Special Operations Technology

World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine
Aerial
Provider
Col. (P)
Clayton M.
Hutmacher
Commander
U.S. Army Special
Operations Aviation
Command
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
November/December 2012
Volume 10, Issue 9
Command Surgeons Round Table O SOF Gear and Technology
Special Operations Medical Gear O Cockpit Innovations
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Special Operations Technology
November/December 2012
Volume 10 • Issue 9
Features
Cover / Q&A
Cockpit Innovations
The glass cockpit is evolving rapidly, bringing greater safety
and predictability to pilots and passengers alike, providing
clarity in brownout landings, terrain avoidance advances and
more.
By Leslie Shaver
4
Rapidly Changing SOF Gear and Technology
Examine the advanced technology in critical gear employed by
special operators. We spotlight items that can provide special
operators with an edge over the enemy, allowing warriors to
prevail in a difficult and dangerous theater of war.
8
16
McRaven Awards Dinner
Admiral Bill H. McRaven, SOCOM commander, accepts a
prestigious award not for himself, but for the 66,000 special
operators whom he leads.
Colonel (P) Clayton M. Hutmacher
Commander
U.S. Army Special Operations
Aviation Command
12
special section: SOF medicine
Special Operations Medical Gear
In the golden hour after a special operator is hit by enemy fire,
these medic kits and medical devices can assure the wounded
combatant makes it alive to a field hospital.
By Henry Canaday
19
Departments
2 Editor’s Perspective
3 Whispers/People
14 Black Watch
27 Resource Center
The Future of SOF Medicine
23
In repeatedly stepping into harm’s way, special operators
are at high risk of suffering grievous wounds. But medical
technology offers signal advances that can prevent loss
of life. We feature a roundtable with SOF component
command surgeons.
Industry Interview
28
Pete Campbell
Medical Sales Manager
ADS Medical
Special Operations
Technology
Volume 10, Issue 9 • Nov/Dec 2012
World’s Largest Distributed
Special Ops Magazine
Editorial
Editor
Dave Ahearn [email protected]
Managing Editor
Harrison Donnelly [email protected]
Online Editorial Manager
Laura Davis [email protected]
Correspondents
Peter Buxbaum • Henry Canaday • Jeff Goldman
Hank Hogan • William Murray • Marc Selinger
Leslie Shaver
Art & Design
Art Director
Jennifer Owers [email protected]
Senior Graphic Designer
Jittima Saiwongnuan [email protected]
Graphic Designers
Amanda Kirsch [email protected]
Scott Morris [email protected]
Eden Papineau [email protected]
Kailey Waring [email protected]
Advertising
Associate Publisher
Scott Sheldon [email protected]
KMI Media Group
Publisher
Kirk Brown [email protected]
Chief Executive Officer
Jack Kerrigan [email protected]
Chief Financial Officer
Constance Kerrigan [email protected]
Executive Vice President
David Leaf [email protected]
Editor-In-Chief
Jeff McKaughan [email protected]
Controller
Gigi Castro [email protected]
Marketing & Communications Manager
Holly Winzler [email protected]
Operations Assistant
Casandra Jones [email protected]
Trade Show Coordinator
Holly Foster [email protected]
Operations, Circulation & Production
Circulation & Marketing Administrator
Duane Ebanks [email protected]
Data Specialists
Tuesday Johnson [email protected]
Raymer Villanueva [email protected]
Summer Walker [email protected]
Donisha Winston [email protected]
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
With this issue, Special Operations Technology proudly celebrates its
tenth anniversary.
This magazine was created and made a success by Jeff McKaughan, now
editor-in-chief of KMI Media Group, to chronicle the exploits of the best
warriors in the world—special operators—and to focus on the gear that
they employ in their challenging missions. It has been a momentous decade
for special operations.
For example, since SOTECH began publication, the CV-22 Osprey began
supporting special ops missions, and advances were made in sniper rifles
and body armor. There also was the arrival of the new MC-130J multi-role Dave Ahearn
Editor
aircraft.
Born in 2003, at the start of the war in Iraq, SOTECH has never been published in peacetime. Rather,
it has presented the advent of a new type of war, the asymmetric tactics of a new enemy attacking in new
ways, and a comprehensive overview of the myriad new technologies that special operators have used to
counter the enemy aggression.
In 2004, the singular successes of these elite units were recognized when then-President Bush assigned
Special Operations Command the huge responsibility of taking the lead in the war on terrorism.
SOTECH spotlighted the steady growth and enduring effectiveness of SOCOM and its component
commands, whether describing a nighttime raid or a disaster relief mission winning friends for the United
States.
SOTECH has focused on the brilliance and bravery of SOCOM and its unrivaled warriors, such as the
most important mission of the war on terrorism. Led by Admiral Bill H. McRaven, now SOCOM commander,
the mission took down the mastermind of the September 11 massacre of thousands of Americans, Osama
bin Laden. And this year, SOTECH celebrated as SOCOM reached a major milestone—its 25th anniversary.
For the past decade, SOTECH has recorded the illustrious history of these courageous combatants and
the contribution SOCOM has provided to all of the Department of Defense, such as the command procuring
superior, cutting-edge arms and gear in a streamlined acquisition process, advancements that often wound
up being provided to the larger armed services.
It has been our privilege to bear witness to SOCOM’s
successes and preeminent position in the prosecution of war,
and we are grateful for that opportunity.
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WHISPERS
Black Hawks
to Gain Hoists,
Hooks
Breeze-Eastern Corp. has been selected
by Sikorsky Aircraft to supply cargo hooks,
electric rescue hoists and RAST (recovery
assist, secure and traverse) probes for U.S.
Army UH/HH-60M Black Hawk and U.S.
Navy MH-60S and MH-60R Naval Hawk
helicopters. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of
United Technologies.
The five-year agreement could exceed
$40 million if production demands meet
expectations under the agreement. The
Army medevac helicopters will be equipped
with rescue hoists; MH-60 and UH-60
helicopters will be equipped with cargo
hooks. The MH-60R “Romeo” helicopters
will feature RAST probe hoists. The armed
services could procure up to 916 helicopters under terms of the agreement with
Sikorsky, known as Multi-Year VIII.
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
System to Aid Close Air, Pararescue
Black Diamond Advanced Technology has
completed delivery of 92 of its wearable Modular
Tactical System (MTS) to several units within the
Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve
Command (AFRC).
The company is now training end users on the
proper operation and employment of the MTS.
The MTS units will be used by tactical air Control
party (TACP) personnel within select ANG air support
operations squadrons (A), and Guardian Angel combat
Coast Guard Itself Rescued
After Hurricane Sandy
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Sector New York (USCG
Sector NY) on the Staten Island waterfront was hit
hard by Hurricane Sandy, losing all network connectivity. Backup satellite communications connections
were too slow and unreliable for the sector to participate effectively in key operations.
But Persistent Systems, a Silicon Alley company in
midtown Manhattan, volunteered its time, personnel
and equipment the morning after Sandy arrived.
Army to Obtain
Airburst System
ATK received a $16.8 million engineering and manufacturing development contract modification from the U.S.
Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier for its XM25,
Individual Semi-Automatic Airburst System.
The contract funds the continuing design, integration,
production and testing of fully functional systems to ensure the
weapon’s final design meets performance requirements and is
production-ready prior to fielding.
The XM25 is a rifle that fires a 25 mm air-bursting round
programmed by the weapon’s integrated target acquisition and
fire control system to burst directly above a designated target.
The system allows soldiers to quickly and accurately engage
targets by producing an adjusted aimpoint based on range,
environmental factors and user inputs.
The Army conducted forward operational assessments
(FOA) with early XM25 prototype weapons deployed in
Afghanistan from November 2010 through May 2012, with
soldiers actively employing them on patrols in areas experiencing high levels of enemy activity. Soldier feedback validated that the XM25 provides a unique combat advantage.
Furthermore, the FOA provided information that will inform
decisions regarding tactics, training, basis of issue and system
improvements prior to the weapon’s fielding. ATK will be
supporting another Army XM25 FOA scheduled for 2013 with a
36-gun battalion set of new pre-production prototypes.
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
rescue officer team commanders (CROTCs) and pararescue team leaders (PJTLs) within the 10th AFRC.
The Black Diamond Advanced Technology MTS is
a versatile, wearable multi-mission system that funnels
control of mission-critical peripherals to a central
display to eliminate battery and equipment redundancies and lighten load-out. As an off-the-shelf solution
with a patent-pending cable-management cummerbund
system, the MTS allows the ANG and AFRC to fulfill their
requirements and field truly foot-mobile solutions.
Persistent’s Wave Relay Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking
System, a wireless mesh technology currently used by
the U.S. military, connected USCG Sector NY directly
to Persistent’s offices, using the high-speed internet
connection.
The multi-hop, 20 Mbps network stretched
from Persistent’s offices to an apartment rooftop in
Manhattan, across the Hudson River to a radio in New
Jersey, and then to Staten Island.
More than $135,000 Raised for Special
Operations Warrior Foundation
K2 Solutions raised more than
$135,000 for its 3rd Annual Special
Operations Warrior Foundation
(SOWF) Golf Tournament at the
Country Club of North Carolina.
The SOWF charity provides scholarship grants to the children and
families of special operations warfighters killed or injured in the line of
military or training duty.
PEOPLE
Secretary of Defense Leon E.
Panetta announced that the
first-ever Better Buying Power
Efficiency Award goes to the
Acquisition Rapid Response
Medical Team for Tactical Combat
Casualty Care and Casualty
Evacuation at SOCOM. Panetta
also announced the two David
Packard Award winners are Project
Manager Combat Ammunitions
Systems (Army) and the DDG
K2 has hosted this 10 year old
tournament for three consecutive
years, resulting in the donation of
more than $250,000, which translates to full college tuition for three
children.
This annual tournament signifies
one of the major charitable events
conducted by K2 in support of its
military and local community.
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
51 Shipbuilding Program Office
(Navy).
Battelle has hired retired Air Force
Major General John Folkerts
to lead its business with special
operations forces. Folkerts will build
upon, formalize and further develop
Battelle’s business with SOF. His
34-year-military career included a
tour as vice commander of the Air
Force Special Operations Command.
SOTECH 10.9 | 3
Budget and technology shifts drive cockpit changes.
Budgetary cutbacks have hit every part
Aviation, a diversified aircraft service proof the military. And the cockvider offering expertise in the
pits of military aircraft are no
areas of aircraft maintenance,
different.
modification and refurbishThat means the focus is
ment, aircraft sales, aircraft
on upgrading the aging airmanagement, flight services
craft platforms of the Reagan
and fixed-base operations. He
and even Carter administrasees the same thing as Olson.
tion, not investing boatloads
“With the Army, whether it’s
of money into new systems.
special operations or utility
With these retrofits come
personnel carriers, they’re
opportunities. For companies
looking to upgrade the stanBob Olson
like Greenville, S.C.-based
dard configuration,” he said.
Stevens Aviation, Arlington- [email protected]
Stevens does major retroVa.,-based Elbit Systems of
fits for special mission C-12s
America, and Euless, Texasand utility C-12s, and Rigby
based Aero Dynamix, there
thinks these facelifts help a
is work to secure. And even
great deal. “They’re spending
the big guys, like Morrisa couple million per aircraft,
town, N.J.-based Honeywell
but they’re giving them a new
International, are seeing an
lease on life,” he said. “These
opportunity to put high-tech
aircraft would be obsolete,
systems in aging aircraft, as
but because we develop retroare L-3 Aviation Products and
fits, you can bring it up to the
Esterline Control Systems.
standard of a new aircraft.”
John Rigby
“There are no new platElbit Systems of America
forms being developed,” said [email protected] provides systems, software
Bob Olson, manager of strateand total product life cycle
gic marketing at Honeywell,
support to many of the front
which produces avionics sysline fighters, airlift, transport,
tems like mission computers,
helicopter and tilt-rotor airdisplays, navigation sensors
craft used by the U.S. miliand radars for all types of
tary. Elbit leaders see much
aircraft. “Retrofits are the big
of the same thing.
opportunity right now. What
D. Kelly Dameron, vice
we’re seeing from the Army
president airborne systems
is that they’re trying to do
at Elbit Systems, said the
more with less. They’re takcompany’s first priority is to
D. Kelly Dameron
ing their existing equipprovide mission-relevant
[email protected]
ment and adding upgrades
cockpit avionics solutions
to improve it. We’re not expecting to see big
that enhance operational effectiveness.
developments for new platforms.”
