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Aerial Firepower
Mission Enhancer Col. Tony D. Bauernfeind Commander 27th Special Operations Wing
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August 2014
Volume 12, Issue 7
UASs O Vertical Lift Transport O Situational Awareness O AFSOC Commander
Special Operations Technology Features
August 2014 Volume 12, Issue 7
Cover / Q&A
Special section:
Sensors and the SWaP Challenge
Aerial Armament
When special operations ground commanders require air support, they find their go-to guys at the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). AFSOC personnel and assets specialize in providing the right effects at the right place and at the right time to U.S. Special Operations Command task forces on the ground. By Peter Buxbaum
The large and growing constellation of sensors has become of critical importance to the development of situational awareness by special operations forces. Operators mounted in vehicles, for example, want to know what nastiness awaits them without exposing themselves to danger. By Peter Buxbaum
17 5 9
Advancements in Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Unmanned aircraft systems provide combatant commanders with organic, day and night reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition capability in addition to battle damage assessment and enhanced situational awareness. By Chris McCoy
Departments
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Colonel Tony D. Bauernfeind
Commander 27th Special Operations Wing
12
24
“You will touch the soil of many lands” is a fortune 2nd Lieutenant Eric Fiel opened 33 years ago from a Chinese fortune cookie. Today, Fiel still keeps that fortune in his wallet as he reflects back on his career as an air commando and his ultimate job as the head of Air Force Special Operations Command. By Lieutenant Colonel Kristi Beckman
State-of-the-art air transport often defines how the military is to perform its missions. Take the Marine Corps Vision and Strategy 2025 statement, which reads: “Though our Corps has recently proven itself in ‘sustained operations ashore,’ future operational environments will place a premium on agile expeditionary forces, able to act with unprecedented speed and versatility in austere conditions against a wide range of adversaries.” By Karen Thuermer
Revered General Retires
Vertical Lift Transport Platforms
Industry Interview
2 Editor’s Perspective 3 Whispers/People 14 BLack WAtch 27 Resource Center
Matthew J. Baker
Director, Military/Federal/ Government Sales Streamlight Inc.
28
3M Defense
Problem. Solved.
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Special Operations Technology Volume 12, Issue 7 • August 2014
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As this issue of SOTECH goes to press Admiral William H. McRaven is scheduled to relinquish command of SOCOM to Army General Joseph L. Votel. The change of command ceremony is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. on August 28 at the Tampa Convention Center. McRaven has commanded SOCOM since August 2011. The 58-year-old admiral will retire from active duty after 37 years of service. Currently, Votel is serving as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. Votel assumed command of Chris McCoy Editor JSOC from McRaven in June of 2011. SOTECH had the honor of interviewing McRaven several times over the many years he has been at the helm of SOCOM. In other news, SOCOM’s Care Coalition held a training camp for wounded, ill and injured special operations servicemembers. The training camp existed to prepare them to take part in upcoming national and international athletic events. Athletes from 14 nations will first take part the Invictus games held in London from September 7-15. The Warrior Games will then commence in Colorado Springs, Colo. from September 22-October 4. According to USSOCOM public affairs, over 200 wounded servicemembers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Special Operations Command will take part in the games. The Warrior Games with be held at the Olympic Training Facility and the United States Air Force Academy. Both sets of games are part of the Military Adaptive Sport Program (MASP). “The MASP is an opportunity for a lot of us that have been injured and wounded overseas to have the camaraderie that we had in the service and is also a chance to improve our physical well-being,” said Army Staff Sergeant Patrick Smith, who has completed three deployments to Afghanistan and is assigned to the 6th Military Information Support Battalion at Fort Bragg. “I’m able to interact with other veterans in a positive environment in which our physical and mental health are significantly improved through participation,” he added. As usual, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments for Special Operations Technology.
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WHISPERS
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MARSOC Aligns Past with Future—Marine Raider Heritage Returns During World War II, four Marine Raider battalions and two Raider regiments were formed and saw action in the Pacific Theater between 1942 and 1944. Formed to conduct amphibious raids and guerrilla operations behind enemy lines, the Raider battalions were the United States’ first special operations units. The Raiders went on to participate in campaigns across the Pacific Ocean and earned more than 700 decorations, including seven Medals of Honor, before disbandment approximately two years later. Though the unit’s existence was short-lived, they left a lasting impression. The Marine Raider battalions were the inspiration for what would become modern-day special operations. But when U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command was established in 2003, the unit did not officially carry-on the moniker. On August 6, Commandant of the Marine Corps General James F. Amos made official the title in a proclamation, which calls for “the official continuation of our Corps’ special operations heritage from the Raiders of World War II to our modern-day Marines.” “United States Marines take great pride in our special operations and irregular warfare heritage … From this point forward, the Marines of MARSOC will be officially aligned with the Marine Raiders of World War II and are charged with maintaining the high standards and traditions that accompany such distinction,” as stated in the proclamation read during the unit’s change-of-command ceremony held at Stone Bay aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. While MARSOC is adopting the name Marine Raiders, the command’s official title will remain MARSOC. However, major subordinate elements of the unit will reflag with the Raider name. By Gunner Sergeant Josh Higgins
USSOCOM Announces Change of Command As SOTECH goes to press Navy Admiral William H. McRaven is scheduled to turn the helm of U.S. Special Operations Command over to Army General Joseph L. Votel during a change of command ceremony at 2 p.m. on August 28 at the Tampa Convention Center. The ceremony is by invitation only. Votel will be the tenth commander of USSOCOM and will be responsible for ensuring the readiness of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Special Operations Forces. McRaven, 58, has commanded USSOCOM since August 2011, and will retire from active duty after 37 years of service to the nation. McRaven, who grew up in San Antonio, Texas, was commissioned an ensign in the Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps after graduating from the University of Texas in 1977. He completed Basic Underwater Demolition School/SEAL training in 1978 and has commanded at every level in special operations. The admiral served in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom amongst others. He also served as the director for Strategic Planning on the National Security Council Staff. The admiral also helped establish and was the first graduate of the Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict curriculum at the Naval Post Graduate School. His Naval Post Graduate School thesis was the basis for his book, “Spec Ops,” published in 1996. Votel is currently commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. He assumed command of JSOC from McRaven In June 2011. Votel, a native of Saint Paul, Minn., graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1980. He has served in a variety of infantry and special operations assignments to include commanding the 75th Ranger Regiment and as the deputy commanding general for operations of the 82nd Airborne Division. The general also served as the chief of staff of USSOCOM where he was responsible for coordinating USSOCOM staff’s support to special operations forces around the world. He is a veteran of Operations Just Cause, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
PEOPLE
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Special Operations Command, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.
Rear Adm. Philip G. Howe
Rear Admiral Philip G. Howe will be assigned as president, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. Howe is currently serving as commander,
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Navy Captain Collin P. Green has been selected for the rank of rear admiral (lower half) and will be assigned as executive officer to Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. Green is currently serving as director of operations, NATO Special Operations Component Command/Special
Operations Joint Task Force, Afghanistan. Colonel (P.) James B. Jarrard, director of operations, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., has been assigned as deputy commander, 7th Infantry Division, Joint Base LewisMcChord, Wash. Colonel (P.) Francis M. Beaudette, executive officer to the commander, U.S. Special
Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., has been assigned as deputy commander, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. Colonel (P.) Scott E. Brower, chief of staff, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, has been assigned as deputy chief, Operations, Office of the Defense RepresentativePakistan, Pakistan.
SOTECH 12.7 | 3
WHISPERS
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
160th SOAR (A) Bids Farewell to Regiment Commander
Night Stalkers, family members and friends of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) said farewell to Colonel John R. Evans Jr. during a change of command ceremony conducted on the General Bryan Brown Compound. More than 250 soldiers from across the regiment stood in formation as Evans passed the colors to Colonel Michael Hertzendorf. Brigadier General Erik Peterson, commander, United States Army Special Operations Aviation Command, presided over the event. “Night Stalkers, I could not be prouder to have had the privilege to serve with you these last 19 years,” Evans said as he addressed hundreds of distinguished guests, Gold Star Family members, soldiers and civilians. “This will always be home for us, and you will always be our family.” The event marked the culmination of Evans’ two years as the regiment commander and almost two decades as a member of the 160th.
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“During his time with the regiment, John Evans has courageously led change, nurtured and strengthened the positive Night Stalker ethos and culture.” said Peterson. “[Evans] has served as a steward of the proud Night Stalker legacy and masterfully grew and developed an entire generation of confident leaders of character.” Evans began his career as a Night Stalker in 1995 following successful assessment and completion of the Officer Green Platoon. He has commanded at every level within the regiment including platoon leader, company and battalion commander, and as commander of the unit’s Regiment Operations Assessment Element. His next assignment will be serving on a fellowship at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C. Hertzendorf, who commanded the 1st Battalion 160th SOAR (A), returns to the regiment following completion of the War College. By Major Allen Hill, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
Fully Integrated Hippo Multipower System Provides Mobile Power Polaris Industries Inc. has engineered a Polaris Ranger Crew Diesel side-by-side utility vehicle with an integrated multi-power system, a first for vehicles in this category. A flip of a switch allows operators to power hydraulic, pneumatic, electric and welding equipment directly from the vehicle’s diesel engine through the integrated Hippo Multipower System (MPS) from the Mobile Hydraulic Equipment Company. The Polaris Ranger with Hippo MPS represents a continued expansion into non-traditional markets for Polaris to serve its increasing base of work customers. This is the first time a Polaris vehicle’s engine has been engineered to power a robust multi-power system like the Hippo. “The versatility provided by integrating the Hippo MPS with the Polaris Ranger is extremely valuable for transporting personnel, heavy duty tools and a four-in-one power source to hardto-reach job sites,” said Dave Longren, vice president of Polaris’ Off-Road Vehicles division. “When getting on-site means going off-road, our customers trust us to get them there. They also trust in the capability of Hippo power equipment and combining the two meets a vital need for our customers” A properly maintained vehicle will simply need to be fueled up and it is ready to go since all the equipment is powered from the Ranger’s 24-horsepower diesel engine. This feature greatly reduces the maintenance time associated with four separate systems. The integrated Hippo 1041CP Multipower System has one hydraulic tool circuit, two quick disconnect pneumatic fittings, two 120-volt electric outlets at 20 amps and one welding console with quick disconnects. “The Polaris Ranger with Hippo MPS allows you to go anywhere and do anything—providing robust power to remote locations quickly, easily and reliably,” said Chris Klope, chief operating officer, Mobile Hydraulics Equipment Company. “No one does off-road utility vehicles better than Polaris and pairing our Hippo Multipower unit with this vehicle delivers a unique tool, simplifying work for the user. All-terrain mobility with hydraulic, electric, welding and pneumatic power at the touch of a button—it just doesn’t get any easier than that.”
