the very first time at SOFIC 2014 is any indication of what we’ll see next month, the SOF network is indeed strong and only getting stronger.

22 | SOTECH 12.3

Eyes in the Sky Starting off with the view from above is General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.’s (GA-ASI’s) improved Gray Eagle (IGE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) The IGE is a nextgeneration derivative of the combat-proven Gray Eagle UAS that has accumulated over 100,000 flight hours since 2008. “With an endurance of 48 hours, IGE nearly doubles the endurance of Gray Eagle,” said Jason Ehret, strategic development manager. “Additionally, IGE’s payload and fuel capacity is increased by more than 50 percent. Other upgrades include a centerline hardpoint that supports the integration of a 500-pound optional external fuel tank or a 360-degree sensor payload.” IGE’s enhanced capabilities represent the future vision for long-endurance UAS surveillance, communications relay, and weapons delivery missions in support of the warfighter, GA-ASI has said.

GA-ASI is also developing its own connectivity enhanced Gray Eagle (CEGE) podded payload. An internal research and

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

provides quality imaging (in 360 degrees and near real time) as well as automatic detection and alarm of threats/intrusions. “The powerful software platform and sophisticated algorithms developed over the course of 10 years ensure an extremely minimized false alarm rate,” Shea said. “Often described as ‘optical radar,’ the Spynel U has long range capabilities, proving to detect humans out to 2 kilometers and small asymmetrical threats on land, water and in the air at 4 kilometers.”

The Spynel-U, along with all other Spynel models, is unique in that it can simultaneously detect and track threats in multiple quadrants and provide the operator with immediate capability to assess what’s out there, without any other device. The Spynel U’s compact nature and weight (44 pounds) allows for quick deployment, and with a low power requirement of 24VDC (50 watts) and conventional Ethernet connection, the whole system can be installed in less than 15 minutes. The Cyclope software is compatible with lightweight windows PC platforms (ruggedized laptops), and a user-friendly GUI has been perfected through operators’ feedback from theater, with all settings automated for optimal efficiency.

Basic operator training can be done in less than 10 minutes, and the sensor is fully ruggedized and can operate in all climates, fog and rain. As the sensor is uncooled, maintenance is minimized. It is also fully passive, and therefore cannot be jammed—unlike radars.

Spynel sensors (previously IR360) have been deployed successfully since 2007, and early R&D developments go as far back as 2000. They have been used by the U.S. Army in theater in Afghanistan for FOB protection and for critical infrastructure protection all around the world. The reliability of the system, its unparalleled performance and the maturity of the software platform make it the world’s leader in 360-degree high-def panoramic thermal imaging.

HGH will be launching a new, HD resolution MWIR sensor in April 2014. This new model will enhance the Spynel’s detection significantly to up to 8 kilometers for a human.

Infrared Imagination With a glance at the booth representing Sofradir EC Inc., a Fairfield, N.J.-based electro-optics product designer and manufacturer, the lineup of digital cameras with powerful zoom lenses will catch any photo enthusiast’s eye. But a closer look will reveal a small, powerful system, the miniature infrared thermal imaging development project, CEGE works as an airborne relay in addiengine (MiTIE), and Sofradir will showcase its newest version at tion to allowing soldiers without a ROVER terminal, but with a SOFIC 2014. “The MiTIE delivers superb infrared image quality in data radio such as a PRC-117G, to access still imagery or fulla SWaP [size, weight and power] configuration, making it ideal for motion video from an airborne Gray Eagle anytime, anywhere. space-constrained portable and fixed surveillance applications,” “It also provides an extended communications relay capability said Clay Wild, director of business development. “As such, the that can be used to communicate with disadvantaged users compact MiTIE MW-CZ is ideal for integration into at extended ranges or who have no line of sight portable systems such as thermal binoculars as well with the aircraft,” Ehret said. “This significantly as fixed systems such as small multi-sensor gimbals. expands the number of users able to receive The MiTIE MW-CZ joins Soradir EC’s other information.”

MiTIE infrared imaging camera engines including high definition MW versions as well as LWIR models.

