Tech Archives

Just Jiggle It a Little

By John

Awesome: plan to power soldiers' kit with kinetic energy

The List: World's Biggest Military Boondoggles

By John

...the F-22 ain't on it

Army Tears Down the Cyber Wall: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr No Longer Blocked

By John

This could be the most logical shit I've heard in a while -- "These are sites that soldiers are encouraged to use to get the Army message out. The Army has a presence on these sites. ... There is no reason to block them"

Being a blue-suiter, it's always a little shocking to hear of military units snubbing the safer path in favor of what's best for the service. I'm just not used to it. Here's hoping that the Air Force figures out what everyone already knows. Crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath. Danger Room had the original scoop.

How to Build a Ford Class Aircraft Carrier

By John

Popular Mechanics --

Building a supercarrier is a uniquely American enterprise. There are 21 aircraft carriers in service around the globe; 11 belong to the United States. A few other nations—Britain, Spain and India—have plans to build aircraft carriers. But no one else makes them this large or with such advanced capabilities. No one else is about to try.

The last time American engineers designed a carrier from scratch, in the 1960s, they drew the ship in ink and built full-scale wooden models to prove their designs. Then, the construction-yard workers had to figure out how to put the ship together. Things work a little differently in 2009. Now, engineers and foremen can wander around a mockup of the ship without wearing helmets or boots. All they have to do is slip on chunky black glasses, stare at a screen and step inside the ship’s CAD plan.

Phenomenal article by my bud Noah Shachtman, read the whole damn thing.

Sure, It Looks Cool

By John

But a proposed ChiCom zepplin-aircraft carrier could be the easiest thing to shoot down in the history of flying machines.

Dave Axe compares it to the hare-brained nuclear hand grenade of 1950s fame. Here's hoping that the Chinese spend untold billions developing this warlock.

How Stuff Works

By John

ICBM edition! Patiently ignore the wishy-washy fake production company crap at the beginning, the actual video and animation are way interesting. This is 1960s technology, by the way. Amazing how effectively it still works.

Attention!

By John

Follow the linky link to the best damn "troop-transporting robot plane" post you'll read all day.

Robots -what can't they do?

By Charlie

" ...and my mom said all those years of playing video games would never pay off!"

Great quote from a soldier trying out the latest in Army tech, robots that can fire weapons, remove ordinance, and perform ISR tasks, keeping troops out of harm's way.

Soldiers from the 519th Military Police Battalion, 1st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, watched futuristic technology turn to reality during a demonstration at Range 9, here, Aug. 5. The presentation, by Foster-Miller Defense Technology Solutions, showcased the latest in Soldier-saving technology for the battlefield and urban environments.

"These robots can replace Soldiers in dangerous situations," said Adrian Herkenbrack, Foster-Miller DTS representative. "The advantage is that these robots have no fear, and we'd rather lose one of them than a Soldier."

Three robots, including "Dragon Runner," "TALON SWAT/MP" and "Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System," demonstrated their capabilities and versatility through three scenarios.

Check out the entire article, as robots on the battlefield aren't going away any time sson.

Al Roker Plays with Nukes

By John

Kind of.

Russia vs US arms sales Abroad

By Charlie

No, that title is not breaking news from 1984. Over at Popular Mechanics, they outline 6 "hot spots" where US/Russia weapons are still pointed at each other. PM explains:

...equipment designed by the two nations remains on opposite sides of 21st-century battlefields. This isn't surprising: America is the top vendor of major conventional weapons, and Russia ranks number two. Both countries share a legacy of making military equipment to counter the other's capabilities and a long history of parlaying arms sales into geopolitical influence. These deals, sanctioned by both national governments, are extensions of foreign policy. A resurgent Russia wants cash and international influence, while the United States hopes to link its defense industries with foreign customers and simultaneously offer perks to allies.

I'll comment on the situations they outline:

1. Colombia vs Venezuela: We are supplying UH-60 helicopters to our allies in Colombia, while Russia is providing HINDs to Chavez. The air mobility that medium lift helicopters provide in the dense jungle is certainly an advantage against local threats like the FARC. HINDs are certainly a fearsome system if properly employed, and also have limited transport capability. It is difficult to say which side benefits most by these deals.

2. Chile vs Peru: We supplied the AMRAAM to Chile, Russia supplied the A12 ADDER to Peru. I'd call this one a draw, as a conflict between these two Andean powers would likely remain below the radar screen.

3. Israel vs Syria: AH-64D Apaches by us to Israel vs SA-19 ADA systems to Syria. We are all familiar with the successes Israel has had against Syria ADA, so these mobile systems may be nothing more than mobile pop up targets in any future conflict. Also, attack aviation may be more useful to Israel over its Gaza and Lebanese borders, vice Syria, as peace talks may at least stave off any future Israel/Syria open conflict.

4. Israel vs Iran: Israel also received "bunker busters" from the US, and Iran the "TOR" ADA system. given Israel's past success against IADS, it is tough to make a call on who benefits from this sale. Add to that the sheer distance that pilots would have to fly to hit the Iranian reactors, and this sale registers a draw.

5. Pakistan vs India: We have sold Pakistan Orion aircraft, which can perform ISR over the Pakistani coast, and Russia has sold ballistic missile subs to India, which give it a second strike capability against nuclear Pakistan. However, given the current government priorities of Pakistan (northwest frontier and Kashmir) and India (the economy) it is unclear if these sales will significantly alter the strategic balance.

6. Taiwan vs China: Its destroyers vs subs in this standoff, but it is unlikely that this fight will ever materialize, with the new China-friendly government in Taiwan.

Overall, these sales to nation-states by the US and Russia do not seem to significantly alter the strategic balance in any of these 6 cases, with Israel and Colombia being two net beneficiaries. As far as "value added" to the defense of foreign nations, I would speculate that training and equipping foreign ground, air, and maritime forces for internal defense and COIN missions may be of more use to the majority of world nations rather than marketing high-end defense items that are only useful in an unlikely conventional conflict -for either Russia or the US.

The Pentagon's Internet "Civil War"?

By Slab

Wired.com has an interesting piece by David Axe on the Air Force's decision to ban access to many blogs, and how the Army has worked around it to use the Internet to encourage the free flow of ideas. He expounds a bit more in The Washington Independent. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it an Internet "civil war", but I think it is demonstrative of the intellectual flexibility that the Army has acquired in recent years.

The Army cleverly dodged the bans, setting up its own versions of popular Web 2.0 sites, but hiding them behind password-protected portals. In that way, the Army appears to have found a middle ground between Internet proponents and skeptics. On this toehold, the land combat branch is steadily building new Internet tools that might help the United States catch up to Internet-savvy jihadists. In late April, the land-warfare branch even launched an official blogging service for officers. The blogs combine the best of the civilian Web 2.0 with old-fashioned military-grade security.

We at OPFOR have been advocating military bloggers for some time now. We have always believed that there is a sort of information war being waged on the Internet, and the most effective weapon is allowing servicemembers to tell some of their personal stories from Iraq and Afghanistan. This story brings to light another benefit of the blogosphere - the exchange of professional ideas. It takes place on a small scale on private discussion boards, but hopefully this will lead to a more widely spread and secure forum for professional discussion and debate. So here's hoping that this initiative continues, and fosters the exchange of ideas between our military professionals.

A Hybrid M113?

By Charlie

Yeah, apparently:

I guess the $4 a gallon gas price is hitting the Pentagon too...

Air Defense on Steroids

By Charlie

First high altitude air defense unit formed at Fort Bliss

FORT BLISS, Texas — The Army's first unit to use a new missile defense system that can knock down missiles and other ballistic weapons inside or outside the atmosphere was officially formed at Fort Bliss on Wednesday.

Alpha Battery, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, will be the first unit to manage and use the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, weapons system.

The missile defense program is more than 15 years in the making. Program commanders said one of the largest benefits to the new technology, to be housed at Fort Bliss, is that it knocks down deadly weapons from landing anywhere near their intended targets.

Some background:

THAAD (Theatre High Altitude Area Defense) missile system is an easily transportable defensive weapon system to protect against hostile incoming threats such as tactical and theatre ballistic missiles at ranges of 200km and at altitudes up to 150km.

The THAAD system provides the upper tier of a 'layered defensive shield' to protect high value strategic or tactical sites such as airfields or populations centres. The THAAD missile intercepts exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric threats.

The sites would also be protected with lower- and medium-tier defensive shield systems such as the Patriot PAC-3 which intercepts hostile incoming missiles at 20 to 100 times lower altitudes.

"The THAAD (Theatre High Altitude Area Defense) missile system is an easily transportable defensive weapon."

Buying for the Big War, or the Small One?

By Charlie

I've often written about the divide in the military over the focus of our mission: to fight and train for the next "big war" or to prepare to fight the many "small" wars (which we currently find ourselves in.) That is a bigger question than it seems, because the type of war you plan to fight trickles down to the equipment that is purchased by the Pentagon, the training that troops receive, and the strategic focus that force employment entails.

Here's a relevant example of this debate in real time: The Osprey vs. the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, or the Marines' new "swimming tank."

The Marines have given the Osprey (haunted by past technical issues) a good report card from a successful tour in Iraq, and have deemed it the next primary air mover for the Corps. The Osprey is a great example of a "small war" acquisition, because it facilities a very COIN-centric task: moving a rifle platoon a large distance at high (safe) altitude very quickly.

The EFV was developed to do a more "traditional" Marine Corps task: a beach assault under fire. However, that task is very "big war," and may have security repercussions with the proliferation of anti armor weapons and anti ship missiles. Also, it has had massive cost overruns:

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform found that major development flaws have pushed up the cost of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program by 168 percent per tank and pushed the production deadline back by eight years.

The Defense Department says it will acquire 593 of the amphibious assault vehicles from General Dynamics at a total cost of $13.2 billion, compared with an earlier projection of 1,025 tanks for $8.4 billion, according to a House Oversight Committee report released on Tuesday.

So if you are the Marines (imagine that) what do you buy? Ospreys or EFVs? This is akin to the Army's continuing issues with FCS, and how it is relevant to the COIN fight. One simple question (big or small) drives this entire process.

Great Article on Distributed Warfare

By Charlie

UAVs are getting bigger and better, with the Reaper now carrying the same combat load as the F-16. As remote combat systems mature in theater, who knows what is next?

Air Combat by Remote Control

The airman who fired that missile was 8,000 miles away, here at Creech Air Force Base, home of the 432nd air wing. The 432nd officially "stood up," in the jargon of the Air Force, on May 1, 2007. One year later, two dozen of its drones patrol the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan every hour of every day. And almost all of them are flown by two-man crews sitting in the air-conditioned comfort of a "ground control station" (GCS) in the Nevada desert.

Are remotely-driven Strykers, Bradleys, and Abrams that far off? The thought of a remote-controlled armor division is almost as implausible now as dropping bombs from airplanes must have seemed in 1914. However, the question now is with the success of the very human-intensive tactics of waging COIN neighborhood by neighborhood, will robots take the place of soldiers on the battlefield?

I doubt robots can fill the gap, but the "big war" types may latch on to this technology as the solution to the "next big one," while could better serve as an enabler for our current COIN operations.

Army Embraces Distance Learning

By Charlie

So you're back from your first (or second) (or third) deployment, and returning home... only to have your next assignment orders a couple hundred miles away for a training course. This has been a minor issue in retention for a while, but the Army seems to have devised a way to get ahead of it. Distance learning (online classes) have been used for years in the civilian sector -you can now take college courses online, in addition to a litany of corporate training that many companies have put online to lesson their training budgets. Now the Army has caught on. I think this is a good thing, because of the following:

-It frees up teachers and brick and mortar facilities at schoolhouse installations. These buildings and instructors can be re purposed to better streamline the force.

-It allows the troops taking the training to do so without being separated from their families, especially after long deployments.