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Special section: Aerial firepower
Gunships could stand to gain more precision guided munitions. By Peter Buxbaum, SOTECH Correspondent When special operations ground commanders require air support, they find their go-to guys at the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). AFSOC personnel and assets specialize in providing the right effects at the right place and at the right time to U.S. Special Operations Command task forces on the ground. AFSOC’s mainstay platform is the AC-130 gunship, a Lockheed Martin-built fixed wing variant of the C-130 transport aircraft. The weapons mounted onboard the AC-130, which can include ballistic fire as well as precision-guided munitions, are tailored to carry out the specific mission at hand. Ballistic weapons are usually deployed, but that picture is changing rapidly. AFSOC is increasingly relying on precision guided munitions to carry out its missions. While ballistic fire can easily be activated against personnel and vehicles, precision guided munitions provide considerable standoff distance to AFSOC forces, allowing for an additional margin of safety. By their nature, precision weapons limit collateral damage. The AFSOC
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arsenal of the future may also include nonkinetic weapons. “We are almost always called upon to support special operations ground forces,” said Bill Walter, a program analyst at AFSOC’s Gunship Requirements Branch. “The conventional Air Force does a wonderful job of knocking stuff down. The AC-130 isn’t used as a lone wolf to find a target and shoot unless it is to prepare for ground forces to come in.” AFSOC forces are called upon to conduct a number of related missions. AFSOC personnel and assets conduct close air support by providing air action against hostile targets that are in close proximity to friendly forces. They conduct joint fires that support land, maritime, amphibious and special operations forces to engage enemy forces and facilities in pursuit of tactical and operational objectives. They engage time-sensitive targets by detecting and identifying sensor elements, making available attack assets at the right time and place with appropriate munitions, and providing battle damage assessment. AFSOC forces also occasionally conduct interdiction operations by diverting, disrupting, delaying or destroying an enemy’s surface capabilities before they can be used effectively against friendly forces. “The fundamental requirement of providing the right effect in the right place at the right time has not changed in recent years,” said Walter. “The tactical application of a range of gun-fired ordnance remains the
mainstay of AC-130 operations for generalpurpose targeting. But technology is driving us to do things in different ways.” While ballistic gunfire from aboard the AC-130 gunship remains at the core of AFSOC’s capabilities, the command is increasingly acquiring precision guided munitions for deployment on the AC-130. Beginning in the early 2000s with the Viper Strike, a variation of Northrop Grumman’s Brilliant Anti-tank (BAT) munition, AFSOC has acquired a family of standoff precision guided munitions (PGM) that today also includes the small diameter bomb and the Griffin. AFSOC has also tested the larger Hellfire missile from the AC-130. “Technology is an enabler,” said Walter. “Standoff munitions provide threat mitigation. By standing off the target, we don’t expose friendly positions. Standing off distance is becoming a great asset for us.” “We see our portfolio of weapons as like having a golf bag,” said Dan Baradon, an acquisition specialist at AFSOC’s Gunship Requirements Branch. “Just as you choose the right club for each shot, we tailor each mission and use specific weapons for specific scenarios. If the ground commander wants to take down a building then we can do that with a small diameter bomb. The combination of ballistic gunfire and PGMs has greatly expanded the mission set that we are able to perform.” Ballistic gunfire becomes less accurate as standoff distance increases, but precision
SOTECH 12.7 | 5
Special section: Aerial firepower on target from an aviation within a fixed-forward mount platform is much shorter than that can be attached to stanfor ground, so the high rate dard 14-inch NATO stores of fire allows an operator to racks or a lightweight mount, place more rounds on a tarwhich attaches directly to a get in a shorter time frame universal stores pylon. compared to other weapons.” The GAU-19/A was The .50 caliber round is more designed to provide air-topowerful and delivers greater ground firepower for area target effects than some of its suppression and against point Bill Walter alternatives. It also provides targets such as light armored greater range to the operator vehicles. “There are number and hence allows for greater standoff distance of advantages of to this type of weapon,” to the target as compared to other ballistic said Dave Stouffer, senior manager for busiweapons. ness development at General Dynamics OrdThe GAU-19/A was first developed in the nance and Tactical Systems. “Its multi-barrel late 1980s and first fielded in the late 1990s. It design and rotary operation allows for a high has been integrated onto a variety of fixed wing rate of firepower of 1,300 rounds per minand rotary wing aircraft as well as on ground ute.” The weapon can be set to different rates vehicles and naval platforms, both in the depending on the mission, achieving proper United States military and around the world. target saturation and effects, and the ability The GAU-19/A is also renowned for its to carry enough ammunition for a given reliability. “Its mean rounds between stopfighting sequence. page rates at over 40,000,” said Stouffer. “The advantage for special operations “The operator can be sure the gun will work forces is [the GAV-19/A’s] high rate of fire,” every time he pulls the trigger. Especially in said Stouffer. “The exposure time and time aviation, it is not always possible to perform gun maintenance. If the gun doesn’t work, it becomes unusable.” Small Gunship Big Punch General Dynamics introduced a GAU19/B about a year and a half ago. It is a lighter accuracy flight tests done with the MC-27J at The MC-27J is the result of a partnerversion of its predecessor and is designed to Eglin Air Force Base in 2013 and will provide ship between ATK and Alenia Aermacchi. This be mounted on smaller and lighter rotary the aircraft with a vital capability and greater multi-mission aircraft is based on the C-27J wing platforms. “We took 30 pounds off the mission flexibility at an affordable cost.” tactical transport, with a roll-on/roll-off weapweapon system without reducing reliability The MC-27J fills a void covered today by ons system. and accuracy,” said Stouffer. a wide variety of specialized and dedicated The palletized weapons system designed “The advent of small PGMs has influaircraft. It offers payload, persistence and outby ATK allows for simple embarkation and enced both the thinking about and employof-area capabilities coupled with commonality disembarkation through the rear ramp of the ment of munitions by the AC-130 in support of equipment and systems with larger multiaircraft. The primary configuration requires of special operations forces on the ground,” mission platforms, but at much lower operaminimal impact to the aircraft to significantly said Walter. “Today, PGMs are on the verge reduce acquisition costs and deployment times, tional costs and with the operational flexibility of revolutionizing AFSOC’s precision strike while retaining the C-27J’s airlift capabilities. of being able to operate from shorter runways capably. A decade ago, the majority of PGMs in hot and high conditions. The MC-27J is the only platform that retains were too large to be used effectively by the Moreover, the MC-27J sensors/commuthe C-27J’s capabilities in addition to having AC-130.” nications/weapons suite is a combination a full ISR and gunship roll-on/roll-off palletized In 2005, AFSOC—in concert with SOCOM of proven commercial and military off-theweapons system. and Office of the Secretary of Defense—initishelf subsystems that provide a modular and Recently, the Italian Air Force demonstrated ated an advanced concept technology demonreconfigurable capability with minimal aircraft the accuracy of ATK’s side-mounted GAU-23 stration (ACTD) entitled Standoff Precision integration. The aircraft offers special forces 30 mm cannon in a series of tests where it Guided Munition (SOPGM) for the AC-130. a platform with quick transfer speed, long exceeded all objectives. Its purpose was to demonstrate the military operational range and ample cargo capacity. It ATK and Alenia Aermacchi believe that “the utility of a semi-active laser seeker-based is also capable of taking off from and landing completion of successful testing with the Italian standoff precision munition released from on short and/or unprepared strips while actAir Force further validates the capabilities of an AC-130. The Northrop Grumman BAT ing as an autonomous command and control the roll-on/roll-off gun and mission systems munition was selected for the ACTD due to center integrated with the ground command and demonstrates that the program is ready the maturity of the system and its ability to network. for fielding. This testing builds on previous gun fit within a common launch tube.
guided munitions are more accurate from farther away. That’s why AFSOC regards ballistic firepower and precision guided munitions as good complements to one another. “Ballistic effects will remain as the basic capability until we can duplicate the capabilities with PGM that we have with ballistic,” said Walter. “Right now we are far away from that. There are a lot of driving factors, costs being one and responsiveness being another. Ballistic weapons take less time to run the kill chain. PGMs have longer engagement times because you can’t fire them like you can a gun.” Among the ballistic weapons available to the AC-130 are rapid fire Gatling guns. The General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems GAU-19/A Aircraft Armament, an externally mounted Gatling gun, is an example of such a weapon, although it is not used on the AC-130. The electrically-driven GAU-19/A, which fires the .50 caliber cartridge, is a threebarrel, high-rate-of-fire gun that has proved effective in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The GAU-19/A gun is installed
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“As a result of the success that was achieved within the ACTD, the Griffin missile, a variant of the BAT, has been adapted for use by the AC-130 and other munitions are being examined for use by AFSOC under the family of munitions encompassed by the umbrella of SOPGM,” said Walter. The Griffin is a 33-pound, 42-inch-long weapon with a 13-pound blast-fragmentation warhead that uses a combination of GPS and a semi-active laser seeker for guidance. The Griffin’s range is around 12.5 miles if fired at altitude from an aerial platform. The Griffin missile is also able to hit a speed boat at 1.25 miles using GPS coordinates and/or laser designation. The virtue of the Griffin is its small size, allowing unmanned platforms to carry more of the weapons than the heavier Hellfire missile. They are also more precise, which is important when targeting smaller targets like vehicles, causing much less collateral damage. The small diameter bomb (SDB), a 250pound munition with a 60-nautical-mile standoff range designed to be deployed on a variety of aircraft, is equipped with the technology to hit both stationary and moving targets. The SDB’s winglets allow the munition to glide significant distances, providing tremendous standoff in contested air space. “The SDB was the first PGM made for aircraft,” said Walter. “It was developed several years ago and we adapted it to the AC-130W gunship.” The SDB’s nose and body shape, as well as its smart fuse, allow for penetration of more than 6 feet of reinforced concrete with 50 pounds of explosive, the same penetration capabilities as a 2,000-pound BLU-109. The SDB has also met the key Air Force criterion of close to one weapon per target in tests targeting 14 hard and soft targets, including command, control and communications bunkers; air defense assets; petroleum, oil and lubricant sites; airfield targets; infrastructure targets; missiles; and artillery. The weapon boasts an advanced anti-jam global positioning system-aided inertial navigation system to provide guidance to the coordinates of stationary targets. “The SDB opened up capabilities we didn’t have before,” said Walter. “One of our collateral missions is to support ground forces in the event a threat is coming from a building. One SDB will eliminate that threat.”
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Longbow that also has radar guidance on it. That is particularly useful for moving targets and in adverse weather.” The laser-guided precision-strike AGM114R multi-functional Hellfire II Romeo missile consolidates the capabilities of previous Hellfire II variants equipped with semiactive laser seekers into a single missile. “That way you always have the right missile on the rail,” said the spokesperson. “It will prosecute armor [and] personnel in the open and also light buildings.” Properly equipped platforms can actually engage targets behind them with the Hellfire
The Hellfire was designed to be fired from helicopters at low altitudes and to glide for several kilometers before engaging a target. Hellfire missiles have been successfully tested from the AC-130. Lockheed Martin has produced over 60,000 Hellfire rounds, a 7-inch-diameter missile, for the United States and 19 international customers. Hellfires have been installed primarily on rotary wing, but also on some fixed wing platforms. “The missile’s primary guidance system is a semi-active laser,” said a Lockheed spokesperson. “We have a variant called the
W W W. D AV I D C L A R K . C O M
7/28/14 1:18 PM
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Special section: Aerial firepower II. “An expanded engagement envelope provided by the multi-functional Hellfire II’s new three-axis inertial measurement unit enables platforms with sufficient altitude to hit targets to the platform’s side or rear without turning,” explained the Lockheed spokesperson. The Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) being developed by Lockheed Martin for the Army and Navy provides new guidance capabilities to previous Hellfire variants. “The new guidance section to go on the back of the Hellfire Romeo includes both millimeter wave and semi-active laser guidance,” said the spokesperson. “This combines the best of both worlds from the two Hellfire variants we currently produce.” JAGM's dual-mode guidance system is currently undergoing tests. Lockheed Martin is also in the process adapting its Nemesis missile to aerial platforms specifically for special operations missions. In response to a request for proposal from SOCOM for a short-range precision strike system, Lockheed is repurposing the Nemesis, originally deployed as a man-portable ground-launched system, to aviation platforms. “When integrated on aerial platforms, the Nemesis is a very important complement to the Hellfire family of missiles,” said Doug Borger, the Lockheed Martin business development manager for Nemesis. “It is smaller, lighter and more affordable than the Hellfire, but has every bit of precision and reliability and is useful for urban and counter-mortar operations as it provides less collateral damage.”
