Gct 4 5 final

Army Strong

Gen. John F. Campbell

Vice Chief of StaffU.S. Army

The Publication of Distinction for the Maneuver Warfighter

October 2013Volume 4, Issue 5

www.GCT-kmi.com

Eye and Hearing Protection O Vehicle Intercom SystemsVehicle Subsystems O Major Army Program Updates

Exclusive Interview with:Col. Steven SlIwaDirectorRapid Equipping Force

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Cover / Q&AFeatures

General John F. CampbellVice Chief of Staff

U.S. Army

16

Departments Industry Interview2 editor’s perspeCtive3 intel/people14 innovations27 resourCe Center

Chris heavensVice President and General ManagerAR Modular RF

October 2013Volume 4, Issue 5ground combat technology

28

8maJor army proGram updatesSenior staffs, including program executive officers, provide a detailed status report on select U.S. Army acquisition programs. If you need to know what’s happening at PEO Aviation, C3T, and EIS, this is a must-read.

4vehiCle power demandsMilitary vehicle subsystems call for more power from engines, lethal weapons and advanced communications, to name a few. There’s even a green advancement that could be developed for the ground combat vehicle, a hybrid electric drive system. We chat with industry leaders who provide the latest capabilities to ground troops on the move.By Peter BuxBaum

23proteCtinG eyes and earsMilitary organizations constantly work with industry to enhance the levels of protection available to troops’ hearing and sight. Hearing protection has been standard military issue for more than a decade. Now more than ever, ballistically protected ear and eyewear continues to evolve to give operators new levels of safety and comfort.By Bill murray

25next-Gen vehiCle interCom systemBefore noise attenuating intercom systems were installed on up-armored HMMWVs, communicating at speed meant yelling or tugging at your buddy. With the new system, soldiers can better communicate in the high-noise environments of combat vehicles and have improved situational awareness through crew communications.By twyman Bledsoe

“We will make every effort to preserve

readiness in the force, accepting risk only where

necessary. There is no doubt that

our globally responsive

and regionally engaged Army will continue to remain the best

manned, trained, equipped and led ground force in

the world.”

— General John F. Campbell

u.s. army rapid equippinG ForCeThe REF’s new director, Colonel Steven Sliwa, outlines his vision for the future of force capabilities to provide rapid solutions to the globally deployed warfighter. This special pull-out supplement is accompanied by a two-page pictorial spread providing a detailed look at the command structure.

19

Special Section

His father, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant and Vietnam vet, is thankful his pension hasn’t been affected yet. His little sister, a longtime Defense Commissary Agency employee with a newborn, is anxious to get back to work. His aunt, a career financial analyst at the Small Business Administration, balances her personal furlough concerns with questions about how to best support small business owners losing government business, many of whom are veterans.

That’s a bit of the effect the government shutdown is having on this Campbell. The highest ranking one in the U.S. Army (no relation), Vice Chief of Staff General John F. Campbell, feels this multiplied by more than 1.4 million—the combined number of Army soldiers and civilians who are affected by the stalemate in Congress. In this issue, General Campbell has a frank discussion about how the budget crisis is affecting DoD servicemembers and civilians presently, and will hinder the defense of our nation in fiscal year 2014 and beyond.

As GCT went to press, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had just met with the service chiefs for an update on the ongoing shutdown. Fortunately, most DoD civilians are returning to work, but despite that recall, many critical activities are still not being funded. The chiefs reported that the Defense Department currently cannot authorize the typical cash payment to survivors of servicemembers killed in action. Emergency funding to support intelli-gence activities and commanders on the ground is also unavailable. Training for later deploying units, which has already been reduced due to sequestration, is being further reduced, the service leaders reported.

While those of us in Washington can see the shutdown’s effects firsthand around the beltway, General Campbell points out that most Americans won’t notice the impact until the Army is called upon in a time of crisis. “Unfortunately, readiness takes time to rebuild,” he said. “Training takes time to restore; it takes time to order, receive and install repair parts for vehicles and other equipment. So, even if we were fully funded tomorrow, it would take time to restore readiness to healthy levels and provide the nation with the Army they have always relied on in times of crisis.”

A large portion of this issue is also devoted to how, under these budget-restrained conditions, government and industry are able to provide soldiers with the best protective gear and vehicle systems available. There’s more good news in the form of program manage-ment updates from Program Executive Offices Aviation; Command, Control and Communications-Tactical; and Enterprise Information Systems.

Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions about GCT as we press on through these challenging times, hooah!


Editorial

EditorJeff Campbell [email protected] EditorHarrison Donnelly [email protected] Editorial ManagerLaura Davis [email protected] EditorSean Carmichael [email protected] Bailey • Peter Buxbaum Henry Canaday • John M. Doyle • Bill MurrayCalvin Pilgrim • Marc Selinger

art & dEsign

Art DirectorJennifer Owers [email protected] Graphic DesignerJittima Saiwongnuan [email protected] Designers Scott Morris [email protected] Papineau [email protected] Paquette [email protected] Waring [email protected]

advErtising

Account ExecutiveLois Lawrence [email protected]

KMi MEdia group

Chief Executive OfficerJack Kerrigan [email protected] and Chief Financial OfficerConstance Kerrigan [email protected] Vice PresidentDavid Leaf [email protected] McKaughan [email protected] Castro [email protected] Show CoordinatorHolly Foster [email protected]

opErations, CirCulation & produCtion

Operations AdministratorBob Lesser [email protected] & Marketing AdministratorDuane Ebanks [email protected] Gill [email protected] SpecialistsRaymer Villanueva [email protected] Walker [email protected]

a proud MEMbEr of:

subsCription inforMation

Ground Combat TechnologyISSN 2157-1503

is published seven times a year by KMI Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction without permission is strictly forbidden. © Copyright 2013.

Ground Combat Technology is free to qualified members of the U.S. military, employees of the

U.S. government and non-U.S. foreign service based in the U.S.

All others: $65 per year. Foreign: $149 per year.

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Rockville, MD 20855-2604 USATelephone: (301) 670-5700

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ground CoMbat tEChnology

Volume 4, Issue 5 • October 2013

edItor’S PerSPectIVe

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Geospatial Intelligence

Forum

www.BCD-kmi.com

June 2012Volume 1, Issue 1

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Border Threat Prevention and CBRNE Response

Border Protector

Michael J. Fisher

ChiefU.S. Border PatrolU.S. Customs and Border Protection

Wide Area Aerial Surveillance O Hazmat Disaster ResponseTactical Communications O P-3 Program

Integrated Fixed Towers

Leadership Insight:Robert S. BrayAssistant Administrator for Law EnforcementDirector of the Federal Air Marshal Service Transportation Security Administration

SPECIAL SECTION:

Border & CBRNE Defense

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Military AdvancedEducation

www.MIT-kmi.com

Military Information Technology

www.GCT-kmi.com

Ground Combat

Technology

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Military Logistics Forum

www.M2VA-kmi.com

Military Medical & Veterans

Affairs Forum

www.MT2-kmi.com www.NPEO-kmi.com

Carrier Craftsman

Rear Adm. Thomas J. Moore

U.S. Navy Program Executive OfficerAircraft Carriers

Presidential Helicopter O Shipboard Self-Defense O Riverine Patrol CraftPrecision Guided Munitions O Educational Development Partnership

www.npeo-kmi.com

The Communication Medium for Navy PEOs

SPECIAL SECTION:CARRIER ONBOARD DELIVERY OPTIONS

Military Training Technology

Navy Air/Sea PEO Forum

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Special Operations Technology

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Tactical ISR Technology

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U.S. Coast Guard Forum

KMI MedIa Group LeadershIp MaGazInes and WebsItes

Jeff Campbelleditor

Tactical NVG Contract AwardedExelis has been awarded a direct commercial

contract valued at $28 million to provide I-Aware tactical mobility night vision goggles (TM-NVG) to an international customer. Delivery is scheduled to take place during 2014.

The I-Aware TM-NVG is a multipurpose night vision goggle that connects individuals to the larger battlefield network, enhancing situational awareness for both the soldier and command and control elements. Features include video import and export capability, viewing GPS, mapping, command text messages and target information with video input from weapon sights to view around corners.