Using distributed learning techniques, such as MTT (mobile training teams) and distance learning, is already happening in the force, and is another example of the Army getting it right:

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 27, 2008) - Mobile training teams are taking Basic NCO courses on the road and allowing Soldiers who recently redeployed home from Iraq to attend without spending more time away from their Families.

Thirty-eight sergeants and staff sergeants graduated Friday from a 25U radio operator maintenance BNCOC course at Fort Hood, Texas. NCOs attending from the 1st Cavalry Division at Hood and the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas, had returned home from Iraq within the last few months.

Normally, the course would have required the NCOs to spend more than six weeks away from their Families at Fort Gordon, Ga., said Command Sgt. Maj. John L. Murray, commandant of the Signal Regimental Noncommissioned Officer Academy.

"The NCOs that graduated were so thankful to the Signal Center for coming to Fort Hood and conducting this MTT," said Murray who attended the graduation at Fort Hood Friday. "I must have been thanked a hundred times from Families that were so grateful that their spouses could come home at night after training, after such a long deployment."

MRAP Review

By Slab

In January, my team traded out our well-worn M1114 Up-armored HMMWV for a 4X4 JERRV, one of the models of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles purchased by the Marine Corps. We were pretty excited to have the new vehicle, especially after our first look inside. I mean, the thing looks like the Cadillac Escalade of tactical vehicles. The IED threat in our little slice of Al Anbar had long since dropped to non-existent, but it felt good to have something that was specifically engineered to combat the threat, you know? It didn't take long for the novelty to wear off, however, and by the end of the deployment we had taken to operating mainly from a Humvee again. The MRAP is a superb EOD and convoy security vehicle (the acronym JERRV stands for Joint EOD Rapid Response Vehicle), but it is merely a passable utility and/or fighting vehicle. The thing was obviously designed with the EOD mission in mind, and if any operator input was incorporated into the design, it clearly did not come from the infantry community.

On the good side, it is obviously better equipped to resist blast-type mines and IEDs than any other vehicle in the inventory. On top of the increased protection, the MRAP has a fantastic communications system installed, much better than what we had in our Humvee. Most ANGLICO Humvees look like Monster Garage rejects - additional antennas installed in weird places, additional radios installed in all sorts of unauthorized fashion, all trying to maximize the communications capability of our vehicles. Here we had a vehicle that came with brand new multiband radios, all tied in to an intercommunications system. Although many of the comm capabilities are completely unnecessary for most units, it almost seemed like this thing was made for ANGLICO. In addition, the designers were definitely looking to improve crew comfort in these things - the seats are much more comfortable than the ones in a Humvee, the Vehicle Commander's (VC) seat was MUCH roomier than in a Humvee (even my 155 lb ass ends up wedged between the door and the Blue Force Tracker mount in a Humvee), the air conditioning system was top-notch, etc.

For a motorized infantry mission, however, the MRAP's shortcomings are many. It handles atrociously offroad. The suspension is incredibly stiff, with the end result being that you must be tightly strapped in to survive the jostling in the back of the vehicle. Well, my radio operator sits in the back, and those wonderful radios I mentioned before are placed in such a way that the only person who can readily access them is the gunner. Someone that I would prefer keep his attention oriented, you know, outside the vehicle. My radio guy can certainly reach around the gunner's legs and work on the radios, but not if he's tightly strapped in trying to survive the ride.

Because we frequently live and fight from our vehicle, we have to carry an assortment of odds and ends for our radios, weapons, and ourselves. Things like water, MREs, ammunition, spare barrels for the machinegun, and spare items for the radios. The jostling that I just mentioned makes it nearly impossible to store any of these items in the interior of the vehicle without significant modification. We tried removing one of the seats and putting in a wooden box with space for some of these items, but many items were tossed completely out of the box and ended up strewn about the floor of the vehicle. There is a complete lack of weapons stowage for passengers in the rear of the vehicle, and the weapons racks for the driver and VC are designed for M16s, not M4s. One aspect that seems to elude many tactical vehicle designers is that motorized infantry typically store their sustainment load (i.e. rucksacks) externally (see below). This allows the vehicle's internal space to be utilized for items that I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, which must be readily accessible throughout the day. Sustainment items can typically wait until a long halt of some sort before they are needed. Yet, the MRAP has no provision for strapping a rucksack to the outside of the vehicle.

7-tons and HMMWVs with rucksacks stored externally just before the invasion of Iraq in 2003

The MRAP is a vehicle that is well-suited for a particular niche, but due to pressure from people such as our lawmakers in Congress, it has been pressed into service in roles that it is not suited for. For a unit that never leaves a paved surface, and rarely spends more than 24 hours outside of some sort of operating base at a time, the MRAP's protection and communications capabilities make it a superb asset. For units that must remain expeditionary, be able to operate in a wide variety of terrain and pursue the enemy wherever he is found, the MRAP is ultimately a poor choice, and I in retrospect I am very glad that Gen Conway is reducing the number of these vehicles on order. Personally, if given the choice, I would take an M1114 or M1152 HMMWV over the JERRV 4X4, and would seek other means to reduce the IED threat through such things as tribal leader engagement and refining mounted patrol TTPs.

For more reading on the subject, try Defense Tech. As you can see, Christian has been leveling similar criticism since last year. Christian's article is one of the more down-to-earth articles I've seen on the subject. He and I had a good discussion about personal body armor at the Milbloggies last year, it looks like we are of generally the same opinion on the MRAP issue as well.

Update: I should point out that the Defense Tech article I referenced above is over a year old. DT's Ground Vehicles category has more articles on MRAPs.

Upgraded TV

By Charlie

Old and Busted:

Samsung tx-r3079wh:

New Hotness:

Samsung 40" 1080p Flat-Panel LCD HDTV

I just want you all to know, its been painful to leave my apartment and go to work. HD plus enormous screen plus Call of Duty 4:

Stryker MGS Gunnery

By Charlie

Cool, Background:

In applying lethal effects as part of the Combined Arms Company, the MGS will survive on the battlefield by taking advantage of the high levels of threat and situational understanding resident in the Brigade formation. It will engage enemy positions and targets as part of the Combined Arms Company from ranges and locations outside the enemy's kill zone capability. It will avoid high risk terrain profiles. Its inherent mobility and agility will enable it to deliver precision fires from alternate and successive positions outside the enemy's acquisition and fire delivery reaction time.

The Mobile Gun System configuration carries a General Dynamics 105mm tank cannon in a low-profile, fully stabilized, "shoot on the move" turret. Its armor protects the three-soldier crew from machine gun bullets, mortar and artillery fragments on the battlefield. The Stryker Mobile Gun System can fire 18 rounds of 105-mm main gun ammunition; 400 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition; and 3,400 rounds of 7.62-mm ammunition. It operates with the latest C4ISR equipment as well as detectors for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

Robots March Forward

By Charlie

UPDATE: This is the MULE from Lockheed (thanks, anonymous)

Anyway, robots are robots. Here are some more:

So does this put us one step closer to the Imperial Walker?

Lockheed Martin MULE Program Completes Key Review, Begins Work on Final System Design

DALLAS, TX, February 27th, 2008 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE) vehicle program successfully completed its System Preliminary Design Review (PDR), signaling a new phase in the program’s development as part of the U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) modernization initiative. As a result of this recent review, Lockheed Martin will now begin to transition from the concept maturation phase into detailed design work.

The MULE/ARV-Assault Light, a 3.5-ton class vehicle for the FCS program, offers an extraordinary capability that will support the U.S. Army’s transformation to a lighter and more mobile fighting force. The robot’s unique mobility will enable it to go everywhere the Soldier can go and more. It will allow Soldiers of the transformed Army to use technology to perform a number of dull, dirty and dangerous jobs performed by Soldiers today, freeing troops to focus more effectively on the success of their mission.

The MULE/ARV-Assault Light’s highly mobile platform is a unique 6x6 independent articulated suspension. Coupled with in-hub motors powering each wheel, the suspension system provides extreme mobility in complex terrain, far exceeding that of vehicles utilizing more conventional suspension systems.

Here's a video of this [another] system, which has some interesting real-world applications if it can be successfully fielded.

Aging Air Force Wants Big Bucks Fix

By Charlie

Keeping up our (odd) habit of following Air Force news:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Air Force officials are warning that unless their budget is increased dramatically, and soon, the military's high-flying branch won't dominate the skies as it has for decades.

After more than seven years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Air Force's aging jet fighters, bombers, cargo aircraft and gunships are at the breaking point, they say, and expensive, ultramodern replacements are needed fast.

"What we've done is put the requirement on the table that says, 'If we're going to do the missions you're going to ask us to do, it will require this kind of investment,'" Maj. Gen. Paul Selva, the Air Force's director of strategic planning, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"Failing that, we take what is already a geriatric Air Force," Selva said, "and we drive it for another 20 years into an area of uncertainty."

Not being the expert here, I know that the US Air Guard handles a lot of the strategic airlift tasks, especially in EUCOM. When I caught a ride on an aging KC-135, built in the 1950’s, the pilots joked that the aircraft was the older than any of its passengers. Replacing worn out equipment, especially transports that carry a large amount of service members, seems like a no-brainer to me. BUT, here’s the price tag:

An extra $20 billion each year over the next five — beginning with an Air Force budget of about $137 billion in 2009 instead of the $117 billion proposed by the Bush administration — would solve that problem, according to Selva and other senior Air Force officers.

Yet the prospects for huge infusions of cash seem dim. Congress is expected to boost the 2009 budget, but not to the level urged by the Air Force. In the years that follow, a possible recession, a rising federal deficit and a distaste for higher taxes all portend a decline in defense spending regardless of which party wins the White House in November.

Again, if this requirement is put on the table, it should be funded. I just hope I’m not on the first 60+ year old airframe that drops out of the sky due to age.

Thursday Night MLRS

By Charlie

For no particular reason, here is a BM-21 in action:

Ospreys Successful in Iraq , so far

By Charlie

Behold!

VMM-263 -- the "Thunder Chickens" -- has flown five Aeroscout missions, one raid, more than 1,400 combat sorties, and maintained an average mission capable readiness rate of 68.1 percent during its deployment, the service reported.

The squad took over the entire range of combat medium-lift assault support missions in support of Multi-National Forces -- West from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 to include battlefield circulation, raid and Aeroscout operations, helicopter/tiltrotor governance, and tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel.

The Ospreys flew everywhere throughout the battlefield from Baghdad to Al Qaim, providing an operational capability over distance and time that has "effectively collapsed the battlespace," the Marines say.

Anyone in the OPFOR audience flown in one of these things? I'd like to hear a review.

Build it Bigger!

By Charlie

The search for a helicopter that can lift more continues. Popular Mechanics:

Army doctrine over the past 10 years has focused on positioning medium-size mechanized brigades (of about 1000 troops) deep in the rear or flanks of an enemy, where weak defenses and surprise favor the attacker. Humanitarian aid and disaster response also require access to undeveloped areas. Currently, though, this requires good airfields at both ends of the supply line.
...
“The Future Combat Systems family of vehicles originally were to weigh between 16 and 18 tons,” says Wilson, who rails against mounted aerial maneuver. “The armored fighting vehicles now weigh 30 tons, the weight of an M2/3 Bradley, because the lighter vehicles did not have sufficient survivability.” In other words, Iraq’s roadside bombs convinced the brass to plan for heavier forms of medium-size vehicles that could better stand up to explosives.
...
Such decisions have a ripple effect. Many of the Army’s newest and planned vehicles don’t fit in a C-130; the tedious work-around is to fly the parts in on two planes and then spend hours assembling the vehicle. The Army may want helicopters that can lift 30 tons, but no Navy ship could carry more than a couple of them. There are no easy answers, but military planners do have a number of proposals. The Pentagon says that decisions will be made by the end of 2008.