The original ground-launched variant was meant to provide special operators with a 360-degree operational launch capability. “The missile is launched vertically,” explained Borger. “Upon reaching its apogee, wings deploy and GPS guides the missile to the target area, which can be up to 15 kilometers away. In the terminal stage, a semi-active laser engages to give the missile phenomenal precision.” The target set for Nemesis includes personnel, vehicles and structures. The missile contains an enhanced 10-pound warhead to provide up to 10,000 frags per missile. “Right now Nemesis is a ground-launched capability, but it is easily adaptable to air-launched platforms to serve as a complement to the Hellfire,” said Berger. The Nemesis is compatible with the common launch tube that is deployed on the AC-130 gunship. Adapting weapons form other purposes is nothing new for AFSOC. MBDA’s Viper Strike missile grew out of an anti-tank weapon. The Griffin was adapted from the Archer, a ground-launched system. “Pretty much everything we have, we have repurposed from other applications,” said Walter. “It cuts down research, development, test and evaluation time. If we can adapt a weapon from another platform and it works for us, we are that much further ahead of the game. We are always looking out for new technologies that can put the right effect in the right place at the right time. Future developments in small PGMs will make them
Multi-Platform Capability Laser Guided Rocket In another example of recent advances in aerial firepower, Raytheon Company and MD Helicopters Inc. successfully fired four Talon laser guided rockets (LGR) from the MD 530G armed aerial scout (AAS) helicopter during a series of tests at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. “This test further demonstrates the maturity of the Talon Laser Guided Rocket weapon system as a complement to MD’s AAS platform,” said Darryl Kreitman, Raytheon Talon program director. “These test shots included four firings showcasing Talon’s versatility over the entire firing envelope, with direct hits for all events.” Talon LGR is a digital semi-active laser guidance and control kit co-developed with the United Arab Emirates. Talon’s guidance section
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integrates directly to the front of the legacy 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets while its unique tail kit replaces the legacy Hydra-70 wraparound tail kit. This latest successful firing and subsequent original equipment manufacturer certification of Talon follows the recent certification in April for air worthiness release of the weapon on the Apache AH-64D/E attack helicopter. During Talon’s development program and test program, Raytheon completed more than 35 Talon firings from the AH-64D Apache. The LGR requires no hardware or software modifications to the launcher or aircraft platform for any aircraft that fires 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets using the standard M260/261 launchers.
more accurate, lethal, easier to employ and responsive to the ground force needs.” MBDA’s Dual Mode Brimstone missile (DMB) is an example of getting ahead of the game by adapting a weapon from another platform. Already developed, fielded and proven in combat on UK GR-9 Tornado aircraft with a 98 percent hit effectiveness, the DMB was successfully tested this year on a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper at China Lake, Calif. During the test, the missile hit vehicles going in excess of 70 mph. The DMB has an integrated millimeter wave radar seeker and a semiactive laser seeker, and is qualified on Reapers and fighter aircraft. DMB is a great example of having other services develop and field precision missiles, allowing U.S. forces the opportunity to save money on fully developed and combat-proven precision missiles. AFSOC is also considering adapting nonkinetic weapons to its arsenal. “We have looked at directed energy,” said Walter. “It is an interesting concept, but it’s not yet ready for prime time. We were also involved with the advanced tactical laser but found it was too big for our platforms and required too much power. USSOCOM is making headway with the solid state laser and is looking forward to considering that for the gunship as well as other AFSOC platforms.” The development of the latest variant of the AC-130 gunship, the AC-130J, will bring greater flexibility to the number and variety of weapons that can be integrated on the gunship platform. “The original AC-130 was built on technologies developed in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s,” said Walter. “The AC-130J brings 21st-century technology to the platform.” The key to the aircraft’s flexibility will be its open architecture. “Instead of having everything hard wired, an open architecture will allow us to adapt to new technologies as they come along,” said Walter. ”We are building a better gunship and it is getting better all the time.” “We made a conscious decision that we don’t want any proprietary interfaces,” added Baradon. “With the open architecture contractors will have to meet our interface. That way we can rapidly integrate new weapons onto the gunship.” O For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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The quick pace of technology is providing today’s military with an array of UAS platforms to choose from. By Chris McCoy, SOTECH Editor Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) provide combatant commanders with organic, day and night reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) capability in addition to battle damage assessment and enhanced situational awareness. The Army’s UAS mission is tactical in nature, in that UASs provide direct support to deployed ground forces. The UAS fleet is currently comprised of five platforms: Gray Eagle, Hunter, Shadow, Puma and Raven. Each of these aircraft has a niche mission, as Army UASs are employed within all echelons of the Army’s forward deployed forces. With the successful fielding of unmanned aircraft into combat, the obvious next step was to team unmanned aircraft technology with manned air and ground platforms. “The manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operational concept increases the fighting capability of manned aviation through teaming with unmanned aircraft. This ensures commanders and soldiers have the most current information to make timely operational decisions,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nick Kioutas, product manager for small unmanned aircraft systems. “MUM-T, a combat multiplier, combines the inherent strengths of manned and unmanned platforms to increase synergy. MUM-T is not a new mission, but a capability enabled by maturing material improvements to enhance the tactical mission of Army aviation platforms.” Ultimately, Army aviation exists to support ground forces, and MUM-T has allowed for greater lethality, efficiency, situational awareness, and extended communications capabilities for warfighters. The improvements seen in MUM-T directly result in greater tactical capabilities for supporting ground combat forces. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
According to Kioutas, UAS technology continues to grow at exponential rates. This has resulted in incremental improvements in existing platforms, in many cases leveraging commercial offthe-shelf technology. The Army’s UAS Roadmap includes cargo UAS and nano-UAS technologies that will be employed in the future. Squads will employ the nano-UAS for near-range, shortduration missions. Industry is also stepping in with an array of platforms to fill the needs of the military.
A Plethora of Platforms UAV Solutions Inc. (UAVS) debuted the Phoenix 60 UAS at AUVSI Unmanned Systems 2014 in Orlando, Fla. This hexacopter is lightweight (under 15 pounds) and carries an electro-optical/ infrared stabilized gimbal. The thrust gained by adding two additional booms to the quad rotor design provides greater lift and more capability. Additionally, the producibility of the system is positively impacted because the booms in the Phoenix 60 UAS are the same line replaceable units as those used in the Phoenix 30 Quad Rotor UAS. “Similar to our other UAS products—the Allerion 25, Phoenix 30 and Phoenix 15 Quad Rotor UAS and the Talon 120 and 240 fixed wing UAS—command and control and video communications are combined on a single encrypted digital data link,” said CEO and Chief Engineer Bill Davidson. “The Phoenix 60, with its perch and stare capabilities, can hover above a structure to gain actionable intelligence.” SOTECH 12.7 | 9
The Phoenix 15 UAS is a micro UAS that weighs less than 2 pounds. No set-up or assembly is required and the ground control system is integrated into a tablet. Weighing only 8 pounds, with nearly double the endurance time of the Phoenix 15, the Phoenix 30 flies up to 500 feet. “We also recently introduced a tactical ground control system (GCS) that can control multiple vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and fixed wing platforms as well as air-delivered ground rovers [which are in development at UAVS],” said Davidson. “The tactical GCS weighs 35 pounds and has two screens for command and control of payloads, mission planning and real-time video. This smaller GCS is a derivative of our 70-pound Portable GCS, which has three computer screens for mission planning and video viewing.” UAVS supplied a number of network and communications systems for the U.S. Army Persistent Ground Surveillance Systems, a tethered aerostat developed in response to a military Joint Urgent Operational Needs statement. “We also build subassemblies for the TigerShark UAS and have been doing so since 2006,” said Davidson. “We strive to continue to reduce manufacturing costs through the use of the latest technologies.” This effort includes utilizing new materials and lighter-weight components, as well as fine-tuning manufacturing processes to make the aircraft platforms lighter to increase the endurance of the systems. Budgets continue to become leaner, and customers are looking for less expensive platforms to meet their needs. “Our research and development team is looking for lower acoustic signatures for UASs and is also evaluating concepts for solar-powered UASs for 24/7 operations,” said Davidson. “UAVS continues to refine our manufacturing processes to make our unmanned systems even more affordable for our customers. We pride ourselves on developing unique solutions to customer requirements; therefore, if a new opportunity arises, we would gladly design a UAS to satisfy the need.”
A History of UAS Development Textron Systems is probably best known for its Shadow 200 Tactical UAS (TUAS), which has amassed nearly 900,000 total flight hours, the majority of which have taken place in combat operations. “We have initiated development of several improvements to the Shadow 200, including noise reduction and new sensor capabilities,” said Bill Irby, senior vice president and general manager, Textron Systems Unmanned Systems. “Our latest innovation is the Shadow M2, the next generation of our proven TUAS. The Shadow M2 offers multi-mission capability through flexible payload configurations, as well as enhanced endurance and performance. In fact, it offers much of the same mission capability as larger strategic assets. Yet the Shadow M2 is available as a block upgrade to the Shadow 200, representing an affordable and efficient path to powerful new capabilities.” Textron Systems also offers the Aerosonde small unmanned aircraft system (SUAS), an expeditionary system designed for both land-based and shipboard mission sets. Featuring the new EL-005 engine from Lycoming Engines, the Aerosonde SUAS offers benchmark-setting reliability in its class. Furthermore, the Aerosonde aircraft offers multi-mission capability, encompassing 10 | SOTECH 12.7
electro-optical, signals intelligence and communications relay within a single aircraft. From Textron Systems’ Weapon and Sensor Systems business comes the BattleHawk Squad-Level Loitering Munition, a direct fire aerial precision guided munition system for use by small tactical units to engage non-line-of-sight targets. Among its key advantages is the system’s ability to take on an enemy from an advantageous position without exposing the operator to detection or small arms fire. “Our Shadow and Aerosonde systems are predominantly known for their performance in ISR and RSTA mission sets, but also are equipped for communications relay and other critical missions in support of our customers,” said Irby. “We continuously monitor the development of payload and sensor technologies for new and promising integration opportunities supporting customer requirements.” The Shadow 200 system is in service with the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, special operations groups and international allies. The Aerosonde SUAS is deployed internationally in support of multiple U.S. and DoD customers. “Our systems have performed extremely well in some of the world’s most challenging and austere environments,” said Irby. “Shadow and Aerosonde systems have accumulated hundreds of thousands of flight hours in conditions from desert heat and dust to mountain dampness. Variants of the Aerosonde SUAS have been utilized for years as a scientific asset, flying in harsh weather conditions from hurricanes to Antarctic cold. “As an original innovator of UAS, dating back to the Pioneer’s deployment in 1980s, we are always looking at new technology,” said Irby. “As part of a multi-industry company with expertise in fixed wing and rotary wing aviation, unmanned systems, and many other areas, we are able to draw on the talents and experience of our teams in developing next-generation capabilities.”