Thermal Detection “The new MiTIE engine combines a mid-wave cryogenically cooled infrared detector having a 640-byHGH Infrared Systems will be showcasing 512 15-micron pixel pitch MCT array with a 19-275 the Spynel U, their uncooled panoramic thermal mm f/5.5 zoom lens,” Wild said, noting that the 14x camera. According to North America Sales and continuous zoom uniquely permits the user to view Marketing Associate Katie Shea, the compact Katie Shea both a wide field-of-view scene as well as the scene at sensor is ideal for wide area surveillance as it

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

SOTECH 12.3 | 23

very high magnification. “In addition, because of the use of a high operating temperature MCT detector, the system has reduced power dissipation and shorter cool-down time, extending lifetime while maintaining excellent sensitivity, range detection and operability.”

It’s Electric!

In 2013, you saw them on the expo floor as ITT Exelis. This year, Exelis Inc. has made a full transition to the new name, and its electronic systems division is bringing several new products to Tampa, starting with the radar warning locator (RWL). “The RWL is an airborne sensor that provides fast accurate geo-location of ground-based radio frequency (RF) sources and threats,” said Pete Vuolo, senior program manager.

The compact and lightweight locator can be installed on fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. “The RWL The tactical shelters made with Gore-Tex shelter fabric are specifically designed for highly mobile contains advanced digital receiver technology employing the Deltacombat operations. [Photo courtesy of W.L. Gore and Associates Inc.] Delta Phase method, eliminating the need to calibrate on aircraft,” Vuolo said. “The RWL can operate in conjunction with a radar warntactical cellular solution: 4G Raven. “This next evolution from our ing receiver or stand-alone.” successful 3G solution has been designed to meet the immediate Also new this year, Exelis will introduce a unique jammer, the needs of 4G LTE communications in areas affected by a natural advanced capability pod (ACaP). The ACaP is an airborne jammer disaster or in areas where no infrastructure currently exists,” that provides electronic countermeasures against airborne and said Kevin Thompson, government programs director. “Tecore ground-based RF threats. “The ACaP jammer contains an advanced has also gone to great lengths to supply this technology in a form digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) that profactor that assists in the SWaP needs of today’s milivides effective jamming against pulsed doppler and tary.” continuous wave threats,” Vuolo said. “The ACaP has The Raven provides 4G LTE capability for the a wide bandwidth and rapid response time to counter first tactical mile and also supports the warfighter’s modern PRI and frequency agile threats using coorcurrent communications package. “The capability of dinated range, angle and velocity techniques.” integrating with current communication packages Currently, the ACaP is flying on U.S. Air Force lowers the cost of a technical refresh and adds needed F-15s and F-16s and the U.S. Navy’s F-18.

4G LTE technology where previously not available,” Vuolo pointed out that the ACaP jammer is Thompson said. “This makes Tecore’s solution essensmaller and lighter than other jammers, and there tial when contributing to a lighter warfighter, supare two types: square and oval. “The oval pod is used plying additional situational awareness capability and Kevin Thompson on aircraft with low radar cross section (RCS) and supporting multi-agency interoperability.” the square pod is used on aircraft with high RCS,” he Tecore’s solutions are all derived from the same said. “The ACaP is part of Exelis’ family of world-class iCore software platform to better assist SOF operaelectronic countermeasure suites that include the tors. “This translates to a common user interface AN/ALQ-211 advanced integrated EW system and AN/ and management across all systems that have been ALQ-214 for the integrated defensive countermeadesigned to be easy to learn and operate while allowsures system.” ing the warfighter to focus on the mission at hand Last but not least, Exelis will showcase the thunand utilize communications when needed,” Thompder radar pod (TRP) at this year’s SOFIC. The TRP is son said. “Since iCore supports all Tecore products, an airborne all-weather radar targeting pod that prothis makes designing a small cell network as easy as vides wide-area high-resolution synthetic aperture attaching a new device to meet the mission needs.” radar imaging and detection modes enabling precise Eric Gaver target tracking and geo-location at long distance. “The Cover Up TRP is well suited to support targeting small-diameter bombs as well as tracking and targeting projectiles from a gunIn an effort to equip today’s special operator with more ship,” Vuolo said. “The TRP provides highly effective ground moving capable, lightweight and packable products, W.L. Gore & Associtarget indicator and ground target tracking.” The TRP is currently ates Inc. has combined numerous technologies to enable high flying on the U.S. Air National Guard’s F-16. performance fabrics that are ideally suited for lightweight, tactical sleep systems.