Their answers:

1. Massive Tilt-Rotor Aircraft
2. New Fixed-Wing Airplanes
3. Precision Airdrops
4. Converted Container Ships
5. Aircraft With Folding Wings and Rotors
6. Blimps With a Mission

FYI, the heaviest lift helicopter is the Russian-made Mi-26. It can lift 20 tons, Chinooks carry about 12 tons.

Brads weigh 30 tons (the Abrams weighs about 60). A Stryker weighs about 16 (minus any add-on armor). Add to that fuel, ammo, extra equipment, plus soldiers, and that weight dramatically increases. Significant engineering challenges exist in inserting these vehicles vertically,. As far as resupply operations go, I like the idea of precision airdrops using GPS. Big, ugly war machines still have their place on a 4GW battlefield, and air mobility is essential in regions that lack infrastructure.

While the engineers work out how to build the next great helicopter, here's what the Army is doing with the ones we've got now: Previous post on updates to Army Aviation.

Breaking: The Osprey is Totally Rad

By John

Proof, suckers.

Is the C-17 Worth the Price Tag?

By John

If we were going off of lift capacity and range.... maybe.

Add the "stop-on-a-dime" short field landing ability.... probably.

Throw in engines capable of producing totally rad mini-tornadoes... definitely.

10,000 E-mails?

By Charlie

Haven’t exactly been keeping up with my Google Mail account (which I primarily use for the website…)

Everyone’s Launching Satellites

By Charlie

The Germans and the Chinese seem to be making some gains in the quest for the final frontier:

German Spy Satellite Launches Into Space

Chinese Satellite Heading for Lunar Orbit Showcases Ambitious Space Program

I wanted to mention this because the enormous technological advantages that the US military enjoys are due in part to our early mastery of space technology. Satellites provide imagery, GPS ability, communication, and have become the cornerstone of US ground, naval, and air operations in all military theatres. So here’s a question: what if you could pluck one or two enemy satellites out of the sky?

That concept is the 21st century equivalent of calling artillery on a battlefield command post: it disrupts the flow of information, intelligence, orders, and command and control of subordinate units.

However, that brings me to this story in the WaPo:

Space Defense Program Gets Extra Funding

While wrestling with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon is preparing weapons to fight the next battle from space, according to information in the 621-page, House-Senate conference report on the fiscal 2008 defense appropriations bill.

The $459 billion bill, which awaits President Bush's signature, provides $100 million for a new "prompt global strike" program that could deliver a conventional, precision-guided warhead anywhere in the world within two hours. …
Conferees added $100 million above the Bush administration's request for nearly $200 million to accelerate "space situational awareness." That is code for protecting U.S. satellites in space and being able to attack the enemy's satellites.

"Counterspace systems" that would warn of impending threats to U.S. satellites, destroy or defend against attackers, and interrupt enemy satellites are in the Bush budget for $53 million. Conferees gave them another $10 million.

Another $18 million would go for research into a second-generation counter-satellite-communications system; it would explore and develop capabilities "to provide disruption of satellite communications signals in response to U.S. Strategic Command requirements," …

Part of the funding will also go toward work on integrating this system, which detects enemy threats to U.S. satellites, with the offensive counterspace and counter-satellite-communications programs. …

Protecting our technological edge (even in space) is complimentary to our efforts in the war on terror. I remember that each time I look at my GPS and get an accurate grid.

Weapons Bleg

By Charlie

With all of the talk about the DC gun ban being declared unconstitutional, it got me thinking of the need to purchase another firearm. The holiday season is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate it than to get myself a handgun for Christmas!

I was thinking about something in a .45, such as the Glock Model 21, Heckler & Koch USP DA/SA, or the Smith & Wesson 1911.

However, our audience is vastly more knowledgeable in cases such as these. Leave a comment and advise me which gun to get!

Cutting the JIEDDO?

By Charlie

Here’s a little more knowledge on the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization/Task Force (JIEDDO) that came up in the news today:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2007 – If Congress does not come through with a supplemental bill President Bush will sign, money for defeating the largest killers of American personnel in the war on terror will run out Dec. 1, a senior official said here today. Retired Army Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs, director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, told Pentagon reporters that the organization will have to stop funding new initiatives and just maintain operations.

“We’re out of (funding) new stuff now; we’re going to have trouble sustaining current contracts after the first of December,” Meigs said.

This group is on point for combining efforts to defeat the threat of IEDs to troops in the field. The organization began operating in October 2003 as the Army IED Task Force, which became JIEDDO in July 2005. This organization has been at the forefront of “cracking the code” of the defining weapon of this war, and crafted both technological and tactical ways of defeating both the bombs and the networks that emplace them.
Here’s the write up on Global Security.org:

During the early stages of the IED problem, Task Force officials believed that technology was the best way to defeat the threat.

“The first items that we helped with were the up-armored Humvees, the add-on armor to protect from the blasts and the small-arms protective inserts that go inside the outer tactical vests,” said Col. Lamont Woody, deputy of the JIEDD TF. “Since then we have gone on to counter radio controlled initiators that the enemy has been using. In other words, we have gone out and tried to figure out how we counter the radio controlled threat.”

Since 2003, the JIEDD TF has invested about $378 million toward the acquisition of technology to counteract radio-controlled devices used to detonate IEDs. The devices, called Countering Radio-Controlled IED Devices – Electronic Warfare, or “jammers,” exist in six vehicle-mounted forms to detect and prevent potential IEDs.

“We have done a lot of research and study, and started to get the production lines in America spun up to get the actual jammers on the vehicles and to the troops that are deployed,” Woody said. “Our goal is to reduce the casualties and to make sure that the troops have the very best TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures), and the very best equipment that we can provide them.”

JIEDDO can credit impressive statistics to its efforts so far:

According to JIEDD TF statistics, there has been a 45 percent decrease in the rate of IED casualties since April 2004. An estimated 30-40 percent of IEDs are found and rendered safe before they are able to be detonated.

Another point: these guys are at the forefront of a combined inter-agency combined arms fight against the enemy. The information they gather will help all war fighters abroad and law enforcement back home understand the threat that IEDs pose, and how to neutralize it and save lives.

Freaky Deaky Helmet Picture of the Day

By John

Good gawd. This thing could keep me up at night.

This nightmarish dome cover is being developed by the Brits for the new F-35. Apparently it has some sort of Superman x-ray vision capability.

An MoD spokesman said: "Unlike other jet aircraft the JSF, which is planned to replace the Harrier, does not have a traditional head-up display

Instead the computerised symbology will be displayed directly on to the pilot's visors, providing the pilot with cues for flying, navigating and fighting the aircraft. "It even will superimpose infra-red imagery on to the visor to allow the pilot to look through the cockpit floor at night and see the world below - like something out of Terminator.

Hmmm, imagine the possibilities.

Hotel Tango: Defense Tech

Totally Rad Military Gizmo of the Day

By John

A sub-launched helicopter.

And yeah, it actually carries peeps.

Active Denial System is... uh, Active

By John

It ain't just a system in Egypt...

though, given the overall crabbiness of the Cairo street... maybe it should be.

Update: Linky

Hotel Tango: Danger Room

Weird Ass Helicopter Video of the Day

By John

Stupid Russians and their freaky deaky whirlybirds.

Hotel Tango: Pinch, who writes that the vid is an: absolute perfect synchronization of the video camera shutter speed and the rotation of the chopper’s rotors.

Phew. I thought that Ivan had perfected hovercraft technology.

Air Force Adopts Army Aircraft

By Charlie

...a very small one...

October 15, 2007: The U.S. Army’s Raven UAV (RQ-11A) (VIDEO) has now been adopted by the U.S. Air Force. Last year, the U.S. Marine Corps replaced their Dragon View UAV with the Raven. In addition, all three services are using the newer Raven B. Nearly 4,000 Ravens (mostly the “A” model) have been produced so far. SOCOM (Special Operations Command) is also a big ser. In Iraq, Raven’s have flown over 25,000 sorties so far.

The big advantage with Raven is that it’s simple, reliable, and it works. A complete system (controller, spare parts and three UAVs) costs $240,000. The UAV can be quickly taken apart and put into a backpack. It takes off by having the operator start the motor, and then throwing it. This can be done from a moving vehicle, and the Raven is a popular recon tool for convoys. It lands by coming in low and then turning the motor off. Special Forces troops like to use it at night, because the enemy can’t see it, and often can’t hear it as well.

The Raven is a great example of how the high-technology advantage we have can be used to produce a simple, durable piece of equipment that troops can employ on the battlefield with little train-up.

Hey Look...

By John

...a Red aircraft carrier. Or a "destroyer," if you're Japanese.

View Larger Map

The linked article, -written last year- said this:

"I am convinced that before the end of this decade, we will see preparations for China to build its first indigenous aircraft carrier," said Rick Fisher, the Washington-based vice president of the International Assessment and Strategy Center and an expert on the Chinese military.

You don't say. This is the Russian boat Varyag by the way, not an indigenous Chicom construct. Chinese bought it on the cheap. Really.freaking.cheap.

A Chinese company Chong Lot Travel Agency bought the Soviet-made Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier VARYAG (Viking), lacking an engine and a rudder (John says: haw haw!), from Ukraine for US$20 million in 1998, and wanted to tow it to Macau from the Black Sea and convert it into a floating casino.

Construction of the Varyag began in 1985. After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ownership of the carrier was transfered to newly independent Ukraine. Ukraine halted construction in 1992, when the vessel was about 70% complete. The total estimated cost of the ship was about US$2.4 billion, and more than US$500 million was needed to complete her construction.

Varyag is now under very sophisticated upgrading at Chinese naval base Dalian where it had been tied up for three years after a towage lasted 627 days.

Still, building/buying a carrier is one thing. Developing the finely tuned, highly skilled craft of carrier flight operations (something the US has perfected over decades), might take a little longer. Probably longer than it took the US Navy, communists being communists.

Hotel Tango: Reader John

The Physics Behind Agincourt

By John

Interesting stuff.

The Physics of Medieval Archery

Don't let the word 'physics' put you off - read the article for an insight into how modern science can help us understand the history of the weapon we now use for sport (and ignore the formulae if you must!) [John says: Will do!] It is generally believed that the main factor responsible for the English victory at the battle the Agincourt in 1415 was the longbow. Gareth Rees describes from a physicist's point of view why we believe this simple weapon was so devastatingly effective.

If you're really hurting, I'm sure Bullnav can explain it to you.

Hotel Tango: Ace of Spades

You Don't Need Stealth Tech

By John

....to defeat a state-of-the-art radar system. Just a computer geek and a laptop.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the Israelis struck a construction site at Tall al-Abyad just south of the Turkish border on Sept. 6. Press reports from the region say witnesses saw the Israeli aircraft approach from the Mediterranean Sea while others found unmarked drop tanks in Turkey near the border with Syria. Israeli defense officials admitted Oct. 2 that the Israeli Air Force made the raid.

The big mystery of the strike is how did the non-stealthy F-15s and F-16s get through the Syrian air defense radars without being detected? Some U.S. officials say they have the answer.

U.S. aerospace industry and retired military officials indicated today that a technology like the U.S.-developed “Suter” airborne network attack system developed by BAE Systems and integrated into U.S. unmanned aircraft by L-3 Communications was used by the Israelis. The system has been used or at least tested operationally in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last year.

The technology allows users to invade communications networks, see what enemy sensors see and even take over as systems administrator so sensors can be manipulated into positions so that approaching aircraft can’t be seen, they say. The process involves locating enemy emitters with great precision and then directing data streams into them that can include false targets and misleading messages algorithms that allow a number of activities including control.

A Kuwaiti newspaper wrote that "Russian experts are studying why the two state-of-the art Russian-built radar systems in Syria did not detect the Israeli jets entering Syrian territory. Iran reportedly has asked the same question, since it is buying the same systems and might have paid for the Syrian acquisitions."