Advanced VTOL Capabilities Saab is a major partner in the European Neuron Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle demonstrator, whose first flight was in 2012. Saab participated from the initial concept phase and has continued its support throughout the program. In the Neuron program, Saab is responsible for avionics systems as well as the center fuselage and fuel system, and has participated in several other areas including overall design. The Skeldar V-200 VTOL UAS is currently entering service with Saab as the provider of the complete UAS system, including the ground control system. Both Neuron and Skeldar avionics architectures are stepping stones to carry open architecture applications further, building on the Gripen fighter aircraft technology. “Skeldar V-200 is a tactical (Tier II/Group 3) VTOL UAS designed to perform a variety of both land and maritime missions,” said Johan Hansson, vice president, business development aeronautics, Saab Defense and Security USA LLC. “As a multi-role platform, Skeldar may be used for many other mission types than “traditional” ISR operations. Communications relay, electronic warfare (such as jamming), mine/IED and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat detection, light cargo transport, search and rescue, and border surveillance are a few examples of suitable mission profiles.” www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Some of the benefits with VTOL include the ability to take off and land virtually anywhere, including within a very confined space, e.g., on a ship deck. Minimal launch and recovery equipment is needed, so the system is easier to transport and re-deploy than fixed wing UASs of the same size or even smaller. “Also, the ability to hover and fly at slow speed increases the [ability] to maintain contact with a target and keep pace with ground or sea units, as the system can ‘stare’ for long periods of time,” said Hansson. “Skeldar can move very close to and object and produce imagery with a high level of detail for the task (e.g., object identification or battle damage assessment). The system is comparably silent and hard to detect (e.g., with air surveillance radar).” The Skeldar system is designed for the most demanding land and maritime environments, includ- An RQ-7 “Shadow” UAS operated by paratroopers with Bravo Company, 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th ing subarctic and semi-arid and tropic climate zones, Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, flies off its launcher at Forward Operating Base Sparta Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The UAS has the capability to cover vast distances and can stay aloft for and is thus adaptable to operations worldwide. To at several hours at a time, all the while sending real-time, important battlefield information back to commanders. [Photo withstand sand, dust, sea-spray, precipitation and courtesy of the U.S Army/by Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Smith] high humidity during operation, mechanical and electronic equipment are protected by special encapsulations, line-of-sight capability out to 200 kilometers, both on land and coatings and seals. Also, the air vehicle is corrosion-treated in at sea. accordance with applicable MIL standards and qualified to operate “The S-100 navigates via pre-programmed GPS waypoints or in windy conditions and high sea states. Several of these protectis operated with a pilot control unit. Missions are planned and ing measures have been implemented as a result of several years controlled via a simple point-and-click graphical user interface,” of extensive testing in a variety of environments, ranging from the said Chris Day, head of capability engineering, Schiebel. “High arctic winter in Sweden to hot and high desert areas, and tropical definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station sea areas. in real time.” “Skeldar provides a more modular design than most other Using “fly-by-wire” technology controlled by a triple-redununmanned systems in operation today,” said Hansson. dant flight computer, the UAV can complete its mission automatiAn example of this is the ability to quickly swap multiple cally. Its carbon fiber and titanium fuselage provides capacity for payloads (plug-and-play) that may be distributed alongside a a wide range of payload/endurance combinations up to a service sliding rail system for optimum placement of each payload (e.g. ceiling of 18,000 feet. In its standard configuration, the Camcopter for maintaining center of gravity). A variety of high performance S-100 carries a 75-pound payload up to 10 hours and is powered electro-optical/infrared sensor payloads that supports high definiwith aviation gasoline or heavy fuel. tion video and automatic target detection and tracking have been “Wherever surveillance from the air or sensor measurement integrated, and there is a long list of other types of payloads suitis required, the use of the Camcopter S-100 is possible,” said Day. able for use on Skeldar. “The platform especially stands out for its hovering capability, “Our focus is on meeting potential customers’ future needs which is of advantage to many surveillance applications.” from a system perspective covering all essential parts such as The Camcopter S-100 can start and land at wind speeds up to air vehicles, payloads, control stations, deployment and logistics 25 knots. However, successful flight testing has been conducted assets, and data dissemination systems, and consequently we at wind speeds of 40 knots. Additionally the UAS has successfully expect incremental improvements within all these sub-systems proved its maritime surveillance capability landing at sea state for Skeldar,” said Hansson. “Basic air vehicle performance, such 3 automatically. The operating temperature ranges from 40-55 as range, endurance, speed and payload capacity, is continuously degrees Celsius. Sustaining the harsh conditions is helped by addressed in the road map of the system and for each new revision the use of specific materials, such as composites and titanium in (e.g., weight reductions to improve endurance and payload capacselected components and structures. ity). We are also preparing for an introduction of Skeldar-sized “The Camcopter S-100 has been designed to be fitted with a UAS systems into national airspace, covering safety and reliability variety of payloads,” said Day. “As standard, the S-100 flies with requirements, and hopefully we will see the process for certifying electro-optical/infrared sensors, which include laser pointers, UAS being shaped within the next five years.” range finders and designators. Other sensors include synthetic aperture radar, maritime radar, light detection and ranging scanners, electronic support measures. COMINT and hyperspectral, VTOL With a Large Payload integrated spotlights and loudspeakers are also available.” O Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 UAS is a proven capability for miliFor more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at tary and civilian applications. The VTOL UAS needs no prepared chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories area or supporting launch or recovery equipment. It operates in at www.sotech-kmi.com. day and night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond www.SOTECH-kmi.com
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Lieutenant General Eric Fiel and others reflect on his many years of dedicated service. By Lieutenant Colonel Kristi Beckman, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs “Eric was a great leader because he set high standards, expected “You will touch the soil of many lands” is a fortune 2nd Lieutenant his troops to comply and treated his people, regardless of rank, with Eric Fiel opened 33 years ago from a Chinese fortune cookie. Today, dignity and respect,” said Hobson. Fiel still keeps that fortune in his wallet as he reflects back on his Fiel said his work ethic was instilled in him by his parents. career as an air commando and his ultimate job as the head of Air “I started working at 12 or 13 with a paper route,” said Fiel. Force Special Operations Command. “My dad worked, my mom worked, my sister worked ... all of us did. But how he became an air commando is a story within itself. Born I bailed a lot of hay and milked a lot of cows too, living on a dairy and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., Fiel said he was on his fifth year of college farm.” and just didn’t know what he wanted to do. And hard-working is what Fiel remembers most about the air “One day, I just said to my roommates, ‘Let’s go talk to a recruiter,’” commandos he grew up with. While he didn’t quite know what said Fiel. “The Air Force commercial [motto] back then was ‘A Great AFSOC did before he showed up, he learned pretty quickly what it Way of Life.’ So they all said ‘Sure.’ The next morning, I was the only was like to be referred to as an air commando and to be part of the one who woke up and went down to the recruiter’s office.” special operations forces joint team. Fiel said he’d never been anywhere and had never flown on an airOne of those air commandos, former AFSOC Command Chief plane, but he thought the Air Force might be something worthwhile. Bill Turner, who grew up in the command with Fiel, remembers “I went down and took the test and came home and told my parhim well. In March 1998, then Technical Sergeant Turner signed ents I was joining the Air Force. Then, off I went to officer training into the 4th SOS commanded by then Lieutenant Colonel Fiel. school.” “The 4th SOS was a fledgling organization, housed in a trailer Fiel said the Air Force put a little discipline in his life and he never on the back of Hurlburt over by the firing range,” said Turner, curplanned on staying in as long as he did. He even became an air comrent command chief at U.S. Transportation Command. “The trailer mando by a fluke because someone traded assignments with him in was not big, so we were crammed in there pretty tight. When it’s navigator school. tight like that you have to get along ... and we mostly did.” And he took notes from his first squadron commander, retired “Colonel Fiel and his wife, Donna, made it a family-like environAFSOC commander Major General John Hobson, then Lieutenant ment ... and it was fun,” continued Turner. “He was always out and Colonel Hobson, at the 8th SOS. about talking with the team. He was humble and Hobson said he had some reservations when Fiel, unassuming and helped everyone feel at ease. Havfresh from EWO school, showed up. ing said that, he was always the consummate profes“He was our first lieutenant EWO,” said Hobson. “I sional. He had a squadron to prepare for the combat had some hesitation about a second lieutenant’s expeops that would soon come its way, so the training rience in such an important crew position, but he soon tempo was pretty intense. Even after all these years I doused my concerns with his knowledge and enthuremember sitting in a staff meeting and he was dissiasm. He jumped in feet-first, became an instructor cussing discipline issues and the need for accountEWO in minimum time, and he always volunteered for ability. I was struck by his integrity and commitment additional duties.” to doing the right thing for the right reason.” Hobson said Fiel was destined to lead from early Turner’s last assignment was working side-byin his career as he was smart and aggressive and side with Fiel, where he remembers Fiel as an excepdidn’t shy away from challenging squadron and wing Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel tional major command commander. assignments. 12 | SOTECH 12.7
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“He’s the very first home-grown special operations forces general officer to lead AFSOC,” said Turner. “Along with that comes more than 33 years of unique experience. He’s served ... and excelled ... at all levels of leadership, to include many tours in the joint special operations arena as a combat commander. So, his credentials are high within the special ops community and its leaders.” One such special ops leader is retired Army General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), for whom Fiel served as his deputy. McChrystal said working with Fiel was not only a pleasure, but an honor. “Eric possesses, and demonstrates, bedrock values that guide every decision he makes and every order he gives,” said McChrystal. “Those values of integrity, loyalty and mission accomplishment drive him to lead others naturally to doing what’s right. He doesn’t wring his hands or raise a moistened finger to determine which way the wind is blowing, he simply allows his moral compass to provide direction—and it does so unerringly.” As a leader, Fiel is well known in the command by the statement, “Only commanders can make change.” “Commanders provide the vision and mission,” said Fiel. “And if they’re not willing to make change, the unit isn’t going to change. If they want to make change and they don’t do it themselves, it’s not going to happen. You have to have follow-up. You can impact behavior to the positive, and I believe in letting the commanders do their job and not the staff. Staffs don’t make decisions. Staffs are there to support.” He added what’s most important is the airman downrange or the airman on the flightline turning the wrench. “If you don’t live that life every day to make sure those airmen have everything they need—money, resources, whatever [they need] to do their job—they’re not going to do their job,” said Fiel. “The maintenance job is to fly and fix airplanes. It’s really that simple. If they don’t have all the materials so they can generate sorties so that crew can fly in there, or if security forces don’t have what they need to guard the gate or maybe they’re guarding outside the wire, the mission can fail. “I don’t do the mission,” continued Fiel. “My job was to make sure they had all the tools. So, if I had money, it was gone. If a commander wanted to do something, I supported it.” McChrystal echoed that philosophy about taking care of the people. He said the performance of people is the ultimate determinant of almost every outcome, in every organization, but particularly in special operations. “Like Eric Fiel, I learned that empowering the people with whom I served to use their talent and judgment is the single best way to provide the highest probability of success,” said McChrystal. “It demands that we decentralize the authority and resources needed for our subordinates to act rapidly, yet understand that we never pass our responsibility off. It demands providing levels of trust that can be frightening to some leaders, yet in today’s increasingly fast-paced and complex environment, it is essential.” After his time at JSOC with McChrystal, Fiel became the vice commander of U.S. Special Operations Command at the Pentagon, where he began working on a vision that would ultimately lead AFSOC to the place it is today. “I tried to figure out, ‘If I want to try to make this happen, who’s the decision maker?’” explained Fiel. “If I need to do an organization change request, who do I need to talk to? If I need to go buy this or modify that, who do I need to talk to? Or do I really have to ask www.SOTECH-kmi.com
permission? I came into the job [AFSOC] and I was going to take six months to just kind of look at things, but I couldn’t wait. After just 30 days, I knew what I wanted to do.” Turner said he learned from Fiel to never take no for an answer. “There’s always a yes ... you just need to know what the cost will be,” said Turner. “By cost I mean dollars, resources, decision space, risk, etc. Never ask someone a question who can only say no and doesn’t have the authority to say yes.” As Fiel refers back to the vision to grow AFSOC, he recalls initial opposition. “People said, ‘Aw you can’t do it,’” said Fiel. “I said, ‘Don’t tell me I can’t do something.’ And now we’re postured around the globe. We have more opportunities for our leaders to command. People and airplanes are still moving. If you are held hostage someplace overseas, you don’t have to wait for forces from the states. If SOF forces are needed, you don’t have to wait—we’re right there.” Turner said Fiel will not only be remembered for his leadership and his determination but also his passion for taking care of his airmen and their families—whom he always placed first. He lived by the SOF truth that humans are more important than hardware. “The really great thing about General Fiel is his passion for the force and families,” said Turner. “He seems stoic when you first meet him, but spend quality time with him and you find out quickly his love of people. Every decision he has made was centered around making AFSOC better for our nation, for sure, but also for our air commandos.” His wife, Donna, said her husband believes that one person can make a difference and he’s always been there for his troops. “He’s never been one to go with the flow—he’s always pushed to make sure that our air commandos are taken care of,” said Donna. “He’s not a politician; he’s always been a warfighter and he loved every minute he spent doing what he was trained to do.” When asked why family is so important to the command and to the mission, Fiel said it’s the families who are affected each and every time air commando deploys. He remembers the first opportunity he had to pin a silver star on an air commando. He said the commandos don’t care about the medals or going through the ceremony, but the family does. “I watched the little kids’ eyes during the first ceremony,” said Fiel. “They were so proud. Now, every time I give out a medal, I ask the kids if they’d like to pin the medal on their parent. AFSOC has been deployed since I came here in August 1982. It’s been non-stop. No other major command can say that. There’s always been a major portion of this command that’s been forward-postured. And so the families take a toll.” After touching the soil of many lands in a command he initially knew nothing about, in a career he didn’t think he’d stay in for the long haul, in a spec-ops community that has been described as the most elite in the world, Fiel hopes to be remembered as someone who gave people a chance and more opportunity. When asked what he thinks people will remember him for, he smiled and said they will probably remember him for his impatience. “But at the end of the day, there is more opportunity for our commanders and our airmen,” said Fiel. “I hope I can be remembered as a commander who tried hard and took care of the people.” O For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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BLACK WATCH Human Machine Interface and Digital Mapping Hardware and Software Solution Curtiss-Wright Corporation Curtiss-Wright Corporation announced that its Defense Solutions division has introduced a new pre-validated human machine interface (HMI) and digital mapping hardware and software solution. CurtissWright has collaborated with IData Visual Systems, a business group within Ensco Avionics Inc., to provide support for the IData Tool Suite and IData Map Plug-in HMI and digital mapping tools on Curtiss-Wright’s XMC-715 graphics controller mezzanine card and VME-186 single board computer. The verified solution is provided under CurtissWright’s System Ready Application (SRA) initiative. This new SRA expands the capability of Curtiss-Wright’s commercial off-the-shelf-based solutions for defense and aerospace system designers seeking reliable, cost-effective digital mapping and situational awareness visualization on rugged deployed systems. The combined HMI/digital mapping SRA solution enables system integrators to quickly and cost-effectively develop and deploy HMI applications for use in safety-critical environments. CurtissWright’s IData Visual Systems-enabled hardware is available both in size, weight and power-optimized slot modules for integration into
Maritime Surveillance Radar System Successfully Completes First Flight on the U.S. Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout Telephonics Corporation Telephonics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation, announced that their AN/ZPY-4(V)1 maritime surveillance radar system successfully completed its first flight on the U.S. Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter at Webster Field in Patuxent River, Md., on May 7, 2014. The AN/ZPY-4(V)1, recently integrated onto the Fire Scout, will be deployed for the first time onboard the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth early in calendar year 2015.