First, get that shelter up. According to Product Specialist Eric Hear Me Here Gaver, the tactical shelters made with Gore-Tex shelter fabric are specifically designed for highly mobile combat operations. “Gore’s When SOF operators are literally “off the grid,” some missingle-wall fabric technology offers a unique combination of protecsions call for them to set up a network of their own. Hanover, tion characteristics to improve mission effectiveness,” Gaver told Md.-based Tecore Inc. offers the next wave in its deployable small 24 | SOTECH 12.3

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Special Operations Technology. “This fabric offers durable waterproof protection using a Gore-Tex membrane, high breathability that enables oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, and is flameretardant—a self-extinguishing fabric technology for protection against heat and flame.”

Moreover, the shelter fabric provides signature protection that exceeds typical military requirements for visual opacity (blackout) and near-infrared reflection characteristics.

Inside the shelter, Gore recommends its highly breathable fabrics used in the three-season sleep system, which allow moisture and respiration vapor to escape from the sack, keeping insulation and clothing dry for maximum protection and comfort. “At the same time, oxygen and carbon dioxide flow freely through the waterproof fabric enabling user comfort, while fully enclosed in the bivy sack,” Gaver said. “Using lightweight Gore-Tex fabric with Fastpack technology, the bivy sack weighs less than 2 pounds and packs more easily than incumbent products, allowing today’s SOF operator to rapidly respond to changing field conditions.”

When departing the sack and shelter for a mission, operators on the move need to be comfortable while remaining hidden, and Gore has them covered there as well with the company’s latest multispectral concealment technology, called Nemesis. The multispectral camouflage garment will also be on display at SOFIC; it’s a jacket designed with light Gore-Tex fabric that will be featured along with a multi-threat suit designed with Gore Chempak fabric. The suit offers certified chemical and biological protection to NFPA 1992 and NFPA 1994, Class 2, for hot-zone operations.

Breathe Again

The Essex battlefield oxygen sustainment system was designed for the U.S. Air Force special services to generate, store, fill and deploy liquid oxygen. [Photo courtesy of Essex Industries Inc.]

crew LOX generated breathable oxygen that is safe, requires no power, is compact and has superior duration.”

Next Gen Exploitation

Another fun part of the SOFIC expo is catching pre-release versions of the latest tools about to be available to SOF operators.

Whether in a remote location or field hospital, there’s a chance Bethesda, Md.-based ADF Solutions Inc. will introduce one such an operator will experience medical liquid oxygen logistics probversion of its next-generation media exploitation tool, Triage-G2. lems. Essex will introduce its solution at SOFIC, the oxygen genJ.J. Wallia, CEO and co-founder of ADF Solutions, saw a need as erator and liquefier (OGL). “Designed to liquefy, store and fill liquid smartphones and tablets continue to replace regular personal oxygen (LOX) equipment, the system generates 1 liquid liter of 93 computers; they’re more mobile, but also higher targets, containpercent USP oxygen per hour, with an onboard LOX storage capacing valuable intelligence and information. “As a part ity of 40 liters,” Tim Bannister, vice president of sales of the sensitive site exploitation kit, ADF’s version and business development, told SOTECH. “The OGL 4.0 will allow mission operators to quickly and has a user-friendly operator interface and runs on easily exploit smartphones and tablets in search of standard 240 VAC. intelligence, and instantly access the results in the The OGL is built for reliability in harsh consame way they exploit computers today,” Wallia said. ditions, and portable using a fork lift or pallet “Version 4.0 will be extremely easy to use for field transport. “The OGL recently received FDA 510(k) operatives with a simple point-and-click user interclearance number K131990, which covers the use of face and easy to understand options when setting the product in military and commercial applications up or using the tool, requiring minimal training.” to produce and transfer LOX into portable systems, The Triage-G2 will be able to collect and anasuch as the Essex BMOS [backpack medical oxygen Tim Bannister lyze a wide array of data from the mobile devices system], MMOS [mounted medical oxygen system] including social media interactions, contact info, and NPTLOX [next generation portable therapeutic geo-location and more; ADF Solutions isn’t stopping there. “We liquid oxygen system],” Bannister pointed out. “These portable are working to ensure that media exploitation provides valuable systems are then used to provide supplemental oxygen for patients intelligence for other SOCOM mission requirements—including during transport.” biometric identification of targets,” Wallia said. O The OGL serves as the cornerstone of the Essex battlefield oxygen sustainment system (BOSS). According to Bannister, the BOSS was designed for the U.S. Air Force special services to generate, store, fill and deploy LOX. “In addition to the OGL, the BOSS For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Jeff Campbell features the backpack medical oxygen system filling station (BMOSat jcampbell@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives FS), the MMOS and the BMOS,” he said. “With these products, for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.