Additionally, the TM-NVG may be used as part of a system that includes the Exelis SpearNet team member radio. SpearNet is a compact data network radio that can transmit voice as well as streaming video, allowing commanders to maintain secure communications and see what dismounted soldiers see, in real time. The mesh network radio is designed specifically for operating in close quarters such as urban

environments, tunnels and ship boarding where traditional radios face connectivity challenges.

“Our advanced goggle provides this interna-tional customer with an increased operational effectiveness using the latest in night vision tech-nology while still providing the ability to build to a system with increased capabilities,” said Nick Bobay, president of the Exelis night vision and tactical communications systems division.

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffIntel

Col. Jose R. Burgos

Congress has confirmed Colonel Jose R. Burgos for appointment to the rank of briga-dier general and assignment as the commanding general, 1st Mission Support Command, U.S. Army Reserve Puerto Rico. As the commanding

general of the 1st Mission Support Command, the largest federal U.S. Army command in the Caribbean, Burgos will command a force of approximately 4,000 troops and hundreds of civilians.

Lieutenant General John R. Wood, USA (Ret.), has joined AFCEA International as executive vice president for defense. Wood will be responsible for engagement within the defense, government, military, industry and academic communities.

His service of more than 36 years includes experience ranging from the tactical level with coalition forces in combat through Army level following 9/11, to the national level in the National Security Council during the Reagan administration.

The Army Chief of Staff has assigned Brigadier General David B. Haight, commandant, U.S. Army Infantry School, U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, Fort Benning, Ga., to deputy commander, regional

command-east, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.

Army Reserve Brigadier General Allan W. Elliot has been assigned as chief, CJ4, International Security Assistance Force, Afghanistan. He most recently served as the deputy commanding general, 108th Training Command (initial entry training), Charlotte, N.C.

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffPeoPle

Border Security

Performance Upgrades

DRS Technologies Inc. announced upgrades to its RedRock integrated geoloca-tion system with the addition of high-speed frequency scanning and multiple target acquisition features. The enhancements boost performance in the field when identifying targets that are using radio frequency signals.

With high-speed scanning, users are able to identify multiple targets, offering a more rapid situational assessment within specified frequency ranges. The multiple target and direction-finding acquisition feature is able to collect location data on single or multiple targets that are using radio frequency signals, separate the results and generate distinctive “heat maps” giving users more exact location data for specific targets.

“These new capabilities add significant utility and value to the RedRock product and users will find the new features useful for both overt and covert missions,” said Jim Shea, vice president of DRS signal solutions.

DRS Technologies’ RedRock units are small, lightweight and fully integrated. An upgrade kit is available for fielded RedRock products.

DRS has more than 20 years of operational experience developing and fielding border security technology, much of it in the most difficult and clut-tered border environments in the world. It has designed, integrated, installed and helps operate systems in Egypt and Jordan, including sections where major refugee crises are

currently underway.

www.GCT-kmi.com GCT 4.5 | 3

Recent news reports indicate that BAE Systems, one of the developers of the United States Army’s ground combat vehicle (GCV) currently under development, successfully tested a hybrid electric drive system for the GCV. The hybrid electric drive system components BAE used will be incorpo-rated in BAE’s ground combat vehicle offering to the U.S. Army.

The ground combat vehicle, which will be replacing M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, is scheduled to go into pro-duction in 2018. BAE is in competition with General Dynam-ics Land Systems to supply the Army with the new vehicles.

The fact that the GCV may emerge as a hybrid electric vehicle highlights the importance of harnessing electricity for the combat and tactical vehicles of the future. Hybrid electric propulsion systems can increase vehicle performance and

save on fuel. Power generated by hybrid electric drives and alternative propulsion systems can supply the ever-increasing demands for electricity on board military vehicles, from powering on-board computers to running auxiliary electric motors. As military vehicles continue to evolve, so too do the subsystems incorporated in them.

“Military ground vehicles have large electrical power requirements compared to civilian vehicles,” said Joel King, assistant vice president and manager of the research and development support division at Alion Science and Technol-ogy. “Those power requirements keep growing as more equip-ment is added. Much of the battlefield operational tempo for these vehicles is mounted surveillance, where the vehicle is stationary but the electronic equipment is all operating. Pow-ering that equipment via the alternator attached to the main

Industry travels a green road whIle powerIng up vehIcle subsystems.

by peter buxbaum

gct correspondent

An artist’s depiction of BAE Systems’ ground combat vehicle (GCV) under development. BAE has successfully tested a hybrid electric drive system for the GCV. [Photo courtesy of BAE Systems]

www.GCT-kmi.com4 | GCT 4.5

engine is very fuel-inefficient. The worse case is the Abrams tank, which consumes 15 gallons per hour of fuel at idle.”

According to BAE, the hybrid electric drive it is developing for the GCV will meet the vehicle’s requirements for torque, sustained speed and acceleration. It will also reduce the vehicle’s weight, provide for better packaging, and will produce electric and reserve power. BAE estimates that the hybrid electric drive will save the GCV 10 to 20 percent on fuel.

The same considerations that motivated BAE to incorporate a hybrid electric drive into its version of the GCV could benefit other military vehicles in the fleet, noted Don Banks, manager of the tacti-cal and combat vehicle engine business at Caterpillar Inc. Caterpil-lar supplies engines to many U.S. military vehicles, including the Stryker, the Army’s family of medium tactical vehicles, the heavy expanded mobility tactical truck, the heavy equipment transporter, the palletized load system, and several versions of the mine resistant ambush protected vehicle.

“We supply mechanical engines to manufacturers of military vehicles,” said Banks, “but we have the capability of providing hybrid electric drives to these vehicles and have made that offer to the Department of Defense. We already put these kinds of engines in civilian products like tractors and bulldozers. So far, TACOM has been dabbling in this area. They have been looking but they haven’t been buying.”

How might these military vehicles benefit from a hybrid electric drive? “In the first place, it means procuring a lower-horsepower die-sel engine and that translates into a lower-priced engine,” said Banks. “Then, the system can also provide power for the various computers and other systems that are running on the vehicles, and for electric wheel motors that operate independently and which are quieter than diesel engines. If it is a troop transport vehicle, it can provide power so that soldiers can recharge their personal electronic devices.”

The traditional diesel engine and alternator combination are no longer able to provide all of the electricity required to run systems on board vehicles. “The U.S. military has an insatiable appetite for power,” said Banks. “Even the largest alternators are starting to get taxed.”

All Caterpillar needs to know is how much electrical power would need to be produced on board and the company could provide an engine to meet those requirements, said Banks. “Our forte is to create power to run the vehicles’ operations,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what it is being used for. But we would have to know the requirements from the beginning so that we can size it appropri-ately.”

Electricity generated by such a system could power auxiliary electrical engines on vehicles to reduce the noise they were generat-ing as they crept up close to an enemy location. “The Army is starting to talk about a silent watch capability,” said Banks. “If they wanted to sneak up on an enemy camp, they would want to stop several mines away, turn off the diesel engine and used stored-up energy to run the vehicle electrically. This could have potential on a vehicle like the Stryker.”

The main obstacle to procuring these more sophisticated drives for additional military vehicles is cost: with the hybrid electric drive, the per-vehicle cost goes up. “But they don’t necessarily have to outfit all vehicles with hybrid drives,” said Banks. “I doubt they will upgrade existing vehicles. They would be hard to retrofit but I do believe they will eventually transition to a more sophisticated vehicle.”

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Another approach to producing the required electricity on board military vehi-cles is to equip them with auxiliary power units, or APUs. “Electrical power demand on some vehicle systems will soon outstrip the ability of an accessory-driven alternator to produce,” said King. “APUs are one solution.” Alion is providing technical and scientific support in the development and integrat ion of APUs.

“A properly sized APU would consume one to two gallons of fuel per hour to pro-duce 10 kWe,” said King. “Operating APUs and not the main engine during mounted surveillance can contribute significantly to reduced fuel consumption, reducing the number of fuel convoys, reducing the num-ber of convoys attacked, and reducing the number of convoy deaths.”

One subset of APUs, which can also include reciprocating, rotary and turbine internal combustion engines, is the fuel cell. The cells use fuel to generate electricity, but the nature of the fuel used by military vehicles presents a significant challenge to developing APUs for those vehicles. “The Army has chosen JP8 as the single fuel it uses to run vehicles and aircraft to simplify its fuel logistics,” explained King. “The problem is that JP8 has a high sulfur content,” which can compromise the performance of the fuel cell. “There is a great deal of work being done to enable the reforming of the JP8 on board the vehicle to scrub out the sulfur and produce a hydrogen-rich fuel stream that would be used by fuel cells to make electricity.”