“Upgrading legacy platforms in the
near future is needed both for sustainability
of the various systems and for increased
Keep Aging Aircraft Going
overall platform operational performance,”
he said. “Elbit leverages leading-edge
John Rigby is executive director of
technologies to provide large-format, highmarketing and program sales with Stevens
4 | SOTECH 10.9
By Leslie Shaver, SOTECH Correspondent
resolution cockpit display systems, advanced
helmet-mounted and heads-up displays,
high-performance mission processing, HDquality data recording and storage, and
advanced avionics architectures for our
aging military aircraft that need to operate
for an extended life cycle. Our approach is
to work closely with our customers over
the life of a program to address the total life
cycle of a product or system, from design for
performance and scalability, to maintenance
and support, to technology refresh.”
Elbit produces the F-16 core avionics
systems, F/A-18 primary flight displays, and
the joint helmet-mounted cueing systems
used on F-16, F/A-18 and F-15. It is developing an upgraded head-up display for the
U.S. Air Force C-17. It supplies the cockpit
displays and processing, digital moving map,
and helmet-mounted displays for current
MV-22 and CV-22 tilt rotor aircraft. The
latter is used for SOF insertion and extraction. And the company is working with
the V-22 OEM/NavAir team to develop and
provide an integrated avionics processor
and a color helmet-mounted display as part
of ongoing upgrade efforts for the users of
the V-22.
Elbit also provides the day/night helmetmounted display and tracker systems for the
USMC AH-1W Cobra, UH-60 Black Hawks
and CH-47 Chinooks. Dameron said the
system provides pilots with increased situational awareness for day, night and decreased
visual environment weather operations. It
also provides the helmet-mounted display
and tracker, along with the advanced mission processor for the newest U.S. Army
Apaches.
All of these products keep legacy systems
going. “Upgrades are envisioned to keep
our legacy aircraft mission relevant for the
increasing demands of today’s and future battlefields,” Dameron said. “This is partly around
predictable control of the product’s and
system’s life cycle (i.e., parts obsolescence,
ease of modification and maintenance, etc.).”
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
But these upgrades also have to increase
performance to support future operational
use and meet budget requirements. “We look
at leveraging the newest, fastest, highest resolution, and scalable technologies
and software architectures,” Dameron said.
“Both aspects must be achieved in a more
affordable business model. These trends are
not new but are more important than ever to
provide highly capable systems that support
the accuracy and speed needed in cockpits
flying in today’s battlefields, while working
to remain reliable and supportable for the
various platform user communities.”
Wide Variety of Changes
Stevens, which Rigby said is the first
company to develop a glass cockpit for the
C-12 with Rockwell Collins, expects to do
60 cockpit upgrades in the next two to three
years.
The changes industry is making to
these aircraft start with the basics, like putting in an all-glass cockpit. But that’s just the
start. Companies like Stevens rewire everything, install auto pilot, upgrade the instruments, add a flight data recorder and put in
a collision avoidance system that is intended
to make auto pilot more reliable and modern.
Stevens also builds in some redundancies with navigation equipment, Rigby said.
“Pilots can go from one aircraft to another
without more training,” he said. “There’s a
major push from the Army to have cockpits
be more uniform.”
The cockpit upgrades have other benefits.
Time on station is increased because maintenance is reduced. All navigation aids are on
one multi-function display instead of forcing
the crew to rely on a separate Garmin GPS
system.
For Honeywell, a major focus has been
adding the Sandblaster in its upgrades and
any new offerings. The program, which
it partnered with the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, allows
helicopters to operate in degraded visual environment (DVE). It basically allows the pilot to
see things they otherwise wouldn’t.
“This Sandblaster program allows the
pilot to see from a sensor what he’s actually
on top of, like if there’s a truck or something
in the way during a landing in a dusty operating environment in Afghanistan,” Olson said.
“We’re working on a capability to operate in
these degraded visual environments. That’s
one of the newest things that we’ve got
going.”
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
In this new era of warfare, Olson said
a system to counter DVE is essential.
That’s another trend driving cockpit
upgrades. “The face of warfare is changing,”
he said. “It’s much more localized and focused
on terrorists and those types of things. Helicopters are becoming much more important
in warfare. We’re operating in austere environments. That’s causing us to move towards
improved situational awareness through
DVE.”
Phoenix-based L-3 Aviation Products provides display systems, avionics systems, aviation recorders and electronic system services.
Steve Henden, senior communications manager for the company, said it “provides a wide
range of products that support tactical and
special mission rotary wing platforms, ranging from specialized high-resolution sensor
displays to a digital form, fit, function replacement or standard cockpit instruments.”
L-3’s rotary systems are found in the
AH-64 Apache, AH-6, the CH-46 and the
CH-47. Those include a high-resolution,
sunlight readable, night vision goggle
(NVG)-compatible monochrome sensor display; an electronic engine indicator that
converts legacy engine signals to digital in
the display, negating the need for a data
converter; and electronic flight instruments
based on a standard product that is easily
modified to satisfy specific platform requirements, according to Henden.
On the fixed wing side, L-3 developed the
FA2100 cockpit voice recorder and the Flight
Data Recorder to ensure compliance with
the latest FAA, Transportation Safety Board
of Canada, and International Airworthiness
requirements for recording controller-pilot
data link communication digital aircraft
messages. “The FDR includes high-speed
data rate throughput capability to maximize
the number of aircraft flight parameters that
can be recorded and the sampling rates for
each parameter,” Henden said.
L-3 has also just introduced its new
model GH-3900RSU Electronic Standby
Instrument System with an ultra-thin display. The system features a 4.2-inch diagonal high-resolution display and a separate
remote sensor unit.
“With a widescreen display that is only
1.5-inches deep, the display can be installed
almost anywhere in the cockpit without
panel clearance issues,” Henden said. “The
separate remote sensor package also has the
flexibility to be located almost anywhere in
the aircraft, freeing up valuable real estate
from behind the panel.”
SOTECH 10.9 | 5
L-3 has also implemented changes for
the 7.1 TCAS upgrade, which says that
aircraft heavier than 12,566 pounds or
carrying more than 19 passengers flying
TCAS II in European airspace are mandated to upgrade their software to Change
7.1 by December 2015. “Change 7.1 is a
simple modification that provides important
safety enhancements for operators, including: reversal logic, new aural alerting for
adjusting vertical speed, and ‘level-off, leveloff’ resolution advisories to make it clearer
that a reduction in vertical rate is required,”
Henden concluded.
NVG Challenge
Night vision goggles have helped pilots
land in dangerous conditions for a long time,
but they’ve also had long-term issues in the
cockpit.
“Interior aircraft lighting not compatible
with the spectral sensitivity of NVGs presents
another concern,” said Mike Sedillo, master
sergeant in the U.S. Air Force at the Air Force
Research Laboratory in Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio, in a paper called “Night
Vision Goggle Cockpit Integration” written
over a decade ago. “The prohibitive cost of
aircraft modifications has resulted in the
application of frequent ‘quick-fix’ solutions.”
Though Sedillo’s paper is 12 years old,
many problems remain the same. NVGs are
sensitive to infrared (IR) light, which reflects
off the terrain from stars and the moon and
is picked up by the NVGs. While cockpit
lighting allows the pilot to see instruments
and radios at night, it usually emits IR light
as well because it is incandescent. Incandescent light emits more than 90 percent of its
energy in the IR range, which NVG is sensitive to. In fact, NVGs, designed to pick small
amounts of IR, are sensitive to even the dimmest lighting in the cockpit. The basic takeaway—the nighttime cockpit atmosphere
isn’t conducive to effective NVG use without
alterations.
“You have IR [infrared] coming off the
cockpit lights, then you’re effectively blinding the goggles and preventing the pilot from
being able to see outside the cockpit through
the window, which is what they’re really trying to accomplish with the NVGs anyway,”
Larry Snyder, who manages Aero Dynamix
marketing and sales activities, said.
When the potential of pilots being blinded
exists, the results could be calamitous. That’s
why companies like Aero Dynamix specialize
in complete and fully integrated Night Vision
6 | SOTECH 10.9
Imaging System (NVIS) lighting solutions
for aircraft. These systems are designed to
achieve a balanced cockpit that is optimized
for nighttime and daylight readability performance. Aero Dynamix takes products from
avionic original equipment manufacturers,
like Honeywell, Garmin, Becker, Avidyne,
Rockwell Collins and others and modifies
those for NVG compatibility.
Aero Dynamix provides subminiature
NVG-compatible filtered lamps that carefully fit in the instrument to be modified. It
utilizes light balancing techniques to assure
a well harmonized instrument panel and it
modifies radio displays by adding IR absorption/contrast enhancement filters optimized
for the type of display. It replaces control
head backlit panels with NVG-compatible
panels and bezels. It makes internal lighting
modifications to flight instruments, communication and navigation systems and provides
large scale back-lit panels that illuminate the
entire instrument panel using NVIS white
lighting to be able to discern colors.
Other companies offer less expensive
solutions that strap onto the instrument or
are glued on the top of the instrument and
filter out the infrared light. Snyder argues
that this also cuts down the visibility of the
instrument itself. “You’re effectively cutting
out 30 to 40 percent of the illumination of
the instrument. The instrument may not be
very readable with that loss of light.”
He said these solutions can also create
glare, can leave the instrument damaged or
scratched or lead to IR leakage. “All of those
affect the safety of flight under NVG,” he said.
Companies like Boise, Idaho-based Aviation Specialties Unlimited and Bedford,
Texas-based RebTech also compete in the
evolving NVG space. RebTech provides complete cockpit/cabin night-vision-compatible
lighting systems and equipment modification for new or “green” aircraft/helicopters.
The company can modify nav/comm control
heads with Shadows color filters, which
have night vision compatibility and satisfy sunlight readability requirements. To
meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
requirements, a new filter assembly is installed
to replace the filter normally furnished by
the OEM.
Mark Cochran, vice president of business
development and product management, for
Everett, Wash.-based Esterline Control Systems, which makes human machine interfaces like displays and panels with integrated
keys, said his firm is looking other solutions.
“We deal with NV goggles and NV imaging
systems,” he explained. “But we’ve been looking
at some of the systems that would replace
NV goggles.”
The iPad Effect
While the desire for NVG upgrades
has been around for a while, the advent of
touchscreen devices over the last decade has
driven another innovation in the cockpits of
aircraft.
“The biggest trend that we’re starting
to see not only for military aircraft or for
the commercial world is the iPad effect,”
Cochran said. “We’re starting to see a lot
more displays with touchscreens on them.
It’s the biggest single thing that we’re starting to see.”
For instance, Cochran said, the F-35
Lightning II has a huge touchscreen display
in front of the pilot. Generally, though, it’s a
bigger trend in commercial aviation. That’s
where the company has seen issues putting
touchscreens to use in the cockpit.
“We’ve figured out that there are hardware considerations associated with how
your finger slides across the touchscreen,”
he said. “You don’t want it to skip while
flying.”
Esterline has developed what Cochran
said are some novel ways of dealing with that
issue. For example, a display in the aircraft
has to be durable and stand up to a certain
amount of force.
“With many of the displays where we’re
looking at putting touchscreens, we have a
novel way of making them durable and getting the right force out of them,” Cochran
continued. “When you slide your fingers
across the surface, it feels slick but it’s not
really slick.”
The coatings you see on your iPad or
iPod also won’t fly in the cockpit. “With an
iPad and iPhone, all you’ll see is the reflection,” Cochran cautioned. “That’s something
you don’t want in an aircraft. You can’t afford
to have those types of reflections.”
More NVG Markets
Yes, NVGs have been around since World
War II, but there’s more progress to be made.
For one thing, there are more customers
using NVGs that need help in the cockpit.
But when Desert Storm happened in 1990,
the public learned the value of NVGs and how
much impact it had on the battlefield.