Essex has the means by which to distribute to either patients or www.SOTECH-kmi.com

SOTECH 12.3 | 25

Tech Squeeze

More bang for the buck from the silent, lightweight, disposable mortar.

As our force structure changes, mission profiles—out of necessity—will also change to address the new realities. Smaller, more agile units will be required to accomplish missions formerly tasked to their larger predecessors. In many cases this will mean preemptive or surgical strikes on an adversary’s critical assets, at times and locations that obscure our intent or keep our opponents off balance to preclude their building sufficient combat power. Therefore, the ability to avoid detection, obtain surprise, accomplish the mission and egress successfully is paramount to survival. Consequently, squeezing the most performance out of existing weapons systems becomes a necessity. A case in point is the mortar, a weapon that has been around decades prior to the Civil War. Our current mortar systems are superb end products of continuous improvements. We can, however, without the need of expensive R&D, improve its performance capabilities further with existing technologies. The lightweight mortar is an excellent candidate. The current system provides the infantry and special operations forces with hip-pocket indirect fire support out to ranges of approximately 3,500 meters. As good as it is, it is still somewhat cumbersome, and the element of surprise is lost before the first round hits the ground.

By incorporating existing technology the lightweight mortar can be lighter, more lethal, totally silent and disposable.

For the sake of argument, let’s begin with the 60 mm mortar round itself. Rather than using the expanding gases of traditional explosive charges to propel the projectile out of the mortar tube, a round with an internal piston can be used as an alternative. When its piston strikes against a fixed spigot at the bottom of the mortar tube, the propellant behind the piston is ignited. Expanding gases force the piston down the length of the cylinder like the piston in an internal combustion engine, but unlike an internal combustion engine the gases are not vented. The downward stroke of the piston against the spigot forces the round out of the tube. The expanding gas is retained in the cylinder by the piston when it reaches a retaining collar at the opposite end of the cylinder. The lack of escaping gases results in an absence of noise, flame and smoke. Firing at charge zero permits targets to be engaged out to a range of 800 meters in total silence. Like conventional mortars, an increase in range can be obtained by adding additional charges. Even with the

26 | SOTECH 12.3

By William I. Oberholtzer

additional charges there is negligible sound, no smoke, and a barely detectable flash.

Additional improvements could include an improved fragmentation sleeve for the round. Consisting of a spun notched wire, the sleeve produces thousands of 1-gram fragments traveling at 3,500 fps and delivers them uniformly over a larger area than the fragments produced by rupturing conventional forged shell casing. This breakthrough gives the light 60 mm mortar a killing potential of rounds nearly twice its size.

Current sighting systems could be used or eliminated completely.