open-standards chassis and in fully integrated standalone subsystems provided by partner companies. “We are very pleased to collaborate with IData Visual Systems to offer system integrators a cost-effective, proven solution for HMI and digital mapping,” said Lynn Bamford, senior vice president and general manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions division. “Our System Ready Application approach reduces design risk and cuts costs and time to market, helping to ensure the success of our customers’ system designs.”
Interoperable Communications Solution Now on Approved Products List Mutualink Inc. Mutualink Inc. announced that its radio and multimedia communications interoperability solution won the DoD Joint Interoperability Test Command certification for both information assurance and interoperability. The approval is the first and only full three-year certification issued by DoD under its Unified Capabilities Requirements for interoperable radio gateways. Mutualink’s interoperable multimedia gateway solution, which enables secure on-demand local and wide area interoperability between disparate radio and voice communications systems, is now listed in DoD’s Approved Products List, and is authorized for use by all services and agencies of DoD. Mutualink’s DoD accreditation was sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps primarily due to Mutualink’s unique ability to securely enable interoperable communications between and among joint and coalition forces on an ad hoc basis and with global reach. The system enables the U.S. Marines to securely communicate, coordinate and provide command and control functions with allies and partners. “I see Mutualink as filling a key capability that will enable the Marine Corps and other services to work more effectively with local forces and personnel on the ground, including indigenous and host nation partners that often are using incompatible communications systems,” said USAF Colonel (Ret.) Sonny Blinkinsop, Mutualink’s director of Defense Services. “Being able to seamlessly communicate at will, as and when needed, over all available communications systems is extremely valuable in all types of operational environments, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and security operations.”
Jenna Beaucage; jbeaucage@rainierco.com 14 | SOTECH 12.7
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Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Radio Frequency-based Perimeter Security System Intelligent Automation Inc. Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI) announced that it recently completed an extensive tactical evaluation of its Argus radio frequency-based perimeter security system at the Deployable Force Protection (DFP) Adaptive Red Team (ART) Technical Support and Operational Analysis (TSOA) at the Marine Corp Base, Quantico, Va. The ART/TSOA is a quarterly experiment activity supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) DFP program, which addresses force protection issues and technologies at small, forward operating bases. At this TSOA evaluation, warfighters and other government personnel deployed Argus in realistic tactical scenarios to exercise its physical security capabilities, identify potential systems improvements, and to
determine solutions to defeat operational vulnerabilities. “Intelligent automation greatly values our opportunity to participate in the OSD TSOA exercises with our Argus security product,” said Peter Chen, Ph.D., Argus product manager and senior director of Advanced Technologies at IAI. “We believe that Argus will provide a new level of security for our expeditionary forces and offer significant savings in manpower and resources.” IAI’s Argus product consists of networked wireless sensors that form a protective, invisible trip wire for enhanced situational awareness. Mobile and permanent installations are both supported. Argus is inherently network aware, self-healing, and has been integrated with existing integration sensor interface formats such as
Portable Non-destructive Chemical Munitions and Weapons Identification System
Cursor-on-Target and the Raptor-X situational awareness platform. In 2013, IAI received funding from the DFP Program, under an Army rapid innovation fund contract, to further develop the next-generation Argus technology, and to fully integrate Argus with DFP’s integrated sensor architecture. Countermeasures have been devised for jamming and spoofing, and additional features have been developed to meet warfighter needs. Argus is being expanded to add multi-sensor functionalities for longterm, unattended operations under an Office of Naval Research Program. IAI is also currently under contract with the Department of Homeland Security to develop a variant of Argus optimized for deployment along the U.S. northern border to detect, localize and track personnel in wooded terrain.
Situational Awareness Breakthrough Black Diamond Advanced Technology
Ortec Products Group The Ortec Products Group of Ametek Advanced Measurement Technology announced the release of the PINS3-CW (Portable Isotopic Neutron Spectroscopy 3rd generation) Portable Chemical Identification System. The PINS3-CW safely and quickly detects and identifies hazardous chemicals inside munitions or chemical storage containers by conducting nondestructive gamma analysis. The system uses Ortec’s portable Trans-Spec-N high-purity germanium spectrometer combined with a portable neutron detector and a unique software algorithm developed in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory. “The PINS3-CW is a significant evolution in our non-destructive analysis systems. The system integrates our new mechanically cooled Trans-Spec-N portable spectrometer with a small neutron generator to support user requirements to identify unknown threats at the location of the container or source.” said Frank Vorwald, Ortec business unit manager. “The system is completely portable for missions that require an easy to use solution without the need for liquid nitrogen or shielded radioactive sources.” The entire PINS3-CW system fits into a hardened wheeled transport case for easy handling and shipping to any location by a single user. The system is environmentally hardened for field operations and is designed for remote operation to increase stand-off distance and user safety.
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Black Diamond Advanced Technology started out in 2005 with the idea to build a trusted precision fire/close air support solution that Joint Terminal Attack Controllers could rely on for their varying mission sets. There wasn’t a comprehensive solution in the market that would fit the bill of requirements needed by conventional and SOF operators to provide command and control, situational awareness, power management and distributed communications from a single, foot-mobile solution. Enter Black Diamond and its Modular Tactical System solution. Black Diamond worked closely with the military user community to successfully understand and incorporate their requirements into a single solution that they could trust. They needed a flexible system that could provide true “on-the-move” performance and situational awareness for a variety of applications and mission sets. Today, nine years later, Black Diamond has delivered a reliable wearable, tactical computer that has been deployed to various theaters around the world. SOTECH 12.7 | 15
Mission Enhancer
Q& A
Providing Specialized Airpower for Joint Teammates Throughout the Globe Colonel Tony D. Bauernfeind Commander 27th Special Operations Wing Colonel Tony D. Bauernfeind is the commander of the 27th Special Operations Wing (SOW), Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. The 27 SOW plans, prepares for and executes precision strike, specialized mobility, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of special operations forces. Additionally, the 27th SOW sustains a premier installation that supports operations, training and the base’s 6,000 air commandos and their families. The 27th SOW is organized into four groups and 24 squadrons, and is equipped with 107 specialized aircraft, to include AC-130H, AC-130W, C-146A, CV-22, MC-130J, MQ-1, MQ-9 and PC-12 aircraft. The air commandos of the 27th SOW provide specialized airpower for operational commanders executing special operations missions including direct action, unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance, counterterrorism, personnel recovery, psychological operations and information operations. Bauernfeind earned his commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1991. Earning his wings in 1992, he has flown more than 3,400 hours as an aircraft commander, instructor pilot and evaluator pilot in the MC-130E and MC-130H aircraft. Bauernfeind has commanded special operations forces at the squadron, group and wing levels and served as commander, Combined Joint Special Operations Air Component-Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Q: How have previous commands influenced your leadership style? Q: As commander of the 27th SOW, what are your priorities? A: Our priorities are straightforward. First and foremost: that we win the fight forward. Our mission is to provide specialized airpower for our joint teammates throughout the globe. Whether it is putting an unblinking eye on our nation’s worst enemies with our manned and unmanned ISR fleet, or leveraging our specialized mobility assets to move around the global battlefields, or using our kinetic assets to remove these enemies from the battlefield, our joint teammates know that we are there to support them. Nested in winning the fight forward is developing our airmen and our war fighting capabilities. By improving our joint training and local range, we ensure the teams we deploy are fully ready to take on the missions they will face downrange. We cannot achieve our first priority without ensuring success in our second priority: enhancing the support to our airmen and their families through improving our installation. This is critical to our collective success. Whether it is improved medical care, more housing, increased fitness options or enhanced quality-of-life options, making sure our airmen know that their families and their wingmen are well taken care of—especially when they are deployed—will directly impact mission excellence. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
A: Every experience in our lives develops who we are and shapes our actions, reactions and perspectives of different situations. Having commanded at different levels is not unique and we all mature from one command to the next. I have learned that you do not have to do everything in your command, nor should you. Deliver your intent, ensure your troops are properly trained and resourced, support them along the way, and your team will deliver results well past your expectations. I have had the honor of commanding combat units at different echelons and am always impressed by what our airmen and our joint teammates can accomplish when properly trained and resourced. These combat commands have directly impacted my garrison commands by ensuring constant combat readiness and strong support networks for our airmen and their families. Although previous commands have influenced my leadership style, I have learned more from my past commanders, my senior enlisted leaders and those people that I have had the privilege to command. I have learned there are times to ‘break glass’ and move fast, and there are times to focus more on relationships and move forward together as a team. Knowing when is the real trick and I hope to get it right more often than not. SOTECH 12.7 | 17
Q: What are the greatest challenges your command will face in the second half of 2014? A: Our greatest challenge in the 27th SOW is ensuring continual improvement, both with our tactical capabilities and with the support our installation provides our airmen and their families. On the tactical front, we are increasing the technological capabilities of our MQ-9 Reapers, AC-130W Stinger IIs, and our processing, exploitation and dissemination (PED) teams to increase their lethality and effectiveness; ensuring we continue to grow our CV-22 Osprey, MC-130J Commando II and C-146 Dornier crews; enhancing the physical capabilities of our local range to increase training opportunities for our aircrews and joint teammates; and leveraging our available resources to ensure every airman that deploys downrange is 100 percent ready for the mission ahead. Furthermore, we are closely monitoring the retirement of the venerable AC-130H Spectre and the divestiture of our PC-12 aircraft. On the installation support side, we are always looking for ways to make things better for our airmen and their families. Beyond increased housing for our families and single airmen, better medical support for all, improved school experiences for our children, enhanced fitness options, or improved quality of life choices, we are pushing hard to make Cannon Air Force Base a premier Air Force and special operations installation.
