Army 1 and 1 with Senate Authorization Bill

Here are a couple other things I picked up from the SASC Authorization markup.

So it looks like senators included the $102 million the Army wanted for another Land Warrior deployment.

This time it's for an entire brigade, rather than a single Stryker battalion. Lt. Col. Ken Sweat, who's been working on the Land Warrior system for longer than it was even called "Land Warrior," told me in Iraq last winter that if they got the money, the 5th Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division would get the next Land Warrior suite. This is huge news for a program literally on life support and a big win for LW backers who helped folks like me get over to Iraq to cover the system in combat.

Sweat told me 5/2 would be equipped with Land Warrior Next-Gen -- which will include a Blackberry-like soldier control unit instead of the ruggedized mouse device they have now. They'll also move the helmet electronics assembly off the helmet and place the unit on the soldier's chest, they'll shave weight by combining the navigation box and the computer and they'll ditch the GPS unit for Joes and use instead a radio location device so they can be tracked by unit leaders.

Of course, the money still has to make it through the House, then a joint committee markup, but it's a positive first step.

Also, the Senate put its foot down on the Stryker Mobile Gun System. You'll remember my story about the MGS from some interviews I did in Iraq. Now, I know there are some strong fans of the vehicle, but the Joes I talked to hated it.

The SASC lawmakers included language in their version of the bill to require "the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS) is subject to testing to confirm the effectiveness of actions taken to mitigate the deficiencies identified in Initial Operational Test and Evaluation and Live Fire Test and Evaluation..."

That's a blow to GDLS and the Army, who both think the MGS is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I'm agnostic on the whole thing and can only go with what the Joes told me. And it looks like the Senate is going to also.

-- Christian

And Now a Way to BE Seen

From this morning's headlines at Military.com...

New Clothing Item IDs Friendlies

When Taliban forces attacked a police checkpoint in central Afghanistan under dark of night in late 2006, special-operations Master Sgt. Andrew Martin called in air support and then slapped a high-tech cloth-like device on his helmet for protection.

Fresh from labs at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the device transmitted light from a powerful light-emitting diode, or LED, that pulsed through a fiber optic bundle, giving off infrared signals visible to pilots wearing night-vision goggles.

"The pilots were able to very quickly pick it up," recalled Martin, who has since retired from the Air Force. "What didn't happen was additional questions from the pilots asking me my location."

The new technology - called Target Recognition Operator Notification system - was designed to easily identify friendly forces and avoid casualties from friendly fire.

Martin liked the equipment so much he used it on about 35 missions over six months. He said it is better than strobe lights, which can be mistaken for machine-gun fire, or reflective tape, which is difficult to see from the air.

"U.S. forces have been dogged by the difficulty of finding each other in the fog of battle," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va. "What this new innovation allows is easy identification of friendly forces without helping the enemy do the same thing."

Read more on the TRON system at Military.com.

I have plenty of that IR glint tape -- and it's stitched all over my jackets and gear -- but I gotta tell you, I'd rather have something a lot bigger like this.

(PHOTO: AP)

-- Christian

Land Warrior Still Needs Some Work

So I spent a good amount of time while I was in the sandbox with the Army's 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment which is outfitted with Land Warrior equipment.

There were decidedly mixed reviews of the thing, and I gotta tell you, I could feel the frustration from the guys hefting that extra 17 pounds.

Take a look at our lead story today on Military.com for more details.

CAMP ABLE X-RAY, Iraq --- It was billed as a revolutionary new tool that promised to give Soldiers an added edge in the fight, with a heads-up displayed map, a see-around-corners rifle sight and speed-of-light communications.

And on its first deployment to combat, the decades-old Land Warrior system did win over many of its detractors. But as the Soldiers carrying Land Warrior’s burdensome boxes and wires on their backs labored into their seventh month of deployment, some are beginning to question whether this version of a system the Army worked so hard to get to the field is worth the price.

"It's like a 17-pound GPS unit," said a Soldier assigned to Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, the first Army unit to ever deploy to a war zone using Land Warrior. "We don't use half the things it's supposed to be able to do."

Fielded as an interim solution to the long-term goal of providing the individual combat Soldier with an improved, digital option for greater situational awareness, the current Land Warrior suite has proven its worth in some of 4/9's operations, Soldiers say.

On targeted raids and complex "kinetic" operations, the Land Warrior's capabilities blossom -- with detailed photo-realistic maps displayed on a small screen attached to each helmet, real-time locations of target houses, and friendly personnel at a Soldier's fingertips and short text communications with battle managers in the rear.

And that's just the kind of thing the Land Warrior was designed for: maneuver warfare against a dispersed enemy.

"The one thing that it has done is allow speed to be the primary advantage," said Maj. Ryan Wolfgram, operations officer for 4/9. "Now we can spend less time on the objective. It reduces the confusion of getting to the right spot at the right time."

Problem is, that's not the kind of battle Soldiers at this base in downtown Baqubah are fighting anymore. Instead it's a daily grind of house calls, checking in on the city's residents to see if they've had a full day's worth of electricity, running water and consistent trash removal from the streets...

Read the rest of the story HERE...

-- Christian

Quick-Deploy 120mm Mortar

Defense Tech news usually consists of whiz-bang gear bordering on science fiction. But sometimes new equipment doesn't have to sound like something out of Star Trek to make a transformational-ish change on the battlefield.

Case in point is the new M326 120-mm Mortar QuickStow System:

The M326 120-mm Mortar System was developed by BAE Systems to make it easier for Soldiers to quickly set-up and take down the M120 120-mm Mortar system on the battlefield.

The M326 is a simple and rugged device that can be easily attached to the M1101 Trailer, High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or a variety of other vehicles that serve as a prime mover for 120-mm mortar systems. It significantly reduces mortar crew workload by using a hydraulic system to hoist the fully assembled M120 Mortar, which weighs more than 300 pounds, into and out of the trailer or vehicle used to haul the weapon.

Today's combat zones are more fluid and shifting than ever, and mobility and reaction time are often key elements to victory. This system is designed to allow heavy mortar teams to set up with less effort, engage enemy forces more quickly, and pack up and go in record time.

Some mechanized forces use mortar carrier vehicles, such as the M1129 Stryker mortar carrier. Light infantry and other units that are primarily foot-based, however, don't have this option. The M326 should help get the big tubes into the fight quite a bit more quickly.

More info in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Star-Tribune.

The Army plans to buy over 550 of the units beginning next year.

-- Murdoc

Scope Helps Troops See Around the Bend

“Keep your head down” is good, sound advice when you're being shot at.

But in combat, that's not always an option.

Sometimes you’ve gotta return fire like a "Hail Mary" pass - over a wall or around a corner – without necessarily being able to see your intended target.

But one of the combat accessories making a showing at this year’s “Air and Space” conference sponsored by the Air Force Association in Washington, D.C., could take away a lot of the guesswork from firing from behind obstacles, replacing it with a specialized sight that operates like a periscope.