Ahhh makes me think of Patton: "Fixed fortifications are monuments to the stupidity of man." Integrated anti-air defenses haven't really been all that effective since the Vietnam era, and I'm starting to think that they're obsolete technology.

I hope the cyber nerds in the Pentagon take note though. Based on this Syrian example, imagine the devastation that a successful hack could do to our net-centric military.

Hotel Tango: Danger Room

Blast from the Past

By John

Boy, how's that for timing? I was just making fun of this flying Gremlin the other day...

Iran shows off new fighter jet:

Iran unveiled on Thursday a new home-grown fighter jet amid growing tensions with the United States, saying the plane could "blind the eyes" of its enemies.

State television showed pictures of two "Saegheh" (Thunder) fighters -- said by Iran to be similar to the American F-18 -- taking off in tandem and then landing for a ceremony at Tehran's Mehrabad airport.

"This fighter plane has been researched, designed and built with indigenous means and this new generation of fighter plane is entering industrial production," Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

"Our forces like a thunderbolt will blind the eyes of the enemies of our land," he added. "And in the battlefield of defending our land, just like a thunderbolt, they will set ablaze the enemies' camp."

He went on to say that the Saegeh could defeat the F-18 in dogfights, out maneuver the F-22, and merge with other Saegehs to form Voltron.

So what's with the stupid thunderbolt talk? Mostafa sounds like an Iroquois Medicine Man. No doubt the Saegeh's radar will spot enemies with the eyes of hawk, and strike with the strength of bear. PR note to Tehran, if you're going to show off your crappy new military equipment, leave the Dances with Wolves talk at home.

Anyway, Mostafa's awful proud of this thing, considering the fact that Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer shot down like, five of them while riding the highway to the danger zone in 1986.

Oh, but that was before Iran added the second stabilizer.

Well played, Tehran. Well played.

Hotel Tango: F-18 (and one time F-5) driver Lex, who asks:

So this is the aircraft the Iranian Air Force Chief of Staff intends to use to “punish” Israel if that country attacks their nuclear program? Slap a dihedral tail on a forty year old airframe, paint it up like a Blue Angel and call that progress?

To save my life, I can't find the link..... but I'd point out that these are the same jokers who used a Blue Angels photo on the Iranian Air Force website. At least they've stepped up their fakery, y'know?

Return of the Tank

By John

Hey look, Armor is back!

My Bomb's Bigger than Your Bomb

By John

Hey, it's like a conventional version of the Cold War arms race....

WASHINGTON, September 13 (RIA Novosti) -

The U.S. has a 14-ton super bomb more destructive than the vacuum bomb just tested by Russia, a U.S. general said Wednesday.

The statement was made by retired Lt. General McInerney, chairman of the Iran Policy Committee, and former Assistant Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

McInerney said the U.S. has "a new massive ordnance penetrator that's 30,000 pounds, that really penetrates ... Ahmadinejad has nothing in Iran that we can't penetrate."

He also said the new Russian bomb was not a "penetrator."

Not a penetrator??

Read More »

Sleep Through Those Bombs

By John

I think I owe an apology to my buddy Noah Shachtman. He's been in Iraq for some time now and I'm just getting around to linking his war diary. Noah's specialty is military tech, but -being the pro that he is- Shachtman understands that the real benefit of embedded reporting is soldier focused human interest stories. So, he wisely mixed the two genres.

The first time he was blown up, Sergeant Mike Crenshaw didn’t even notice. It was May, on a small road near Taji, north of Baghdad. “We were doing route clearance” – sweeping the road for bombs – “when we heard rocks raining down on us. Then we get a call on the radio, asking us if we were OK. We were like, ‘Hunh? Did something happen?’”

The second time he was blown up, Sergeant Mike Crenshaw was barely phased. “There was this loud boom and this big flash. The thing went off right underneath us. But we kept on driving,” he says. “I think one of the axles was bent a little bit.”

Back in the States, there’s a raging debate about how many Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, the military should really be buying. There’s talk about whether all the extra armor on the MRAP is really worth it, or not; after all, the insurgents are already building MRAP-busting bombs. They’ll always build bigger bombs. But for Crenshaw, there’s no question. He loves his MRAP. So much so, he hardly ever gets out.

I've heard the same debate. Friend of mine just returned from the sandbox, and he was adamant that nothing can stop these new copper IEDs that Iran is sending into theater. Something about how super heated copper melts just about everything....

Course on the other hand, I've heard that these new Buffalos stop "just about everything." Soldiers love them, and for that reason alone, I just can't see the Army making cuts to the program.

*Update*Let's evaluate how they perform under combat conditions....

You know what? On second thought, if these things can't repel a glowing Autobot laser sword, what's the point?

Upgraded Warthogs

By Slab

Hershel Smith of The Captain's Journal has a piece on the upgraded A-10C Warthog. With the new mods, the A-10C now has capabilities nearing those of the AV-8B Harrier. Herschel believes in the A-10 as a counterinsurgency tool. Excuse me if I withold judgment for a while.

Update: My entry was cut a bit short, and I didn't get to elaborate much. Mike points out in the comments that it's not fair to blame the A-10 drivers for the incident in Nasiriyah. Indeed, the battalion air officer was found to be ultimately culpable for the incident, and as Richard Lowery will tell you in Marines in the Garden of Eden, 1/2 was embroiled in a chaotic and confusing situation, with an entire company of Marines farther north than anyone suspected at the time. However, I'm not completely willing to give the A-10 community a pass on this one. A-10s attacked friendly units on several occasions in Operation DESERT STORM. One A-10 made multiple passes on a Marine convoy that was south of a berm that clearly delineated the boundaries of where they were allowed to engage. They killed 7 LAV crewmen during the opening stages of the Battle for Khafji, and 9 British soldiers in another incident. In Operation Iraqi Freedom, A-10s attacked AAVs from 1/2, and a few days later attacked a British patrol from the Blues and Royals north of Basra. Last year, a section of A-10s strafed Canadian troops during Operation MEDUSA, and killed Pte Mark Anthony Graham. There are too many incidents to be ignored, and while every A-10 pilot may not be a blue-on-blue waiting to happen, is it any wonder that Marines, especially our terminal controllers, get apprehensive when these guys are on station?

Bolt from the Blue

By John

I don't know about you guys, but there's just something I love about the word "scramjet."

Is this thing going to be like ICBMs? Motto: Delivery in 30 minutes or less, or the next one's free?

Click the image for more.

Picture of the Day: Welcome Home

By John

Elmendorf AFB is the third recipient of the Air Force's new toy....

Six F-22 Raptors taxi following touchdown at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, during a ceremony marking the aircraft's arrival Aug. 8. The F-22s will join the active duty 3rd Wing and Air Force Reserve Command's 477th Fighter Group here. The 477th FG becomes the first Air Force Reserve unit to operate and maintain the F-22. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown). Photo Courtesy of the US Air Force.

Dragon Skin SOV 2000 Certification Revoked

By Slab

The Department of Justice announced yesterday that they are revoking Pinnacle Armor's National Institute of Justice (NIJ) certification for the SOV 2000.1/MIL3AF01. Some of you may recall that Soldiers For The Truth loudly trumpeted the SOV 2000's certification back in December of last year. What many overlook is that the SOV 2000 was certified for Level III, which does not include armor piercing ammunition, and was not being considered to replace the Interceptor.

Add to this the Air Force's call for the debarment of Pinnacle Armor following their purchase of falsely labeled SOV 2000 vests, and it looks like Mr Neal has some 'splainin' to do. Mr Neal claims that the National Institute of Justice gave him verbal permission to label his armor Level III compliant eight months before the NIJ released their letter actually certifying the SOV 2000.

The saga continues.

Gatorade's Combat Uses

By John

W.Thomas Smith's latest dispatch from Iraq:

It's so easy to become dehydrated out here.

An Army captain back in Kuwait described how soldiers and Marines in combat sometimes cut open the top of an IV fluid bag, mix-in some Kool-Aid powder from an MRE, and drink it. "It tastes pretty bad, he said. "But it's almost instant rehydration, and soldiers keep fighting."

....reminded me of this bit from Robert Kaplan's superb Imperial Grunts:

....Sgt. Keith Pace of Ann Arbor, Michigan, had, among other exploits, saved a seven-year-old girl's life with a Gatorade enema. "She had spinal meningitis," Pace explained to me. "She was dehydrating fast. I couldn't find a vein for an intravenous solution. I filled an enema with a bottle of Gatorade, lifted her butt, rammed the Gatorade up her anus. It got into her bloodstream and rehydrated her."

Probably the Navy's favorite way to hydrate.

The New Air Force Gunship

By John

Is going to be stealthy?

Requirements for the Air Combat Command’s (ACC’s) bomber and the gunship are still being drawn up. But, both commands agree on some key characteristics: a degree of low observability (LO)—not necessarily full stealth—and endurance. The future gunship will look nothing like today’s lumbering platform, and it could actually wind up appearing more like a B-2. “I don’t think the transport next-generation gunship will be on a mobility platform because you are not going to need to carry around all that weight,” says Lt. Gen. Michael Wooley, outgoing Afsoc commander. “If you are not carrying around that big gun and all of that heavy ammunition you don’t need a big [transport] that is in itself vulnerable.” Wooley will be replaced by his current vice commander, Maj. Gen. Donald Wurster, later this year.

ACC has announced it will not push the state-of-the-art for its next-generation bomber, which must be fielded beginning in 2018. That time frame and limited funding are prompting the Air Force to scale back earlier aspirations for a highly stealthy platform equipped with exotic directed-energy weapons. Afsoc has traditionally latched onto the Air Force’s larger buys when procuring a platform in order to prevent having to dedicate funding to a separate development project.

Sounds cool. Maybe we'll build more than eight of them this time around.

Reapers Grab Their Sickles

By John

And set out to harvest bad guys.

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AP) - The airplane is the size of a jet fighter, powered by a turboprop engine, able to fly at 300 mph and reach 50,000 feet. It's outfitted with infrared, laser and radar targeting, and with a ton and a half of guided bombs and missiles.

The Reaper is loaded, but there's no one on board. Its pilot, as it bombs targets in Iraq, will sit at a video console 7,000 miles away in Nevada.

The arrival of these outsized U.S. "hunter-killer" drones, in aviation history's first robot attack squadron, will be a watershed moment even in an Iraq that has seen too many innovative ways to hunt and kill.

I picked up this story from Herky driver and fellow Zoomie blogger Lt Col Patrick, who writes:

The MQ-9 Reaper isn't your standard unmanned, slow drone flying overhead a battlefield providing videotape images to an Ops Center for decision-makers. The MQ-9 is a killing machine. A very lethal, fast weapon with the ability to loiter over at battlefield for up to 14 hours.

Speaking of slow drones, the Air Force is also pumping more Predators into the box to boost existing CAP numbers:

7/13/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley is accelerating delivery of the Defense Department's December 2009 goal of 21 daily MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle combat air patrols, or CAPs, by one year.

At the chief of staff's request, Air Force officials coordinated deployment actions with the Joint Staff and Central Command to increase three additional Predator CAPs, boosting full motion video and rapid strike capability to the Joint Force commander in Iraq. Two of these CAPs are expected to be active this summer or early fall.

Anyway, word on the Reapers is Afghanistan first, then Iraq. These things are going to be buzzing over Waziristan like a swarm of wasps on the 11 year old who just chucked a rock at their nest.

Here's the factsheet if you want to know more.

Ahh, all that writing and not one Blue Oyster Cult reference. Good on me.

Oh hell, alright. OPFORian Mike sent this in a couple months back, how could I not repost?

Reference here if you don't get the joke. You're also lame if you don't get the joke.

Dollar Store Specops

By John

Familiar with the AC-130 Gunship? The scalpel used by the Air Force to surgically disembowel Tangos? The weapon system that is most needed, most relevant, and most useful to the grunt in this tactical level war?