A turbine engine APU was included in the original version of the Abrams tank when it was introduced in the 1970s, “but it didn’t pan out from a fuel consumption or an acoustic signature perspec-tive and they ended up removing it,” said King. “The advantage of fuel cells is that they are inherently quiet systems. This reduces the acoustic detectabil-ity of the vehicle.”

Fuel cells hold out the possibility for the silent propulsion of smaller vehicles. “Special forces might be interested in something that moves quietly across the landscape,” said King. “Fuel cells could replace diesel engines as the main propulsion systems for some smaller vehicles in the future. Because it is electrical, it could also export power from the vehicle to forward operating bases and other needs.”

A reciprocating engine internal combustion engine APU to power on-board systems is expected to be provided for the Abrams tank in the near future. “In the longer term they may go with a rotary engine,” said King. “If a silent APU is eventually called for, that would be a fuel cell.” Alion is currently providing support to TARDEC to develop and mature these kinds of technologies. The efforts are currently at the demonstration stage.

Vehicle communications systems have also evolved, and as they have, so have the amplifiers used to help boosting their sig-nals. Amplifiers have been required since communications equip-ment has shrunk while using less power. The latest generation

of amplifiers accommodates the latest developments in software defined radios.

Historical military transceivers put out 10 to 20 watts, but with the increasing use of jamming and the additional volumes of transmissions, radios require more power. Amplifiers, such as those

manufactured by AR, can boost a radio’s power to 125 watts and extend a vehicle’s communications range from one to three miles to as much as 12 miles.

“This last year, our research and development have focused on a new series of portable and vehicle amplifiers that deal with network communications on the battlefront,” said Chris Heavens, AR’s vice president and general manager. “The latest software defined radios can now go to up to a frequency of 2 gigahertz and use new networking waveforms like the wideband networking waveform and the advanced networking wideband waveform that came out of JTRS [the Joint Tactical Radio System]. We

are adapting our products to keep up with these new generations of radios.”

Also challenging AR are the longer transmission times for which these new radios are used. “That means that that the radios and amplifiers build up more heat and our products require good thermal management,” said Heavens.

AR is now building amplifiers with optional fans that can be attached to the unit or, in one case, with the fan built into the amplifier. “Now that there is a demand for long transmissions and repeated long transmissions, the amplifier has to cool down,” said Heavens.

When weapons penetrate a military ground vehicle’s armor, the danger from fire within the vehicle can be as great as the danger from shrapnel and blast. “Warfighters are trained on the layers of survivability,” said Steve Hodges, principal senior scientist at Alion Science and Technology. “The first is: don’t be seen. The second is: don’t be hit. If a vehicle is hit, it has armor to protect it but if the armor is overmatched, they are left with fire protection. Vehicles are

A U.S. Army M2A1 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle assigned to the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson Colo., guards a checkpoint near the training village of Dar Alam during Joint Readiness Training Center rotation. The ground combat vehicle, which will be replacing M2 Bradleys, is set to go into production in 2018. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force/by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres]

Chris Heavens


heavy and need to carry a lot of fuel to have an effective range, so it is not that hard to engage the fuel.”

The most effective fire-fighting agent known to date has been Halon. But Halon is a hydroflurocarbon, and is being phased out because it is considered a greenhouse gas. Research is ongoing to find a sub-stitute for Halon. “The goal is to prevent injuries to crews from fires and explosions,” said Hodges. Hodges is working with the TARDEC fire protection team on the research.

For decades, combat vehicles have been equipped with the automatic fire extinguishing system (AFES). In the last decade, as U.S. forces have faced the danger of IEDs, tacti-cal vehicles have also been increasingly equipped with AFES.

“AFES relies on optical sensors to detect a fire because thermal sensors are not quick enough,” said Hodges. The optical sensor reacts within 20 milliseconds. The sensor communicates with a cen-tral control system that sends a signal to extinguishers, which open their valves and discharge their contents within 150 milliseconds.

“A hit that involves the fuel will cause an explosion that will kill the crew in a fraction of a second,” said Hodges. “AFES works to extinguish the fire in less than a fifth of a second.”

The Halon used in the original AFES systems has a high ozone depleting potential. Further production of Halon was outlawed by the Montreal Protocol in 1994, so the U.S. Army stockpiled huge quantities of Halon that are expected to last for the remaining life

expectancy of the Abrams tank, another 50 years. But a solution still must be found for other vehicles in the fleet as well as for future vehicles. Efforts to outfit the Marine Corps’ expeditionary fighting vehicle, since canceled, and the Army’s Stryker with another firefighting agent called HFC-227PA came up short.

Some candidates for new fire suppression agents include are dry chemicals and aqueous agents. But the dry agents present a choking hazard to the crew as well as possible medical dangers. Aqueous agents can damage equipment. Neither are as good as gas-

eous agents because they don’t go around corners to penetrate all of the nooks and crannies of a vehicle.

“We’re working hard to come up with something else but the bottom line is that nothing else will work as well at this point,” said Hodges. “Some development and invention will be required.”

Funding of these efforts presents a problem. “If we had the resources of two or three years ago, I’d say we were less than a decade away,” said Hodges, “but things have definitely slowed down.” O

For more information, contact GCT Editor Jeff Campbell at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.gct-kmi.com.

Steven Hodges


PEO Aviation

Product Manager for Apache SensorsBy lieutenant Colonel C. Steven van Riper and John lund

In late August, we surpassed 1 million modernized target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) hours. This accomplishment marks an important milestone in the program, demonstrating an unequalled capability and significantly improved operational readiness. This milestone was achieved in just eight years. In honor of this achievement, the key dates and events that led to production, fielding, and now, 1 million M-TADS/PNVS hours are summarized below.

In 1991-92 there were some people, scattered in a few nondescript cubicles within some unremarkable buildings. These people were looking at Apache aircraft video, maintenance logs and engineering data. As they watched the videos and read the after-action reports, it became clear the old systems were wearing out, breaking, struggling to function at an alarming rate. Repair and support costs were skyrocketing. The cockpit video was the fuzzy, noisy television of the 1950s at best. Yes, better than total darkness, but more like looking through the bottom of a dirty soda bottle.

Months earlier, Apaches streaking over the border dunes of southern Iraq were generating those video tapes. Firing the first shots of Desert Storm, the old TADS/PNVS systems on these Apaches targeted radar sites and AAA batteries that would threaten allied airmen in the coming first hours of the air campaign. Their amazing success is now the stuff of textbooks and movies.

A design concept for a revolutionary upgrade emerged in 1993: safer, faster, clearer, more affordable and more reliable than anything produced before. Newer technologies were virtually molded via computer-aided design to fit within existing spaces, replacing old high-failure parts but keeping proven components. Many said it could not be done, that an upgrade of

such complexity could not be surgically woven into the existing aircraft.

In 1994, different designs were considered, some discarded, some improved, and the details matured. The first U.S. Army cost and savings audit was completed with positive results. Emotions improved, but doubt flourished that such an upgrade could be affordably produced in a time of shrinking budgets.

The mid-1990s brought sweeping changes. As many as two out of every three engineers working on these systems had been laid off by 1995. Project and Program Management offices moved from St. Louis, Mo., to Huntsville, Ala., and distractions loomed large in every quarter, but confidence in the program continued to increase and additional people were added to support the upgrade effort. The following year, the team grew to several dozen temporary staff in three corporations tasked with defining the design and production effort with high resolution. The group persevered, and in April 1997 an unsolicited proposal was submitted to the U.S. Army for full qualification, production and sustainment of the upgrades.

By January 1998, the teams were dedicating full time to the upgrade program. In June of that year, industry and the Army reached firm-fixed-price agreement on the contract, including production quantities for half the U.S. Apache fleet. The first upgrades were scheduled for delivery by the end of 2001. Then the upgrade program was canceled when contract funding could not be secured. After nearly two years of hard work within the Army and corporate leadership, hopes for the upgrade had been dashed. Yet a few people had already begun the upgrade push anew, more convinced than ever of its importance to Apache aircrews and maintainers.