The ParaScope Urban Combat Sight, developed by MTC Technologies of Dayton, Ohio, and being sold by Tactical & Survival Specialties Inc., has been two years in the testing - including by Marines in Iraq, said MCT Senior Vice President Robert D. Shuey III.

The device is mounted behind any existing scope - including night-vision optics - projecting the target image, with the targeting laser dot, back through it at any angle.

Shuey said the feedback from the Leathernecks has been positive.

"If you ask us if we like it, the answer is yes. If you ask for it back, the answer is we lost it," he said of the Marines’ response.

The company has been doing small-scale production of sights - fewer than 1,000 - but is now beginning to ramp up their manufacturing.

The sight is made up of multiple prisms, Shuey said, but is solid and ruggedized; no sand gets in to interfere with it or block vision.

Best of all, it requires no power source – meaning no batteries to lug around - and it'll pinpoint objects up to 100 meters away, he said.

-- Bryant Jordan

(EDITOR: Jordan is a freelance military reporter based in Washington, D.C., and is a contributor to Military.com and Defense Tech.)

Army Gets Sweet New Combat Threads

PEO Soldier has now begun to outfit its troops with a sleek new "combat shirt" that is comfortable under body armor and also has flash-resistent properties to stave off the severe burns that can result from roadside bombs.

It looks pretty cool, and I know from interviews with PEO Soldier officials that they put a lot of thought into this new uniform item. I gotta say, one thing that's been a result of continued combat operations with such an adaptable enemy is the near-constant refining of services' gear. The Soldier of today looks pretty darn different from the Soldier of Kosovo days - or even from those of the kick off of OIF.

From our story on Military.com...

The flame-resistant ACS is in development for use under body armor. It is designed to replace two layers, the Army Combat Uniform jacket and moisture-wicking T-shirt, thus reducing bulk and heat stress.

"As providers of the world's best equipment to the world's best Soldiers, we collect and rely on Soldiers' input and ideas to constantly improve all of our products," said Brig. Gen. R. Mark Brown, Program Executive Officer Soldier. "All of our clothing and equipment is battle-proven and live-fire tested. Those labels can't be earned in a laboratory."

The ACS features a mock-turtleneck, long sleeves in the universal camouflage pattern, flat seams that reduce bulk and chafing and built-in anti-abrasion elbow pads. The shirt is moisture-wicking, anti-microbial and odor-resistant.

The latest version of the shirt includes upgrades based on Soldier feedback collected since the shirt was first distributed in the spring for limited-user evaluations.

"Even though we developed the Army Combat Shirt to be lighter, more comfortable and breathable, we listened to Soldiers who tested it and said they wanted it to be even more breathable and comfortable," said Maj. Clay Williamson, assistant product manager for clothing and individual equipment. "The fabric that made up the torso of the ACS was replaced with a fabric that provides breathability that is off the charts."

However, to retain modesty, the original fabric was maintained in the mid-chest area. Both fabrics have a four-way stretch.

Another change that increased breathability was replacing the elastic cuffs designed to keep out sand with adjustable cuffs similar to ACU jacket cuffs. The cuffs can be loosened for ventilation or tightened to keep out sand and other debris. Changes were also made to the neck band.

Although the ACS was designed to be worn under the Interceptor Body Armor, test participants noted the short breaks between patrols made it impractical to change into the ACU jacket. They wanted changes to the ACS that would identify them and their unit. In response, hook and loop tape was added to the right sleeve to accommodate a name tape, rank and infrared flag. The left sleeve also sports hook and loop tape for a unit patch.

The ACS with the most recent improvements will be available in late September for follow-on user evaluations. The shirt is still a developmental garment, and further fielding will be determined by the Department of the Army.

-- Christian

Army Optic Combines Heat, Light for Better Sight

The Army is set to deliver a new combat optic to its Soldiers that could take "owning the night" to a whole new level.

The new "enhanced night vision goggle" will allow Soldiers to see an object, even if it's obscured by dust, foliage or other debris, by combining the image intensification technology of current PVS-14 NVGs with heat-sensing thermal data.

"Image intensification gives you great resolution. ... The thermal gives you improved target detection in all light conditions and through obscurants," said Lt. Col. James Smith, the Army's product manager for Soldier sensors and lasers.

"You put those two together and you get the combined effect to give the Soldier much greater situational awareness and target detection capability," Smith told Defense Tech.

Current NVGs magnify "ambient" illumination - such as light from stars and the moon - to help brighten the surroundings so troops can see objects in the dark. But if something's hidden behind trees or it's raining or dusty, standard night optics can't cut through.

Thermal imagery, on the other hand, illuminates an object's radiant heat, pulling away the mask of darkness even in the most light-deprived environments.

Smith said the service plans to field the new optic to units beginning in February, but he would not say which troops would get it first, citing "operational security" concerns.

The ITT Corp.-built PSQ-20 costs about three times more than the PVS-14, running the Army about $10,000 per optic, so, it's not for everyone. Only select troops such as engineers, military police and unit leaders will be issued the new optic.

The ENVG is also significantly heavier than the PVS-14, Smith admitted, weighing in at about two pounds. But to mitigate the added weight's impact, engineers have designed a system to mount the optic's battery pack on the back of a Soldier's helmet, helping distribute the weight more evenly and reduce neck strain.

"We've received a lot of positive comments on the suitability and wearability of the ENVG from Soldiers" after incorporating the rear-mounted battery, Smith said.

The PSQ-20 can be switched between standard image-intensification mode, thermal or a combined mode which shows the object's thermal signature as an outline on a green background.

The thermal imaging can help a trooper see in places where there's no light, such as in caves or windowless buildings, without activating a rifle-mounted infrared beam to illuminate the target - a move that could tip off an NVG-equipped enemy.

Program officials at PEO Soldier are also working on night optics a generation beyond the ENVG. Smith said his team is looking to take the thermal and image-intensification properties of the PSQ-20 and present them as a digital image.

Think of it as a digital camera on steroids.

Instead of looking through a true-optical scope, a trooper would see a computer-processed image of his target. The advantage, officials say, is that Soldiers could overlay mapping data and other statistics on top of the image they're looking at, increasing situational awareness. Soldiers could also transmit the digital image they're seeing through the optic to commanders in the rear or unit leaders in the patrol.

"The digital format will allow for interoperability with the 'ground Soldier system,' " Smith said. "The exchange of imagery - other imagery that can be presented within the digital version of the ENVG - will all be enabled."

But officials admit they're still a long way from fielding the digitally-enhanced goggle. For starters, the technology hasn't caught up with the clarity needed for the goggle and the weight of the guts needed to digitize the image is still problem, Smith said.

"The PVS-14 has outstanding resolution," Smith explained. "So one of the things we're working really hard on is to get the resolution of the digital information higher."