Guess how many the Air Force has in their inventory?

Eight.

Eight.

Does that seem a little low to anyone else? I cringe at the mere thought of those poor crews' deployment schedule.

I'm not completely blaming the Air Force here either. They're trying to modernize the entire force on the budget equivalent of the loose change that Congress finds under the couch.

I've said it once, I'll say it again. We have got to start funding the military as if it's at war.

Yet more truth about Dragon Skin

By Slab

Recent comments on this site and others continue to show that people are unable to comprehend what they are being told about body armor. They continue to believe Murray Neal, Pinnacle, SFTT, and the rest who have hyped body armor that is heavier and less capable than the issue gear. I have trusted my life to the issue body armor, and I will do it yet again later this year.

By the way, those who trouble themselves with a little factual research will discover that the Army testers get paid the same amount whether the Army adopts Dragon Skin or not. I'll let the readers surmise as to how Murray Neal would be affected if the Army bought large quantities of body armor from his company. Why people still continue to believe that Mr. Neal is the one with unquestionable integrity is beyond me.

From WaPo:

The U.S. Army, in a rare move Monday, released a barrage of test results showing that a privately-sold flexible body armor that some families have sought for their soldiers failed extensive military testing.

Here, BG Brown gets to the heart of the matter. Bold emphasis is mine:

Holding up an armor-piercing bullet, Brown showed video of the tests, including footage of officials peering into the bullet hole in the Dragon Skin armor. "At the end of the day, this one disc has to stop this round. It didn't. Thirteen times," he said.

In response, Murray Neal, president of Pinnacle Armor which produces Dragon Skin, suggested that the Army lied about some of the testing, and he questioned why the Army was counting shots that "were fired into the non-rifle defeating areas."

Here's some actual statistics for you:

Brown described "catastrophic failures" by the Dragon Skin armor, and said that in 13 of 48 shots, lethal armor-piercing rounds either shattered the discs that make up the armor, or completely penetrated the vest.

"Zero failures is the correct answer," he said. "One failure is sudden death and you lose the game."

Brown added that the armor failed to endure required temperatures shifts _ from minus 20 degrees to 120 above zero _ which weakened the adhesive holding the discs together. And he said that the Dragon Skin's heavy weight was also a problem for soldiers who need to carry a lot of gear.

The Dragon Skin, he said, weighs 47.5 pounds, compared to the Army-issued Interceptor armor, which weighs 28 pounds.

Add ammo, water, radios, batteries, NVGs, and all of the other essential items, and from that 28 pound vest you end up with an 80 pound combat load at the least. Like my grunts used to say, "Ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain." 19.5 extra pounds equal a lot of extra pain. No thank you.

I will nit-pick one quote by BG Brown, however. From a DOD news article:

“Force protection is the No. 1 priority of the U.S. Army."

Um, I don't doubt that it is the No.1 priority, but with all due respect sir, I believe that is one of the fundamental problems with our tactics in Iraq. The number one priority should be winning the war, not protecting the force. It's the old "mission vs. Marines" debate, writ large, and we're getting it wrong.

Update: This was posted in the comments section at Defense Tech by Allan Bain of Evolution Armor.

Dear Patriot,

That was a very nice explaination of force and impact. Here are a few additional points to consider:

1) All the tiles sit at an angle when flat or when wrapped around the body as they are overlapped by adjoining tiles. It's called an imbricated pattern or better known as scalar armor. These tiles open a bit as they flex around the body by the tiles pivoting off each other to make the curve.

2) The tiles are true discuses, where the center is the thickest part, and they have a uniform downward slope of radius co-extensive with a radius or a segment. This is an Independant claim. All other claims are basic public domain concepts dependant upon the first claim. That is they have all entered the market well before the Dragon Skin patents.

3) The weakest point here is the point between successor tiles offset from the center, whereby you angle the test barrel receiver so that you get a perpendicular shot on the thinnest spot not supported by an overlapping disk. This is the definition of your perpendicular impact discussion.

4) Currently the armor is not tested this way in respect to the NIJ protocol or in the German lab that recently conducted side by side testing for the NBC Dateline news show. It is tested flat.

5) For scalar armor to be tested correctly it MUST be set around a fixed target around a test fixture designed to mimick the true wearing of the vest, and then impacted as set forth above so that the weakest point is attacked in a true 90 degree angle and also attacked at an angle to try and take advantage of the slight opening of the tiles as they make the bend around the body.

6) From what I gather the army did this, and the German laboratory didn't, as well as any other testing entity that has reported results on Dragon Skin.

While interceptor plates certainly possess less repeat capability as shown at the German laboratory in what appeared to be true independant testing; remember the uniform thick plannular plates represented by the Interceptor system doesn't change it's poition at all while wearing, but the scalar armor does, and that's why the NIJ has devised a different test for scalar armor. The military has simply taken it two step further; true wearing placement while testing, and extreme environmental conditioning testing. I remember very clearly giving armor to the military to train with, the boys play rough! The armor comes back looking like crap in a short period of time unless it's built tough.

The environmental testing is designed to accelerate the aging process. In service life testing and maintenance has become quite common with military body armor world wide.

Regards,

Al

By the way, if you haven't heard the name Allan Bain before, here's a little primer.

The fact is most of Pinnacle Armor's systems were invented by Allan D. Bain formally of Armor Technology Corp.. Pinnacle Armor started manufacturing after we educated Mr. Neal how to make armor by contract executed in October of 2000 that was fair and honestly fulfilled. Pinnacle Armor and Mr. Neal never manufactured any body armor prior to this date. So if you hear about Pinnacle Armor or the "Dragon Skin" armor being manufactured since 1995 your talking about armor that Pinnacle Armor never made or developed. In fact Murray Neal was a sales representative for Armor Technology from 1997 - October of 2000 a company owned entirely by Allan D. Bain, the true inventor of Dragon Skin.

Dragon Skin redux

By Slab

Now that NBC has bought into the Dragon Skin hype, from Professional Soldiers comes the best article I have seen yet. I've made a little noise in my attempts to disspell some of the myths surrounding Dragon Skin, but consider this the definitive response to NBC, Pinnacle, Soldiers For The Truth, and the rest.

This was posted today on Professional Soldiers by a gentleman who uses the handle The Reaper. He intentionally guards his identity on the internet, but I will submit to our readers that he is a very experienced Special Forces officer of unquestionable integrity. This comes to me from a friend who has met him, so it is secondhand information. Anyone who wishes to know more about him should ask him directly.

Also, the Army test results are available for public disemmination. A copy can be found here.

Dragon Skin?

There may be something better called Dragon Skin, but better than what?

Bottom line up front. From 16-19 May 2006, in Department of Defense (DoD) test protocols at HP White Labs, Pinnacle SOV 3000 Level IV Dragon Skin vests suffered 13 first or second shot complete penetrations, failing four of eight initial subtests with Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI) threat baseline 7.62 x 63mm M2 Armor Piercing (AP) ammunition. The Project Manager (PM) Soldier Equipment Briefing report is on line and is easily available.

More below...

Read More »

Terminal Ballistics Effects

By John

It just sounds so....cool.

Yeesh...as if there weren't enough reasons to behave yourself around Marines.....

Great logo placement for Ford, right Bull Nav?

DARPA's Homing Bomb

By John

Shachtman has such a great eye for this stuff:

Noah writes:

Precision mortars and artillery shells have the potential to change the battlefield just as much as satellite- and laser-guided bombs did -- maybe more. Those munitions are deep into testing. So Darpa, naturally, wants to take the next step, by developing a hand-held, steerable, flying mini-bomb that an infantryman can use to blow up just about anyone in a two kilometer range.

The project is called Close Combat Lethal Recon, or CCLR. And Darpa was kind enough to put together a handy promotional vid, to show us how it works. (Don't let the off-tempo, forced-cheery, robo-voiced narration creep you out too bad.)

So now the bad guys can look forward to our boys whupping their ass with a PSP.

Our Man John...

By Lt Col P

On Enn-Pee-Arr. (Along with Noah S. and Matt from B5.)

Good work!

Our Man John...

By Lt Col P

On Enn-Pee-Arr. (Along with Noah S. and Matt from B5.)

Good work!

What, no government conspiracy?

By Slab

Seems the Government Accounting Office has released the results of its investigation into U.S. Army and Marine Corps body armor testing and procurement.

Specifically, we found that the Army and Marine Corps
• are currently meeting theater ballistic requirements and the required amount needed for personnel in theater, including the amounts needed for the surge of troops into Iraq;
• have controls in place during manufacturing and after fielding to assure that body armor meets requirements; and
• share information regarding ballistic requirements and testing, and the development of future body armor systems, although they are not required to do so.

Sorry Pinnacle. No. Government. Conspiracy.

Marine Corps publishes new policy on body armor

By Slab

MarAdmin 262/07 was published by the Marine Corps on the 17th. It prohibits Marines from using commercially purchased body armor in lieu of the issued gear. In their typically sensationalist style, Marine Corps Times has published an article touting the virtues of Pinnacle Armor's Dragon Skin. They even quote a Marine staff sergeant from Quantico who shot himself while wearing Dragon Skin.

Now that the Corps has banned off-the-shelf gear as well, Staff Sgt. Taylor Cobb, the Corporals Course curriculum coordinator at Training and Education Command in Quantico, Va., said he’ll buy “a triple large set of cammies” and wear his Dragon Skin armor underneath if he deploys to a combat zone.

“I have the utmost confidence in that piece of gear,” he said.

After spending $2,000 on his Dragon Skin armor, Cobb placed it on a dummy and shot it with a .45-caliber pistol. The armor worked as advertised, so he said he put it on and — get this — shot himself in the stomach on purpose.

“It left a pretty nice bruise, but it didn’t even break the skin,” he said. “It works. But I wouldn’t try that with the [Modular Tactical Vest] the Corps gives. I’m not that trusting.”

It's great that guys put so much faith in a piece of body armor based on a History Channel special that was basically a piece of paid advertisement for Pinnacle Armor, then perform non-scientific tests using a weapon caliber that has absolutely no bearing on the armor's usefulness in Iraq or its approval by the DOD. After all, the Interceptor Body Armor with E-SAPI plates is rated to stop 7.62X54R API rounds. Let's see if SSgt Cobb has the stones to shoot himself with that caliber.

Nevermind the fact that I truly hope SSgt Cobb's command gives him an adverse fitness report and reduction in grade for being a moron. He's the curriculum coordinator for the Corporals Course? No wonder all of our ANGLICO Marines that attend the course come back completely unimpressed.

The debate surrounding Dragon Skin and body armor has become so full of conjecture, hyperbole, and ad hominem attacks as to make the truth impossible to distinguish. Hell, even Daily Kos jumped on the "Army bad, Dragon Skin good" bandwagon last July. What I want to see is scientific proof that Dragon Skin will stop 7.62X54R B32 API in the same tests used for the E-SAPIs. Until then, I refuse to buy the hype. Pinnacle has had ample time to roll out incontrovertible proof that their armor will perform up to E-SAPI standards, and all that I have heard from them are screams of "corruption" and a propaganda campaign attacking the reputation and integrity of the Army's chief testers.

I highly encourage our readers to do more research on their own. Professional Soldiers.com, a website run by and for the "Quiet Professionals" of Special Forces, gained quite a bit of fame when Karl Masters published his unvarnished opinion of Dragon Skin. Infamy aside, this thread remains the best source of information I have seen to date on the body armor question. The fact remains that it has not met the Army's standards, and as such, will not be adopted or approved for use until it does.

Nobody's First Choice

By John

Mike Goldfarb takes the Air Force to task over our new CSAR bird:

CSAR stands for Combat Search and Rescue. The Air Force currently operates 102 Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters to perform that mission. The HH-60s average 25 years old, and the service is desperate to replace them. Last November, the Air Force announced a winner in the competition to select a replacement: the Boeing HH-47, a new variant of the venerable Chinook.