By late 2001, a competition had been created between a new set of defense

contractors for the sensor upgrade, and the heat was turned up to full boil. With freshly secured budgets, corporations invested millions, and the Army swung into full acquisition mode once again, sifting through the risks and costs of various contract elements. Hundreds of people on all sides worked to make the program a reality. In November a winner was announced, and the program began moving forward.

From 2002 to 2004, the engineers’ designs and computer models took shape in metal, optical and mechanical prototypes. Component suppliers from around the world built and tested, discovered problems and then fixed them, many straining to meet promise dates. Some suppliers were eliminated while others flourished. Sporadic snags and delays required unforeseen effort by all parties to correct, but overall production raced ahead. After the events of 9/11, the unspoken question on everyone’s mind was, would it be soon enough to help?

In 2005, production was ramping up and the first upgrades were installed into Apaches from the 1/82nd Aviation Battalion, prepping for deployment to Iraq. The new gulf war pressed a sense of urgency into everything, and schedules were accelerated. Most of the old ghosts revealed in 1991-92, the sources of poor video and failures studied in the months following Desert Storm, were finally laid to rest.

Several amazing things started taking place in 2006. It was proven that equipment designed to be highly reliable was also simpler and easier to build. Production deliveries were accelerated not once but several times in answer to the urgent wartime need. The new M-TADS/PNVS sensors provided an incredible leap forward in situational awareness, driving new strategy and tactics as a result, targeting the demands of urban

Major Army Program Updates


Special Section: Major Army Program Updates

anti-terrorist warfare. Apaches flew five times the normal mission rate, engaging in ways never envisioned before. In the hands of Apache air crews, M-TADS/PNVS broke the backs of terrorist roadside bomb emplacement groups, driving down IED mortality rates of allied forces in Iraq to a fraction of pre-M-TADS/PNVS levels in one year. Additional Apaches with upgrades were rushed into the fight, and thousands of lives were saved over the ensuing combat periods. To paraphrase one Apache commander: “With M-TADS, I can not only detect an enemy, I can discern his will.” The accompanying images compare the output from the legacy and modernized systems.

There are numerous lessons from the M-TADS/PNVS experience. Chief among these is that system performance and reliability can be increased at the

same time. Also, operating and support costs and the logistics footprint can be significantly reduced even in the midst of surging operational tempo. The experience also revealed the modernization process takes too long—having M-TADS/PNVS on Apaches five years earlier could have significantly altered the training and operational employment.

To date, Team Apache has accepted delivery and fielded eight production lots of M-PNVS/M-TADS systems and we are preparing to award our ninth production lot. The system is now in use by the U.S. Army and 10 foreign military sales customers, exceeding reliability requirements and providing our aircrews with an unmatched capability through hardware and software updates, a rigorous reset program, and award-winning performance-based logistics support.

Today, there are some people scattered in a few nondescript cubicles within some unremarkable buildings working toward the final integration and testing of the modernized day sensor. The team is well on the way to achieving a high-definition, full-color target acquisition and designation system that will further evolve our attack helicopter tactics, techniques and procedures. They are reviewing aircraft video, maintenance logs and engineering data for equipment left untouched by the original M-TADS/PNVS upgrade.

Lieutenant Colonel Van Riper is currently serving as the Product Manager for Apache Sensors and Lund is a specialty engineer with over 30 years of reliability engineering experience in industry and the U.S. government.

Project Manager, Army Unmanned Aircraft SystemsBy Colonel tim Baxter

Priorities within Project Manager, Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM UAS) have been consistent over the last couple of years. Executing those priorities has changed as new budget realities take hold. This is even more important in the future as tactics, techniques and procedures associated with the employment of UAS—and in particular, the use of manned-unmanned teaming (MUMT)—mature. With that in mind, I thought it important to review the Project Office’s vision, mission and my top five priorities.

Call Out: As of September 28, Army UAS have flown 1.88 million total flight hours; 90 percent of those hours (or 1.69 million hours) have been flown in direct support of forward deployed forces.

Vision: Revolutionize our nation’s war fighting operations by being the world-class leader in the development, production and sustainment of unmanned aircraft and associated systems.

Mission: Provide our nation and its allies world-class interoperable unmanned aircraft systems and integrated payloads through excellence in program management and life cycle support.

top Five PrioritiesMy first priority is supporting our

forces engaged in overseas contingency operations. PM UAS has a significant role in supporting worldwide operations across

the UAS portfolio. UAS will be challenged over the next year to reduce our signature in OEF while simultaneously providing all necessary support. I fully expect UAS to be the “last ones out” as we provide a critical force protection capability to our forces. We learned much from our retrograde out of OIF. We are already applying those lessons to operations in OEF.

In addition to deployed organic UAS capabilities, we continue to support a number of government-owned, contractor-operated and quick reaction capabilities. The Project Office remains extremely sensitive to urgent and time-sensitive needs of our deployed forces. We continue to focus on reliable logistics and maintenance support forward through a host of deployed contractors, each contributing to the success of our systems every day. I frequently challenge the PM UAS workforce to find a way, every day, to better support our deployed forces.

Second is executing our programs. We will continue to improve execution of our programs, both program of record and non-program of record. Gray Eagle, Shadow, the universal ground control station, one system remote video terminal (OSRVT) and our family of small UAS have all recently achieved or are approaching key programmatic events. Last year, Gray Eagle completed a successful initial operational test and evaluation (IOTE). In June 2013,

Gray Eagle was approved for full rate production. The Gray Eagle program is now focused on those activities necessary to support a successful follow-on test and evaluation (FOTE) in late 2015. Additionally, OSRVT will conduct its IOTE during the same Gray Eagle FOTE. Shadow will execute its FOTE for the tactical common data link upgrade program during network integration evaluation 14.2 in the spring of 2014.

Third is improving efficiencies in our programs. PM UAS leadership and workforce have embraced the tenets of Better Buying Power 2.0. PM UAS has efficiency initiatives across the portfolio in an effort to reduce the cost associated with our acquisition programs. PM UAS has worked hard over the last two years to instill a cost culture across the Project Office, focused on controlling and reducing costs while providing best value for the warfighter. These initiatives are even more important in the future and we deal with budget realities.

Fourth is UAS futures. Futures include a pre-planned product improvement program for each of the UAS product lines that represent sound investments that are well coordinated with UAS user representatives. Obviously, in a restricted budget environment, prioritization with UAS stakeholders will be critical. PM UAS has also been a leader in the area of interoperability across DoD. We need to



continue to maintain that leadership and to promote the benefits of interoperability and MUMT.

Fifth is building a world-class workforce. Our priority within this area is identifying

and growing our next generation of UAS acquisition leaders. We work to continuously improve the capability of our workforce. That includes taking advantage of opportunities for schooling, cross

training, strong mentorship and a diverse recognition program.

Colonel Tim Baxter is Project Manager, Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

Project Manager UtilityBy Project office for Utility Helicopters

The UH-60L digital program is the Army’s proposed solution to modernize the existing Black Hawk fleet. This upgraded UH-60L aircraft will replicate the pilot vehicle interface capabilities of the UH-60M, mirroring its digital architecture. The UH-60L digital aircraft will include a digital cockpit, bussed avionics, and a flight management system to improve interoperability, sustainability and survivability.

The U.S. Army Black Hawk fleet is projected at 2,135 total aircraft. This is a combination of 1,375 UH-60Ms and 760 UH-60 A/Ls. This fleet mix currently leaves the Army with over 35 percent of

the fleet in an analog configuration. This limits the operational effectiveness of the fleet by reduced communication capability, navigation, and limited Army network connectivity.

The current fiscal environment presents the Army with the decision of how to modernize its Black Hawk fleet. Procuring a complete fleet of new aircraft is not affordable. The Army must find a cost-affordable modernization path. The H-60L digital intends to leverage the sunk cost of existing airframes, reducing the burden to the Army and ultimately the taxpayer. Executing the program, in conjunction with an existing depot maintenance program,

provides synergy between the programs and keeps organic maintenance facilities, which drive savings.

The Army’s analysis shows a mix of UH-60M and UH-60L digital aircraft maximizes effectiveness at a reduced cost. This mix will reduce the training burden associated with the current analog/digital fleet mix. Additionally, the all digital fleet will enable new technologies to be incorporated onto older airframes, keeping these assets capable of meeting emerging battlefield requirements. The mix of UH-60M and UH-60L digital provides the Army leadership flexibility in a time where there is little available.