Army officials say they hope to field the digital NVG by 2011, and it will most likely go to units equipped with Land Warrior-like futuristic combat equipment.

-- Christian

DARPA Tech in the News

All the ten-pound brains have made their way to Anaheim, Calif., for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency technical symposium this week to sling the latest in gadgetry and gizmos – both fanciful and practical.

While DT has concentrated this week on the here and now (or at least the almost here and now), there’s a band of diligent journos pouring over the latest wares that would make even Buck Rogers grin.

Slate has a great write up on the event, as does our partner, Popular Mechanics.

Here’s a quick look at a few:

Daniel Engber of Slate writes --
If some devices seem impossibly advanced, others come off as weirdly passé. The RPGNets system is designed to protect light tactical vehicles from rocket-powered grenades. Hanging from the ceiling is a giant net with a grenade tangled in the weave like a sockeye salmon. According to the display, this advanced research program aims to "leverage net technology" against enemy weapons by manipulating the size of the mesh and the diameter of the lines. Do we really need DARPA to invest in high-tech nets?...

…Meanwhile, research seems to have progressed on the brain-controlled prostheses that were introduced (in concept, at least) two years ago. At one display area, a pair of armless volunteers and a young veteran missing his right hand demonstrate some fancy new models. We don't yet have bionic arms that hook up directly to the cortex, but one machine uses electrical signals from the muscle tissue remaining in a patient's stump to drive a mechanical hand: After extended training, the veteran could open and close his metal grip by imagining the movements. Another makes use of a foot-operated control mechanism hidden in a normal-looking shoe…

And Popular Mechanics chimes in…
One of the first announcements at this year's three-day DARPATech conference is going to be hard to top: the first portable, self-contained surgical robot will be deployed in the next two years. Brett Giroir, director of the research agency's Defense Sciences Office also announced that the system, called Trauma Pod, has successfully "treated" a mannequin during a test, with no complications.
A single human will operate the robot remotely during surgery, but Trauma Pod will be able to perform a number of functions, such as fluid administration and surgical assistance, autonomously. The goal is to stabilize injured soldiers as quickly as possible, and previous Trauma Pod designs have included related systems that evacuate the patient. Giroir said that a prototype will be delivered to troops within two years. The exhibit hall opens in another few hours, so check back for more Trauma Pod details and updated images.

-- Christian

Land Warrior Battle Brief

The Soldiers slip around the edge of the wall, stacking up against a rusty metal door blocking access to the compound. With a heavy punch of a boot, the entry is ripped from its hinges and the Soldiers pour into the hard-packed dirt yard in a flow of lethal green.

After a look around, the insurgent they were sent to nab isn't there.

Time to look in another house.

In the past, resetting the squad, briefing them on the next target, moving in an orderly and safe fashion to the new house and conducting another search would have taken precious minutes a wary enemy could use to slip away for good. But with new technology doled out to a specialized Army unit deployed to Iraq since April, the Soldiers cut that nearly in half.

A program that many see as struggling on life support, Land Warrior has for the first time proven its worth in combat. Though Soldiers still criticize the system's clunky components and groan at the added weight of batteries and other electronics, the Land Warrior suite fielded in Iraq is nevertheless helping Soldiers on the ground execute their mission more effectively.

"First I thought that's a lot of equipment, that's a lot of weight," said Sgt. 1st Class Ruben Romero, a Land Warrior program official who deployed to Iraq previously without the system and is now helping Soldiers use it in combat.

"But as I got introduced to Land Warrior and started using it, I thought: 'Man, I could have used this my first time.' "

Funding for Land Warrior was zeroed out by the Army in its fiscal 2008 budget submission this year, but money for the Iraq deployment comes from funds allocated in 2007.

Program officials are quick to point out the fielding of the current components of Land Warrior in Iraq is not an "experiment," they are continuously adding capability to the system based on advice from Soldiers in the field and technological advancements.

Army officials delivered over 200 Land Warrior systems to Soldiers of the Fort Lewis, Wash.-based 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division's 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team back in 2006 to train with the system in preparation for their deployment to the hotly-contested provinces north of Baghdad. The components are divided into two basic categories, one for mounted Stryker Soldiers and one for dismounted infantrymen.

The dismounted system consists of a small, helmet-mounted display that can be flipped down in front of the Soldier's eye or removed from view like a night vision optic. Attached to the display is a lightweight computer housed in a pouch worn on the Soldier's back that can store map data, GPS location information and position details on the rest of the team and their targets.

All of that information can be displayed on the helmet-mounted screen, and Soldiers can toggle through different features using a mouse-like device attached to the front of their body armor vest.

"When these guys go outside the wire ... you'd be hard pressed to find a paper map anywhere," said Lt. Col. Brian Cummings, Land Warrior product manager who's overseeing its employment in Iraq. "Their leaders can tactically know where they are in relation to the mission and where the Soldiers are at any given time."

There's also an encrypted radio that can transmit voice and a limited amount of data, such as email and text messages, to other members of the unit or to commanders back at the forward operating base.

Unlike previous versions of the Land Warrior system that envisioned a hard-shelled "turtle back" containing all the electronics and mission computers, the system fielded to Iraq units can be tailored for each mission. If a Soldier will be riding in a Stryker, for example, he can plug into the vehicle's onboard systems and leave his computer back in the hooch.

The dismounted system also includes a video optical weapons sight that can display target information on the helmet-mounted screen, allowing Soldiers to lift their weapons above a compound's wall and see what's behind without exposing themselves.

"Yes it's another piece of equipment added to your weapon system that makes it heavier," Romero explained. "But being able to use it to peek around corners rather than poking my head around the corner ... I feel more comfortable now."

Program officials have recently added the capability to display video taken by battlefield robots searching for improvised explosive devices on the helmet-mounted display and are working on the potential to transmit video obtained from the weapon sight back to base for instant evaluation.

Though the future of Land Warrior is still in fiscal limbo, the system has so far turned doubtful Joes into unwavering proponents.

"This is something that we should build more of and make improvements on and get it to every Stryker unit in the Army," Cummings said.

-- Christian

Spotting the Magnetic Eye

A colleague of mine passed this along and I thought DT readers might be interested as well.

From the New Scientist “Invention” blog:

Tracking eye movements can let a computer know when someone is paying attention and identify exactly what they are interested in, but it's also a tricky business. Most systems work by using a camera and image recognition software to identify a person's pupils and work out the direction of their gaze.

In real-life situations, however, tracking systems can be easily confused by rapid head movement or spectacles.

Now, the Office of Naval Research is looking for better ways of tracking eyes in the hope of developing military applications, such as tracking a fighter pilot's gaze.

So it has a funded James DiCarlo, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, US, to develop a magnetic contact lens.

A soldier would wear the lenses and a magnetic sensor attached to the side of his or her head. The sensor picks up any changes in the local magnetic field and works out how the wearer's eyes are moving.