“Until then, the military was primary
user,” Snyder said. “The public became aware
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
of opportunity largely as result of the Gulf
War. In the early ’90s, we saw civilian early
adopters, primarily in law enforcement.”
Suddenly, Snyder saw air marshals, Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Park Police,
and the Drug Enforcement Administration
migrating to NVG in their aircraft.
“All of the government, paramilitary
groups became interested,” Snyder said.
“Anyone who has got to fly into a dark spot
at night can benefit from this technology.
They’re seeing this option across the board.”
And with that added adoption of NVG,
there are more opportunities for Aero Dynamix and other firms that focus on upgrading
NVG readability in cockpit systems. Add that
to the continued retrofit upgrades, and aircraft cockpits appear to offer industry many
opportunities in the coming years.
Contract Award
A General Dynamics C4 Systems-led team
received a contract from the U.S. Marine
Corps to build up to four engineering development models and nine limited deployment
units of the processing and display/sensor
data subsystem (PDS/SDS) for Increment 1,
Phase 2 of the Common Aviation Command
and Control System (CAC2S).
When built and fully operational, the
General Dynamics system will deliver a realtime picture of events taking place at sea,
in the air and on land during a mission,
enabling faster, more informed decision
making for Marine Corps commanders and
their staffs. The contract has a total potential value of $61.4 million if all options are
exercised.
“We have worked side-by-side with the
Marines for many years and have a unique
understanding of the complexity and intensity of their overall mission. By supporting
swift and decisive movement from the sea,
the air and on the ground, this next-generation command and control system is a key
enabler of the Marine Corps’ amphibious
capabilities,” said Chris Marzilli, president,
General Dynamics C4 Systems.
The PDS/SDS is the aviation command
and control enabler for three mission-critical
air command and control organizations that
support Marines on the ground. The tactical
air command center provides airspace
management, the direct air support center
controls air assault and other airborne operations and the tactical air operations center
performs air surveillance and controls air-toair fighter and air defense.
The General Dynamics-designed subsystem will increase the mobility and agility of
Marines operating on land, in the air and
at sea. It is also smaller, lighter and more
energy efficient compared to earlier stovepiped systems. The complete CAC2S is based
on commercial off-the-shelf components
that deliver manufacturing and operational
efficiencies and reduce training and logistics
support costs.
The General Dynamics-led team includes
Fulton, Md.-based Raytheon Solipsys; Smartronix Inc., of Stafford, Va.; Ternion Corp., of
Huntsville, Ala.; and Engility of San Diego. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor
Dave Ahearn at [email protected]
or search our online archives for related stories
at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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SOTECH 10.9 | 7
SOF Gear
Wide array of assets helps special operators do better in battle.
If a civilian product fails to perform, it might be an
annoyance or costly mistake. But with special operators, if something performs poorly or not at all, it can
place a combatant’s life at risk. Fortunately, special ops
is one area where rapid innovation is providing ever-better gear to help give warriors the edge over the enemy.
We examine just some of the top-drawer tools of war
available to the finest fighters on the planet.
Battery Charger
The modular universal battery charger (MUBC), developed and
manufactured by Thales Communications of Clarksburg, Md., is
a scalable, tactical, multi-platform charging solution designed for
warfighters, especially those in austere mission environments. It
combines the functions and capabilities of multiple battery chargers into one small, scalable package and reduces overall weight,
size, cost, complexity, repair, maintenance and logistics support.
The MUBC can simultaneously charge multiple battery types,
including AN/PRC-148, AN/PRC-152, AN/PRC-154, BB-2590,
Land Warrior and Nett Warrior LI-80 and LI-145, and conformal
batteries BB-2525 and BB-2521.
The MUBC can be powered from multiple sources, including
solar power. It has a built-in analyzer that allows the user to have
“go-no go” mission testing for their batteries—the user presses the
health button on the MUBC, and it flags (red LED) any battery that
has less than 80 percent battery life. The MUBC is rugged and
sealed, Tier 1 capable, charges in heavy rain without cover, and
has a simple intuitive user interface.
A single MUBC can be carried to meet the charging needs of
a squad, while multiple MUBCs can be connected together and
powered from a single source to meet the charging needs of a
company/platoon. The MUBC can also be used for vehicle platform applications, making it a universal charging system for all
applications. The MUBC has been successfully demonstrated in operational
scenarios by the U.S. Army in Network Integration Exercises and by
the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan.
Lightweight Central Display
Technological advancements have pushed computers and
compatible technology into the frontlines, but often without addressing the stated goal of all military branches to reduce the amount of
weight carried by warfighters. The
wearable Modular Tactical System (MTS) from Black Diamond
Advanced Technology, however,
has succeeded in making warfighters lighter, faster and more lethal
while reducing the weight carried.
The MTS is a wearable multi-mission
system that funnels control of missioncritical peripherals to a central display to
eliminate battery and equipment redundancies and lighten user load. An off-the-shelf
solution that can integrate into any plate carrier, the MTS allows an operator to be truly foot
mobile and switch in seconds from system operation
to direct combat, even while wearing gloves.
Fielded as a complete wearable, vest-based system—which
includes the tactical mission controller, universal tactical
8 | SOTECH 10.9
display, tactical I/O hub, patent-pending cable-management
cummerbund system and GPS module—the ultrarugged MTS weighs just 5 pounds. Since the
MTS operates on any battery the military has
deployed and can also control multiple
tactical radios, video downlink receivers,
lasers and other equipment, the system
can result in a net reduction in weight
carried.
Primarily used by SOF personnel for
a variety of missions including precision
targeting, C4ISR, SA, EOD and UAS/UGV
control, the MTS has been fielded in support of Operation Enduring Freedom since
2010. Often used for close-air support, the
MTS increases lethality by improving the precision and speed of air strikes, which is particularly
important for mobile targets. Other recent deployments include several units within the Air National Guard,
Air Force Reserve Command, Marine Corps, and as a component of the Battlefield Air Operations Operator Control System
for the Air Force.
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Situational Awareness
Marines on-the-move often outrun their communications
capabilities, leaving the forward commander without real-time
situational awareness.
The Marine Corps’ Networking-On-The-Move (NOTM) system
is an advanced wireless mesh-network built around satellite
communications, secure local area networks and a designated
network operations center that is mounted into a vehicle.
NOTM helps commanders in forward positions with reliable
and critical information via voice, video and data.
The flexible NOTM design enables front-line warfighters to
send and receive secure and unsecure C2 information across
rugged terrain and remote locations with over-the-horizon and
beyond-line-of-sight capabilities. NOTM is the only mobile C2
system to date that has passed all tests and received its certifications for operational deployment in the field, the NOTM prime
contractor, Pelatron, noted.
NOTM primarily uses COTS components that make the system
cheaper to build and maintain. If a COTS component in NOTM
fails, it is easier to swap out with working components and to
continuously upgrade capabilities. COTS components also ensure
high-reliability, ease of maintenance and ease of configuration.
To expand upon NOTM’s capabilities, NOTM will integrate
full-motion video from UAVs and amphibious vehicles, further
providing forward commanders with information, thus replacing
the function of traditional combat operations centers in the rear.
Pelatron is based in Honolulu. The firm is a defense contractor
with strong capabilities in innovative design, systems engineering,
IT network operations and maintenance and light manufacturing.
Pelatron is a Native Hawaiian Organization-owned 8(a) SDB.
Training System
The UTM/Phoenix RBT Solutions
non-lethal reality-based training
system provides an innovative
training approach for servicemembers. The training system
consists of weapon conversion
kits, non-lethal training ammunition (NLTA), magazines, training courses, training props,
portable training facilities and personal protective gear.
The training system
allows users to replicate
the stress of military combat
without real world consequences.
The system allows soldiers to
respond and react utilizing their go-to-war weapons and equipment throughout the training cycle, beginning with the fundamentals of marksmanship and continuing through all tactical
applications. The goal is to have soldiers train like they fight
and fight like they train.
UTM conversion kits offer unprecedented fail-safe features
that will not allow the firing of live, lethal ammunition. UTM
provides several different NLTA options including the following
rounds: Man Marker Round (MMR), Silent Blank Round, Battlefield Blank Round and Target Bullet Round.
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Unlike other products on the market, UTM’s NLTA does not
cause fouling or blockages in the barrel of the gun. The innovative 5.56 mm MMR training ammunition maintains an unprecedented shot group of four inches or less at 30 meters (375
feet per second) and the pistol MMR ammunition maintains a
two inch or less shot group at 20 meters (335 fps).
UTM and its training division, Phoenix RBT Solutions, is currently the largest provider to the Army’s Close Combat Mission
Capability Kit program, providing soldiers with reality-based
training without life-threatening risk.
SOTECH 10.9 | 9
Power Packs
Tough Tires
Aegis Defense/ZenTreks have collaborated and engineered a new breed of power packs. With unique features
such as ultra-durability and power production while encompassing all that a warfighter might need, it has been spotlighted numerous times for its abilities. What makes the pack
unique is its exterior fabric and power production capabilities.
The exterior fabric is specially designed to be resilient in
any and all conditions. Made with ceramic plating infused on
ballistic fibers, the fabric is slash-resistant, abrasion-resistant, cut-resistant, water-resistant, fire-resistant (optional),
and can be made to coordinate with any color or camouflage.
The manufacturer combined this durability with powerproducing capabilities through twin solar panels. These
panels produce over 2 watts of power, are lightweight, flexible and durable enough to take five punctures from 9 mm
rounds and still produce power.
This power is inputted into a battery/controller which
redirects power through twin USB ports at 5V with charging
velocity at 1 amp and 2 amp. This battery pack also has a
DC output that charges devices at 5, 8.4, 9, and 12v for all
other electronics.
To further the power capabilities, there is integrated a
portable hydrogen fuel cell in partnership with Horizon. This
fuel cell in essence generates power from the input of water.
The converter for the system separates the hydrogen and oxygen and condenses the hydrogen into a fuel stick while the
oxygen is released. The hydrogen stick is then inputted into
the fuel cell that converts the hydrogen gas into power that is
equivalent to ~ 12 AA/AAA batteries per stick.
The combination of all these abilities will give its endusers the ability to go farther in the most challenging
environments.
Polaris has recently begun low rate production on
some new tire technology that can not only improve mobility for SOF, but can reduce logistics burden and improve
payload capability in all-terrain vehicles as well.
Polaris’ new non-pneumatic tire technology utilizes a
urethane web and tread band combination to create a
tire that is not dependent on air to retain its shape, and
is therefore nearly impervious to one of the most common
failures faced by wheeled vehicles: the flat tire.
The tire assemblies are comprised of a modified
wheel which is attached to an elastomeric web designed
to absorb shock and bear the weight of the vehicle, and
a tread band around the circumference of the web that
also serves to help distribute weight and provide traction
for the vehicle.
Currently, in order to ensure mobility, units are often
faced with the difficulty of transporting spare tires while
utilizing all-terrain vehicles for insertion or reconnaissance. This requirement uses up valuable space and
payload on already crowded vehicles.
The new tires remove the need to transport the spare
tire, as they are not susceptible to sidewall tears or tread
punctures like standard pneumatic tires. Polaris has
tested the durability in a number of different ways, to
include ensuring they will perform up to specifications
even following penetration by a .50 caliber projectile.
Currently the tires are sized to support Polaris allterrain vehicles such as the MV850 utilized by SOF, but
Polaris is investigating the opportunity to expand the
capability into larger vehicle platforms. This new technology will improve the mobility of the SOF soldier, and help
to ensure tire punctures are not one of the risks to continuous operation and mission success.
10 | SOTECH 10.9
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Better Boots
Launching in spring 2013, Danner is introducing its lightest weight boot to date in the Tachyon.
Designed to be elective in both military and law
enforcement training environments and high-speed
operations, the Tachyon exemplifies a balance
between lightweight construction and lasting performance.
A pair of the Tachyon boots weighs a combined
26 ounces, yet despite its lightweight construction,
its durability is maintained. A fully rubberized Danner Tachyon outsole featuring pentagonal lugs
combined with additional abrasion resistance
in the toecap warrants superior surface contact
and wear life.