Almost immediately, concerns arose about how the twin-rotor Chinook had beaten out the Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland-built US101 and Sikorsky's H-92. Protests from Lockheed and Sikorsky ultimately led the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to side with the losing companies. The GAO reported that "upon our review of the record, including a hearing conducted by our Office, we find that the Air Force's evaluation of O&S [Operations and Support] costs was inconsistent with the RFP [Request for Proposal]."

Yeah, and why on earth would we want a fat-assed bird like the Chinook for a light, fast, and stealthy tactical mission like see-sar? Are they planning on bringing back the downed aircraft too?

There's been corruption issues with Boeing and the Air Force in the past, EELV and Airbus both come to mind. Not implying, mind you, just sayin'.

You know, for all the hootin' and tootin' the Air Force has made about the importance of stealth, I'm kind of curious why they picked a decidedly unstealthy prototype for a mission which -by definition- requires a bird with the smallest footprint available. And look, I'm not deviating from the party line here either. Chief of Staff Michael Mosely (an Aggie, good dude) testified recently that "the Chinook would have not been his first choice, but that the Air Force would make it work."

Blackfive writes:

Not too long ago, the USAF moved from the MH53J Pave Low to Blackhawks called Pave hawks to perform the Combat Search and Rescue missions. This is primarily a Special Operations aircraft, and, if memory serves, the USAF 20th SO Wing flew those missions - a great unit if ever there was one...saved some good people I knew upon occasion.

So, now, there's an opportunity to get a really kick ass bird to go in and get our men and women behind the lines undetected, properly ventilate the bad people, and get out of dodge quickly. But, instead, it appears to be a giant freakin' boondoggle.

Whiskey tango foxtrot, over?

But, just to be fair, here's the other side of the argument:

Boeing’s HH-47 Chinook is believed to have won the $10 billion, 141-aircraft CSAR-X combat search-and-rescue competition because the helicopter offered much of the capability the US Air Force was looking for “out of the box”.

The competing Lockheed Martin US101 and Sikorsky HH-92 would both have required significant development work to get to the initial Block 0 capability required by the USAF – and more to get to the definitive Block 10 configuration.

Boeing argued during the competition that its HH-47 – based on the MH-47G special-operations Chinook already in service with the US Army – was “Block 0+” because it already had some of the capabilities called for in Block 10, most particularly the multi-mode terrain-following/terrain-avoidance (TF/TA) radar.

The manufacturer argued that clearance of the TF/TA radar – required for covert ingress and egress at low level – would be an expensive and time-consuming process for the competing bidders. Lockheed, however, pointed out that it, and not Boeing, was in fact the company that cleared the TF/TA radar on the MH-47.

But the fact remains the existing MH-47G met a significant number of the USAF’s CSAR-X requirements. Changes required to meet the Block 0 specification include: digital automatic flight controls, which are already fitted to the CH-47F; rotor de-ice, with a heated blade design available from the CH-46E; wirestrike protection; enhanced health and usage monitoring system; dual rescue hoist; and environmentally controlled patient treatment area. The biggest structural change will be a larger, 1.22m (48in)-wide side door. The in-flight refuelling probe required for CSAR-X is already installed on the MH-47G.

Still, that's a pretty expensive buy for a bird that boasts alot of crap that's "already installed." You know?

Ospreys Take Flight

By John

I have to admit, I've been a bit of skeptical of the Osprey program since the project was announced in the 90s.

But hey...

Maybe I'm wrong.

Christian Lowe (his video) came away impressed.

I have always been a contrarian when it comes to the Osprey. I do not see any alternative but to make tiltrotor technology work. Helicopters have a physical limit. They can’t go more than a certain speed because of the drag of the rotors. Now I’m sure I’ll get some people much smarter than me to argue this, but when it comes down to it, helicopters are just not going to cut it for much longer. We need the Osprey, and I have always believed the V-22 would revolutionize STOVL flight and be very effective for the Corps.

......

On April 13, 20 of us flew off the Pentagon helipad on a Sea Knight that was part of the presidential fleet. While the interior was a lot nicer than the 46s I’d flown in during deployments to Iraq and elsewhere, it still performed like the old phrogs I knew and (grudgingly) loved: slow and low…

We landed on a field at Quantico and watched as our CH-46 departed and two Ospreys came screaming overhead. Their speed and size was jaw-dropping. The rotors are huge and they moved across the sky much quicker than a 46 ever could.

After a short interview with the squadron commander, Lt. Col. Paul Rock, it was time for the ride. We filed onto the aircraft, strapped ourselves in and lifted off. I kept my eyes out the back window and also scanned the small side window to see how the nacelles (the engine and rotor housings at the end of each wing) were oriented. We flew most of the first minutes of the flight with the nacelles at a sort of 45 degree pitch.

Then it all changed.

As soon as the pilot shifted the engines to full forward, transitioning to conventional flight, the Osprey lurched ahead, pulling all of us toward the rear of the aircraft. It was really hard to stay upright the thrust was so dramatic. It reminded me a bit of a catapult shot off an aircraft carrier (notice in the video how fast the ground flows below, and see how hard it is to keep the camera steady when the Osprey banks to the right or left).

We jinked and jived over the rolling woods of Quantico, then evened out and glided in for a quick landing in a pretty large field. I noticed the whiff of burning grass as we settled down, an indication of the intense heat streaming out of the powerful engines in helicopter mode. We hovered a bit more – turning left and right – then lifted out dramatically and sped ahead in conventional flight. After more banking and turning (with a few of my colleagues making use of the airsick bags handed out before the flight) the Osprey alighted once more on the field where we began.

I’ll let you judge for yourself how impressive the Osprey’s flight characteristics are (please forgive how raw the video is). But I’ll tell you something, every single one of us – even the pukers – was beaming when we emerged from the plane. It was one of the most exciting rides I’ve ever taken – and I’ve taken some pretty cool ones.

So there's your explanation as to why -despite an atrocious safety record during trials- the brass insisted on deploying this airframe.

That, and I support any technological advancement that inches us closer to the Pelican Dropship from Halo.

Bouhammer, OUT!

Chicom Flatop?

By John

Michael Goldfarb at the Weekly Standard reports:

I'd still contend that, as Brookes put it, Chinese carriers would be "nuthin’ but big, fat gray targets," but that doesn't change the fact that an aircraft carrier would boost Beijing's ability to project "soft power." And deploying a Nimitz-sized nuclear carrier would, like the ASAT test, show that China is to be considered a military superpower.

Agreed on all points. There seems to be some dispute over whether or not the report is credible. Peter Brooks at Heritage thinks it is:

Recent military news out of China includes double trouble. First, Beijing announced a jaw-dropping 18 percent jump in its defense budget - 5 percentage points more than last year's alarming rise -at the yearly meeting of the National People's Congress.

On top of that came news from an unidentified Chinese admiral via a Hong Kong newspaper that China is pretty far along in aircraft-carrier R&D - and could have one in the water by 2010.

This isn't good news.

The existence of a Chinese "flattop" program has long been rumored. Sure, some military experts scoff at the idea - often pointing out that carriers don't fit with China's military doctrine of "asymmetry."

That is, China's military buildup has focused on developing capabilities that are best suited to take advantage of an opponent's weaknesses - rather than one of trying to counter its obvious strengths.

I've always chuckled at references to China's "asymmetrical" military doctrine. We're the boys with the force-multiplying toys, and China's the one with the big honking Army. Aren't we the asymmetrical ones?

But that's aside the point. This new nuke carrier sounds like a paper tiger to me. It looks good, it sounds good, but until the Chicoms actually put the thing to sea and master the craft of carrier flight ops (you know, the one we've been working on for 60+ years?) this sucker is just going to be a "big fat grey target."

The Beast!

By John

Pinch and his trusty 70mm camera caught yesterday's Airbus flyby over DC.

That.sucker.is.huge.

The Danger Room

By John

Oh hell. This is going to be good.

Ever seen one of these?

By John

May John Donovan forgive me for harping off of his "whatzis?" series. Mike Yon emailed a couple of us with this picture....

....asking "ever seen one of these?"

Nope!

So, does anyone know what the hell I'm looking at here?

Oh Noes!

By John

China Space Attack: Unstoppable

China has shown it can destroy a satellite in orbit. What could the U.S. do to stop Beijing, if it decided to attack an American orbiter next? Short answer: nothing.

It takes about 20 minutes to fire a ballistic missile into space, and have its "kill vehicle" strike a satellite at hypersonic speed -- over 15,000 miles per hour -- in low-earth orbit. That's far too quick for anything in the American arsenal to respond, in time. There's "no possibility of shielding" a relatively-fragile satellite against such a strike. "And it is impractical [for a satellite] to carry enough fuel to maneuver away even if you had specific and timely warning of an attack," Center for Defense Information analyst Theresea Hitchens notes.

Meh. Welcome to 1985, Chicoms. The year when --presumably with REO Speedwagon cranked-- we sent an F-15 soaring to the edge of space to kill a target sat.

While I'm sure this will get the gears turning at places like the Space Warfare Center and RAND, there's simple solutions here, methinks. I'm not sure how long it takes to plug a burn into one of our keyholes to dodge one of these red rockets, but surely we could do it in under 20 minutes? Hitchens says we don't have the fuel for such a move, maybe she's right. But seeing that hitting an orbital vehicle from the ground is the rough equivalent of tossing a pebble into a coke bottle from end zone to endzone in the Superdome, I'm not so sure that this isn't something a simple delta-v maneuver couldn't cure. Suppose the simplest solution would be to spend a little extra on rocket fuel and send our new birds into orbits with perigees that are out of range of the Chinese arsenal.

Oh and if this piece of junk ever works, I guess we could work it into the calculus of defensive counterspace as well.

Cross-Posted at Milblogs

Prompt Global Strike

By John

Ramjets, non-nuke ICBMS, and conventionally tipped Tridents....oh my.

It's all part of USSTRATCOM's bold new vision for "bolt-from-the-blue" weapon systems, called Prompt Global Strike. The goal: hit anywhere on earth in less than an hour.

Our friend Noah Shachtman has the story over at Defense Tech. And it's the cover story in this month's Popular Mechanics, which Noah also scribed. Read em both.

Silly String for Soldiers

By John

Well isn't that clever...

Serious Use for Silly String STRATFORD, N.J. -

In an age of multimillion-dollar high-tech weapons systems, sometimes it's the simplest ideas that can save lives. Which is why a New Jersey mother is organizing a drive to send cans of Silly String to Iraq. American troops use the stuff to detect trip wires around bombs, as Marcelle Shriver learned from her son, a soldier in Iraq.

Before entering a building, troops squirt the plastic goo, which can shoot strands about 10 to 12 feet, across the room. If it falls to the ground, no trip wires. If it hangs in the air, they know they have a problem. The wires are otherwise nearly invisible.

Similiar efforts to use Play-Dough as plastic explosive have been less successful, however.

More at Kit Up! and Time.

All Your Garage Door are Belong to us!

By Charlie

Homeowners up in arms: U.S. military frequency jams hundreds of garage doors

Homeowners up in arms: U.S. military frequency jams hundreds of garage doors ROBERT WELLER DENVER (AP) - What do remote-control garage door openers have to do with national security? A lot, it seems.

A secretive U.S. air force facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., tested a radio frequency this past week that it would use to communicate with first responders in the event of a homeland security threat.

But the frequency also controls an estimated 50 million garage door openers, and hundreds of residents in the surrounding area found their garage doors had suddenly stopped working.

"It would have been nice not to have to get out of the car and open the door manually," said Dewey Rinehard, pointing out that the outage happened during the first cold snap of the year when temperatures fell well below freezing.