An MQ-9 Reaper prepares to depart Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. [Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force/by Technical Sergeant Efren Lopez]
Q: Are there any new programs or initiatives that you would like to discuss? A: On the technology front, one initiative U.S. Air Force airman monitor the engine starts of an AC-130H Spectre gunship. [Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force/by Technical we’re working in conjunction with SOCOM Sergeant Jason Robertson] PEO-FW and others is a SOF MQ-9 rapid The impetus for this program was our new RPA operations center, acquisition called Lead Off Hitter, designed to improve firstwhich allows us to co-locate the RPA and PED crews in the same pass lethality of our MQ-9 fleet. By rapidly integrating emerging room, versus the confined ground control systems that RPAs are technologies, to include increased-lethality weapons, onboard known for. sensors, full-motion video rectification, improved target tracking Other technology initiatives we are supporting include testing a and engagement software, we are able to deliver very impressive 105 mm cannon and a laser small diameter bomb for the AC-130W, first-strike results for the joint team. This program enables us to terrain-following radar for the MC-130J and numerous mission and field technologies in a matter of months versus the normal years generation improvements for the CV-22. associated with typical acquisition programs. We are able to accept higher levels of risk in order to achieve these timelines but have Q: What was behind the decision to re-designate and rename the an established process to mitigate these risks. Of note, many of MC-130W Combat Spear/Dragon Spear as the AC-130W Stinger these proven technologies have already migrated to conventional II? acquisition programs. Another initiative we’re working is integrating PED teams into A: The decision to re-designate was based upon a greater need for our remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) crews. This is not a program strike aircraft on the battlefield. As such, we moved out to modify in competition with the impressive federated PED that supports the aircraft with a 30 mm cannon and other capabilities such as our ISR enterprise. However, at the 27th SOW we have the opporAGM-176 Griffin missiles, GBU-39 small diameter bombs and an tunity to co-locate our PED crews directly with our RPA crews, additional MX-20 EO/IR sensor ball. Additionally, we are supporting which greatly improves the effectiveness of the whole team while the testing of a 105 mm cannon for the aircraft to further enhance also decreasing the size of the team needed for the overall mission. 18 | SOTECH 12.7
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the qualities needed for a gunship … long loiter, deep magazine and low-yield munitions to support those dangerous close situations. Q: Could you discuss the integration of the 26th Special Tactics Squadron (STS) into the 27th SOW? A: We are very proud to have the 26 STS as a key member of Cannon Air Force Base. Just to clarify, the 26 STS is part of the 24th Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, but we support them as one of our own on the installation. The 26 STS is a large part of what we do in AFSOC … we support our joint ground teammates. By having them on the installation, we are able to greatly increase our realistic combat training by having a critical component of the joint ground team here at all times. We are happy to have the 26 STS here with us and look forward to the continued partnership that has already developed. Q: What can we expect to see from the 27th SOW over the next five years? A: You can expect to see major growth at the 27th SOW and Cannon Air Force Base. We are investing heavily in infrastructure, technology and training ranges. The wing is growing in aircraft and personnel. Over the next five years, we will see the retirement of the AC-130H Spectre, but will see the full growth of the 26 STS, the U-28A, integrated PED, the beginnings of the AC-130J, a joint
exercise support facility, and a greatly enhanced training range. We will always be ready to support the training of our joint teammates by going to their locations. However, we are also increasing our capabilities to host joint exercises at Cannon Air Force Base, where we can deliver the full realm of SOF airpower without incurring the major costs associated with moving those aircraft and their support structure across the country. By building a range that supports both air (e.g. impact areas, electronic countermeasures, drop zones, landing zones) and ground objectives (e.g. driving ranges, firing ranges, re-configurable ‘cities’), we will deliver the requisite training desired by all commanders. All of these areas will enhance our ability to provide better equipped airmen to serve in the joint fight forward. Q: Is there anything else that you would like to discuss? A: We are proud of our collective efforts to improve the mission and the quality of life at Cannon. We are extremely lucky to have phenomenal community teammates supporting our airmen and their families. Our location in Eastern New Mexico does put us in a rural setting, but offers some of the best training possible for our air commandos. I bring this up because there are numerous myths and misconceptions about our base and we are actively working to ensure we are correcting the mis-truths while working even harder on the areas that do need improvement. With these improvements, we will always ensure mission excellence for our joint partners. O
3rd Annual SOF Symposium October 20 -21, 2014 | Alexandria, VA Leveraging Global SOF to Increase Regional Stability and Enhance National Security Register & Join Our Confirmed Speakers: The Honorable Michael Lumpkin, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Lt Gen Bradley Heithold, USAF, Commander, US Air Force Special Operations Command
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Learn More & Register @ sof.dsigroup.org www.SOTECH-kmi.com
SOTECH 12.7 | 19
Sensors are growing more sophisticated but size, weight and power requirements are still a constraint. By Peter Buxbaum SOTECH Correspondent The large and growing constellation of sensors has become of critical importance to the development of situational awareness by special operations forces. Operators mounted in vehicles, for example, want to know what nastiness awaits them without exposing themselves to danger. Situational awareness cameras help special operators inside a vehicle to assess the situation outside without exposing themselves. Mounted correctly, these cameras can provide the driver and crew with a 360-degree view of their surroundings before they open the hatch or doors and exit. Thermal cameras have been increasingly deployed for these purposes. Dismounted operators also want to carry sensors for the same purpose. Whether vehicle-mounted or man-worn, as more sensors become available and desirable, the perennial size, weight and power (SWaP) challenge looms larger. One response from the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has been to move toward 20 | SOTECH 12.7
digital sensors, which can more easily be miniaturized and integrated in smaller, multi-sensor packages. Industry has responded with SWaP reductions, making more sensors available to more special operators, as well as to other warfighters. “As SOCOM continues to strive toward providing digital sensors in dismounted systems in order to utilize the added capabilities digital offers over analog, one of the biggest challenges to integrating the digital technology in dismounted systems has been SWaP,” said an official at the Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Center (SORDAC). “In recent years, the SWaP for the digital electronics has been greatly improved due, in large part, to the commercial advancement made in support of the mobile phone market. SOCOM is continuing to refine partnerships with the Department of Defense laboratories to enhance sensor technologies innovations with the end goal of rapidly inserting those technologies into systems to meet special operations capability requirements.” www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Other technology developments have also contributed towards the improvement and proliferation of sensors for situational awareness. “While imagery resolution from electro-optical and infrared sensors has improved greatly, the advancements in tactical synthetic aperture radar have brought even more situational awareness to the operators in a wider range of environmental conditions,” said Todd Borkey, chief technology officer at Thales Defense and Security. Short wave infrared (SWIR) sensors, which operate in the 0.9- to 1.7-micron range, have taken off in recent years because they operate best in low-light conditions, facilitating pre-dawn assessments and operations. “Short wave infrared is best for penetrating haze and operating under low-light conditions at dusk and dawn,” said Dave Dennis, systems sales manager for ISR systems at UTC Aerospace Systems. Technology advances have also improved the data throughput of devices, enabling the exfiltration of data so that it can be analyzed and Todd Borkey provided to operators in a timely www.SOTECH-kmi.com
fashion. “Just a few years ago, the idea of backhauling high definition video off small antennas was virtually impossible,” said Karl Fuchs, vice president of technology at iDirect Government Technologies (iGT). “SWaP savings and innovations in spread spectrum techniques that provide more throughput and bandwidth efficiency enable sensors Dave Dennis equipped with small antennas to provide real-time data to end users. That has been enabled only in the last couple of years.” In order to maintain a tactical advantage over adversaries, SOCOM has recognized the need to continually develop, test, and field systems that leverage emerging technologies to provide enhanced capabilities to the SOF operators. “This process starts with the idenKarl Fuchs tification of capability gaps and the development of requirement documentation,” said the SORDAC spokesperson. “As capability gaps are identified, program management offices work to identify potential technologies that could address capability gaps and assess the maturity of these technologies.” Depending upon the results of market research, SOCOM may choose to pursue awarding a developmental contract to further mature the technology or award a production contract. “Once the material solution has been developed and procured, it goes through a developmental/operational test phase to validate the system complies with capabilities outlined in the requirements document and to obtain any necessary safety approvals prior to being fielded,” said the SORDAC official. SOCOM has recently started to transition from night vision goggle systems, which utilize a green phosphor to display imagery, to image tubes, which utilize a white phosphor display. “Testing conducted by special operators has overwhelmingly established a preference for the white phosphor systems, as the white/black imagery provides significantly better contrast in the scene compared to the green displays,” said the SORDAC spokesperson. “This results in significantly better situational awareness for the operator.” SOCOM is also fielding the AN/PSQ-36 fusion goggle to Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs). “The AN/PSQ-36 is a head-mounted, binocular-fused night vision goggle that overlays the image of a thermal sensor with the image of high performance white phosphor image tube,” said the SORDAC spokesperson. “The system also has the ability to import and display data from various battlefield communication devices, which allows JTACs to view this data while directing fire or carrying out other aspects of their mission.” SOCOM is in the process of fielding the Improved Night/Day Fire Control/Observation Device (INOD BLK 3). This thermal sniper sight expands detection, classification and engagement ranges along with the ability to observe bullet traces at extended ranges. It also provides the SOF sniper enhanced capabilities SOTECH 12.7 | 21
when coupled with the newest special operations forces multicaliber Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR/MK21). Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is becoming a more versatile situational awareness sensor thanks to the miniaturization of radar technology undertaken by Thales. SAR, has the ability to detect motion over a wide area and provide high quality images in the absence of light. “We were able to shrink our multichannel SAR assembly without reducing performance,” said Borkey. “This development produced a system capable enough for manned platforms, yet small Kinetic Integrated Mission System combines the capabilities of the Kinetic Map and Kinetic MTI into a powerful, integrated set of operator capabilities. [Photo courtesy of L-3 Wescam] enough to be installed on small unmanned aerial vehicles. Our modular product that can be handheld, weapon mounted and helradar system performs like systems over two times their physical met mounted. The Warrior C2S works with conventional single-lens size.” At only 66 pounds, the Thales’ iMaster SAR can be integrated reflex cameras and lenses and provides SWIR imagery through a rapidly onto a wide range of platforms. visible camera and lens, allowing for obscurant penetration. “IMaster is by far the smallest SAR available in its class,” said “We also offer a covert illuminator for this product for use in Borkey. “The new product we are taking to market can detect total darkness,” said Dennis. “We have recently packaged a version ground movement, provide change detection and deliver high of this device to work with existing fielded image intensification resolution imagery. Because the system is packaged in a 15-inch capability.” The applications for these devices are largely sensitive, gimbal, it is interchangeable with EO/IR [electro-optical/infrared] Dennis added. sensors and therefore able to be rapidly installed on most airborne “We continue to invest in reducing SWaP, and are rapidly rollplatforms.” ing out systems-level product offerings that will directly benefit SAR is a valuable tactical sensor as it can see through weather, today’s warfighter, and will support their missions for years to where an EO/IR sensor cannot. “Our gimbal mounted SAR can be come,” said Dennis. pointed to stare at areas of interest—this frees the aircraft from UTC is developing SWIR-based driver vision enhancement strict flight patterns and gives operators a more useful sensor primarily for DoD applications and end users. “SWIR provides when over the objective in real time,” said Borkey. Thales’ SAR improved situational awareness for the vehicle operator, and systems are available with advanced processing tools that allow provides additional capabilities not currently available with a both local and remote analysts to exploit the power of the sensor. dedicated long wave infrared-based system,” said Dennis. “We are UTC Aerospace’s subsidiary Sensors Unlimited Inc. manufacalso developing both maritime and land-based pan, tilt and zoom tures a family of 2-D area cameras, line scan cameras and linear based systems. These products offer multi-sensor performance arrays. Line scan cameras are platforms on which SWIR sensors and modular designs. This modularity allows us to customize the are mounted. Linear arrays are rows of individual sensors, in this various form factors to maximize system performance for our cuscase operating within the SWIR range. tomer’s unique mission requirements.” “SWIR technology is one of the last untapped windows of L-3 Wescam recently announced feature enhancements to the sensor technology that allows for ID quality imagery and is not EO/IR surveillance and targeting products within its MX-Series. “The susceptible to many of the issues associated with similar technewly added features enable a wider breadth of visual capabilities,” nologies,” said Dennis. “SWIR responds to reflected light rather said Paul Jennison, vice president of than thermal contrast. The technology can see through glass and government sales and business develobscurants, and is not affected by thermal crossover or blooming.” opment for L-3 Wescam. SWIR is an image intensification technology that operates in lowL-3 Wescam’s MX-15 Surveillight conditions and does not detect objects based upon their heat lance System was enhanced with a signature. color low-light, wide-angle zoom Over the last several years, UTC has developed a number of difEO imager, a SWIR imager and a ferent form factors, specifically targeting SOCOM end users. “We laser spot tracker. “Complementing have fine-tuned these devices to easily integrate into their existing the system’s existing dual-channel ConOps,” said Dennis. spotter, this technology enhances UTC’s SWIR PVS-14 form factor is a monocular night-vision its imaging capability under a wide device that functions in the same spectrum as the current Paul Jennison range of illumination conditions, image intensification devices in the field. The Warrior HWH is a 22 | SOTECH 12.7