The system should work regardless of head orientation and movement, lighting condition,s or "face furniture" such as goggles or glasses. The team says the magnetic lenses could also let disabled people control equipment such as wheelchairs.

(Gouge: RC)

-- Christian

Attack of the Battery Man!

Just thought I’d forward a new Pentagon announcement intended to prompt a competitive solution to the problem of lightweight power generation for the increasing number of electronic devices carried by grunts and Joes in combat...

The Director, Defense Research and Engineering, John Young today announced a public prize competition to develop a wearable electric power system for war fighters. The competition will take place in the fall of 2008 and the prizes are $1 million for first place, $500,000 for second place and $250,000 for third place.

The essential electronic equipment that dismounted warfighters carries today - radios, night vision devices, global positioning system - runs on batteries. This competition will gather and test the good ideas for reducing the weight of the batteries that service members carry. The prize objective is a wearable, prototype system that can power a standard warfighter's equipment for 96 hours but weighs less than half that of the current batteries carried. All components, including the power generator, electrical storage, control electronics, connectors and fuel must weigh four kilograms or less, including any attachments.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in a final competitive demonstration planned for the fall of 2008. At this "wear-off," individuals or teams will demonstrate their prototype systems under realistic conditions. The top three competitors that demonstrate a complete, wearable system that produces 20 watts average power for 96 hours but weighs less than 4 kilograms (~8.8 lbs) will win the prizes.

A public information forum will be held in September in the Washington, D.C., area to brief potential competitors on the technical details, the competition rules, and qualification requirements. Competitors must register to participate in the prize program by Nov. 30, 2007. The competition is open for international participation; however the individual or team leader must provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Details on the forum, as well as contest registration and rules are posted on the Defense Research and Engineering Prize Web site.

-- Christian

Army's Greatest Inventions for 2006

Researchers behind the Army's top 10 greatest inventions for 2006 were recognized recently at a ceremony in Arlington, Virginia. The Army's Greatest Inventions for 2006 are:

Blow Torch Counter Improvised Explosive Device System, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. This vehicle-mounted system detonates IEDs at safe stand-off distances, minimizing vehicle damage and Soldier injuries.

"It's fairly easy to operate, and it gives a sense of security to the Soldiers when they're on convoy duty," said Maj. Brian Hackenberg, who helped develop the system.

Integrated Robotic Explosive Detection System, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Capable of crossing rugged terrain, this remotely operated system incorporates an explosive trace detector onto a robotic platform.

Plastic Shaped Charge Assembly for Remote Destruction of Buried IEDs, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. Remotely emplaced, the PSCA destroys known or suspected unexploded ordnance with higher accuracy than similar devices currently in use. Its low-fragmentation plastic housing eliminates collateral damage.

Humvee Crew Extraction D-ring, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Combat locks on the up-armored Humvee provide security for Soldiers but often get so damaged the doors can't be opened. The D-ring provides solid anchor points for the hooks of a tow strap, chain or cable to pull open damaged doors.

"There was an issue of Soldiers getting trapped inside Humvees that had been damaged for whatever reason ... enemy fire or being flipped. Soldiers had problems getting the doors off these up-armored Humvees so we took their advice and created the D-ring," said Wesley D. Patterson, who is part of a Fast Assistance in Sciences Team that deploys to help Soldiers solve problems that can be resolved within six months.

M1114 Humvee Interim Fragment Kit 5, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. This kit was fielded as a ballistic improvement for the M1114 Humvee in April 2006. A prototype door solution with fabrication and mounting instructions was provided within one week with automotive testing and safety certification.

Remote Urban Monitoring System, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. RUMS hardware combines emerging technologies in Wireless Local Area Network technology, night-vision cameras and unattended ground sensors to eliminate false alarms. Tripped sensors transmit an alarm signal to the camera module and operator after video and audio from multiple camera modules confirm the unattended ground sensor's alarm signal.

Constant Hawk, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. Constant Hawk is a surveillance capability that uses an electro-optic payload to collect intelligence and identify areas that require increased surveillance by other assets.

OmniSense Unattended Ground Sensor System (pictured), U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. OmniSense is an unattended ground sensor system used to detect and classify personnel and vehicles in perimeter defense.

EM113A2 Rapid Entry Vehicle, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Picatinny, N.J. The REV provides rapid entry, non-lethal crowd control and rescue-squad insertion capabilities into areas requiring non-lethal intervention. The vehicle increases Soldier survivability through improved situational awareness and the ability to move and fire from within an armored vehicle.

BuckEye System, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Miss. BuckEye uses a digital camera to produce geospatial information for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. It also produces high-resolution 3D urban mapping.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Harper said the BuckEye System has been instrumental in allowing a maneuver commander to rapidly map battle space through high-resolution imagery and to collect elevation data to give a 3D view.

"What it gives to Soldiers is added situational awareness they need to fight in an urban terrain," he said. "BuckEye has essentially mapped almost every major city in Iraq thus far."

(Gouge: DID)

-- Ward

Getting yer RACK On!

I have a love-hate relationship with my web-gear.

Back in the day (the late 80’s for me) the only thing available was the LBE (Y-harness) and pistol belt. While the LBE itself wasn’t good for much, it did help take the weight of the loaded pistol belt off your hips, and my pistol belt was loaded. I carried 5 three-mag pouches, 2 canteens, and a butt pack (in addition to the regulation bent neck flashlight, compass, NOD bag and first aid pouch.) In the pack went an MRE, socks, NBF powder and small toilet kit, alcohol pens and tape for maps and such, and trioxane tabs for cooking water.

For years this arrangement worked because all of the dismounted stuff I did was truly dismounted. We might get delivered somewhere in a deuce and a half or hummer, but we didn’t patrol in one; all that we did on the ground.

Then came “modern” times, where everything you do is “mounted”, even getting to the point that you can’t go 50 feet without having to get back into the truck. That, coupled with the fact that “uniformity” was now our primary focus (meaning you had to have your kit on when ever you got more than 5 feet from your vehicle) meant that a change in how I carried my equipment was in order. As much as I liked the canteens (with their attendant cooking stand and cup) and the butt pack, they both had to go.

There was simply no way I could ride in a Humvee wearing my LBE with those canteens sticking out of my back like 2 cancerous tumors, and going through the chore of donning, removing, and stowing the LBE every time I got in and out of the vehicle was not only a waste of time and a big pain in the ass, but it was tactically unsound; you ought to dismount the vehicle in a fighting condition.

So I started looking for an LBE replacement. The one I settled on was the RACK (Ranger Assault Carrying Kit.) Developed by Specialty Defense, I’m told that it was developed specifically to meet the Ranger’s requirements for “assault” oriented gear. The RACK, in effect, is a MOLLE apron. All it is is a wrap around vest with MOLLE loops on it for you to attach bags and pouches too.