Comms Kit
Designed for maximum mobility and
flexibility, the Quick,
Deployable
Mobile
Communications Kit by
General Dynamics C4
Systems provides a private, secure IP network
to the special forces. The “grab and go” packaging allows
for stealth deployment anywhere, anytime for live situational
awareness even in the most unusual circumstances. You can
set up the self-contained kit in an operations center, vehicle
or a tent. Network connectivity is maintained through a selfforming, self-healing, wireless mesh network that requires no
fixed infrastructure. Confidential and secure, special forces can
communicate, share data and receive live streaming video to
advance their mission with increased precision.
The Quick, Deployable Mobile Communications Kit works
on-the-move. It can operate independently or as a mobile
extension to a fixed network. The IP network is designed for
maximum flexibility to handle a wide variety of devices and protocols to create a network of unified communication services
(data, voice and video).
Key Benefits:
Synthetic ultralight upper material eliminates substantial
weight and allows for quick dry time, while a speed lace
fastening system and brass hardware ensure secure fit. The
Tachyon is built with three layers of comfort: An open cell
PU footbed generates airflow and an EVA midsole provides
cushion underfoot, while an integrated EVA Strobel board
creates a more flexible platform.
“As a team, we wanted to create a boot that offers
the most optimal balance between weight, performance and comfort, and we executed
very well with the Tachyon,” said Ryan
Cade, law enforcement and military
product line manager for Danner.
“When someone laces these boots up,
they will feel the comfort story and when
they put them to work, the outsole and overall construction
will speak to the Danner name people have come to trust
over the years.”
The Tachyon is available with 8 inch heights in black, tan
and sage green styles and will be available in 2013 with an
expected retail cost of $140. The company will have the tan
version in shipment and the black and sage ready to ship in
January. O
• Creates a private, secure network that you can take
anywhere
• Provides reliable service when fixed or commercial
networks are either not available or degraded due to large
crowds or natural disasters
• Extends existing fixed infrastructure private networks to
austere locations needing temporary, high-capacity static
or mobile data services
• Supports video sources (analog & IP) and IP-enabled enduser devices via wired and local area wireless connections
• Runs on batteries, standard AC power or vehicle 12vDC
accessory power
• Optimized for video performance
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
SOTECH 10.9 | 11
Admiral Bill H. McRaven, SOCOM
commander, accepts the American
Patriot Award on behalf of all
66,000 special operators. [Photo
courtesy of National Defense
University Foundation]
SOCOM commander vows to meet high standards.
By Dave Ahearn, SOTECH Editor
Admiral Bill H. McRaven, the SOCOM commander, on November 15 accepted a distinguished award as he stood before a glittering
gala audience, a black-tie soiree in an awe-inspiring setting in the
Reagan Building atrium in Washington, D.C.
But in a move typical of the man, he accepted the award not for
himself, but on behalf of all 66,000 special operators in SOCOM and
its component commands.
This was all the more remarkable given that McRaven himself
is richly deserving of recognition. For example, he has expanded
SOCOM, growing the force of special operators, while not rushing
things. (One of the five SOF Truths is that special operations forces
cannot be mass produced).
He also has provided the very best gear for special operations
warriors, using an expedited, cut-the-red-tape acquisition system.
In turn, that often has led to the larger armed services gaining topdrawer equipment and assets after they have proven their worth in
the hands of special ops personnel.
And a grateful nation can’t forget that McRaven led the crowning achievement of the war on terrorism, the raid that took down
Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the massacre of thousands of
innocent humans on September 11, an atrocity on American soil.
So it would be a tough challenge to find a warfighter more
deserving of recognition than McRaven. But in his usual manner, he
eschewed taking credit for himself. Rather, he accepted the American Patriot Award from the National Defense University Foundation
(NDUF) not for himself, but for those he leads.
When he was applauded by the hundreds of attendees attired in
tuxes and gowns, he turned that applause toward special operators,
12 | SOTECH 10.9
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
asking them to stand. Citing the special operators in the room, and
the thousands of others performing around the world, McRaven told
the audience and the NDUF, “Thank you again for recognizing these
great Americans.”
It was a rare moment for them, since special operators perform
missions in the dead of night, preferring darkness and silence to the
spotlight of publicity.
McRaven hailed “the 66,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and
Marines” who make up the U.S. special operations capability.
The SOCOM commander has repeatedly expressed concern for
those he commands, pressing forward with a program to help ease
the stress that special operators face in the form of frequent deployments, time away from families and more. The effort was begun
by his predecessor in leading SOCOM, now-retired Admiral Eric T.
Olson.
McRaven was introduced by retired Admiral Mike Mullen, a
former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, before that, chief
of naval operations.
The SOCOM commander “cares immensely about his people
and the families in the special operations world,” Mullen said. “He is
the right individual for a community that is in transition.”
After the war in Iraq has ended, and U.S. troops are set to withdraw from Afghanistan, the heavy demand for special ops missions
is expected to increase.
McRaven lauded those in other agencies, including the CIA,
NSA and State Department. The CIA painstakingly assembled intelligence that identified a courier for bin Laden, eventually leading to
knowledge of the al-Qaida kingpin’s hiding place in Pakistan.
Before commenting on McRaven, Mullen had some strong
advice for special operators: be quiet. “There have been too many
people talking” about special ops missions, Mullen said. He added
that his comments were directed at both active and retired spec
ops personnel. The former CNO decried the airing of secrets, saying
there are “too many movies, too many books” about what should be
secret operations and tactics of the special ops community.
Then Mullen turned to the business at hand, pointing to McRaven for his leadership of the bin Laden raid, saying, “You have made
our country so proud.” Mullen hailed McRaven as representing a
new generation of military leadership for the United States, saying
the SOCOM commander “represents the best of what comes after
me and my colleagues.” The older generation has “full confidence
in those who currently lead,” Mullen asserted.
The former JCS chairman turned to another critical issue facing
the military: The future fortunes of those who are leaving military
service. Under one plan, more than 100,000 people in uniform
will return to civilian life, as services see a reduction in their end
strength. And many service personnel find great difficulty in finding
jobs, with some of them winding up homeless.
Mullen spoke directly to the many military contractors in the
audience, saying, “I would ask you to do one thing as a business
leader, and that is hire a lot of veterans.”
He spoke as Alcoa, Boeing, GE, Lockheed Martin and others
are forming a movement to hire at least 15,000 veterans initially,
matching military expertise with civilian job skill requirements and
providing retraining for vets. Ultimately, tens of thousands of vets
may be hired, and Mullen asked contractors—as they make their
pledges to hire them—to be “very aggressive with your numbers.”
He asked company leaders to bear in mind that among vets, “50
percent of them are married.”
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Companies should provide veterans with “a short to medium
transition period” to becoming fully trained and well paid, Mullen advised. This need not be a totally altruistic exercise, Mullen
continued, saying that veterans “are a good bet for a better bottom
line.”
McRaven marveled at the immense number of medals awarded
to special operators, while also extolling non-SOF combatants.
His comments came just hours after at least two servicemen
riding on a float in a parade died while pushing their wives to
safety, just before a train plowed into the float in an accident at a
railroad crossing in Midland, Texas.
Army Sergeant Major Lawrence Boivin, 47, and former Army
Sergeant Joshua Michael, 34, who was twice awarded a Purple
Heart, saved their wives by pushing them out of the way of danger,
even though that meant the men were hit by the train. Also killed
were Army Sergeant Major Gary Stouffer, 37, and Army Sergeant
Major William Lubbers, 43.
In an era when controversies recently have struck many in the
military, the SOCOM commander closed his remarks with a vow:
“We know that the American people have an expectation we must
uphold,” McRaven said. “We will not let them down.” O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn
at [email protected] or search our online archives
for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
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SOTECH 10.9 | 13
BLACK WATCH
What’s Hot in Special Operations Gear
L-3 GCS Selected as VSAT
Terminal Partner for Inmarsat’s
Global Xpress Service
XG-25P Portable Radio Unveiled
that Offers Bluetooth Connectivity
L-3 GCS announced that it has been
signed by Inmarsat as an initial launch partner
for land satellite terminals for Inmarsat’s
forthcoming Global Xpress service.
L-3 GCS brings the field-tested
credibility that Global Xpress customers
require when upgrading to Ka-band speed
and coverage. By coupling L-3 GCS
Panther- and Hawkeye-certified terminals
with Inmarsat’s global managed services,
customers will realize the value and flexibility
Form: Portable radio for interoperable communications
Weight: Less than 15 ounces
Capability: Supports Project 25 (P25) Phase 1 and Phase 2
Rugged: Meets MIL-STD-810G design
Features: Bluetooth connectivity and AES encryption
of combining national MILSATCOM with
on-demand commercial services under any
operational scenario.
“We are particularly honored to have
been selected as a VSAT terminal partner
for Global Xpress. Our valued customers
will now have access to not only the
highest-quality, innovative, WGS-capable
VSAT terminals, but also to on-demand
commercial services with the superior speed
and coverage of GlobalXpress,” said Bob
Jacobson, president of L-3 GCS.
Scheduled for service introduction
in 2014, Global Xpress will offer an
unprecedented combination of high data
rates, bandwidth and global coverage.
Inmarsat’s new satellite network aligns with
the trend by governments worldwide to
shift operations to Ka-band and will provide
super-fast uplink and downlink data rates.
Global Xpress is the only global Ka-band
system of its kind and will enhance L-3 GCS’
line of highly transportable, rugged and
reliable terminals on a variety of applications
and missions.
“Inmarsat is pleased to include L-3 GCS
as a supplier of Global Xpress-qualified
terminals. Government customers have
come to rely on Panther and Hawkeye
equipment for some of their most critical
missions. They will be especially pleased
that the outstanding performance and
reliability they have come to expect in the
field from L-3 GCS terminals will soon
support global high-rate secure operations
across our Global Xpress network,”
said Peter Hadinger, vice president of
government market development, Inmarsat
Global Xpress.
14 | SOTECH 10.9
Harris Corp.
Mission-critical radio users now
have a feature-rich yet economical
portable radio for P25 Phase 1 and
Phase 2 operation, according to Harris
Corp.
The latest XG-25P portable radio
delivers mission-critical feature set
and interoperable communications
for users operating on 700 and 800
MHz frequencies. The Harris XG-25P
portable radio’s software-defined
architecture allows for operation in
multiple modes, including P25 Phase 1,
P25 Phase 2, EDACS and OpenSky2.
Light Mount Works on Any Ferrous Surface
First-Light USA
Attachment: Four 15-pound nickel neodymium disc magnets
Placement: On any shape of ferrous surface
Positioning: Rubberized to eliminate movement
Flexibility: 180 degrees rotation—pivots while holstered
Dimensions: 3.5 x 2 x 1.25 inches
Weight: 2.8 ounces
First-Light USA as introduced a new Tomahawk TRS magnetic mount. The mount
is constructed of a high-strength flexible material, which permits a Tomahawk tactical
light to be positioned on any ferrous surface regardless of its shape. The mount can
easily attach the Tomahawk tactical flashlight to a military vehicle, car, truck, work
vehicle or boat. Rubberized construction secures the mount and eliminates movement.
The clip features 180 degrees of rotation allowing the Tomahawk tactical flashlight
to pivot while holstered. It is available in three colors: black, tan or foliage green, and
is compatible with any Tomahawk tactical flashlight equipped with TRS. TRS dovetail
sleeve and instructions for installation included.
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Companies Team to Advance Camo Technology
Milliken/SSZ
Capability: Conceals against enemy IR imagers
Parameters: Mid wave infrared range
Comfort: Moisture permeability—breathable
Milliken & Co. and SSZ Camouflage Technology AG
of Switzerland announced an agreement making Milliken
the exclusive licensee of SSZ’s multispectral camouflage
technology in the United States. By significantly reducing
the thermal signature on fabrics, SSZ infrared camouflage
technology goes beyond the current visual and near-infrared
range to provide concealment in the mid wave infrared
range, reducing the risk of detection from thermal infrared
imagers.
Milliken will incorporate the SSZ infrared camouflage
technology into its performance fabrics to provide U.S
military personnel with better concealment, adding yet
another layer of protection to their uniforms.