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including dusk and poor weather conditions,” said Jennison. “Zoom optics allow the operator to achieve the desired balance of magnification and field of view between moderately wide and ultra-narrow.” The MX-15’s SWIR is a high-resolution imager that performs at the limits of atmospheric visibility. “It also offers improved imaging performance under suboptimal atmospheric conditions, such as atmospheric haze and fog,” said Jennison. “The laser spot tracker is compatible with standard U.S. and NATO designator codes. The tracker automatically detects a designator spot of a given code in its field of view and automatically slews the system’s line of sight to the laser energy. There has been a requirement to add this capability to sensors in the last few years so people in the sky can let people on the ground know they are being watched.” The MX-25 Surveillance has been equipped with dual-channel daylight and an Electron Multiplying Charge Coupled Device (EMCCD) low-light EO wide-angle zoom. “The EMCCD low-light imaging capability added to the wide-angle zoom sensor enhances situational awareness under a wide range of illumination conditions,” said Jennison. L-3 Wescam also recently launched its Kinetic series technologies, which provide additional capabilities to the MX-Series. Kinetic Speed enables operators to measure the speed at which ground vehicles are traveling, providing useful information for threat assessment. Kinetic Map overlays the location of the sensor, the direction of its line of sight and its field of view onto a geographical moving map. The system displays multiple channels of sensor video, along with the imagery’s associated metadata. Kinetic Moving Target Indicator detects multiple moving targets in an image stream increasing the probability of detecting suspicious activity. “All of these new capabilities help operators accomplish their missions,” said Jennison. “We are launching a smaller sensor package next year. All of these come with laser options.” “Besides the SWaP part of the equation, we have been working with the special operations community on incorporating new technologies in our situational awareness sensors,” said Andrew Owen, vice president for product management at FLIR Systems. “We have been using new materials such as fibers, composites and specialty metals to lighten the weight of the systems. We have also incorporated new electronics that are more efficient and consume less power.” FLIR Systems makes sensors that operate across the full range of the infrared spectrum, including short wave, mid wave and long wave, for different applications. “All of these have been incorporated into camera systems, vehicle-mounted systems, handheld devices and others,” said Owen. Long-wave infrared sensors operate in the 7.5- to 10.5-micron range, usually ride on small UAVs, and are best at penetrating obscurants such as smoke and clouds. Midsize UAVs usually deploy mid-wave IR sensors that operate in the 3.3- to 5.1-micron range and are best under conditions of complete darkness when there is a good temperature contrast between the target and its background. Short-wave infrared, in the 0.9- to 1.7-micron range, is best for penetrating haze and operating under low-light conditions at dusk and dawn. Among FLIR Systems’ situational awareness sensors, the ThermoVision SA180 provides a 180-degree field of view and can be coupled together with another like sensor to continuously monitor a 360-degree scene. The TacFLIR 230 was www.SOTECH-kmi.com
specifically developed for vehicle installation, to provide reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition capabilities, as well as force protection, driver’s vision and situational awareness. The Cobalt 90 was developed for vehicle and unmanned applications. The single Cobalt 90 provides three payloads in a 3.5-inch diameter. Andrew Owen Among FLIR’s newer products, the Lepton is a compact long-wave infrared sensor available as an OEM product with a resolution of 80 by 60 pixels in a camera body that is smaller than a dime. The Lepton camera core is designed to make thermal imaging available to mobile and handheld devices, as well as small fixed-mount camera systems. The Quark 2 is a compact long-wave IR camera that is being adapted to many different systems, from weapons to unmanned aerial systems. “What makes the Lepton innovative is that it puts the electronic sensor and lens on a silicon chip and processes the image at the chip level,” said Owen. Owen foresees image analytics to be more available to smaller sensor systems. “The analyst won’t need to interrogate the scene with same level of attention,” he said. “When on object of interest enters the field of vision the system will automatically send an alert.” The ability to backhaul situational awareness data from remote sensors to processing units and to special operators is accomplished with equipment like iGT’s E150 router. “The E150 is used for a variety of different remote sensors, such as seismic sensors, which can pick up the movements of everything from footsteps to large vehicles, and high definition video and infrared video, which can provide situational awareness around a perimeter,” said Fuchs. E150 is a satellite communications router specifically built for SWaP applications. Special operators often bury sensors that utilize flat-panel antennas underground. “The E150 uses little power and offers lower data rates, but it includes special features designed to allow for the use of very small antennas,” said Fuchs. “The use of spread spectrum technology allows the use of these small antennas for power- and weight-constrained applications. The use of flat-panel antennas allows the sensor to operate for extended periods of time while conserving battery power. “The E150 was built with SWaP in mind,” Fuchs added. “It is low profile so that it is not easily observable. That is one factor that makes for a successful, long-lasting sensor system.” SOCOM anticipates the future development and fielding of devices that incorporate new technologies such as electron bombarded active pixel sensor and low-light complementary metal oxide semiconductor technologies. “Systems with these advanced capabilities will be developed and fielded to better enable the special operators to carry out their missions,” said the SORDAC spokesperson. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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Many companies provide air transport
platforms to militaries across the world.
By Karen E. Thuermer SOTECH Correspondent
State-of-the-art air transport often defines how the military is to perform its missions. Take the Marine Corps Vision and Strategy 2025 statement, which reads: “Though our Corps has recently proven itself in ‘sustained operations ashore,’ future operational environments will place a premium on agile expeditionary forces, able to act with unprecedented speed and versatility in austere conditions against a wide range of adversaries.” Air transport platforms are key to military missions, whether they be deployed for combat or humanitarian needs.
Vertical Lift Tiltrotor Lieutenant General Eric E. Fiel (Ret.), the former Air Force Special Operations Command commander, wrote in the V-22 Osprey guidebook that many of the missions Air Force Special Operations Forces
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are expected to conduct and support “require the U.S. military to place the joint force on the objective, support the force while employed and safely recover the force, often in a dynamic environment where opportunities are fleeting and minutes matter.” “The CV-22 provides joint force commanders with an incredibly efficient and effective rapid global response, supporting long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of special operations forces in hostile or denied territories and politically sensitive environments,” he said. He pointed out how the CV-22’s unique capabilities, along with advanced tactics, techniques and procedures, have significantly enhanced specialized air mobility reach and agility, and extended the commander’s battlespace in austere environments such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa.
The Bell Boeing partnership manufactures several variants of the joint service multi-role V-22 Osprey combat aircraft. The USAF variant is the CV-22; the USMC variant is the MV-22. The Osprey can carry 24 combat troops, or up to 20,000 pounds of internal cargo or 15,000 pounds of external cargo, at twice the speed of a helicopter. It features a cross-coupled drive system, so either engine can power the rotors if one engine fails. For shipboard compatibility, the rotors fold and the wing rotates to minimize the aircraft’s footprint for storage. The V-22 is the only vertical lift platform capable of rapid self deployment to any theater of operation worldwide. “Since the first operational deployment in July 2009, our CV-22s have flown more than 3,300 hours, executed 2,738 missions, delivered in excess of 733 tons of cargo and infiltrated over 14,000 personnel,” Fiel continued. “The CV-22 has proven its
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value to the warfighter and the joint force commanders on the battlefield. And, as Air Force Special Operations Command anticipates the demands of the future operating environment and focuses on continuous improvement of our specialized air mobility, the CV-22 will persist in providing swift, agile airpower, enabling timely response to combatant commander requirements for many years to come.” James F. Amos, general, USMC, also wrote in the V-22 guidebook about the importance of the USMC evolving and modernizing to maintain its tactical and operational advantages as the USMC enters its second century of Marine aviation. “The MV-22 Osprey is an integral part of that ongoing transformation,” he wrote. He explained that since its introduction to the operational forces in 2007, this tiltrotor platform has been indispensable, increasingly allowing forward deployed forces to conduct operations at the time and place of their choosing. “The Osprey’s revolutionary and unprecedented capabilities in speed, range and lift capacity give our commanders far greater tactical and operational reach than was previously available,” he said. “Now recognized as the safest and most survivable assault support aircraft in operation, the agile, adaptable, rugged and tremendously capable Osprey is what Marines always knew it would be … an invaluable asset to the joint force, our Corps and our nation’s defense.” The Bell Boeing partnership noted that the V-22 Osprey is the world’s first production tiltrotor aircraft. Unlike any aircraft before it, the V-22 blends the vertical flight capabilities of helicopters with the speed, range, altitude and endurance of fixed wing transports. This unique combination provides an unprecedented advantage to warfighters, allowing current missions to be executed more effectively, and new missions to be accomplished that were previously unachievable on legacy platforms. Comprehensively tested and in full rate production, the V-22 provides strategic agility, operational reach and tactical flexibility. The V-22 Osprey Program is charged by DoD with developing, testing, evaluating, procuring and fielding a tiltrotor vertical/ short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft for joint service application with the Navy being the lead. The V-22 program is designed to provide an aircraft to meet the amphibious/vertical assault needs of the www.SOTECH-kmi.com
A Black Hawk helicopter passes a snow covered mountain in eastern Afghanistan during a personnel movement. [Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army/by Captain Peter Smedberg]
USMC, the strike rescue needs of the Navy, and the special operations needs of the U.S. Special Operations Command. The MV-22 variant is replacing the CH-46E. The CV-22 variant provides a new capability and will augment the MC-130 in the USAF/SOCOM inventory for special operations infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions. Bell and Boeing officials point out how the V-22 is re-defining the way U.S. military operators perform combat and humanitarian operations for the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations Command operators in Afghanistan and in other regions of the world. “It’s incredibly capable and incredibly survivable under fire,” said Jeff Barnett of Boeing Vertical Lift Communications. “The V-22 performs a host of transport, airborne assault and special operations missions.” Barnett points to the crisis in the Philippines during Typhoon Haiyan as one of the strongest examples of the V-22’s capabilities. Not only was the V-22 among the very first aircraft on the scene following the typhoon, it was the only aircraft with the range and flexibility to get to far-flung locations like a turbo-prop aircraft and perform vertical lift and landing operations like a helicopter. “The V-22 delivered and transported hundreds of thousands of pounds of lifesaving aid, and performed numerous rescue operations—all in areas inaccessible by any other aircraft in the world,” Barnett
said. “But that’s just one example of the performance this aircraft can offer. The aircraft is now also a vital part of HMX-1, the U.S. presidential support squadron.” In that role, the aircraft supports presidential travel carrying material and support personnel passengers as well as members of the media. Barnett also pointed out how the V-22 is truly a revolutionary platform. “It’s the first production tiltrotor aircraft that offers multirole capability—combining the speed and range of turboprop fixed wing aircraft with the agility and versatility of a helicopter … all in a single platform,” he said. The innovative tiltrotor design allows the V-22 to take off, land and perform hover operations, like a helicopter. However, during flight the V-22 can tilt its engine nacelles forward to fly like a turboprop aircraft—at turboprop speeds and ranges. “With this unique combination of capabilities, the V-22 is operating right now from land bases and from ship-board and is achieving objectives not possible for other aircraft,” Barnett said. Also making the aircraft unique are the materials from which it is built. “Although the V-22 is approximately 70 percent or more composite material, a material which is lighter and more flexible than metal, the aircraft’s ability to operate outside the parameters of other fixed wing aircraft and helicopters is a combination of capability, technology and operational technique,” SOTECH 12.7 | 25
Barnett said. “And although I can’t speak to the techniques our USMC and AFSOC operators employ, I can say that the V-22’s fixed wing capability allows it to fly much higher and faster than a helicopter—making it much more difficult to hear and detect. And with the ability to rapidly transform to vertical flight, the aircraft is on the ground and offloading troops before the enemy can capably react.” The V-22’s combination of speed, range, payload and vertical lift also are suited to the diverse environments, geographies and mission types performed by operators around the world. “The Osprey gives operators the ability to achieve groundbreaking operational efficiencies and maximize the use of precious resources like time, money and personnel,” Barnett said. “It is performing missions not possible for other aircraft, and saving lives where others could not. The Bell Boeing team is continually working to create improvements in capability and performance as well as update and upgrade our software and mission computer systems to increase power and capability. Bell Boeing’s first MV-22 aircraft with an upgraded avionics system will roll off the line later this year, and we are testing those systems on our CV-22 aircraft as well.” Under a 50-50 strategic alliance agreement between Bell Helicopter and The Boeing Company. Boeing builds the fuselage and avionics in Philadelphia and the fuselage is then shipped to Amarillo, Texas, where Bell teammates complete the aircraft wing structures and nacelles before moving it into flight testing and delivery. The U.S. Marine Corps has a current requirement for 360 MV-22s to perform combat assault and assault support missions. The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command has a requirement for 50 CV-22s configured for terrain-following, low-level and high-speed flight for long range special operations. More than 250 Osprey tiltrotors are currently in operation across more than 12 Marine Corps and two Air Force Special Operations Command Osprey squadrons. The two services have together logged more than 16 successful combat, humanitarian, ship-based or special operations deployments since 2007. The Bell Boeing partnership points out that safety, survivability and mission efficiency have become hallmarks of the 26 | SOTECH 12.7
operational fleet. With over 200,000 flight hours, the V-22 has established itself as one of the safest, most survivable tactical vertical lift aircraft in the U.S. Marine inventory, effective across the full spectrum of military operations. Navy flight-hour cost data also show that the Osprey has the lowest cost per seat-mile (cost to transport one person over a distance of one mile) of any U.S. naval transport rotorcraft in each of the last two years.