What you attach, where you attach, and how much you attach is completely up to you. In addition, everything on the RACK is in your front plane, meaning you can see it and get to it without having to grope behind you, and with nothing behind you, you can wear it while in a vehicle without any discomfort or loss of mobility.

As great as I think the RACK is, it isn’t without limitations. While the RACK is easy to wear in a vehicle because there’s nothing behind you, that does limit the amount of stuff you can carry. I could carry more with my old LBE-pistol belt rig than I can with the RACK, but I couldn’t carry it all the time, so the trade off is now, if I go on walkabout, I need a bail-out bag as well (Camelbak in my case) to carry a few additional essentials.

The RACK, by today’s standards, is also relatively old technology – there are systems out there that are much more advanced than my lash up, made of more exotic materials and what not, but mine’s bought and paid for, and I’m disinclined to spend modern money to upgrade something that currently still meets my mission requirements.

-- Eric Daniel

When You Gotta Chop Something

I have been in the Army 17 years now and twice deployed to a combat zone and I have yet to be issued a bayonet. The reasons for this generally fall into two categories.

First, commanders consider the bayonet too dangerous to use (soldiers might hurt themselves), and second, the bayonet is accountable property and you’ll be paying for it if you break (read use) it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not all fired up to go out and stab someone with a bayonet, but there are times when you need a potentially sacrificial instrument to chop, hack, dig, probe, or test the proverbial waters with, and the last thing I want to do is get slapped with a $120 statement of charges because I used my shiny new M9 bayonet to probe a recently plastered section of brick wall looking for contraband and the tip broke.

Say hello to the kukri.

The kukri is the fighting knife of the Nepalese Gurkhas. A traditional kukri is hand-made in Nepal out of leaf spring steel (I’m told that Mercedes-Benz springs are the best) and is a combination hatchet, short sword, and fighting knife.

While mine is by no means "traditional" (mine was made in India I believe) what it is, however, is a most excellent piece of kit, which I have used time and time again for all those jobs for which an issue bayonet would have been the ticket, were such a bayonet available. Moreover at $40 a shot (a traditional kukri will run you $150 or more)

I'm not losing any sleep if I chip the blade on my kukri (which I have done, trying to hack through a undiscovered piece of rebar.)

-- Eric Daniel

(Jam on lots more of Eric's stuff at Kit Up! - the place where warfighters talk about the gear beyond standard issue.)

Cutting Through the Fog of War

It’s a deadly problem that has plagued U.S. forces in every conflict. And though military officials have been highlighting it for years, they still haven’t found a solution everyone can agree on.

Friendly fire accounts for enough U.S. and allied casualties that it’s a cause of grave concern among commanders in the field – with ever-more lethal and precise weaponry sitting in the U.S. arsenal, mistaken targeting carries with it a deadly guarantee.

One company that’s trying the lift the cloud of doubt has developed an innovative way to identify friendly forces in a fraction of a second.

Brought to you by the same folks who make the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System - or “MILES” gear - used in field exercises, the new Optical Combat Identification System developed by Cubic Defense Systems presents a simple solution to a nagging problem.

“A few years ago we got to thinking about other applications of laser technology and that led us to do research in other wavelengths unrelated to MILES,” said Steve Sampson, VP in charge of advanced programs at Cubic Defense. “The nature of warfare has changed and it’s required that out whole application of technology has had to refocus.”

Cubic has developed and tested a system that works both on vehicles and, more importantly, can be placed within the gear of dismounted troops. The way it works on a dismounted Soldier is through a laser “interrogator” mounted on his rifle and “smart reflector” embedded in the target Soldier’s gear. When a trooper targets a potential enemy, he presses a button that activates an eye-safe laser beam that shoots to a man-sized target as far as one kilometer away.

The smart reflectors mounted in the Soldier’s equipment – which are matchbook-sized devices placed to allow 360-degree coverage – absorb the laser beam, remodulate it, and send back a signal that tells the shooter he’s a friendly. The answer can be displayed in the Soldier’s rifle sight.

And it all happens in less than a tenth of a second.

“For years the Army focused on combat ID on the high-value, big armored platforms … but we’re not having big armored tank battles in downtown Baghdad anymore; it’s dismounted, urban warfare,” Sampson said. “Only in the last few years has laser technology gotten to the point where we can field something that is practical in size, weight and power for a dismounted Soldier or Marine.”

The man-portable OCIdS gear includes batteries that can run for “thousands of interrogations” on the gun-mounted laser and “tens of thousands” of replies on the reflector, which uses a watch battery-sized power supply, Sampson explained. Vehicle-mounted interrogators can send and receive the laser signal over several miles using much greater onboard power generation.

Engineers at Cubic are still working to refine the system, spending about $20 million since 2005 to test the new combat ID technology. Another round of Army field tests are scheduled for this summer. Though Sampson doesn’t expect a formal Army requirement for a system like his until around 2009, Cubic hopes to offer the man-portable system for less than $2,000 per soldier and around $20,000 per vehicle.

Sampson also said the technology in his OCIdS gear can be adapted for long-range communications – not just combat ID - but he was cagey about revealing the details.

“What we are able to accomplish today, physically wasn’t possible a few years ago,” Sampson said.

-- Christian

Tearing it Up Like a Storm Trooper

Our boy Eric Daniel who runs the Kit Up! section of Military.com posted a pretty cool entry the other day on a favorite little piece of war bootie he seized while on duty in Iraq.

I know everyone at Defense Tech seems to get a kick out of Soldiers using non-issued weaponry, so I figured I’d throw out some red meat into the ring for all you contraband lovers.

Eric writes…

One of the byproducts of conducting security operations in Iraq is you end up with a lot of confiscated weapons, and over the years, quite a respectable collection had been assembled by the various units rotating through the IA mission on our FOB. Naturally we had such staples as the AK-47, AKM, RPK, RPD, and PKM, but we also had some pretty cool specimens as well, like Dragunov SVD sniper rifles, a working DShK, RPGs, even such oldies but goodies as a couple of Mosin-Nagant M1891bolt action rifles and a PPSh-41 sub-machine gun (non-functional unfortunately, otherwise this thing would have been a blast.)

The piece d’resistance, though was a brand-new, never been fired, fully functional German MG3.

We came about this little gem after detaining a collection of Iraqi oil and pipeline security folk who were conducting illegal shakedown checkpoints out in the hinterlands. In the process of cataloguing their equipment the scribing NCO described the MG3 as some sort of Star Wars blaster rifle, and so it’s true nature went undiscovered until I happened to see it propped up against the wall in the supply room, whereupon I discerned the true nature of this fine piece of warmongery.