PEO Command Control Communications-Tactical

Project Manager Joint Battle Command-PlatformBy nancy Jones-Bonbrest

A new, standardized family of tactical computers will provide soldiers with interoperable command-and-control functions inside vehicles, while reducing space constraints and system costs.

Known as the mounted family of computer systems (MFoCS), the new capability will bring a modular, “build your own system” computer to Army vehicles, allowing users to access and operate several different software applications over a single piece of computer hardware.

“MFoCS eliminates the burden of operating different computers in the same vehicle,” said Dominic Satili, deputy product manager for blue force tracking, assigned to Project Manager Joint Battle Command-Platform (PM JBC-P). “It brings a single tactical computer that is scalable to the mission and able to run several mission command applications.”

The building-block approach introduces three MFoCS models: The basic, intermediate and advanced. The basic configuration is a tablet, while the intermediate model adds a processing unit with a 12-, 15- or 17- inch display.

The advanced model includes not only the tablet but also two intermediate units for a total of three work stations, making the three MFoCS models interchangeable and easily customized to fit any mission. The tablets are ruggedized and operate on a 25-foot cable, so soldiers inside a vehicle can pass the display around or even detach it and take it outside.

“I liked the modularity of MFoCS—now instead of having five or six different systems to track information, we’re consolidating it into one system,” said Staff Sergeant Scott Harrison, with the task analysis branch of the Maneuver Center of Excellence Directorate of Training and Doctrine. “With MFoCS you can dismount the screen from the vehicle and pass it around to get a common operating picture for everyone.”

In August, Harrison participated in the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Capability Manager, Brigade Combat Team Mission Command user jury at Fort Benning, Ga., which seeks soldier feedback on evolving systems from recently deployed users.

“MFoCS is technology that a lot of soldiers are going to be familiar with from the civilian world, with the touchscreen and with it being a removable computer,” said Captain Donald Minchew, information operations coordinator/Brigade S7 with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, who also participated in the user jury. “If you encounter rough terrain, you can unplug the computer and take it with you where the vehicle can’t go.”

Designed to run JBC-P, the Army’s primary situational awareness capability, the system also supports other command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications such as warfighter information network-tactical requirements. MFoCS will also provide mounted computing solutions for the Marine Corps. By allowing multiple software programs to utilize a single hardware solution inside the vehicle—rather than requiring individual hardware—it also reduces size, weight and power demands.



MFoCS not only brings interoperability to tactical computers, it also reduces the cost of the basic configuration computer by as much as 36 percent and boosts its performance by more than 350 percent.

MFoCS fits in the same hardware footprint and uses the same installation kit as the existing Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and below/blue force tracking and joint capabilities release systems. These technologies are the situational awareness predecessors to JBC-P and have been integrated on more than 120,000 platforms, reside in each tactical operations center and are fielded to every brigade combat team in the Army.

Earlier this year, PM JBC-P, assigned to the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), awarded a three-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for production and development of MFoCS to Florida-based DRS Tactical Systems Inc.

Moving forward, MFoCS will support the mounted computing environment, one of six computing environments that are part of the Army-wide common operating environment (COE). The COE strategy embraces a commercially-based set of standards that enable secure and interoperable applications to be rapidly developed and executed across the computing environments.

Once established, the COE will allow the Army to develop, test, certify and deploy software capabilities efficiently with reduced development costs, while also encouraging competition.

Development of MFoCS dates back to a 2011 Army-directed requirement for a common computing hardware solution with the goal of converging separate computing environments onto a single architecture.

The first delivery of MFoCS computers, which will be used for integration and testing, is expected within 20 weeks of the June contract date.

Nancy Jones-Bonbrest is a staff writer for PEO C3T.

PEO Enterprise Information Stystems

Project Manager DoD BiometricsBy Bill Yamanaka

The Product Manager (PM) for Joint Personnel Identification (JPI) of the Project Manager DoD Biometrics continues to field and sustain the biometric tactical collection device (BTCD) capability for current operations worldwide to enable positive identification of actual or potential adversaries. PM JPI delivers a key capability to the field—denial of a level of anonymity to a potential adversary via a suite of biometrics collection devices configurable for multiple operational environments. These devices provide the capability to collect, match and store fingerprints, irises, facial photos and palm images.

According to the PM JPI, Army Lieutenant Colonel Jackie Barnes, “There are many success stories for JPI efforts in fiscal year 2013. We see those successes in new capabilities, performance, schedule, cost containment and contracting.”

One of these successes is the spring 2013 JPI deployment of more than 3,000 secure electronic enrollment kits (SEEK II) in response to critical needs across the globe. The fielding of SEEK II provided a much-anticipated improvement to the legacy BTCD capability. This increased capability provides the field an increase in overall storage capacity and performance, resulting in a capability that further enhances the overall success of ongoing biometric operations.

In April, JPI also began the first phase of fielding for the multilingual automated registration system (MARS), a biometrics software suite providing an update to in-theater biometric servers. The MARS fielding was recently completed following fielding of the biometric automated toolset-Army (BAT-A). BAT-A is a laptop-based tactical biometrics collection kit for the collection of iris, palm, fingerprint and facial images.

Balancing Fiscal Constraint while targeting Cost avoidancePM JPI continues to leverage better

buying power (BBP) initiatives to meet the challenges of delivering the JPI version 2 (JPIv2) biometric material solution in a fiscally constrained environment. Utilizing some of the BBP initiatives of “promoting effective competition” and “incentivize productivity and innovation in industry and government,” PM JPI achieved more than $324 million in cost avoidance through the development of the rough order of magnitude cost estimate for the JPIv2 capability development document.

Providing a Dynamic Biometric Collection Capability

The anticipated BTCD follow-on capability of JPIv2 is expected to be an acquisition category I information

technology program. The JPIv2 capability will provide a DoD-wide tactical biometric collection capability to capture biometric data and enroll the individual into the DoD automated biometric identification system (ABIS) database. DoD ABIS is the central, authoritative, multi-modal biometric data repository. It is the enterprise-level authoritative data source for DoD biometrics.

The combination of the biometric enabled watchlist and the DoD ABIS database will provide the field with actionable biometric data that will positively identify and verify the identity of actual or potential adversaries.

Some of the key capabilities JPIv2 will provide are improved data matching and synchronization, decreased size and weight, and enhanced ruggedness. In addition, architectural improvements enable integration of emerging biometric technologies.

DoD BiometricsThe denial of anonymity is an integral

part, a foundational function, of DoD Biometric systems. Programs such as JPIv2 collect and manage biometric data for timely identification or identity verification. U.S. forces are currently operating unilaterally or in combination with joint, multinational and interagency partners, to identify unknown individuals



and verify the identity of persons across the full spectrum of military operations.

DoD Biometrics protects the nation through identity dominance by enabling responsive, accurate, and secure biometrics in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State and other government agencies. JPI and DoD Biometrics is transforming the current environment, previously based on legacy pilot programs.DoD Biometrics is moving towards an enterprise system-of-systems

architecture composed of strategic, operational and tactical components.

JPI: a Mission enablerJPI, under the DoD Biometrics office,

is a mission enabler, providing biometrics support to overseas contingency operations. Support includes intelligence and counter-intelligence, force protection, Iraqi and Afghani security force screening, detainee operations, post-IED incident exploitation, local population control, seizure operations, and base access control. “Our goal is to

achieve and maintain identity dominance on the battlefield. We are able to achieve that through a meticulous engineering and acquisition process and follow-on with an expeditious deployment and sustainment effort,” said Barnes. “JPI capabilities provide a means to further build on a full range of operational mission environments.”

For more information on biometrics, please visit www.eis.army.mil/programs/biometrics.

Bill Yamanaka is with PM DoD Biometrics public affairs.

Project Director Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and SolutionsBy Brendan Burke

Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) is the Army’s designated primary source for commercial off-the-shelf IT. CHESS provides a flexible, no-fee procurement strategy through which Army users may procure information technology (IT) hardware, software and services using an e-commerce process. CHESS contracts provide continuous vendor competition for best value and consolidate requirements to leverage the Army’s buying power and maximize cost avoidance.