Tested by the Swiss Army and others,
fabrics with this camouflage technology maintain
breathability and moisture vapor permeability,
making them both comfortable and highly
protective.
“Milliken and SSZ Camouflage Technology
are transforming how the U.S. armed forces think
about the performance of their uniforms,” said Sim
Skinner, president, Milliken Performance Products.
“If the enemy can’t see you, they can’t target you.
With this new level of concealment technology,
warfighters can dramatically reduce the risk of
detection and continue to own the night.”
New Laser Comms System to be Produced in Massachusetts
Schott/Space Photonics
FLIR
Data medium: Laser
Reception: Beam pointing, acquisition and tracking
Mounting: Building, vehicle or tower
Schott North America and Space Photonics
announced that they have entered into an exclusive
licensing agreement for the commercialization of
LaserFire free space optical communications
systems for military and intelligence customers.
The covert communications technology
enables uninterrupted, secure communications—
building-to-building, vehicle-to-vehicle and towerto-tower—where high-capacity fiber optic cable
has been damaged or is not available, particularly
in RF-denied environments.
Many free space optical communication
systems use a large beam to maintain their links
in order to accommodate for small mounting
structure shifts. The LaserFire system, however,
incorporates a patented automated beam
pointing, acquisition and tracking technique. This
ensures a more robust network when optimal
performance is critical, regardless of available
bandwidth, distance, adverse weather conditions,
or movement.
Further, since the terminal uses low-power
infrared lasers, it is nearly impossible for
adversaries to detect and intercept the beam
while the system is operating, providing the
ultimate intelligent gateway and enabler for covert
operations, according to Schott.
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
Innovative Visual
Systems Unveiled
FLIR announced new systems to aid
warfighters in three areas:
“This mission-critical communications
technology was developed from our longstanding collaboration with the U.S. Department
of Defense. LaserFire will dramatically improve
communications in RF-constrained environments,”
said Chuck Chalfant, president and CEO of
Space Photonics Inc. “We chose Schott as our
manufacturing partner because of the company’s
unparalleled ability to industrialize and produce
highly complex optics.”
“In the field, effective communication
determines the fate of a mission. LaserFire will
ensure the safety of troops by offering a precise,
secure, and dependable means of transmitting
information,” said retired Major General Scott
Custer, USAF, president and CEO of Schott
Defense.
• FLIR Quark featuring SSN (silent
shutterless non-uniformity correction):
Quark is already the smallest fullyintegrated, long-wave infrared camera
available. Now the firm has added a
new SSN feature that makes Quark
even easier to integrate into unmanned
vehicles, thermal sights and more.
• CLIP 600 – Compact Laser Illuminator/
Pointer: FLIR Systems’ CLIP-600 is a
military qualified 830nm 600mw multifunction illuminator/pointer designed
to, among other things, make it easier
and faster to trigger ID patches, giving
warfighters the ability to make quick
decisions during difficult nighttime
operations.
• FLIR Motion Control Systems Tracking
SDK: Already a leading manufacturer
of high-performance pan/tilts, FLIR
MCS announced a new software
development kit (SDK) that enables its
pan/tilts to send and receive commands
to Windows, Linux, Android and other
platforms. This SDK offers low latencies
and jitter in FLIR MCS pan/tilts used for
video and antenna tracking applications.
SOTECH 10.9 | 15
Aerial Provider
Q& A
USASOAC Provides Vital Lift to SOF Missions
Colonel (P) Clayton M. Hutmacher
Commander
U.S. Army Special Operations
Aviation Command
Colonel (P) Clayton M. Hutmacher assumed command of the
U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command June 13, 2012.
Prior to this command he served as the assistant commanding general for Special Operations Forces Mobility, North Atlantic Treaty
Organization Training Mission, Afghanistan/Combined Security
Transition Command.
Hutmacher was born in Lake Stevens, Wash. He entered military
service January 4, 1978, as a private in the U.S. Marine Corps. In May
1984, Hutmacher transferred to the Army after being accepted into
the Warrant Officer Flight Training program. He was commissioned
as a second lieutenant of aviation in October 1987.
Following graduation from Officer Candidate School and the
Aviation Officer’s Basic Course, his first assignment was with
1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), as the headquarters and service company executive officer,
and later as the MH-60 Direct Action Penetrator platoon leader,
Delta Company.
He served three other tours with the 160th SOAR (A) to include
executive officer of 1st Battalion, commander of 1st Battalion, and
regiment commander.
Other assignments include the U.S. Air Force 55th Special Operations Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla., as squadron tactics officer,
instructor pilot, and flight commander; troop commander and S3 of
the Flight Concepts Division at Fort Eustis, Va.; and commander of
5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Giebelstadt, Germany.
Hutmacher holds a Bachelor of Science in aerospace management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master of Arts in
national security and strategic studies from the United States Naval
Command and Staff College, and a Master of Science in strategic
studies from the United States Army War College.
His military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit
with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak
Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Defense
Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious
Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with Number
6, Army Commendation Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force
Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct
Medal, Marine Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Badge, Master
Army Aviator Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Parachutist Badge and Air
Assault Badge.
Q: U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command is one of the
newest special operations commands, performing a vital service of
providing aerial support to special operations. What are your goals
for building this command?
16 | SOTECH 10.9
A: I am committed to continuing the good work started under
[Major General Kevin Mangum]’s tenure. My focus is for USASOAC to
be value added to the entire Army special operations aviation [ARSOA]
enterprise by reducing the span of control of the 160th SOAR commander and ensuring the larger ARSOA community is adequately
manned, trained and equipped to accomplish their myriad of missions.
Q: How do you assess the MH-60 Black Hawk and its performance in
theater, including insertion and extraction missions?
A: The MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter is among the most versatile and
dependable aircraft in the special operations aviation inventory. It is a
genuine multi-role helicopter, providing assault, close air support and
resupply capability in a largely Army-common platform. The legacy
fleets of MH-60K and MH-60L aircraft have performed admirably and
reliably for their age and original design; however, their high-grossweight performance limitations have been reached in the altitudes and
temperatures of the current fight. To further the Black Hawk’s performance in these regimes and to meet our customers’ needs, we are
building and fielding the most powerful and advanced Black Hawk to
date: the MH-60M. This aircraft builds on the successes of the Army’s
UH-60M and adds more powerful engines as well as SOF-common
avionics and self-protection suites. These are factory-new, zero time
airframes with performance that will increase the Black Hawk’s reach
and payload into the next decade.
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Q: What is your view of the performance of the MH-47 Chinook?
A: The performance of the MH-47G is truly exceptional. It will carry
greater payload further, faster and more efficiently than any other
helicopter in the Army’s rotary wing fleet. Impressively, although
it is extremely complex, it has proven to be a rugged and resilient
enabler of SOF operations in the most hostile aviation environments on earth. It is among the oldest basic platforms in the U.S.
inventory and is still USSOCOM’s vertical lift workhorse. There are
technological improvements on the horizon which will potentially
enhance performance, enable longevity and add to the safety of
the Chinook. These include the active parallel actuator [APA] and
the advanced Chinook rotor blade [ACRB]. APA is a flight control
improvement that leverages new technologies to apply engine
power between the rotor systems dynamically rather than the current fixed ratio design. ACRB will utilize merging composite manufacturing technologies to employ airfoil design improvements that
were not previously producible. These improvements will ensure
that the MH-47 remains the platform of choice for the foreseeable
future.
Q: There have been several helicopters shot down in theater,
including a Chinook last year in which 30 personnel were lost. Is
there any improvement in defensive systems that you would like
to see on vertical lift aircraft?
A: Unfortunately, the most primitive weapons are among the
most devastating and difficult-to-defeat threats on the battlefield.
Complex weapons which depend on active and passive targeting
sensors can be countered effectively by manipulating their sensors.
Small arms and rocket propelled grenades [RPGs] have no such
guidance systems to exploit. Survivability efforts against accurate,
unguided projectiles must either focus on preventing an engagement or surviving the engagement. Regarding future aircraft defensive systems, preventing an engagement includes comprehensive
signature reduction, aiming disruption, proliferation of network
threat data and other efforts which would prevent an unguided
projectile from being properly employed against an aircraft. Future
material solutions to surviving an unguided projectile engagement
include enhanced, fully-integrated lightweight ballistic protection
of occupants and aircraft systems, and, in the case of RPGs, the ability to prematurely detonate, disable or disrupt the fusing system.
While many of these material solutions are approaching viability
for ground vehicles, the space, weight and power limitations of an
aircraft application have yet to be fully overcome.
Q: What is your assessment of the supply chain and maintenance
operations efforts for special operations aviation assets in theater?
A: Being an effective supply chain management team is critical to
supporting ARSOF in Afghanistan and throughout the world. This
Herculean task is accomplished through substantial investment
of resources and effort by dedicated professionals. ARSOA supply
chain management continues to be defined by meeting warfighter
requirements for critical items; effective and efficient inventory
management, including spare parts and accurately predicting
demand for spare parts; and a comprehensive, integrated strategy
for addressing and resolving supply chain management problems.
Three focus areas for ARSOA have remained at the forefront of our
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sustainment success: requirements forecasting, asset visibility and
materiel distribution.
The integration of condition-based maintenance [CBM] provides a safe aircraft and preserves limited funds as components are
repaired or replaced based upon serviceability instead of solely on a
traditional schedule based upon component hours. The continuous
improvement of CBM methodologies will further streamline and
reduce the maintenance and logistical footprint of ARSOA. CBM
focuses maintenance in critical areas through real-time monitoring of aircraft systems, allowing early indication of pending failures,
reducing rotor smoothing and vibration analysis and increases on
wing time of dynamic aircraft components. The end result is reduced
maintenance time and increased aircraft available to the ground force
commander.
Q: Defense spending reductions of $487 billion over 10 years are
being legislated. What cost-cutting moves have you already made in
the command?
A: During Program Objective Memorandum [POM] 14, we suffered
a decrement of $81 million in our investment programs. This reduction contributes to a steady decline in the percentage of investment
funding over the POM years 10-18. By fiscal year 2018, the percentage of investment dollars compared to sustainment dropped from 52
percent in FY10 to $193 million in FY18. The significance of this decrement is a threat to our materiel programs such as Degraded Visual
Environment, Next Generation FLIR and Common Infrared Counter
Measures that provide a comparative advantage.
Q: There also is a possibility of another potential $500 billion of
cuts over a decade that may begin starting in January. How would
that affect your command?
A: A gross estimate of the ARSOF portion of a potential sequestration
would amount to a decrement of about $55 million per year. A reduction of that magnitude would threaten termination of one or more
major programs.
Q: How do you assess performance of the AH-6 Little Bird as a light
attack aircraft?
A: There is not a more rapidly deployable, agile, flexible rotary wing
attack platform on the battlefield. These features provide the ground
commander unmatched ability to reduce operations risk through
measured-in-inches precision for light assault and attack missions.
No other platform in the inventory can fill this unique role. The
aircraft is nearly always the first to launch and the last to return,
and enjoys a tremendous reputation with the men who fly it and
the men who count on it to be overhead. In order to keep the Little
Bird in the fight, we are pursuing engineering updates for safety and
sustainability margins while making sure the intentionally austere
avionics suite can provide the minimum essential situational awareness. These updates will provide the critical bridge to future Army
common solutions.
Q: What are your efforts in future vertical lift?
A: We are embedded with the Army, which is the lead service within
DoD in this joint program. We actively participate with USSOCOM in
SOTECH 10.9 | 17
the requirements definition process; most recently, we collaborated
with the respective service subject matter experts on the Future
Vertical Lift [FVL] Initial Capabilities Document. USSOCOM also
programmed funding for the FVL, beginning in FY14, at a cost of $1.3
million per year through FY18.
Q: What is your relationship with the conventional Combat Aviation
Brigades?
A: Greatly improved. The fifth SOF truth is that most special operations require non-SOF assistance. When we began combat action over
10 years ago, there were no processes in place to address this fundamental relationship, and it suffered. But that is not the case today.
ARSOA and conventional aircrews are working together more than
ever to provide world-class support to all special operations, and we are
maturing the processes that integrate our efforts in all phases of the
Army Force Generation cycle.