The machinegun itself was in a sorry state. It was bone dry (a blessing as it would turn out), packed with dust, and had never been fired. Since it had never been lubricated (that I could tell), cleaning it up was simply a matter of field stripping it, blowing the majority of the dust out and then giving it a good bath and scrub in solvent. Once clean, dry, lubricated, and reassembled, my MG3 and me went out to the range to convert some linked 7.62 NATO into heat and noise.

For those of you who have never had the opportunity to fire an MG3, it is quite possibly the finest, single barreled medium machinegun ever built. Based on the German MG42 of WWII fame, the MG3 is essentially the MG3 rechambered from 7.92mm Mauser to 7.62mm NATO. Its ROF is 1,200 rounds per minute and it is an absolute dream to shoot.

Had we simply found the weapon in a raid I would have ditched my M16 and hauled that sucker with me everywhere, but alas and alack, I had to give it back when we eventually released the Iraqis we had detained. I shudder to think now what state “my” MG3 is in, but for the week or so we were together, and the thousands of rounds we fired together, I was in absolute heaven.

-- Eric Daniel

Time to Ditch the Thigh Holster?

Alright, so you all have probably learned by now that under new management, Defense Tech hasn’t shied away from attacking a few sacred cows here and there.

Witness the MRAP obsession and M4 vs. 416 dustup.

Well, here comes another one folks.

I had a little chat the other day with my good friend, inventor and ballistics expert, Dave Woroner, who said he’d been getting red in the face over the current love affair with thigh-rig holsters in the war zone and their increasing use by law enforcement personnel.

He enlisted two of his fellow gun nut buddies – noted experts in the defensive handgun business – to lay out the case against thigh rigs in favor of chest-mounted holsters. More and more I’ve seen special operations forces adopting the chest-rig concept, with regular grunts sticking to the thigh holster almost as a Western movie flashback or status symbol.

Everyone knows wearing body armor makes it difficult, if not impossible, to employ hip holsters. But Dave and his amigos argue the thigh rig is a worse option.

I’ve excerpted their debate below:

From David Woroner:

There comes a time to question the "status quo.” This is how we move forward as professionals - adjust, adapt and overcome.

The focus here is on where our pistols are carried. Currently beat/street officers and certain military personnel carry their pistols either in shoulder rigs or hip holsters. And for them, that is fine.

But an increasing population of military and law enforcement personnel on the front lines are opting for the cowboy style thigh holster. But the time has come to make it standard procedure to carry your pistol on your chest instead.

There are several products out there that make such a move a lot easier, including the BlackHawk STRIKE Bandoleer and the Specter Gear Holster for Molle Mounting.

Here’s the deal: The drop-leg thigh holster is horrendous specifically in two areas. 1) It’s a wide-open target for retention and grab problems. 2) The doggoned thing loves to snag on everything (as Dave and John will attest below) – not to mention the greater risk of being disarmed wearing a thigh rig.

Wearing a chest rig, however, the weapon is pretty much right in your face and if you need it in an instant, you don’t have to look around for it on your leg.

Moreover, anyone who has had to run for his life with a thigh holster on knows it wobbles and wiggles all over the place - not ideal for drawing quickly on the run.

So here’s the rub troopers: Loose the thigh rigs. They’re no longer a “status symbol” and its gonna be mighty hard for an enemy to grab a pistol off your chest. The chest rig puts your handgun in a place that you will not forget under duress.

And besides, it adds a little additional armor to your vest.

Dave Spaulding adds…

I’ve spent 30 years in law enforcement, including 12 years in SWAT and five years on a drug task force. I’ve been involved in hundreds of raids and forced entries and I’ve tried all types of holsters.

I admit that I have never been a big fan of the leg or thigh holster, as I could never find an elevation where the thing was comfortable. If the rig was left low on the leg, it swung around the leg when moving and the gun snagged on every doorframe or fence railing that it encountered. Of course, a moving holster is difficult to draw from quickly.

If the gun were pulled up high and tight, the leg straps would cut off circulation to the leg as well as "pinch the boys" on occasion. The short vertical strap also limited movement in regards to how well the leg could move when climbing or running.

So, I mounted a holster on my carrier vest over my body armor in a low, forward cross draw position before such rigs were readily available.

Most carriers of the time had the holster located under the offside arm like a shoulder holster, which made rapid access difficult, but moving the gun to the front of the body eliminated this problem.

The lone drawbacks, at least in my experience, to mounting the gun to the chest was when you slung your rifle or went face down prone. Taking note of where the pistol is suspended in relation to where the long gun hangs could easily minimize these concerns.

Nothing is perfect, but I admit that if I were involved in entry work at this stage of my life, I would be holstering my handgun on the front of my vest in some place so that I would have both rapid access as well as freedom of movement.

Some will say that if the vest comes off, so will the pistol. Well, in a hot zone, the vest shouldn’t come off and in a LE situation where the vest might come off while an evidence search is conducted, the pistol can easily be transferred to a simple hip holster...maybe one of those nylon styles that will push flat when not needed.

Everything is a compromise and nothing is perfect.

John Farnam puts in his $.02…

When we carry pistols, openly or concealed, we like the gun to be “within the elbow arc.” That is, we want it high enough that we can strongly defend it against snatch attempts. Unfortunately, when we don heavy body armor, our normal waistline often becomes ineligible as a carrying place for pistols.

One popular option is to move the pistol down until it rests on the outside of the thigh. As with all “solutions,” there are strengths and weaknesses. A great strength is that the gun is still reachable via the strong-side hand, and the existing draw-stroke need be only slightly modified. The bad news is that this pistol is now well below the elbow and thus not particularly retainable. In addition, the system significantly adds to the carrier’s body width, so it will routinely snag it on doorframes.

Another option is the chest carry. The draw-stroke is different, and the pistol is still vulnerable, but one can get both hands on it quickly when it needs protection. In addition, it won't bang into door frames and furniture, and it can be readily concealed.

When the normal waistline is available, it should be used. High-on-the-waist is still the best carry position, open or concealed. For domestic patrol officers, this is usually the best way to go. Putting the pistol low on the thigh when the waist is available is silly.

-- Christian

SOCOM's New Radio

We talked a little about radios earlier this week – and the flagging JTRS program – so I wanted to bring a recent contract announcement to your attention.

It seems that Harris Communications, an industry leader in developing secure communications architectures, has won a $422 million contract for the Special Operations Forces HF Multi-band Radio system.

Harris has developed radios that meet the Army’s JTRS concept, including the AN/PRC-152 that uses programmable software to meet the service’s secure comms requirement and can evolve with future demands.

The Harris contract is another indication that even though the networking piece of the Future Combat System plods along, service components are going ahead with their own programs to find the best secure communications solution while the Army tries to figure out where it’s going with a more “holistic” approach to multi-band comms.

(Gouge: DID)

-- Christian

Make your M9 Meaner

After nearly two years of effort, and constant revisions based on feedback from military and law enforcement users, an inventor based in Florida has devised a new rail system that can be retrofitted to the M9 Beretta standard milspec pistol.