HardwareCHESS is solely responsible for

implementing consolidated buys (CBs) of desktop and notebook computers for the Army enterprise. The CB process is the most cost-effective approach to fulfilling user requirements for these products. CBs also directly support the Army CIO/G-6 strategy for acquiring products that are fully compliant with federal desktop computing regulations as well as DoD and Army security and interoperability standards. There are two CBs each fiscal year, allowing for bulk IT hardware purchases. These offerings create larger volume purchase discounts and reduce the packaging, shipping, support and warranty costs that are passed on to the customer, translating to as much as 65 percent savings. As of August, CBs have yielded $5.8 million in Army cost avoidance.

CHESS also recently extended the information technology enterprise “solutions 2 hardware” (ITES 2H) contract for the purchase or lease of IT

hardware total solutions such as servers, storage systems, work stations, thin clients, networking equipment, network printers and video teleconference products. Originally scheduled to expire August 21, 2013, the extension will go through July 18, 2014, and will allow Army customers to continue receiving discounted pricing and Army network security compliant products.

Software licensesAs the Army’s DoD Enterprise

Software Initiative (ESI) Software Product Manager (PM), CHESS is also responsible for managing DoD and Army enterprise software agreements (ESAs) as mandated by the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplements. CHESS has the authority to issue statements of non-availability if an ESA cannot meet user requirements. As the ESI PM, CHESS also consolidates software requirements, develops business cases and assists contracting officers in negotiating best-value deals and administering the resulting agreements. In short, CHESS reduces acquisition and support costs by leveraging the Army’s buying power.

CHESS has been instrumental in continuing efforts in fiscal year 2013 to enable a Microsoft joint enterprise license agreement—the first agreement unifying Army, Air Force and Defense Information Systems Agency requirements for Microsoft products. The JELA was awarded in December 2012, and CHESS is continuing transition efforts with the CIO/G-6. The agreement covers nearly 75 percent of DoD and

is valued at $617 million. The benefits of such an agreement are enormous, with a projected cost avoidance of more than $120 million. The agreement demonstrates the best pricing DoD has received to date for Microsoft desktop and server software licenses. The Army Deputy CIO/G-6 projects the Army will save more than $70 million each year over the course of the agreement. The Air Force is projected to save $50 million per year.

In July, CHESS completed the Army’s Minitab agreement, providing lean six sigma (LSS) annual subscription software licenses, media, training, technical services and maintenance. Minitab is the Army’s statistical analysis software used to teach the official Program of Instruction. There are more than 11,700 individuals trained as black belts or master black belts as part of the Army’s LSS program. The Minitab statistical software annual subscription software licenses model is pro-rated throughout the year depending upon which month the user obtains a license, providing the most economical option for users.

In support of the PEO EIS CIO’s effort to enhance visibility and tracking of software license usage across the PEO and agency partners, CHESS developed a license tracker portal via SharePoint that enables commands to view, allocate and request licenses for Adobe, Oracle and SAP. In addition, CHESS will incorporate a budget planning tool to allow commands a “quick view” of their upcoming maintenance bill. The license tracker not only makes issuing and tracking licenses



easier, but also significantly reduces administrative costs.

It e-martIn June, the CHESS IT e-mart

underwent a process improvement overhaul. CHESS updated the efficiency of its request for quote, request for proposal and request for information processes, while also adding a request for training (RFT) portal and a bug report capability. As a result, the newly designed process tool enables users and vendors to interact with the site more efficiently while reducing the time it takes for customers to post a request and for vendors to

post a response. The RFT portal allows customers to request training directly from CHESS and has significantly reduced the administrative efforts required to process training requests. The bug report capability provides users with an automated tool to identify issues or concerns with the IT e-mart and track their resolution all while decreasing helpdesk call volume.

In addition to the above list of new capabilities, CHESS completed multiple customer engagement efforts throughout the year, including 13 training events and four published articles in major military publications. CHESS also improved its planning and briefing life cycle process

with an LSS green belt project resulting in a first year cost avoidance of more than $136,000 and a seven year cost avoidance of more than $1 million. CHESS continues to improve and implement new business processes in response to customer feedback and in support of the mission to be the Army’s primary source for commercial IT hardware and software.

For more information on CHESS, visit www.eis.army.mil/programs/chess or to participate in upcoming CBs, please visit the secure web portal https://chess.army.mil/.

Brendan Burke is project director, CHESS.

Army Enterprise Systems Integration Program By Judith avery

The Global Combat Support System-Army (GCSS-Army) is the tactical component of the Army’s logistics enterprise. The system works in concert with the logistics modernization program, which manages national level logistics; the general funds enterprise business system, which manages national level financial management; and the Army enterprise systems integration program (AESIP), the hub that links these solutions. When the full system deployment is completed, the Army’s logistics will be completely financially auditable, moving the Army closer to its strategic goal of total asset visibility with a reduced logistics footprint.

The GCSS-Army program has developed a single, web-based system that will replace the suite of current tactical logistics and financial management information systems throughout the Army. GCSS-Army is accessible via web browser and available from any .mil computer with Internet connectivity with the use of a common access card. The GCSS-Army enterprise resource planning solution uses commercial software to perform the supply, maintenance and financial functions within one system, replacing the aging systems the Army has traditionally required to perform these functions. This improvement saves a great deal of time and makes the entire enterprise much more efficient.

Currently, users of the legacy systems see different information in different systems at different levels of the Army’s

supply chain. By using GCSS-Army, stakeholders at all levels of the enterprise can access the same information. GCSS-Army will eliminate the necessity for conducting reconciliations between supporting activities, customers and supply sources that takes time and effort under the current multiple-system environment. GCSS-Army will give commanders near real-time integrated information for rapid and effective decision-making in a fluid environment. Soldiers will effectively and efficiently accomplish their specific missions throughout the entire sustainment structure with one accurate and validated understanding of the environment. GCSS-Army has re-engineered and streamlined labor-intensive processes, freeing some soldiers to perform other important duties.

The Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics granted a full deployment decision for GCSS-Army on December 23, 2012. This decision allows the PM GCSS-Army, a subordinate of the Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems and AESIP, to commence full-system deployment.

To successfully field the system to the entire Army while reducing risk and turbulence in the receiving units, GCSS-Army has implemented a robust organizational change management (OCM) program to field the system in two waves. Wave 1 fielding will extend through the second quarter of fiscal year 2016 and will replace all standard

Army retail supply systems and the associated financial management information systems throughout all Army components. The PM GCSS-Army plans to begin wave 2 fielding, replacement of the standard Army maintenance system-enhanced and property book unit supply enhanced in the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, with completion of this fielding effort by the end of fiscal year 2017.

GCSS-Army kicked off the aggressive wave 1 fielding effort with successful implementations at the active Army’s Forts Lee, A.P. Hill, and Myer logistics readiness centers (formerly Directorates of logistics) in Virginia; at Army National Guard locations in Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Iowa; the Army Reserve Command’s 85th and 87th Divisions; and 335th Theater Signal Command. These implementations are just the beginning of a massive worldwide fielding of GCSS-Army. Since the start of the wave 1 fielding effort, GCSS-Army has fielded its solution to an estimated 5,000 users and replaced 30 SARSS and associated financial management information systems throughout the total Army. GCSS-Army can enable the “factory to foxhole” distribution that reduces costs, avoids waste and improves readiness throughout the Army.

For more information on how GCSS-Army plans to field its system, as well as the OCM program, please visit www.gcss.army.mil. O

Judith Avery is with Army Enterprise Systems Integration Program public affairs.



InnoVatIonS

Headlamp for Tactical Operations

Petzl

• Can be carried on the helmet, on the vest, on the

head, or around the neck

• Double rotation system of the body and head of the

lamp allows freedom for orienting the beam

• Lighting performance does not decrease as the

batteries are drained

Petzl has introduced the Strix line of headlamps

which the company said it created specifically to respond

to military requirements during

operations where stealth is key.

The headlamps provide color

lighting (red, green, blue), three

white lighting levels, as well as

infrared for the Strix IR. Their

operation is designed

to avoid unintended

light discharge and

to maintain noise

discipl ine. The

headlights are also

resistant to impact,

water, crushing and

particulates.

Light Mount System and Illumination Tool

Hot Shot tactical

• No tools required for installation or removal

• Illumination tool delivers 900 lumens of light

Hot Shot Tactical has announced the new P-Rail light mount and

the new HS900 illumination tool. The P-Rail light mount is a universal

fit system that allows placement of a light on any MIL-SPEC Picatinny

rail.