Q: What is your assessment of UASs and their utility to SOF units,
and can you provide examples of missions where UASs provided the
margin of success?
A: The unmanned aircraft system [UAS] has become a force multiplier and game changer across the battlefield for the ground force
commander, and both conventional and SOF units. USASOAC will
continue to monitor and assess capabilities or initiatives across DoD,
18 | SOTECH 10.9
other government agencies and partner nations to continue the maturation of personnel, platforms and processes for greater effectiveness
in both ARSOA and UAS efforts. Collectively, ARSOA and the UAS
community are providing a foundation of proven tactics, techniques
and procedures, experienced UAS warfighters and improved materiel
solutions to deploy, communicate, survive, deliver effects and remain
responsive in real time to meet the supported commander’s changing tactical requirements. A recent example of a UAS SOF mission
is found in the story of Staff Sergeant Robert James Miller, a 3rd
Special Forces Group soldier who was awarded the Medal of Honor
posthumously for actions in Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant Miller used an
RQ-11 Raven to confirm enemy position and helped save his team
from ambush.
Q: Do you have any closing thoughts about the command and the
men and women who work to make it a success?
A: The failure of Desert One in 1980 was a tragedy and national
embarrassment. In response, the nation resourced and built the
ARSOA enterprise to ensure that never happens again. In October
2001 after attacks on our own country, ARSOA carried Army SOF
into the backyard of our nation’s enemies to accomplish something no other rotary wing aviation unit could do. We will continue progressing to maintain a comparative advantage over our
enemies despite the challenge of operating in an era of diminishing
resources. O
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special section: SOF medicine
Innovative medical equipment saves special operators’ lives.
By Henry Canday
SOTECH Correspondent
Lifesaving care on the battlefield depends both on personal skills
and available tools. The military trains medics and corpsmen on the
skills, while private firms are mostly responsible for developing and
bundling the tools that will make them more effective in the field.
Often, private firms play a major role in helping the military
select and assemble the medical gear that will go with medics. For
example, Tribalco is the prime integrator for the Special Operations
Command (SOCOM) Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) Casualty
Evacuation (CASEVAC) Set Program, explained David Spence, Tribalco program manager.
This program aims to reduce preventable battlefield deaths and
minimize effects from injuries by providing medics with the right
equipment at the right time.
“Tribalco’s role is to identify, acquire and assemble disparate bestof the-best medical products,” Spence said. The company does not
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manufacture items, rather, it acquires them and gets the best of the
best into medics’ hands. “The prime integrator’s job is to streamline
the process of kitting, allowing medical items to make it into the
field much faster than they would if each individual item had to be
contracted.”
The current set has over 500 individual items from more than
40 sub-vendors. As prime integrator, Tribalco holds biennial meetings where suggestions for additions and modifications are made.
Representatives of each SOCOM component are present, as well as a
representative from the committee on TCCC. Suggestions for inclusion in the set are voted on by all the representatives. The completed
set is called the Tribalco Integrated Casualty Solution (TICS).
Two TICS features stand out, according to Spence. First, special
operations medical elements need organic self-rescue and transportation capabilities. To that end, TICS has an extraction module
SOTECH 10.9 | 19
special section: SOF medicine
that includes extrication hardware such as a manual
hydraulic cutter and spreader, battery powered Sawzall,
grinder, and manual tools enabling access to patients
trapped in armored vehicles or confined spaces. This
extraction module also includes air-inflatable lift bags
capable of lifting several tons each, as well as ropes
and rigging equipment for patient hoists.
Second, TICS is self-contained, scalable and
man-portable. All items come in seven storage cases
A
that can interlock when stacked on pallets. Internal
padding can be rigged for air drops. Medical personnel take only those components required for any
B
given mission. Components are man-packable,
as no individual component exceeds 55 pounds.
When a hard case is opened, equipment inside
is packed into back-pack carriers that can be
deployed immediately.
Spence said TICS has been successfully
fielded to several units and used operationally.
C
“But it is an ongoing project. Modifications are
anticipated based on emerging technologies,
changes in combat conditions and interaction
with the committee for TCCC.”
ADS Medical is the largest distributor of
tactical medical products, according to Tactical Medical Specialist Brad Stewart. “We work
with over 100 medical manufacturers and
create custom solutions for our customers to
support their missions,” he added.
“One unique solution ADS Medical
D
designed for our customers is the TBIT [Traumatic Brain Injury Triage] system, which
combines an Infrascanner (brain hematoma
detector) and a ballistic protected oxygen
pack (combat critical care). It is a truly
A. Combat Gauze can help to stop hemorrhaging when a tourniquet can’t be used.
unique triage system,” Stewart explained.
B. The Mojo Dart is used as a decompression needle to treat casualties with tension pneumothorax (chest wounds).
The TBIT System has an InfraScan
C. The Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T) is easily applied.
detector, a handheld device that peers 3.5
D. The CRoC, or Combat Ready Clamp, applies pressure to awkward areas of the body where a tourniquet
centimeters into the brain and looks for
cannot be used to halt bleeding.
brain hematoma with near-infrared light.
He emphasized that ADS Medical, whose specialists are recently
It can thus spot the invisible brain injuries, for example from improretired medics and corpsmen, works closely with customers to create
vised explosive devices (IEDs), of walking wounded. Oxygen can then
solutions to advance the combat casualty care of the military.
be administered immediately to save endangered brain tissue and the
Some firms make very specific devices for battlefield care, such as
soldier can be provided a Computerized Tomography (CAT) scan.
Combat Medical Systems. “Some of our products would be Combat
Marines have field-tested the detector and Stewart has been demGauze, Mojo Dart, Sentinel Chest Trauma Kit, Combat Read Clamp
onstrating the entire kit to Special Operations Command officers.
(CRoC) and Battle Wrap,” explained CMS Marketer Meghan Goslin.
ADS Medical has also created a state of the art hypothermia kit,
Combat gauze is recommended by the Committee on TCCC
the Hypothermia Active Re-warming Casevac System (HARCS). It
as first-line treatment for life-threatening hemorrhage in wounds
has a thermal blanket that can connect to a 2590 or 5590 battery and
not amenable to tourniquet placement. Simplicity and an advanced
provide continuous temperature delivery from 98.6 F to 105 F for up
hemostatic agent are combined in Combat Gauze, and it is the first
to seven hours. “It is the first blanket you can put in direct contact
hemostatic gauze to stop arterial and venous bleeding rapidly, Goslin
with the skin of an unconscious patient, eliminating the possibility of
said. Combat Gauze can be used on any size or shape of wound and is
burn,” Stewart said.
easily inserted and removed.
HARCS also has an APLS stretcher, or absorbent patient litter
Mojo Dart is a unique decompression needle that increases
system, and a waterproof bag. The entire kit is jumpable and can suit
successful management of casualties with symptoms of tension
many scenarios, including diving, maritime and service on the back of
pneumothorax. Its durable, easy-open case with flanges contains the
HMMWVs in all environments. SOCOM staff is testing and evaluating
sterile 14-gauge, 3.25-inch tension needle with catheter for chest
it now. In the future, the kit will provide a rigid stretcher, a “game
decompression.
changer,” according to Stewart.
20 | SOTECH 10.9
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
CMS’s Sentinel Chest Trauma Kit is a low-volume, low-cube,
chest-wound kit for treatment of open and sucking chest wounds
and tension pneumothorax. It contains a Mojo Dart, two Sentinel
occlusive chest dressings to seal entrance and exit wounds using a
dual-vent system and extreme-strength adhesive. Goslin said Sentinel
fits nicely in individual first-aid kits.
Battle Wrap is a compression wrap that allows visualization
of bleeding and provides pressure with no slipping. Flexible and
extremely strong, Battle Wrap has unique adhesive properties that do
not leave residue on skin.
CRoC is approved for use on the battlefield to control difficult
hemorrhage in the inguinal area. Cleared by the FDA, CRoC is recommended by the CTCC and is currently used by select medics in
Afghanistan.
“We are looking to obtain clearance from the FDA for CRoC to
be used to control difficult bleeds in other parts of the body,” Goslin
said. “We have a lot of data to that shows that CRoC is effective for
these other areas.”
Seemingly simple, tourniquets are a critical part of wound care,
whose quality is carefully examined because it is so important to
safe and effective use. The U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research
(USAISR) in 2004 studied seven tourniquets available on the market. The resulting “Laboratory Evaluation of Battlefield Tourniquets in Human Volunteers” found three of the seven, including
the Combat Application Tourniquet (C-A-T) available from North
American Rescue, to be 100 percent clinically effective in occluding
blood flow.
The USAISR recommended the C-A-T as the field tourniquet
of choice because it was less painful, easier to use, and smaller and
lighter than the other field-suitable tourniquet. The Committee on
TCCC and Army SOCOM reviewed the study, with the result that
the C-A-T was recommended by the committee as the tourniquet
of choice and Army SOCOM began issuing it as part of the Tactical
Combat Casualty Transition Initiative.
In 2008, The Journal of Trauma Injury, Infection, and Critical
Care released a study of casualty data on 232 battlefield casualties
that arrived at a combat support hospital in Baghdad during a sevenmonth period in 2006. It concluded that morbidity risk with tourniquet use was low and that the risk-benefit ratio was positive. The
majority of these patients received the C-A-T tourniquet. The study
found the C-A-T to be the best pre-hospital tourniquet.
As the U.S. military’s primary tourniquet, the C-A-T continues to
prove itself as the safest and most effective pre-hospital tourniquet,
said Ricardo Flores, director of military products at North American
Rescue and former senior medic, U.S. Army Rangers. Partly this is
because the C-A-T strikes the ideal
balance in applied pressure, high
enough to be effective yet not so high
as to endanger safety.
Uniquely, the C-A-T places a
tightening strap within a sleeve, a
“strap within a strap,” Flores said.
This more evenly distributes circumferential force around the limb, thus
requiring less pressure to succeed.
Tourniquets save more lives on
Ricardo Flores
the battlefield than any other [email protected]
dure or device. The leading cause of
preventable death on the battlefield is extremity hemorrhage, which
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What does Celox™ Rapid offer?
Celox™ Rapid Gauze offers a Z-fold presentation hemostat bandage, using Chito-RTM with activated chitosan to control bleeding. Designed to
speed up both, packing the wound and applying pressure, saving critical
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SOTECH 10.9 | 21
special section: SOF medicine
is primarily treated with tourniquets. “The C-A-T clearly plays a role
in reducing preventable battlefield death,” Flores said.
Philips Healthcare makes the
HeartStart MRx monitor and defibrillator, the IntelliVue MP2 compact transport monitor and the
HeartStart FR3 automated external
defibrillator (AED), explained Marketing Manager Victoria Maude. She
said Philips monitors and defibrillators offer best-in-class advantages to
military care, can withstand harsh
battlefield and transport conditions,
Victoria Maude
and meet military standards for
[email protected]
rotary and fixed wing transport.
The HeartStart MRx is portable, rugged and includes Philips’
SMART Biphasic therapy. It has excellent battery-powered operating
time, fast time to shock, night-vision capability and a large color
display. “It is designed to meet stringent test requirements, including explosive atmospheres, vibration, mechanical shock, extreme
hot and cold storage limits and electro-magnetic compatibility,”
Maude said.
The IntelliVue MP2 provides hospital-quality monitoring on
the battlefield. It is light, flexible and durable and can withstand
rain, shock, vibration, high humidity and temperature. The MP2
electronically records electrocardiogram, blood oxygen saturation,
normal blood pressure and exhaled CO2 with industry-leading measurements. Weighing only 3.3 pounds, the MP2 has a hot-swappable
battery and 3.5-inch touchscreen for battlefield use as well as a
night-vision goggle display filter for nighttime flying.
The HeartStart FR3 AED makes life saving faster and easier. It
is the smallest and, at 3.5 pounds, one of the lightest professional
AEDs. The FR3 has a long-life battery, can be configured for operation in 12 different languages and performs over 90 daily, weekly
and monthly self-tests with visual and audible alerts, including pad
integrity to signal that it is ready when needed.
“Having worked with the military for over 20 years, Philips
understands the unique care environment that military professionals face and leads the way with innovations in emergency care,”
Maude stressed. Philips equipment captures data at point of injury
and transports this data back to care facilities.