Ranges corresponding to charge and tube elevation angles can be printed on the carrying strap. Ranges can be indexed by detaching one end of the carrying strap from the base of the tube and suspending it from the muzzle. The tube is then elevated or depressed until the desired range, printed on the strap, comes in contact with the ground. To achieve the desired azimuth, the gunner can simply align the tube with the target. In the observed fire mode, the gunner can make minor corrections by using Kentucky windage and Tennessee elevation. A spotter can be used to adjust fire in situations where the gunner cannot observe the target. The advantages of incorporating these changes are obvious to anyone who has ever spent time in the light infantry or special operations forces. Not having to carry a heavy mortar tube and base plate, particularly when having to travel long distances, conserves energy and burns fewer calories. The lack of an audible sound and flash contributes to surprise and prevents the compromise of the firing position. Being able to discard the tube contributes to a rapid egress, hence, survivability.

A similar, low cost approach to improving other existing weapons systems should be considered. In so doing, we can continue to provide the best soldiers in the world with the best equipment, making them a lethal force to be reckoned with—one that our adversaries may think twice about engaging. O William Oberholtzer is a retired Army officer with more than 23 years of service in the combat arms, special operations, and R&D. He is currently a program manager for Adams Communications Engineering and Technology, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and a consultant with FFE International, in Alexandria Va.

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations.

SOTECH RESOURCE CENTER Advertisers Index

Calendar

AAR Mobility Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.aarmobilitysystems.com AR Modular RF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.arworld.us/propvid Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2 www.ballaerospace.com David Clark Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 www.davidclark.com Deployed Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.deployedresources.com MBDA Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 www.brimstonemissile.com Nammo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.nammo.com

April 29-30, 2014 AUSA Braxton Bragg Chapter Symposium Fort Bragg, N.C. www.suggsgroup.com/ausa May 4-6, 2014 Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit Nashville, Tenn. www.quad-a.org

May 5-8, 2014 SOFEX Amman, Jordan www.sofexjordan.com May 12-15, 2014 AUVSI Orlando, Fla. www.symposium.auvsi.org

NEVER STOP LEARNING Considering a new degree?

Advising your troops on their education options?

You need Military Advanced Education’s 2014 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities!

Check out the searchable database at www.mae-kmi.com for the details prospective students and commanders are looking for!

• Access all the survey answers from the hundreds of schools that participated in MAE’s 2014 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities • New and improved design makes it easier than ever to find what you’re looking for • Search the database by school name, state, online or brick-and-mortar schools • Compare and contrast institutions with all the info MAE used to score and designate our top schools

www.SOTECH-kmi.com

SOTECH 12.3 | 27

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

Special Operations Technology

Doug Hazelman Vice President, Product Strategy Veeam Software As vice president, product strategy, Doug Hazelman consults with customers, partners and industry analysts on key considerations for implementing virtual server infrastructures. He works with Veeam’s R&D team to enhance and develop new Veeam products to address market needs, and advises customers on best practices for managing virtual environments.

Q: What does Veeam do?

A: In a nutshell, we provide protection for the modern data center. Over the past 10 years, enterprises have been virtualizing their data centers, which means that instead of dedicating a single server to host and run a single application, they can abstract the memory and processing to create lots of virtual servers (also called virtual machines or VMs) on a single physical machine. Not only does virtualization enable IT to consolidate the number of servers they need to maintain, it also makes the deployment and management of new applications much faster and easier.

Still, a modern data center requires modern tools. Backup tools built for traditional environments don’t work well at all in a virtual environment: Backups take far too long, they don’t scale as the virtual environment grows, and they don’t take advantage of virtualization to enable some truly revolutionary capabilities.

Veeam enables high speed recovery, risk elimination, verified protection, complete visibility and data loss avoidance—based on technology built for virtualization. But really, when it comes down to it, what IT professionals want most from their backup software is a data protection solution that they don’t have to worry about. We’re proud to say that the most common feedback we get from our customers is “I love it! It just works!”

Q: What kinds of new capabilities does Veeam enable?

A: We’ve consistently brought capabilities to our customers that were either impossible or infeasible in a physical environment. Probably 28 | SOTECH 12.3

our best known technology is called vPower.

It enables features like Instant VM Recovery, which lets an administrator boot up and run a VM from a compressed, deduplicated backup file in minutes so the business can continue to be productive while a complete restore takes place; SureBackup, which automatically verifies that backups will restore properly; and On-Demand Sandbox, which creates an isolated replica of the product environment where IT can safely test new applications and configurations.