A ball knob and screw secures the mount to the rail. A heavy-

duty, round ball knob makes gripping on installation and removal

easy, according to Hot Shot, even while wearing gloves. The P-Rail

light mount body is made using ABS material, allowing it to endure

countless years of rugged use.

The P-Rail light mount’s universal fit system allows the user to

snap most 1-inch barrel flashlights into the mount in a second or snap

it back out for handheld use just as quickly, and works with Hot Shot

Tactical’s new HS900 illumination tool.

The HS900 offers a single-mode high-output operation delivering

light to a large area on flood, or zooms to spot an object hundreds

of yards away. The HS900 body is made from high-quality 6061-T6

grade aluminum and coated with a durable black anodized finish.

The light is 5.10 inches long and 1 inch in diameter and weighs 5.12

ounces. The HS900 is O-ring sealed for weatherproof operation. It

operates on two CR123 batteries (included) and runs for two hours on

maximum output. A remote pressure switch is also available.

Both the P-Rail light mount and the HS900 illumination tool feature

a lifetime warranty by Hot Shot Tactical.

Ground Surveillance Radars

Blighter Surveillance Systems

• 10 m to 2 km detection capability, in steps up to 32 km

• 20 degree wide elevation beam

British electronic-scanning radar and sensor solution provider has won

a contract to supply the South Korean Armed Forces with its Blighter B400

electronic-scanning radars.

The Blighter long-range ground surveillance radars will be deployed to

monitor the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a buffer zone which runs 250 km

across the Korean peninsula and separates North and South Korea.

Blighter radars have been operational in South Korea for several years

providing a persistent surveillance capability along the DMZ in what is considered

one of the world’s most mountainous countries with environmental extremes. The

Blighter radars work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, monitoring the 4-km-wide

DMZ for any human, vehicle or low-flying aircraft incursions.

Mark Radford, chief executive officer of Blighter Surveillance Systems, said:

“We are delighted to have secured further business for this strategic border

surveillance project. Our long-term relationship with the Koreans goes back some

eight years to when we first demonstrated our radar in the country.”

Blighter radars combine solid-state passive electronic scanning array

technology with advanced frequency modulated continuous wave and Doppler

processing to provide a robust and persistent surveillance capability.

“Our radars are now deployed in more than 15 countries worldwide in

commercial, government and defense markets,” added Radford. “The radars are

used at Heathrow and other international airports, by the British Army for force

protection, and in numerous border security and asset protection applications.”


Refrigerated Vehicles for Afghanistan

navistar Defense

Navistar Defense LLC, already a supplier to the Afghan national army

and Afghan national police, has received an order from the U.S. Army (Tank-

automotive and Armaments Command Life Cycle Management Command) for

75 refrigerator vehicles designated for service with the Afghan National Security

Forces.

The award, for $10.2 million, accounts for 75 vehicles as well as parts and

support. The vehicles are based on the International WorkStar 7300 series 4X4

and are consistent with the Navistar medium tactical vehicle fleet. They will be

used to transport refrigerated goods such as meat and fresh vegetables.

“We are pleased to continue to provide and support international products

for the Afghan national army and Afghan national police,” said Bob Walsh,

vice president and general manager, Navistar Defense. “Our refrigerated

vehicles are an excellent continuation of our vehicle base in country, and will

go a long way to provide for

our warfighters in the heat

and climate conditions of

Afghanistan.”

Navistar Defense

has supplied refrigerator

vehicles since 2004. The

vehicles will be delivered in

the first part of 2014.

Turnkey Solution Measures Cognitive Workload

SensoMotoric Instruments

• Physiological assessment of cognitive workload

• Joint venture between SMI and Eye Tracking Inc.

SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI) has introduced a new tool that

combines SMI eye tracking data and the index of cognitive activity (ICA)

developed by Eye Tracking Inc. in one common analysis interface. The

turnkey solution is compatible with SMI eye tracking glasses and SMI’s

remote eye tracking devices. It gives insights into the level of user effort

and information load, such as in training, driving or critical control tasks.

This understanding helps to adapt task difficulty, to refine interfaces and

training materials, and ultimately to improve learning and professional

performance. The ICA results from decades of research and uses data

on pupil dilation for a reliable estimate of mental effort. In combination

with SMI eye tracking analysis options, the ICA reveals when cognitive

workload increases and which visual information triggers this effect.

SMI eye tracking glasses record eye tracking data in real-life situations

that require natural interaction, while SMI’s remote eye tracking devices

allow for contact-free recording of gaze behavior on screen-based

information.

“We are proud that a great collaboration with Eye Tracking Inc. resulted

in this turnkey integration of the ICA with SMI eye tracking solutions,” said

Ingmar Gutberlet, Ph.D., of SensoMotoric Instruments. “The tool gives our

customers ready-to-go access to another analytical measure, which opens

up more fields of application for our eye tracking technology.”

Compiled by Kmi media Group staff

Munition Products Award

General Dynamics

• Several U.S. government contracts with a combined value of more

than $113 million

The U.S. Marine Corps System Command awarded General

Dynamics a $26.5 million engineering and manufacturing development

contract for the mission payload module–non-lethal weapon system

(MPM-NLWS). This system provides counter-personnel and graduated

response options for scenarios involving crowd control, access or

area denial, convoy operations or direct threat engagement. The

system, designed to be mounted on Marine Corps vehicles such

as the HMMWV, allows operators to selectively vary the intensity of

MPM-NLWS munitions’ effects to match operational requirements. The

contract was awarded to the company’s Orlando operations. Work will

be performed in Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed by May

2016.

In addition, the U.S. Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island, Ill.,

awarded General Dynamics a $31 million contract for the first production

option of a five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for

40 mm L/60 HEI cartridges. The contract was awarded through the

Canadian Commercial Corporation.

The L/60 HEI cartridge is fired from the 40 mm M2A1 cannon for

air-to-surface engagements by the U.S. Air Force’s AC-130 gunship

aircraft. The L/60 HEI cartridge is filled with high explosive and incendiary

composition and provides improved accuracy, on-target performance

and safety features. Work will be performed by the company’s Canadian

operations and is expected to be completed by September 2015.

Actuation Systems

UtC aerospace Systems

Lockheed Martin has presented UTC Aerospace Systems with

a supplier award for its actuation systems contributions to the F-35

Lightning II Program. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United

Technologies Corp.

The company’s actuation systems business, based in

Wolverhampton, U.K., provides the weapons bay door drive

system, utilities actuation and uplock components for the F-35

Lightning II—the largest defense program in the world.

Andreas Schell, president of Actuation Systems, said, “We’re

delighted to have been recognized by Lockheed Martin for our

contribution to this pioneering fifth-generation fighter plane. It’s a

tribute to the hard work and dedication of our team.”

UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services

integrated systems and components for the aerospace and

defense industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global

customer base with worldwide manufacturing and customer

service facilities.

United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., is a

diversified company providing technology products and services

to the building and aerospace industries.


General John F. Campbell assumed duties as the 34th vice chief of staff, Army, headquarters Department of the Army, March 8, 2013.

The son of a U.S Air Force senior master sergeant, Campbell grew up on military bases around the world before attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1979 with a commission in the infantry. During more than 33 years of service, he has commanded units at every echelon from platoon to division, with duty in Germany, Haiti, Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States. After his first assignment with the U.S. Army Europe, Campbell was assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C., where he commanded a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha in the 5th Special Forces Group and an Infantry company in the 82nd Airborne Divi-sion.

Returning to Fort Bragg, he served as the aide-de-camp to the commanding general, XVIII Airborne Corps, and deployed in support of operation uphold democracy. He later commanded 2nd Battalion, 5th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division (Light), and then 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division and led the brigade during Opera-tion Enduring Freedom (OEF).

Following, he served as the commanding general, 101st Air-borne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky., and led the divi-sion as Combined Joint Task Force 101 during OEF. Most recently, Campbell was the deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, headquarters, Department of the Army.

Other significant assignments include: professor of military sci-ence, University of California, Davis; executive officer to the 35th Chief of Staff of the Army; deputy commanding general (maneu-ver), 1st Cavalry Division and Multinational Division Baghdad during operation Iraqi freedom; and deputy director for regional operations, J-3, The Joint Staff.