And no effective care can be given unless medical staff can see
clearly what they are doing. Jameson’s PAXLight is a light-emitting
diode (LED) field-hospital light that is available in both medical and
dental models. LED technology is cool to the touch and does not
project heat on the patient. In addition, it offers an exceptionally
long life, noted Jameson Marketing Manager Cathey Hayes. PAXLight is designed for field conditions, is compact and resistant to
both sand and splashes. An optional battery base operates the light
in the event of a power outage.
Designed for easy transport and one-man setup, Jameson’s expeditionary shelter lights have been used by the U.S. Marine Corps,
Army, Air Force and Navy. The product line includes LED protected
against electromagnetic interference (EMI), as well as general purpose, fluorescent and energy-efficient LED lights. EMI-protected
lights do not compromise peripheral electronics, communications
equipment, computers or medical equipment, Hayes explained.
Jameson will be introducing direct-current-powered LED shelter
lighting and a modular LED lighting system in the coming months.
22 | SOTECH 10.9
Physician Honored for Pinpointing
Warriors’ Medical Problem
The Sergeant Thomas Joseph Sullivan Center announced that its 2012 Award for Excellence in Post-Deployment Health Science is being
awarded to Dr. Robert F. Miller, a lung specialist at
Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Miller is one of a group of lung specialists across
the country dedicated to uncovering how airborne exposures in the Middle East theater may
be causing chronic illnesses in post -9/11 veterans.
The story started several years ago. Servicemembers returning from theater were having
trouble passing fitness tests at Fort Campbell, Ky.
They passed normal lung function tests, yet were
short of breath. In other contexts, unexplained
health problems such as these have been interpreted as psychological in origin when physical
explanations have not been found. In this case,
military physicians collaborated with Miller, who
performed surgical lung biopsies, an unconventional but in this case revealing move.
The lung biopsies made it clear that physical
causes were at the root of the servicemember’s
health problems. The procedure uncovered a
rare condition called constrictive bronchiolitis,
which is a narrowing of the tiniest and deepest
lung airways. This debilitating disease, rarely if ever
seen in young persons, has now been associated
with dust and smoke inhalation in the Middle East
theater.
These exposures have been associated by
health advocates with other post-deployment illnesses, including cancers, that have led to tragic
early deaths.
“The Sergeant Sullivan Center honors those
physicians, like Dr. Miller, who look for physical
causes for physical health problems, even when
the search is difficult,” said Peter Sullivan, a founding board member of the center. “Our own son,
Sergeant Tom Sullivan, was referred for psychological counseling when he was physically sick
with unexplained health problems. What our son
needed was a doctor like Dr. Miller, who looked
for answers before giving up.”
An innovator in development and manufacture of expeditionary
lighting solutions, Jameson’s expertise in energy-efficient lighting
and electromagnetic emissions reduction has made the company a
leading supplier to the advanced military medical community and to
the emergency-service providers in the United States. O
For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn
at [email protected] or search our online archives
for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.
www.SOTECH-kmi.com
More SOF lives are saved despite shortage of medical personnel during rapid op tempo.
The quality of medical care for special operators has improved
from 20th-century levels thanks to improved research and training,
even as SOF organizations face a shortage of medical personnel that
is compounded by the strong demand for special ops missions worldwide, including missions in austere locations far from permanent
medical facilities.
Those are some of the findings of senior SOF medical leaders,
who participated in a Special Operations Technology roundtable.
At a time when stupendous defense spending cuts may total $1
trillion over the next 10 years, and when a drawdown of regular
forces in theater means even greater demands on special forces, there
nonetheless is an unwavering resolve to maintain the highest quality
of medical care for wounded, sick and injured special operators, a
dedication that was voiced repeatedly by these medical leaders:
• Army: Colonel Peter J. Benson, Command Surgeon, U.S. Army
Special Operations Command
• Navy: Captain Barbara Drobina, Force Medical Officer for Naval
Special Warfare
• Marine Corps: Captain Scott A. Cota, Surgeon, Marine
Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special
Operations Command
What are the leading SOF medical care challenges facing your organization, and how are you addressing them?
Colonel Benson: There are a number of medical challenges
facing Army Special Operations Command as we move toward our
future in the Defense Strategy. Foremost is maintaining the health
and wellbeing of USASOC’s soldiers and families. In USASOC, the
soldier is the weapons platform and is the command’s most valuable
asset. A decade of combat operations has had its inevitable effects
on USASOC’s soldiers. Preserving the mental and physical health
and maximizing functional human potential is central to maintaining
mission readiness. Ensuring the USASOC’s units are fully integrated
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into the Army’s medical systems and Army installations supporting
programs is critical. Each soldier must be fit and healthy, and have the
programs like USASOC’s Human Performance Program THOR3 to
help them maximize their potential, mentally, physically and spiritually.
A healthy and grounded soldier, trained and equipped, is the foundation of mission success.
Second, producing the best-trained SOF medical providers with
the most up-to-date tactical clinical skills for the battlefield is an
enduring and challenging mission. Current operations have seen the
SOTECH 10.9 | 23
special section: SOF medicine
employment of the full range of SOF medical skills, from the treatment of penetrating torso injuries and complex blast trauma, to
primary care and veterinary skills and public health and sanitation.
Keeping the JFK Special Warfare Center and School abreast of the
most recent developments in clinical treatment, medical technology
and devices, like ultrasound use and improved regional anesthesia,
while at the same time inculcating lessons from recent operations, is
vital to keeping USASOC’s medics at the cutting edge. Another major
challenge is maintaining our capabilities while trying to catch up with
medical manpower requirements.
Third, a critical challenge is working with the conventional force
and SOCOM to ensure that future operations are appropriately
medically supported. Future operations will likely be in smaller units,
and geographically dispersed. The ability to deploy small, agile surgical
units and to provide critical care casualty evacuation is not assured.
Finally, in the last decade, expansion of USASOC and its missions,
especially in the JFK Special Warfare Center and School, has not
been matched with sufficient medical staff. USASOC has seen a great
expansion in its forces, which has been appropriately weighted to the
combat operational force. Additional personnel at the Special Warfare Center and in some of USASOCs’ units supporting echelons will
help sustain current medical supporting capabilities into the future.
To provide a more sufficient medical capability to the special operations force generation capacity, perhaps 150 medical personnel are
needed across USASOC’s various commands and elements.
Captain Drobina: Naval Special Warfare’s (NSW) challenges
are similar to that of the other SOCOM components—a high operational tempo that demands its own dedicated medical assets while
meeting our garrison medical requirements. However, presently our
main challenges are to maintain the training and qualifications of all
of our health care providers and the development and enhancement
of our combat SEAL medics.
To meet the training challenges, we are actively using the cornerstone medical training of advanced tactical provider [ATP] and ATP
refresher. But we are also exploring alternatives such as our own
military treatment facilities [MTFs] and emergency departments and
clinics, as well as our own operational clinics. We are also reaching
out to our reservists who can offer civilian training with a military
understanding.
Our other major challenge is the development and enhancement
of the Naval Special Warfare SEAL medic. Our combat medics are
primarily selected on a volunteer basis. Still, being a health care provider is not the primary vision of the SEAL medic who just achieved
the dream of becoming a Navy SEAL. But the combat medic is the
cornerstone of our combat care. We are faced with the dilemma of
maintaining motivated medics while allowing them to still be a SEAL
operator. We achieve this by providing additional medical coverage when available—assisting the medics in obtaining purposeful,
beneficial training opportunities both inside and outside of the military. Once again, we are looking toward our MTFs to provide training
opportunities in both emergent and non-emergent medical care.
With close, developing relationships with Navy medicine via the
MTFs, Naval Special Warfare will meet the demands of our challenges. We will be able to produce a SEAL combat medic that is
competent in battlefield medicine and combat care.
Captain Cota: As the newcomer to Special Operations Command, MARSOC medical assets are in a rapid growth phase during
this time of sustained high operational tempo. These two factors have
combined to stress our medical department and personnel. It is this
issue that presents both a challenge and an opportunity to develop
innovative ways to mitigate resourcing and deployment to dwell
[time] issues. This requires appropriately resourcing missions with
the properly trained medical support and providing quality medical
care in garrison.
Our U.S. Navy hospital corpsmen are organic members of the
Marine special operations team, providing tactical medical care
in the deployed setting. These highly trained Fleet Marine Forces
Reconnaissance Independent Duty Corpsmen [HM 8403] must complete a rigorous training program. Navy Field Medical Technicians
[HM 8404] must complete Basic Reconnaissance School, U.S. Army
Basic Airborne School, Marine Combatant Dive School, Amphibious
Reconnaissance Corpsman Course, U.S. Army Special Operations
Combatant Medic Course, or SOCM, and the Special Operations
Independent Duty Corpsman [SOIDC] course. It requires more than
two years of training in order to field a highly capable SOIDC who is
comparable to the Army’s special forces medical sergeant [18 Delta].
Upon graduation of the latter two courses, the member must then
pass the advanced tactical paramedic examination.
MARSOC SOIDCs require parallel growth increases consistent
with the growth of MARSOC at both the operational and tactical
levels. The true challenge is to mitigate the timeline necessary to
get SOIDCs trained, proficient and fully qualified before deploying,
coupled with the Navy’s SOIDC manpower shortage.
MARSOC has prioritized this issue and it is being mitigated
by several bridging solutions. MARSOC has secured more seats at
Basic Reconnaissance School, SOCM and the SOIDC course. This
increased throughput will enable us to meet our future requirements.
Academic and physical training prep courses have been developed in order to decrease attrition rates at Basic Reconnaissance
School and the SOCM course.
MARSOC’s most critical asset is its people. Providing our combat
medics with quality medical training and equipment is paramount.
Our critical skills operators and special operations capability specialists are multi-dimensional warriors deserving of the highest quality
medical care available. Providing them with the highest quality medical care ensures the continued success of MARSOC.
What SOF medical research is ongoing in your organization?
Captain Drobina: Medical research supported by NSW is
focused to improve the operational capability and performance of
24 | SOTECH 10.9
the operators and their unique missions. Currently we are working with Navy researchers at the Naval Health Research Center to
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identify unique neurocognitive factors and profile of the elite performers. Not all operators are the same, and understanding what factors make up the best of the best may lead to enhanced training and
performance in the future. We are also working with the University
of Pittsburgh to determine the human performance characteristics
of our operators, and comparing that to elite athletes. The purpose
is to determine if these characteristic differences are an advantage
or disadvantage in the environment and mission we operate in. These
characteristics are also being evaluated against the type of musculoskeletal injuries sustained to determine if they are related and can
be modified.
Another research project supported by SOCOM is the development of an underwater physiological monitoring system to
initially be used in the training environment. Surface physiological
monitoring of swimmers by trainers may allow trainers to identify those characteristics of successful performers in the water
versus those struggling, and allow for improved teaching strategies to maximize everyone’s overall performance. Additionally,
SOCOM is supporting a study to evaluate the injury profile of
special boat operators due to their unique physiological stressors.
The goal is to determine the optimal human performance profile
to mitigate injury. We are always looking for the right tools to
optimize and sustain the physical and mental performance of every
operator.
Captain Cota: Again, because we are new to SOF and new
in developing our support systems, we currently have no medical
research projects underway. However, in lieu of existing medical
research projects, MARSOC is positioning to network with DoD and
academic institutions. Through planned organizational growth and
development, MARSOC medical will eventually evolve to appropriate
staffing levels and a level of sophistication necessary to conduct our
own research and development programs. Near future opportunities that exist include partnerships with Navy Medicine and Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency [DARPA]. We will further seek
opportunities to enhance our medical capabilities to maintain the
health and welfare of MARSOC warriors and their families through
technological advances.