The rail system, developed by David Woroner of Survival Consultants Intl., allows the user to fit a wide array of sighting systems, laser pointers, pepper spray adaptors and other components to the military (and police) issued sidearm. Dave has helped me on a variety of stories over the years dealing with weapons development, body armor technology and private security contractor issues and I’m happy to see that his Wor4 TacRail is getting good feedback from users and from the Army’s Picatinny Arsenal.

From Survival Consultants…

This is the only product that is specifically designed for the Beretta "type" pistol (M9-92FS), though it will fit many other Beretta licensed out designs, such as the Taurus series of pistols of similar specifications (as well as a multitude of S. African to S. American pistol licensees…

What our research revealed is that, overwhelmingly, shooters wanted the ability to add lower railed devices such as lights, lasers, etc. and the possibility of adding an "optical sighting system" on the top rail. In the design of the TacRail, SCI recognized that any "device" (like an optic system) can fail. So SCI introduced a slot into the design so that the iron sights are still completely active and useable. The other specification requested was to make the design so that "the slide can be removed, for field cleaning, without removing the TacRail."

I’m including this post to see what feedback our DT readers have on this component system. One of the things I like most about Dave’s TacRail is the “strike face” on the special operations version of the Wor4. It’s a pointed knob just under the barrel that can be used to say that special “hello” to a resistant bad guy.

I wish him luck and am curious to see what y’all have to say about it.

-- Christian

Flame Resistant Suits for Soldiers

In response to the deadly IED problem and the blast/heat effects of the makeshift bombs, the Army is developing a flame resistant coverall patterned in its ACU camouflage for vehicle crewmen.

The Army’s top gear buying and development command, the Fort Belvoir, Va.-based PEO Soldier, has a thorough write-up on its effort. Late last year, Marines from I Marine Expeditionary Force began wearing Nomex flight suits during vehicle operations on their own accord. When II MEF took command of the battlespace in al Anbar, the nomex suits became standard and the Corps launched its own effort to develop fire retardant uniforms and other clothing called "FROG" gear.

The Army has followed suit (excuse the pun) and seems to be homing in on a good solution for its soldiers. One of our contributors wrote an outstanding story on the ACU and suggested the fire-retardant evolution, so it’s good to see the Army moving forward on this initiative.

From PEO Soldier:

The Army has developed an improved one-piece uniform for mounted soldiers with enhanced fire resistance and durability, as well as providing better fit and function, all of which will aid against the effects of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

The improved Combat Vehicle Coverall (iCVC) is being evaluated by approximately 2,000 Soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division, the 3rd Infantry Division, and the 16th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Knox, KY. Widespread fielding is expected later this year.

Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va, is directing the user evaluations. PEO Soldier designs, develops, procures, and fields virtually everything today’s Soldiers wear or carry. PEO Soldier is committed to increasing combat effectiveness, saving Soldiers’ lives and improving Soldiers’ quality of life.

MAJ Clay Williamson, PEO Soldier's Assistant Product Manager for Clothing and Individual Equipment, said that PEO Soldier requires rigorous testing before any article of clothing or piece of equipment is approved for use. “Everything is tested to make sure it is safe and highly effective before we field it,” Williamson said.

However, fielding a new version of the coverall does not mean the work is finished, Williamson explained. Research is ongoing so continual improvements can be made.

“All our fire-resistant uniforms are spiral-development efforts because of the urgency and nature of the threat that our Soldiers are facing. We field the best equipment that is available, and then use Soldier feedback to continue to make it even better,” he said.

The new coverall has an elastic back waist and adjustment tabs to customize fit, decrease bulk, and increase maneuverability for armor vehicle crews, thus improving mission effectiveness. The seat patch has been widened and lengthened to provide more coverage and to improve the uniform’s durability, and the uniform is made in the universal camouflage pattern.

The new coverall and other state-of-the-art equipment and clothing will be on display at PEO Soldier’s exhibit space, Booth 512 at the Armor Warfighting Symposium, April 30-May 3, 2007 at Fort Knox.

The Army’s fire-resistant clothing goes through laboratory flame testing and state-of-the-art mannequin flame testing, the latter at an independent facility at North Carolina State University. User evaluations are an important part of testing as well. “We are constantly seeking Soldier feedback to make further improvements,” Williamson said.

As part of the ongoing tests on the iCVC, an alternate Nomex-based fabric called Abrams material is being considered as a possible replacement for the current MILSPEC Nomex fabric. The new fabric, which is slightly heavier than Nomex, would double the durability of the uniform, hold up better to abrasion and offer better resistance to fading from sunlight.

Soldiers’ evaluations will continue through June, at which time their recommendations for improvement will be considered.

The Army is working on other fire-resistant clothing as well. The Flame Resistant Environmental Ensemble (FREE) will provide armored and aviation crew members with a multi-layered system that offers fire protection and comfort in a wide range of climate conditions. FREE consists of a base layer, midweight under layer, lightweight outer layer, intermediate weather outer layer, extreme cold-weather outer layer as well as hot- and cold-weather balaclavas, cold-weather gloves, wool socks, and a rigger belt. The outer layers protect from cold, wind and rain as well as fire.

With the FREE, which is undergoing user evaluations in Korea, Soldiers who have specialized jobs that expose them to fire hazards, will have the same type of extreme cold-weather gear the rest of the Army is receiving with the Generation III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS).

A fire-resistant Army Combat Uniform (ACU) is also being fielded. Advanced fabrics enhance fire protection without sacrificing mobility and comfort. Fielding is about to begin on a fire-resistant Army Combat Shirt (ACS), which can be worn directly under Interceptor Body Armor (IBA), reducing the need for additional layers, thereby reducing heat stress while adding comfort and protection.

The long-sleeved ACS comes with a balaclava, which adds fire resistance to the head, face, and neck areas that previously were unprotected. When Soldiers add fire-resistant eyewear and pants, they have full-body protection from burns.

All of the fire-resistant clothing is washable and maintains protective properties for the life of the garments.

This is all part of PEO Soldier’s mission to make sure that our Soldiers have the best equipment available when and where they need it.

“It’s our job to give them the best equipment that our money and technology can produce,” said BG R. Mark Brown, Program Executive Officer Soldier.

-- Christian

New Armor Collars for Joes

One of the most innovative military equipment designers in the country has been awarded a $17 million contract for one of its body armor components.

(Photos from Crye Precision)

Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Crye Precision has developed one of the most impressive body armor vest designs available today. It’s a technological leap in terms of wearability, coverage and comfort beyond any designs I am aware of. The armor “chassis,”

as Crye terms it, harkens back to the Spartan cuirass and later Roman chest plates worn in combat, and the Army is tinkering with Crye’s design for its Future Force Warrior development up at Natick labs in Massachusetts.