But really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. For instance, in our very first release of Veeam Backup & Replication six years ago, we were the first vendor to combine backup and replication into a single solution. Previously, they were always sold separately, but with virtualization, it makes more sense to combine them. We were the first vendor to support both VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V from the same platform. And more recently, we’ve partnered with major storage vendors to create backups based on snapshots created by their hardware. As a result, IT can back up every five minutes if they like, with no impact to the production environment.

Q: How does Veeam work with the Department of Defense & special operations forces today?

A: Veeam has become a “go-to” IT partner within the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the intel/SOF community for virtualization tools because they help drive efficiencies, add functionality and reduce cost while automating processes. Per the direction of DoD’s chief information officer, Teresa Takai, commands must virtualize their

servers and applications to modernize department IT environments and take steps toward adopting cloud technology. And as their environments began to adopt virtualization, DoD IT professionals saw early on that legacy software tools were cumbersome, costly and lacking automation. In short, they simply weren’t originally built for virtualized infrastructures. Since the data (SOF intelligence) behind these virtual servers are their most valuable asset, IT needed new ways to protect and manage this data in the data center and the deployable tactical IT suite.

Q: How do you recommend that SOF IT professionals protect their data beyond using Veeam?

A: If an enterprise wants truly disaster-proof data, it needs to follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of the data, stored on two different kinds of media, with one of them stored offsite. The idea is that, by following 3-2-1, IT eliminates any single point of failure. For example, if the organization relies on storage area network snapshots, which, as I said earlier, are great for backing up frequently, IT can use Veeam to create backups from those snapshots to put copies on tape and disk, and then send at least one of these copies to an offsite repository.

Q: Do you provide other solutions outside of backup?

A: We do. We’ve long had a partnership with Microsoft to provide the Veeam management pack for VMware. This management pack is a scalable, reliable and mature solution that extends deep VMware monitoring, management and capacity planning to Microsoft system center, a very popular IT management platform for the U.S. Army today. As a result, IT can get complete visibility, from app to metal, of the entire physical and virtual environment within a console they already know well.

Our goal at Veeam is to support the warfighter and the mission via our modern data protection and virtualization tools. O

michael.reilly@veeam.com www.SOTECH-kmi.com

Next Issue

May 2014 Volume 12, Issue 4 World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine

Cover and In-Depth Interview with:

Adm. Bill McRaven Commander SOCOM

special section Program Management Updates The authoritative annual overview in which SOCOM’s acquisition executive and SOCOM Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Center senior staff, including program executive officers, provide the details you need on SOCOM acquisition programs.

Features 3-D Training/Simulation & Mission Planning Whether looking through thick walled buildings or the triple canopy covering targets in the littorals, photo-realistic 3-D maps help mission planners simulate how to fully prepare for a mission before setting boots on the ground.

BONUS DISTRIBUTION: AUVSI Washington, D.C.

•

SOFIC Tampa, Fla.

Diver Gear Sometimes operating at the tip of the spear means getting wet. No matter how rough the waters or how deep a SEAL needs to operate within them, 2014 has fins, boots, masks and more to come.

Tactical Wheeled Vehicles We offer a sampling of wheeled vehicles available for use by special operators, featuring the latest in mobility technology from industry leaders.

USV/UUV They can clear mines out of a SEAL’s path or discover other obstacles below the surface. That’s not all; we’ll dive into what makes unmanned underwater vehicles extremely useful to underwater operators.

Insertion Order Deadline: April 21, 2014 | Ad Materials Deadline: April 28, 2014

Dual Mode Brimstone® Missile Successfully integrated on MQ-9 Reaper

Image ©Copyright NAWS China

Lake /Crown

•Defeats fast moving and maneuvering targets •Combat-proven off fighter aircraft in Afghanistan and Libya •Dual Mode mmW and SAL seeker for first pass lethality

Visit us at Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exhibition booth 1511 7-9 April in Washington, D.C brimstonemissile.com