Colonel Benson: One of the most important initiatives in USASOC has been a treatment protocol for the fielding of freeze dried
plasma [FDP] to specific units within USASOC. Historical experience with severe combat trauma has documented the lethal combat
trauma effects of coagulopathy [an impaired ability of blood to form
clots], acidosis [increased acidity of the blood], and hypothermia
[too-low body temperature]. Recent research has revealed that many
of our historical strategies regarding treatment have not only been
ineffective, but may have been harmful. Currently, the practice of
hypotensive resuscitation—controlling hemorrhage while minimizing
fluid use—avoids crystalloids which might dilute blood clotting factors. Anti-fibrinolytic medications stabilize formed clots but have no
effect on coagulopathy from consumption of clotting factors or hemorrhagic loss. The limited- or non-availability of fresh whole blood, or
blood products such as fresh frozen plasma to the SOF medic in the
field made an alternative critical.
FDP is a shelf-stable, purified product made from the pooled
human donor plasma. The great advantages of FDP are that it is
very easy to mix and administer in the field, and provides repletion
of normal clotting proteins in normal ratios, as well as providing
circulating volume. This is a tremendous step forward in providing the SOF medic with a means to treat traumatic coagulopathy
in the field. When combined with the administration of the antifibrinolytic medication tranexamic acid, or TXA—which prevents
the breakdown of established blood clots—FDP may be ideal for
the resuscitation of severe traumatic casualties outside rapidly
available blood products or a future blood substitute. USASOC
has an FDA-approved investigational new drug treatment protocol
for limited fielding of a French Military Health Services-produced
FDP until an FDA-approved-U.S.-produced FDP is available. This
initiative holds tremendous promise in changing the paradigm for
traumatic hemorrhagic coagulopathy and volume loss in the combat
setting.
Tactical combat casualty care [TCCC] has been a game changer that grew out of this past decade of conflict in
Afghanistan and Iraq. Can you tell us what other protocols/systems will be fielded, and as well, how will you preserve
the lower death rates among casualties, given the reduction in available assets going forward?
Captain Cota: SOF Truth: Competent special operations forces
cannot be created after emergencies occur.
MARSOC medical will adapt to the changing environment and
must continue to build strong relationships within the Department
of the Navy and with our sister services’ SOF medical capability to
maintain the stellar track record of combat lifesaving care in the
field. The requirement to clearly understand the effect/timing that
unit movement will have on the medical capability and medical care
continuum is vital in the area of operations. The MARSOC medical
section stresses the need to develop tactical medical support relationships in the field down to the lowest levels. There is also a high
level of emphasis placed on staying ahead of the change, so that we
can adapt our limited resources to maintain a high level of care.
Because we do not have a large footprint, our top priority is to
ensure that MARSOC medical continues to train TCCC across the
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spectrum of our deploying forces, looking for innovative solutions to
expand that base care under evolving operational requirements, and
constantly seeking to exploit elevation of care opportunities in the
field. MARSOC medical understands that this requires outside-thebox thinking, capability optimization and full spectrum networking.
Our medical system has adopted this culture of care. Through a
highly selective interview process, we train to the highest level, equip
to the highest technology, and man with the right mix of specialties
to ensure providers in the organization can multitask to the highest
level. We recently adapted the SOCOM TCCC casevac kit for isolated environments and are looking to build some internal structure
to support training for en-route and emergency lifesaving care. The
key for MARSOC medical to preserve lower mortality rates lies in
our risk mitigation planning, resource allocation and optimization of
training.
SOTECH 10.9 | 25
special section: SOF medicine
MARSOC’s Marines and sailors leverage their services’ ethos
as agile expeditionary warfighters to provide SOCOM with an
enhanced capability to conduct full spectrum special operations
worldwide. Our teams must be scalable and capable of executing
independent operations with unprecedented speed and versatility in
austere conditions against a wide range of adversaries. Our ability
to screen, assess, select and train our people to operate forward of
the front lines—from the tactical to strategic levels simultaneously—
while continually and holistically evaluating problems and challenges,
comprehending the situation, and making critical decisions in a timely
and effective manner, is the hallmark of our organization. We are
committed to developing medical personnel who have the ability to
operate effectively and thrive in complex, uncertain and asymmetric
environments.
Colonel Benson: The advent of and widespread training in
the concept of tactical combat casualty care as a unit or organizational response to a casualty event has made a seminal difference in
casualty survival on the battlefield. TCCC is continually refined and
updated for effectiveness and trainability. Clinical aspects, such as the
most appropriate technique for definitive airway management by a
SOF medic, receive ongoing evaluation. TCCC in its current state is
fairly mature, but it requires ongoing re-validation for effectiveness
and trainability, based on combat experience and outcome data. The
feature in our treatment system that bears discussion is the ability to
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support a more responsive and proximate damage-control surgical
resuscitative capability.
Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq were generally well supported by rapid evacuation to a surgically capable asset. TCCC has
enabled thousands of lives to be saved, casualties that were then
evacuated to higher levels of care. But after operations in Afghanistan
and outside its mature HSS architecture, it is unlikely that SOF will
be supported with such a robust structure. TCCC must be integrated
with properly positioned, and available surgical support to replicate
the lower KIA [killed in action] and DOW [died of wounds while
in a treatment facility] rates as currently seen. This will require
medical units or capabilities organic to or in direct support of SOF
operations that are able to supply a high level of critical care casualty evacuation, either by fixed or rotary wing, as well as light, small
footprint, surgical assets. These units or elements must be specifically
trained and equipped to support the range of SOF operations in a
decentralized, dispersed and often unsupported operational setting.
As the Army downsizes, SOF operations will continue and grow. The
goal in the future is to ensure that the tremendous level of integrated
medical support seen in current operations can made available in a
SOF-capable element.
Captain Drobina: Tactical combat causality care techniques
and equipment continue to dominate medical care on the battlefield.
Recently, each SEAL team received TCCC casevac sets. The sets
facilitate the rescue, recovery and evacuation of trauma causalities.
The sets also allow for the stabilization of casualties in the case of
delayed patient transportation. The sets allow for involved medical
care in remote and austere settings. The use of these sets is directed
towards the special operations forces medics who are certified as
advanced tactical practitioners. These medics must also attend additional training specific to all of the casevac set components before
the sets are issued to the teams. Other medical providers involved
with the SEAL team [physicians, physician assistants and independent
duty corpsmen] may also attend the training to become familiar with
the sets.
The casevac sets are composed of extraction equipment and high
angle rescue equipment; advanced monitoring equipment to include
external defibrillation and cardiac monitoring; advanced airway capabilities; and equipment to store, transport, warm and transfer blood.
These sets are designed to provide advanced medical care for two
critically injured or ill patients for up to 24 hours. Treatment capabilities include the management of life-threatening hemorrhage, shock,
burns and pain management.
Each component of the casevac sets can function independently
or they can be used in conjunction with one another. The combat
mission determines what components of the sets are taken forward.
These casevac sets will bridge the medevac/casevac gap when
theater and environmental conditions do not permit a rapid evacuation. These sets will be a great asset in the reduction of morbidity
and mortality in the operational theater. O
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Calendar
December 15-18, 2012
Special Operations Medical
Association Conference
Tampa, Fla.
www.specopsmedassociation.org
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January 15-18, 2013
Shot Show
Las Vegas, Nev.
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January 28-30, 2013
NDIA SO/LIC
Washington, D.C.
www.ndia.org/meetings/3880/
January 28-31, 2013
Soldier Technology US
Arlington, Va.
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SOTECH 10.9 | 27
INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Special Operations Technology
Pete Campbell
Medical Sales Manager
ADS Medical
Pete Campbell is the medical sales manager at ADS. Campbell graduated from
Radford University in 1992 with a degree
in sociology and later earned his master’s degree in human development from
George Washington University. With over
10 years of medical sales, training and
management experience at companies like
Eli Lilly, GlaxoWelcome, GlaxoSmithKline,
Depuy Orthopaedics, Campbell leads the
ADS Medical team in providing state-of-theart equipment and solutions to the medical
warfighters in an effort to help them prevent
injury and save lives.
Q: Please tell us about ADS Medical and
your organization’s relationship with the
SOF community.
A: ADS Inc. has been providing timely and
cost-effective solutions to our SOF community for over a decade. Our medical product
line grew out of requests from our customers
to help them procure medical equipment in
theater and in garrison. Many of our first
medical solutions were created for the SOF
community, and they continue to be a major
focus of our attention and efforts.
Q: How do you field requests from the SOF
medical community?
A: ADS Medical is comprised of a team of
dedicated professionals, many of whom are
retired military medical personnel. Moreover, several of our team members were
special forces medics and corpsmen. It is
from that knowledge platform that we can
identify current issues and offer unique
28 | SOTECH 10.9
solutions, whether that is a specific product
or a custom kit to meet the demands of any
mission.
Q: In the face of tightening budgets, how
is ADS Medical helping to increase the SOF
medic’s effectiveness, lighten his equipment
load, and maintain his technological
edge?
A: Our team is largely comprised of former
operators, so cube and weight are always crucial factors that determine which products
we promote and which solutions we believe
will work in the austere environments our
customers work in. In addition to products,
we also provide multiple procurement solutions to our customers so that they can
maximize their budgets while continuing
to provide the level of care our warfighters
deserve.
Q: What new technologies are coming that
will change the way medicine is practiced at
the tactical edge?
A: Many of the new technologies that we promote provide cost savings. One product is the
CCMD kit with cardiac science. The CCMD
kit provides cardiac diagnostic information
to field units. Until now, this level of care was
limited to robust medical treatment facilities
and large deck Navy vessels due to the lack of
portability of the ECG machine. The CCMD
kit now provides in-the-field diagnostic information to rule out cardiac-related chest pain
versus non-cardiac-related chest pain, saving lives and saving thousands of dollars by
avoiding unnecessary medevacs.
Q: One of your most exciting products
is Celox Rapid. Can you tell our readers
what makes this product unique and why it
should be a part of every SOF warrior’s kit?
A: SOF operators require a hemostatic agent
that is faster to pack and a product that can
achieve hemostasis reliably with a short to
zero compression. They also need a product
that has a trend to higher hemostasis and
decreases secondary blood loss compared to
other products. This is a product that also
adheres to wet tissue significantly more than
other products, and—once in place—a product that maintains hemostasis throughout
transports without re-bleeding. SOF operators need a hemostatic agent that can stretch
shrinking budgets. Compared to other products, Celox Rapid is a better-value product
that outperforms other hemostatic agents.
Q: Anything else our SOF community
should know about your organization?
A: We have three warrior expos scheduled for
2013, and we would like to extend an invitation to everyone in the SOF community.
They are strategically located in San Diego,
San Antonio and Virginia Beach, Va., to
reduce travel time for our customers. There
will be a major focus on introducing new
medical technologies, products, and training
to our medical customers that attend. Please
join us as our success depends on candid
input and feedback from you.
Our ADS Medical team is honored every
day to work with men and women that take
care of our warfighters. We thank you for
your service and your expertise. O
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D u a l L a n g u a g e A r a b ic - E n g l i s h Edi t i o n — M idd l e E a s t D i s t r i b u t i o n
Next Issue
February 2013
Volume 11, Issue 1
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
Michael Sheehan
Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict
Features
■■ Ground Mobility Vehicle
Special operators need to move swiftly but safely
wherever their mission dictates, and the GMV permits
them to do that. We give you test drives in vehicles being
proposed for this critical requirement.
■■ Battlefield Logistics
Any organization with tens of thousands of people
scattered across the globe must have a cutting-edge
logistics system that knows what warriors need before
they need it, ensuring that they are well equipped. This
also involves keeping track of a galactic-scale number of
items, ranging from gloves to weapons.
■■ Sensor Systems
In an era where the nature of combat has changed and
the enemy can appear from any direction at any time,
sensor systems are crucial, warning of impending threats.
Examine advanced sensor systems and discover how
they work.
■■ Joint Threat Warning Systems
Special operations forces gain a guardian with the
JTWS, which provides life-saving situational awareness
with a four-part asset: One is body worn or team
transportable, another is an air variant, yet another
provides geo-location intelligence, and there is a
maritime variant. It all adds up to a cocoon of safety.
Special Section:
Special Reconnaissance,
Surveillance and Exploitation
A warrior who knows what the enemy is
about to do can defeat that foe every time.
We examine ISR systems that permit special
operators to learn the secrets of their
opponents and exploit that knowledge to
prevail on the battlefield.
Bonus Distribution:
SO/LIC
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