Capt. Tracy Giles of the 21st Space Wing said air force officials were trying to figure out how to resolve the problem of their signal overpowering garage door remotes.

"They (military officials) have turned it off to be good neighbours," he said.

The signals were coming from Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, home to the North American Aerospace Defence Command, a joint U.S. and Canadian operation set up during the Cold War to monitor Soviet missile and bomber threats.

Technically, the air force has the right to the frequency, which it began using nearly three years ago at some bases. Signals have previously interfered with garage doors near bases in Florida, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

In general, effects from the transmissions would be felt only within 15 kilometres, but the Colorado Springs signal is beamed from atop 1,855-metre Cheyenne Mountain, which likely extends the range.

Holly Strack, who lives near the entrance to the facility, said friends in the neighbourhood all had the same problem.

"I never thought my garage door was a threat to national security," she said.

In Katrina, the only people that could talk were wearing green uniforms. I think this is a good idea, but you have to laugh at the side effects of the early tests...

Introducing The Deadlies

By John

What's more deadly than a pair of minature helicopters?

That's how Noah Shachtman got thinking about a new type of contest, a cross between Wired's Raves and the Darwin Awards, appropriately dubbed The Deadlies.

Noah is now taking submissions for "The Earth's most lethal gadgetry," nominees which include atomic automobiles and inflateable space pods.

I, for one, will be voting for Darpa's man-cannon.

Send in your own nomination for The Deadlies here.

Noah has also launched a biweekly Defense Tech newsletter that's pretty cool. Right up your ally if you're a gizmo geek.

Wanted:

By Charlie

ACU Gore-Tex Parka, Size (M)

Like this one, except I don't want to pay that much for it.

Anyone know any good deals out there?

New Kicks

By Charlie

Behold, the new Mizuno Wave Rider 9. I'll try them out later today...

**John Says** wow, those are much better than my running shoes.....

Read More »

Marines Want Space Plane

By John

Is a Space Ship One type space craft destined for military purposes? According to the Marines, aye-sir! Military.com's David Axe writes:

Unlike the Air Force, Navy and Army, all three of which sponsor expensive satellite programs, the cash-strapped Marines are pushing just one space concept. It's called Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion, or SUSTAIN, and it's a reusable spaceplane meant to get a squad of Marines to any hotspot on Earth in two hours -- then get them out. The idea is to reinforce embattled embassies, take out terrorist leaders or defuse hostage situations before it's too late. "The Marine Corps needs [this] capability," Brig. Gen. Richard C. Zilmer told Congress in 2004.

Artist's sketch of SUSTAIN insertion vehicle

The space insertion project, dubbed Hot Eagle, seems a bit far-fetched. Despite the obvious technological obstacles, military and defense contracting officials say that developing a craft that would accomplish the SUSTAIN mission is feasible. According to The Space Review, planners are following:

Read More »

War Machine of the Day

By Charlie

by Tech. Sgt. Roger M. Dey

July 6, 2006

Montana Army National Guard Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment demonstrate the capabilities of the M3A1 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle during an open house show at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

Ask the Audience

By Charlie

Hey Folks,

I'm looking for a GPS plugger for personal/military use, and I have no idea where to start or what features to get. Any ideas, suggestions, brands, or companies you could post in the comments section would help me out a lot.

Thanks!

*update: by "plugger" I mean a handheld system. Intended use=military land navigation.

Technology Update!

By Charlie

Well, I went for the upgraded Toshiba Notebook, the Satellite A105-S4014. It has a biometric fignerprint reader on it, which lets me substitute passwords for my fingerprint.

Thanks to everyone who commented. Except those who recommended Macs. You all are communists*.

Read More »

Clueless Newsroom of the day

By Charlie

Fewer Hummers in Iraq: Are we withdrawing?

You'll be seeing less of these in Iraq. The U.S. military is reducing the number of Humvees and other equipment and shipping them home to be rebuilt. Is a withdrawal on the horizon? (AP Photo/Ryan Lenz)

Wow... I'll really be seeing less of these? Gosh -better tell the 3 SBCT/2ID, who will be deploying to Iraq soon (minus one LT Watada)

Here's a hint for you reporter-types out there: HMMWVs have 4 wheels. Better luck next time...

Army testing new "land warrior" system

By Charlie

In what will be considered the cornerstone of the "network-centric warfare" doctrine, the Land Warrior system is being tested for eventual fielding in the War on Terror. Networking a vehicle, like a Styker or a tank, is fairly easy -networking a person is much more difficult. In order to network a soldier, the equipment must be wireless, secure, durable, light, and reliable.

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 22, 2006) – The Land Warrior and Mounted Warrior Soldier Systems are under operational assessment at Fort Lewis, Wash., by the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.

The U.S. Army Infantry Center conducted a side-by-side comparison between Land Warrior-equipped Soldiers and currently equipped Soldiers at Fort Benning, Ga., in late 2004

“This squad-level operational assessment demonstrated that Land Warrior capabilities do improve the combat effectiveness of Soldiers and small units engaged in dismounted operations. As a result, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army directed us to conduct a battalion-level Land Warrior assessment,” said Col. Richard Hansen, Soldier Warrior project manager.

Land Warrior combines computers, lasers, navigation modules, radios and other technologically advanced equipment to improve Soldiers’ ability to communicate on the battlefield, their situational awareness, and, ultimately, their ability to fight effectively and survive. It was developed by Program Executive Office Soldier.

No word in the article on the weight of the thing...

Thunder Chickens prepare for lift-off

By Charlie

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. -- Individually, they fly under call signs such as "Bones" or "Ugly." But collectively, they're known as "the Thunder Chickens," the nation's first Marine Corps squadron destined to take the V-22 Osprey into combat.

Thunder Chicken crews have been training for a little more than three months, putting themselves and their tilt-rotor aircraft through the paces above the steamy coastal terrain of southeastern North Carolina.

They will be ready for combat by summer 2007 and are expected to be deployed to Iraq to rush Marines and equipment into danger zones twice as fast as traditional helicopters.

Based at the Marine Corps Air Station New River, the unit is officially called Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 or VMM-263, but its members affectionately prefer the offbeat nickname, which descended from a predecessor helicopter squadron.

According to squadron lore, the unit was originally called the Thunder Eagles, but the name got mistranslated in Vietnam, and the new moniker stuck. The squadron emblem shows a war bird that looks more like a fiercely determined eagle, clutching lightning bolts in its talons.

"It's distinctive," said Lt.Col. Paul Rock Jr., 40, the squadron commander, who describes the nickname as "a source of pride" that has endured for decades.
...
As a replacement for Vietnam-era helicopters, the V-22 -- known as the MV-22 in the Marine Corps -- can take off and land like a helicopter and fly like an airplane, at a top speed of 330 miles per hour. It can ferry as many as 24 Marines at a time or haul up to 20,000 pounds of cargo. When compared with a helicopter, superlatives abound -- twice the speed, three times the payload, three to five times the range.

Awhile back I posted about the need to develop a drop-ship. If the Osprey proves itself in Iraq, it may be a military aero-transpo revolution. Blackhawks can transport 11 combat equipped troops, Chinooks (one of the largest choppers out there), 33. A fast, well armed craft that can deposit a platoon minus could change the way the military deploys troops by helicopter.

All I can say to that is: oorah!

Help! My Technology is Inferior! (open thread)

By Charlie

Hey Folks. I’ve started an OODA loop trying to get a new laptop. I’m leaning toward an updated Toshiba Satellite –I’ve had a Toshiba Satellite for years, and I’ve been very happy with it. I’m not much of a gamer, but I’d like the thing to have at least a gig of DDRAM, 60-80 gigs hard drive, a good graphics card, Wireless internet, and a DVD Burner.

My main uses for the machine are Power Point briefings, document composition, blogging, and internet usage. I’m not married to Toshiba, but I want a good, reliable notebook that I can travel with. Price range is between $1000-$1300.

What say you, commentariat?

The Need for Ballistic Missile Defense

By John

North Korea's impending Taepodong test launch has reaffirmed America's need for a functional ballistic missile shield. Here is another simple reminder of why the shield has become so important to the national defense.

Nations equipped with ballistic missiles in 1972.

And, below the fold, nations equipped with ballistic missiles as of 2004.

Read More »

Guess That's One Way of Putting It....

By John

Check out David Axe's killer piece on the death-from-above technology that eliminated Al-Zarqawi over at Tech Central Station, titled "The Art of Aerial Assassination."

Palestinian Rocket Attack Video

By Charlie

This video from Powerline clears up the issue of what the "over the security barrier" rocket attacks we keep hearing about in Israel look like.

Background:

Israel says it is facing a new strategic threat from the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip, because of the smuggling of improved weapons across the Egyptian border. Israel believes it is headed for another round of conflict with the Islamic militant group, Hamas, which now heads the Palestinian Authority.

The Israeli army says Palestinian militants have smuggled some Katyusha rockets into the Gaza Strip, potentially threatening towns well inside Israel. Military sources say the rockets have been smuggled into Gaza through tunnels in the Rafah area, running under the border with Egypt. Israel abandoned Rafah, known as a corridor for weapons smuggling, when it pulled out of Gaza in August.
...
Katyusha rockets have a longer range than the homemade Palestinian Qassam rockets fired frequently at Israel. The Katyushas could hit strategic facilities like a power station in the nearby Israeli city of Ashkelon.

A little history on the Katyusha, which comes in 82mm and 132mm types :

Katyusha (Russian "Катюша") multiple rocket launchers were built and fielded by the Soviet Union in World War II. These launchers acquired this name, unofficial but immediately recognized in the Red Army, from the title of a popular Russian wartime song, Katyusha. The song is about a girl longing for her beloved who is away from her while serving in the military. Katyusha is a tender Russian diminutive of a female name: Ekaterina (Katherine)→Katya→Katyusha.

The development of the Katyusha rocket launcher was a response to Nazi Germany's development of the six-barreled Nebelwerfer rocket mortar in 1936. The Red Army began work on rocket artillery design in 1938, and deployment of the 82mm BM-8 was approved on June 21, 1941. On July 14, 1941, an experimental artillery battery of seven launchers was first used in battle against the German army at Orsha in Belarus, under the command of Captain I. Flerov. The first eight regiments of missile artillery (36 launchers in each unit) were then created on August 8, 1941. An improved BM-13N ("normalized") design was developed in 1943, and more than 1800 of this model were manufactured by the end of WWII.

Qassam rockets, which are much less powerful and accurate, have been used since 2001. The prevalence of Katyushas, dangerous as they are, indicates increased levels of state support for the terror groups attacking Israel.

Naming Your Planes 101

By John

Introducing the F-35 "Black Mamba."

The Air Force chief of staff will name the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter by June 30, choosing from six monikers that range from the historic to the arcane, military and industry officials say. The Air Force and Navy both proposed Lightning II, while the Marine Corps advocated Spitfire II, said a U.S. officer familiar with the deliberations.The Air Force also submitted finalists Cyclone and Reaper, this officer said.The finalists also include two more curious suggestions – Black Mamba and Piasa.

Black Mamba? I guess Philippine Spitting Cobra and Gaboon Viper were already taken....

Hotel Tango: CDR Salamander

***Charlie adds (snarkily):

"In Africa, the saying goes 'In the bush, an elephant can kill you, a leopard can kill you, and a black mamba can kill you. But only with the mamba is death sure.' Hence its handle, 'Death Incarnate.'" Pretty cool, huh?"

Hollow Men

By John

Scientists lay down theoretical blueprints for invisibility cloak.

WASHINGTON - The key to creating a Harry Potter-like invisibility cloak lies in manmade materials unlike any in nature or the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, researchers say.

They're laying out a blueprint for turning science fiction into reality. And they say that, in theory, nothing's stopping them from making such a cloak.

Well, almost nothing: They still need to perfect the manufacture of those exotic materials with an ability to steer light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation around a cloaked object, rendering it as invisible as something tucked into a hole in space.