The institutional Army has taken notice and decided to purchase Crye’s nape neck protector, presumably for its humvee gunners who are more exposed to a roadside bomb blast and sniper fire than the passengers. The neck protector has a higher profile than the standard body armor neck protector and incorporates a small ballistic plate in the back of the collar.

It’s a big victory for a small company on the cutting edge of body armor design, and it will be interesting to see how far Crye’s designs go in the future for all the services’ continuing body armor development.

-- Christian

From iPod to 'Grip Pod'

I ran across this little item today from a story in Leatherneck magazine.

As part of the Marine Corps’ Marine Enhancement Program – a sort of rapid-prototyping initiative housed in the Marine Corps Combat Development Command in Quantico, Va. – the service is beginning to field a new accessory hand-grip for the M4 and M16A4 with forward rail system that houses a retractable bi-pod.

The so-called “Grip Pod” is a bit wider than most forward grips and deploys a telescoping bi-pod with a quick push of a button. This little device could give just about anyone the same kind of stabilized precision attached to designated marksman rifles or similar specialized weapons.

What next, a forward grip with a retractable Ka-Bar?

-- Christian

Singing the ACU Blues

Below is a response from PEO Soldier to Military.com’s story “The Army Uniform Doesn’t Measure Up” - which was posted April 5, 2007.

Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier welcomes Soldier feedback on all its products, including the Army Combat Uniform (ACU). Feedback from Soldiers has already led to several improvements to the uniform, many of which have been incorporated in ACUs delivered since March 2006.

The ACU is intended to last an average of 180 days in combat. It is made of the same 50/50 nylon/cotton blend fabric as the Enhanced Hot Weather Battle Dress Uniform (EHWBDU) and Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) with the addition of a wrinkle-free treatment. Technical testing has shown ACU fabric exceeds all of the performance requirements, including tear strength, of the BDU and DCU fabric. Soldier feedback indicates they generally prefer the functionality of ACU over the BDU, especially while wearing Interceptor Body Armor.

Operational requirements call for the ability to quickly strip the ACU of all identifying patches. Given the state of today’s technology, that means hook and loop backing for cloth patches and pins and clutches for metal badges. The ACU uses hook and loop fasteners extensively. A durability problem with some of the early production of the fasteners was identified. Incorporating an improved hook tape with stiffer backing, alternate methods of sealing the edges of the tape, and improved sewing methods significantly improved the fasteners durability.

Soldiers also identified a problem with the closure on the trouser cargo pocket. This issue was traced to the hook tape which is apparently causing the loop tape to stretch and lose holding power. PEO Soldier is working with the suppliers of hook and loop tape to resolve this. Meanwhile, the cargo pocket has an elastic drawcord with a barrel lock that acts as a backup closure.

In response to the durability of the crotch, it has been redesigned using a heavier thread, more fabric in the seam, and stronger stitches. This redesign has more than doubled the strength of the crotch. Additionally, PEO-Soldier is awarding contracts to incorporate repairs to strengthen the crotch of the earlier ACU trousers still in the supply system.

Fire resistant (FR) uniforms are the subject of a recent Operational Need Statement (ONS) to provide additional FR uniforms. PEO-Soldier developed a fire resistant version of the ACU that provides similar FR protection to Nomex, but offers improved durability, breathability, moisture wicking, and comfort. ACU production contracts have been amended to produce the FR ACU, and deliveries are expected to begin July 2007.

There has been much discussion about the Universal Camouflage Pattern used on the ACU. Extensive laboratory and field tests were conducted on 11 candidate patterns and colors during development. MultiCam, then called Scorpion, was one of the patterns subjected to a series of laboratory and field evaluations, in multiple, realistic, operational environments under varied terrain and lighting conditions in 2003-04. The camouflage pattern selected was determined to provide the best overall effective concealment in multiple, operational environments, including urban, woodland, and desert scenarios.

The lighter colors required to obtain effective camouflage in multiple environments have posed a challenge for stain removal. Extensive laundry tests of the ACUs have been conducted to determine if the ACU soils more easily that the darker woodland BDU. Tests show the ACU and BDU stain similarly, but the darker color of BDUs hid stains. PEO-Soldier has been working with industry to incorporate a stain-release finish without compromising the performance of the wrinkle-free finish or other treatments, such as permethrin.

PEO-Soldier remains fully committed to incorporating Soldier feedback in the continual improvement of the ACU.

-- Christian

A Better Cammo Pattern?

We posted an excellent story today written by one of our contributors critiquing the Army’s new combat uniform. Eric Coulson, who commands an engineer company doing some IED-busting in the sandbox, tackles the issue of the uniform’s color scheme, construction and materials.

One thing he mentions is the under-the-radar popularity among some in the military of a new pattern called “multicam.” The Army’s Natick Soldier Systems Center is looking at multicam for its defunct (sort of) Future Force/Land Warrior ensemble.

While the multicam looks good for a woodland - or even urban - environment, I wonder how it would work in the desert. The most popular desert pattern in Iraq is the Marine Corps’ desert MarPat scheme, which blends in well against the mud-brick construction of Iraqi buildings and can barely be seen through night vision goggles with a desert rock backdrop.

There are some photos out there on the net of operators wearing the multicam in Southwest scrubland, but that’s with a lot of green around. Surely the folks at Natick are hard at work tweeking the multicam pattern for multi-environment use.

-- Christian

Pentagon Tech Push

The Pentagon announced yesterday its “new starts” for the 2007 Joint Capability Technology Demonstration program. The program has morphed this year from the “Advanced” Capability Technology Demonstration program to the current “Joint” one, which emphasizes a needs-based approach over a “gee-wiz, look what we found” model where the Pentagon pushes the new technologies on the services.

There have definitely been some good products emerging from this program – including laser-resistant eyewear and helmet visors – and it’s encouraging to see some useful ideas earning the DoD cash once again.

Fiscal 2007 New Starts:

Tactical Service Provider (TSP) - Mobile, wireless high-throughput broadband connections over long distances

Mapping the Human Terrain (MAP-HT) - Visualization of socio-cultural information

Joint Multi-Mission Electro-Optical System (JMMES) - Counter camouflage, concealment, and deception

Smart Threads Integrated Radiation Sensors (STIRS) - Radiation sensors for state-of-the-art maritime interdiction and battlefield radiation detection

Maritime Automated Supertrack Enhanced Reporting (MASTER) - Enhanced maritime tracking

Internet Protocol Router In Space (IRIS) - Satellite internet resource allocation capabilities

Coalition Mobility System (CMS) - Rapid access to and coordination of coalition movements

There were also three later Fiscal 2006 New Starts:

Coalition Joint Spectrum Management Planning Tool (CJSMPT) - Radio frequency coordination

Regional Maritime Awareness Capability (RMAC) - Collaborative surface vessel location and tracking for ungoverned maritime environments

Focused Lethal Munition (FLM) - Collateral damage minimization using precision-guided weapon