Other Staples of SOF Sikorsky Aircraft is well known for its Black Hawk helicopter. In late June, the Connecticut-based aircraft manufacturer announced that it had been awarded a contract from the USAF to develop new combat search and rescue helicopters. With that $1.28 billion award, Sikorsky will develop a derivative of the UH-60M Black Hawk model for the Air Force’s rescue mission. The engineering and manufacturing development contract includes development and integration of the rescue mission systems, and delivery of four combat rescue helicopters as well as seven aircrew and maintainer training systems. Initial training of Air Force aircrew and maintainers and five combat rescue helicopters are also expected to be delivered by 2020, once additional aircraft and training options are exercised. According to a company press release, the contract is the first step in the eventual production and fielding of up to 112 aircraft with a potential value of approximately $7.9 billion. Eventual production quantities would be determined year by year over the life of the program, based on funding allocations set by Congress and the U.S. Department of Defense acquisition priorities. Since 1943, Sikorsky has provided the combat rescue helicopter platform to enable the Air Force to bring downed servicemembers home safely. In addition, the USAF announced in 2010 that it would replace its aging HH60G Pave Hawk helicopters. Sikorsky, joined by Lockheed Martin as the major subsystems supplier, offered a UH-60M derivative to replace the venerable Pave Hawk, also made by Sikorsky, as the Air Force’s new combat rescue helicopter. The aircraft features increased internal fuel capability, compared with today’s HH-60G
helicopter, thereby giving the CRH-60 the required range while increasing its internal cabin space. Like the UH-60M helicopter, the aircraft will feature T700-GE-701D engines, composite wide-chord main rotor blades and fatigue and corrosion-resistant machined aero-structures to sustain maneuverability at high density altitudes. Sikorsky has produced more than 700 H-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the U.S. government and militaries worldwide since production aircraft deliveries began in 2007. In May, the company also announced the roll out of a new, game-changing heavy lift helicopter, the CH-53K. The aircraft is designed to meet the USMC’s requirement to move troops and their supplies from amphibious shipping to inland objectives under high altitude and hot atmospheric conditions (defined as 103 degrees Fahrenheit at sea level to 92.5 degrees Fahrenheit at 3,000 feet.) The aircraft’s 88,000-pound maximum gross weight is designed to carry 27,000 pounds (13.5 tons) of external load over a mission radius of 110 nautical miles. That’s almost four times the external carrying capacity of the CH-53E Super Stallion aircraft that Sikorsky delivered in the 1980s. According to a company press release, the CH-53K aircraft will maintain virtually the same footprint as its predecessor, the CH-53E helicopter. What makes this aircraft unique is its upgraded engine system. Compared to the CH-53E helicopter’s three T64 turbo shaft engines, the CH-53K aircraft’s three 7,500-shaft-horsepower class GE38-1B engines provide 57 percent more power, 18 percent lower fuel consumption and 63 percent fewer parts. Other technology enablers for increased lift include a split torque transmission design that more efficiently distributes engine power to the main rotors; fourth-generation composite rotor blades; and a composite airframe structure for reduced weight. Until now, the CH-53E was the largest, most powerful marinized helicopter in the world. According to Sikorsky, the CH-53K platform has now taken the number one spot. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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3M Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 www.3mdefense.com/soldier David Clark Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.davidclark.com Defense Strategies Institute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 http://sof.dsigroup.org FLIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 www.flir.com/sot L-3 Wescam. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2 www.wescam.com MBDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 www.mbdainc.com Northrop Grumman Technical Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 www.northropgrumman.com/ts TEA Headsets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 www.teaheadsets.com
September 23-25, 2014 Modern Day Marine Quantico, Va. www.marinecorpsexpos.com
AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems Program Review Tysons Corner, Va. www.auvsi.org/uspr14/home/
October 13-15, 2014 AUSA Washington, D.C. www.ausa.org
November 18-20, 2014 SpecOps East Warfighter Expo Fayetteville, N.C. http://defensetradeshows.com/specopswarfighter-east-expo-2014/
November 4-5, 2014 SOFEX Fort Bragg, N.C. www.sofex.org November 4-6, 2014
December 8-11, 2014 SOMA’s Scientific Meeting Tampa, Fla. www.specialoperationsmedicine.org/
Modern Day Marine Issue
Next Issue
September 2014 Volume 12, Issue 8
World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
Col. Archibald M. McLellan Commander Marine Special Operations Support Group Features Tactical Weapons Sights A range of domestic and foreign manufacturers are producing advanced tactical weapons sights for the SOF operator. Small UAVs UAVs with specific SOF applications are being designed for the squad level.
special section Portable Energy Systems Electricity is a valuable resource in harsh remote locations. Having access to it can fix a weak link in the supply chain.
IED Detection A host of technologies exist for countering the threat of IEDs. Mobile Networks Having access to advanced communications equipment is often denied by size, weight and power requirements.
Bonus Distribution: Modern Day Marine
Insertion Order Deadline: September 1, 2014 | Ad Materials Deadline: September 8, 2014 www.SOTECH-kmi.com
SOTECH 12.7 | 27
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Special Operations Technology
Matthew J. Baker Director, Military/Federal/Government Sales Streamlight Inc. Q: Could you tell our readers about some of the solutions that Streamlight offers to the military and other government contractors?
prototyping as a major strength, too. Continuing to push U.S. technology into allied, partner nation militaries is a constant driving objective for Streamlight.
A: Streamlight provides a broad array of portable lighting, weapon lights and tactical strobes. Products range from rechargeable handheld flashlights; to versatile, weapon-mounted lights that can be quickly attached to a handgun or rifle; to programmable, variable intensity personal lights designed for covert and/or search-and-rescue settings. Q: What unique benefits do Streamlight products provide customers in comparison with other companies in your field? A: We manufacture high-quality, cost-effective solutions for the operator. Most of our products have programmable settings and variable beam output, and they are all very easy to operate. We can quickly deliver our products on short notice, which means the customer can obtain our products whether using GSA, going commercial off-the-shelf or buying via TLS contract. Our core military products have NSN’s assigned and extensive field test reports, and we offer a limited lifetime warranty on our product offerings. Q: What are some interesting new programs or initiatives at Streamlight? A: We just released our first Portable Scene Light aimed at those military customers who need a man-portable, constant lighting source for a large area, while offering the flexibility to quickly reconfigure in order to put light in a confined space. Our TLR series of weapon-lights was recently expanded to include the enhanced TLR-VIR, which features push-button, dual-spectrum output (white LED and IR) in a holster-ready size for any DoD weapon platform. Q: How is Streamlight positioned in the market for expansion? 28 | SOTECH 12.7
Q: Can you describe the challenges that Streamlight encounters in the government market?
A: By consolidating features into a single platform, we enable the warfighter to do more with less. The operator can carry less gear and fewer batteries, thus carrying less weight into a deployment. Through our military network, we have become more involved with a number of non-competing equipment manufacturers, leading to jointly developed solutions. DoD has actually assisted in this regard by taking on the role of bringing these partners to Streamlight for a variety of solutions. Q: Can you provide a few success stories? A: Our products continue to find applications in the EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) sectors for use in hands-free, sometimes covert, settings that need to have environmental considerations as well as accurate target identification. Our Sidewinder Compact II, for example, gives the EOD operator an essential piece of lighting equipment. Originally built for ground combat roles, it is also has evolved into a light that can be mounted to flight helmets to provide in-cockpit illumination and serve as a rescue beacon. The international, partner nation, SOF operator is becoming a larger customer for Streamlight as well. Q: What are Streamlight’s objectives in 2014-15 for the government market? A: We will continue to play to our strengths of offering products for any military application, regardless of career or job field. We see the benefits of our engineering efforts and rapid
A: The obvious challenge is the federal government budget when combined with the government view of flashlights as a commodity product. This approach has forced the government to rely on older, legacy systems and presents the challenge of introducing new technology because of initial costs. The government is just now starting to really consider the benefits of battery life to evaluate the lifetime ownership of a lighting system. Q: How are Streamlight solutions customized to meet the needs of the government? A: Nearly every mil-spec project becomes customized as we “mission-ize” certain products above ANSI or other MIL-STD testing levels. So, our engineering teams are constantly evaluating each emerging requirement that affects our end users. If we can keep our costs manageable and continue to offer value through technology in the form of longer run times and more beam output, then we are already addressing those needs. Q: Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to discuss? A: We highly encourage test and evaluations from the end user community. Our resources can’t be challenged without knowing the demands of operators and their various field-craft. Taking military end-user feedback to the highest level of our organization means we pay attention to the details of one’s profession. Sharing this feedback with the entire organization keeps our company motivated to always find ways to do better for the warfighter. O www.SOTECH-kmi.com
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