I understand none of that. What I do want to know is....

Is it an evil invisibilty cloak?

Force Protection, Anyone?

By Charlie

Check out the video on the Barrier1 site.

Blessing or a Curse?

By John

I can't figure out if this piece is on the rise or the fall of net-centric warfare. Maybe technology is moving the military horizontally?

The finicky, incompatible equipment that’s given to the infantrymen and tank drivers in Charlie Company—the guys who are spending this cold, wet February night on the front—is primitive in comparison with the gear at the sprawling military base outside of Balad, where battalion-level commanders oversee the 300 troops in Charlie and three other companies. There, things are beginning to work like the network-centric theorists predicted, with drone video feeds and sensor data and situation reports flying in constantly. But to the guys in Charlie Company, this technological wizardry and the Pentagon’s futuristic hypotheses seem awfully far away.

There is a simple, but significant, reason why: Bringing frontline infantrymen into the network isn’t as easy as wiring up a headquarters. Battlefield gear has to be wireless, durable, secure, and completely effortless to use in the chaos of combat. The network is slowly expanding to meet the grunts. But the Department of Defense’s lumbering process for buying new equipment still virtually ensures that ground-level soldiers won’t be linked-in until early next decade. “The fog, friction and uncertainty of war are still there, same as always,” says retired Marine Col. T.X. Hammes, considered one of the leading authorities on counterinsurgency. “This net-centricity helps some, but it only goes as far as the battalion [the command echelon above the companies that do the actual fighting]. After that, these guys are on their own.”

Read the whole thing.

The Mother of all MOABs

By Charlie

Global Security.org: Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), Direct Strike Hard Target Weapon / Big BLU

Boeing's Phantom Works is leading the effort to demonstrate the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). The three-phase technology demonstration builds on design studies that Boeing had conducted for the laboratory. Flight testing is envisaged around 2006. The 6 m [20 feet] long MOP features short-span wings and trellis-type tails. The 13,600 kg [30,000 lb] weapon contains a 2,700 kg [6,000 lb] explosive charge. MOP is designed to go deeper than any nuclear bunker buster and take out 25 percent of the underground and deeply buried targets. It is expected to penetrate as much as 60 meters [200 feet] through 5,000 psi reinforced concrete. It will burrow 8 meters into the ground through 10,000 psi reinforced concrete. Northrop Grumman is working on with Boeing to develop this conventional bunker buster. They are under contract to Air Force Research Laboratory's Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

Who needs nukes when you've got these? If Iran is becoming a problem, strap these things to an MX missile and move a brigade of them to Bagram Air Field.

Stryker Mobile Gun System Unveiled!

By Charlie

***UPDATED with huge image of Stryker arty below the fold...

FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service, May 9, 2006) – The newest version of the Stryker vehicle, designed to provide fire power to Infantry units, will be unveiled May 15 at Fort Knox's Armor Warfighting Symposium.

The development of the Mobile Gun System is being managed by Fort Benning's Training and Doctrine Command System Manager-Stryker/Bradley.

The system was developed to meet the infantry’s need for a highly mobile support vehicle to supply rapid, direct fire, specifically during close assaults, said Dave Rogers, a TSM-Stryker senior analyst. The Mobile Gun System will eventually be integrated into Stryker Brigade Combat Teams.

"The Mobile Gun System brings a tremendous battlefield capability to the Stryker formation, providing direct fire support to infantrymen in close, complex terrain," said Col. Donald Sando, the director of the TSM Stryker/Bradley.

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Press Room Pregame

By John

In the E3 press room, warplanning my day.

Have a French guy on my right, team of Japanese reporters on my left, and two Polish guys in front of me. Roughly 100 people in the room, armed with laptops, each an individual conduit to their respective countries. 100 people speaking to the world. This is the first time I've felt in awe of the internet, and its power.

Spoke with a member of the US Army team a few minutes ago, they've got some exciting stuff to show off.

More later....

Liveblogging E3

By John

I'm in Los Angeles for a few days to liveblog the Electronic Entertainment Expo, more popularly known as E3.

Shot of the LA Convention Center, taken earlier this afternoon

I know it seems like the relationship between the video game world and the military appears -externally, at least- a bit thin. You'd be surprised. Hell, the partnership has grown robust enough for me to burn three days in the traffic nightmare that is LA to get the full story.

Like I said in an earlier post, America's Army has revolutionized the way the military looks at recruiting, and the way the gaming industry looks at the military. The military's involvement in gaming is growing, and growing fast.

I registered earlier this afternoon, and have already heard some rumors flying around. Apparently the US Army is expected to be a major presence here this year, and is generating a hell of a lot of buzz. Their booth will be the first one I visit tomorrow morning.

Expect more posts and pictures. Till then....

The Rise of Military Gaming

By John

The smash hit infantry simulator-video game, America's Army, was named as one of 18 finalists for the lauded Innovations in American Government Award last week.

The nomination is just one in a line of successes for the tactical shooter. The Army funded video game, designed primarily as an Army recruitment tool, has attracted over 7 million participants and spawned versions for the XBox and Playstation 2 titled "Rise of a Soldier." Statistics indicate that -at any given time- there are between 3,000 and 6,000 people playing America's Army online. "Rise of the Soldier" built on America's Army's success. Where AA's offered realistic combat scenarios as a key selling point, "Rise of the Soldier" offers hyper-realism, merging fact based special forces missions with a true-to-life career progression mode, allowing gamers to steer their soldier through an Army career.

And here's the kicker: America's Army is free.

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Listen up, DARPA!

By Charlie

I’ve compiled a top ten list of ideas for military technology that will keep America leap years ahead of the rest of the world. Technology has driven us to fight one of the most high-speed, high-tech wars ever waged today. We have UAVs, every soldier has night vision equipment, units have GPS systems, and the US military keeps pushing the technology barrier. Here are some of my ideas on how to keep up the research:

1. Better Body Armor: The IBA has a pretty good track record- but what if body armor 10 years from now weighed 10 pounds instead of 40 and provided better protection? Perhaps some polymer can be invented that deflects rounds, a system that better protects the extremities, and still allows soldiers freedom of movement to accomplish the mission.

2. PDA sized Direction Finding/Counter Mortar/Sniper system: Imagine if a sniper round shot past a squad, and the squad leader knew exactly where the round came from, and could instantly direct withering fire on the position, or call in FS on a grid square the instant a mortar impacts. They’ve already got humvee-sized DF equipment, let’s make it smaller and better!

3. Universal translators: The biggest obstacle for soldiers to overcome in an asymmetric environment is culture and language. What if there was a device that would listen to what someone is saying, translate it into English for you, and then translate what you say back into the native language? I’d want one.

4. Tactical EMP weapons: Some how figure out how get a non-nuclear Electro Magnetic Pulse to fire off with the range of 600M- 1000M, killing every electronic device in the radius. Put the thing in a 155 shell. Next time we have to clear a route for a cell-phone-detonated IED, fire a couple EMP rounds down the route. When entering a hostile area, prep the battlefield by disabling enemy coms.

5. Visual/imagery integration on the tactical level. Give every soldier eyewear that will allow them to switch between infrared, NVG, forward looking binoculars, and a heads up display of the area from above via UAV.

6. Floating Forward Staging Bases: Make a huge “offshore” platform that performs the same mission as a deep-water port and a FOB. This eliminates lots of the force protection worries we have with local governments, and would defuse basing rights for hostile regimes we need to stage close to.

7. The Drop Ship: Forget the Osprey, forget the Harrier, make an aircraft that can vertically take off/land, and drop off a squad (hell- a platoon! This is a wish list) into battle. Throw some weapons on the thing and then you’ve got an assault platform. Why is this taking so long?

8. Fire Support in Orbit: Let’s put a couple 155 guns on a satellite, and put the thing in orbit. Let’s do this a couple times, and figure out the physics of slinging rounds through the atmosphere to provide direct fire support to any grid square on earth. Yeah, this is technically weaponizing space, but imagine the advantage of a super-empowered SF team with a floating weapons platform backing them up.

9. Post Nuclear Super Weapons: A Star Wars program that actually works. I’d love for Kim Jong Il to know that if he tried to launch any missiles, they’d be zapped by a laser beam from space. Why not make some sort of nano-tech weapon that will disperse metal-eating nano-bots across the battle zone that will dissolve enemy tanks, missiles, and rifles. Let’s make a missile defense shield that really works while we’re at it.

10. (Gratuitous) Develop an Imposing Ground Combat Fire Support/C4ISR Platform:

Stryker Update

By Charlie

Stryker scores with US tactical vehicle force

Janes:

As of early March 2006, General Dynamics Land Systems had delivered over 1,497 Strykers to the US Army with 2,575 vehicles funded.

In addition to three Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) combat deployments to date, 21 Stryker vehicles are now in test (10 configurations at two test sites) and low-rate initial production has been approved for the final two variants: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical [NBC] Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBC RV); and Mobile Gun System (MGS).

From the Army's site on the Interim Armored vehicle.

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In Which Mikhail Kalashnikov Emerges to Hock his Invention

By Charlie

Kalashnikov says Iraq shows his gun is still best

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Mikhail Kalashnikov, designer of the world's most popular assault rifle, says that U.S. soldiers in Iraq are using his invention in preference to their own weapons, proving that his gun is still the best.

"Even after lying in a swamp you can pick up this rifle, aim it and shoot. That's the best job description there is for a gun. Real soldiers know that and understand it," the 86-year-old gunmaker told a weekend news conference in Moscow.

"In Vietnam, American soldiers threw away their M-16 rifles and used (Kalashnikov) AK-47s from dead Vietnamese soldiers, with bullets they captured. That was because the climate is different to America, where M-16s may work properly," he said.

"Look what's happening now: every day on television we see that the Americans in Iraq have my machine guns and assault rifles in their armored vehicles. Even there American rifles don't work properly."

Some U.S. troops in Iraq have reportedly taken to using AK-47s in preference to the standard-issue M-16. The Cold War-era gun, renowned for its durability and easy handling, is plentiful in Iraq.

Marines Ban Polyester Clothing In Iraq

By Charlie

Camp Taqaddum, Iraq - Under direction of Marine Corps commanders in Iraq, wearing synthetic athletic clothing containing polyester and nylon has been prohibited while conducting operations off of forward operating bases and camps.

The ban on popular clothing from companies like Under Armour, CoolMax and Nike comes in the wake of concerns that a substantial burn risk is associated with wearing clothing made with these synthetic materials.

When exposed to extreme heat and flames, clothing containing some synthetic materials like polyester will melt and can fuse to the skin. This essentially creates a second skin and can lead to horrific, disfiguring burns, said Navy Capt. Lynn E. Welling, the 1st Marine Logistics Group head surgeon.

Whether on foot patrol or conducting a supply convoy while riding in an armored truck, everyone is at risk to such injuries while outside the wire.

"Burns can kill you and they're horribly disfiguring. If you're throwing (a melted synthetic material) on top of a burn, basically you have a bad burn with a bunch of plastic melting into your skin and that's not how you want to go home to your family," said Welling.

Well, it was only a matter of time before this happened. My buddy is a Blackhawk pilot, and he told me his unit had a standing “no Under Armour” policy, due to the heat that could be generated during a crash. This has now apparently expanded to the Marines, and as go the Marines, so goes everyone else. I am a huge fan of the Under Armour gear –it has great advantages over the normal cotton shirts. It dries quicker, it doesn’t bunch up and create hotspots when you wear it under body armor, and it really does keep you cooler and dry in hot weather.

However, commanders weighed those advantages against the drawbacks of its tendency to melt when exposed to heat, and made the call. The good thing about this, is that it will probably drive technology forward. Now, the military needs a moisture-wicking shirt that will not melt when exposed to extreme heat. Get cracking, military-industrial complex!

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