Campbell holds a Bachelor of Science degree from West Point and a master’s degree in public administration from Golden Gate University. He is a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College.

Campbell’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, three Bronze Star Medals, two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, six Meritorious Service Medals, the Air Medal, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Combat Action Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Ranger Tab, and the Special Forces Tab.

Q: Historically, after every conflict the U.S. military budget declines. Do you anticipate this will change this time?

A: No, over the past three years the Army has absorbed several budgetary reductions in the midst of conducting operations over-seas and rebalancing the force to the wider array of missions called for in the 2012 Defense Strategy Guidance. We are in the process of shrinking our active Army from a wartime high of 570,000 to 490,000. At the same time, we are keeping the Army National Guard relatively constant, with a reduction from 358,000 to 350,000 [with no force structure reduction], and retaining the Army Reserves at 205,000. Additionally, this year we have furloughed approximately 197,000 civilian employees, 48 percent of whom are veterans, forc-ing them to take a 20 percent pay cut for six weeks.

We have just under 50,000 troops serving in Afghanistan today. Decisions on what enduring force will remain after December 2014 are ongoing now and are dependent upon the bilateral security agreement. Meanwhile, the nation must continue to fund retro-grade of our soldiers and equipment, and balance that with ongoing requirements. The uncertainty over our future presence in Afghani-stan is compounded by a level of fiscal uncertainty that is also a departure from historic drawdowns. We are becoming accustomed to starting the fiscal year under a continuing resolution [CR], but a CR is far from ideal. Under a continuing resolution, we cannot shift

Army StrongVCSA Outlines Long-term Effects of Heavy Budget Cuts

Q&AQ&AGeneral John F. Campbell

Vice Chief of StaffU.S. Army


funds across accounts or start new programs. Imag-ine managing your household and your car breaks down. If the bill is greater than what you budgeted for car repairs, you might not go to the movies that month in order to pay the repair bill. Well, the way the defense department is budgeted, we get some money for movie tickets, to continue the metaphor, but can’t spend it on unplanned priorities like repairs. As for no new starts, this limitation affects not only the Army, but also industry and communities, because we are precluded from initiating new acquisition programs for, say, the next generation of helicopters, or from breaking ground on needed Army facilities.

Finally, another difference is the Budget Con-trol Act and sequestration. The budget cuts we are required to make are immediate, and we are very limited in how the reductions are made. Budgets do decline and we recognize the need to draw down after Operation Enduring Freedom, but we must do so responsibly.

Q: Last year the service chiefs testified to Congress that sequestration would have tremendous, adverse consequences, but it is difficult for most Americans to identify with the impact. What should we expect to see if sequestration continues?

A: Sequestration will continue to have a profound effect on our efforts to prepare units for future contingency operations. It will force drastic impacts across all aspects of Army readiness in train-ing, equipment sustainment and modernization, military and civilian manning, and installation support. For example, beyond meeting Operation Enduring Freedom missions, 85 percent of bri-gade combat teams will not be fully ready for contingency demands. In fiscal year 2014, facilities sustainment will receive 36 percent of historic funding levels, which is the minimum needed to meet health, life and safety requirements. The Army will strive to retain its most talented soldiers, but will be forced to separate large num-bers of high-quality, experienced combat veterans. The loss of expe-rienced manpower will reduce short-term readiness and is likely to impact future recruitment and retention.

Delays in aviation procurement and combat vehicle develop-ment due to sequestration erode combat capability and defer critical capability development.

These impacts will not be evident to the general public until the Army is called upon in a time of crisis. And unfortunately, readiness takes time to rebuild. Training takes time to restore; it takes time to order, receive and install repair parts for vehicles and other equip-ment. So, even if we were fully funded tomorrow, it would take time to restore readiness to healthy levels and provide the nation with the Army they have always relied on in times of crisis.

Q: We have talked about the current fiscal challenges and impact to readiness; where are the impacts in the modernization portfolio?

A: Fiscal constraints cause the Army to continuously review critical modernization efforts to keep them aligned within the changing resource environment. In the event sequestration-level discretion-ary caps continue into FY14, we will assume significant risk in

our combat vehicle development and delay the fielding of Abrams training simulators by two years. In our aviation program, we can-not afford to procure a new armed Aerial Scout Program and we will be forced to reduce the production and modernization of 25 helicopters. We will reduce system upgrades for unmanned aerial vehicles. We will delay the modernization of air defense command and control systems. If reductions of that magnitude continue into FY15 and beyond, every acquisition program will be affected. These reductions will significantly impact 100 modernization programs by not transitioning to production, terminating their funding, restruc-turing the program or significantly delaying their completion. This will require the Army to address tough choices for modernization and other activities and is dependent upon the externally imposed rules for distribution of budgetary reductions.

Q: While sustaining and improving current programs, is there one area that the Army must invest?

A: The Army continues to focus its modernization efforts on improving the combat capability of the soldier and squad, improving and proliferating our mission command and intelligence networks, as well as maintaining capabilities within the combat vehicle, avia-tion and other portfolios. However, it is imperative in any period of scarce resources to continue to secure the future by support-ing development of new capability in our science and technology [S&T] base. One example of how the Army will continue to look at developing technologies is through the continued execution of the network integration evaluations [NIEs]. The semi-annual NIE is helping shape “agile” capability integration by assessing soldier pro-vided feedback and operational test data to influence how the Army should procure capability, and how integrated network capability requirements should be validated and refined. NIEs also inform the ways the Army will field, train, sustain and continuously improve capability acquisition and life cycle management.

VCSA: “We remain a nation at war with thousands of soldiers and Army civilians serving in harm’s way in Afghanistan and other parts of the world. Our nation is incredibly fortunate to have these brave men and women who believe in the values and ideals for which this country stands. We should never forget the sacrifices they and their families make in answering the call to serve something greater than themselves.” [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/by Capt. Olivia Cobiskey]


These events allow the Army to evaluate both gov-ernment and industry developing technologies with soldiers in an operational environment. We have evalu-ated over 120 systems through five NIEs. This and other efforts demonstrate why S&T is critical to maintaining technical superiority both now in the future.

Q: The Chief of Staff of the Army talks about being “Globally Responsive, Regionally Engaged.” How will the Army do this while at the same time becoming increasingly CONUS-based?

A: The Army will remain globally responsive and region-ally engaged. An important aspect of this approach is institutionalizing an expeditionary mindset that enables the Army to rapidly deploy, fight, sustain and win against complex threats in austere environments. Forward deployed units, rotational force management plans and regional alignment of forces all contribute toward ensuring the Army remains regionally engaged. With that in mind, we have aligned our corps and division headquarters with the geographic combatant commands. Brigade combat teams will build upon the foundational work of 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division and their participation in over 128 activities performed during the second half of FY13 to support AFRICOM requirements.

In addition to this, building and sustaining a contingency force package complemented by resourced Army pre-positioned stocks provide the joint and combined force with ready, responsive, scalable and task-organized capabilities to respond to geographic combatant command requirements. Such an approach also requires aggressively pursuing efficiencies within our own deployment processes and working within the joint community to ensure Army equities that optimize strategic mobility are properly accounted for.

The Army remains committed to maintaining a highly capable force in support of geographic combatant commands. We will make every effort to preserve readiness in the force, accepting risk only where necessary. There is no doubt that our globally responsive and regionally engaged Army will continue to remain the best manned, trained, equipped and led ground force in the world.

Q: Lastly, let’s look at the human factor. Traumatic brain injury [TBI] is considered a signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. What Army medical technologies are being investi-gated to advance the diagnosis and treatment of this invisible wound of war?

A: Although many consider TBI to be a signature wound of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, I want to emphasize that TBIs do not exclu-sively occur in the deployed setting. In fact, the overwhelming major-ity of TBIs—83 percent—that occurred to Department of Defense personnel from 2000-2012 were non-combat related. This means that every soldier must be just as vigilant back home on our Army posts and in our communities as we are in a combat zone. Leaders at all lev-els must understand and follow our recent Department of the Army policy published this past June mandating a medical evaluation for all soldiers involved in potentially concussive events, in a manner similar to our theater policies published in 2010 and 2012. These policies

ensure that those injured will receive appropriate medical care as soon as possible.

Accelerating TBI diagnostics and treatments is of the highest priority with DoD and Army leadership. This past August, President Barrack Obama released a National Research Action Plan represent-ing a comprehensive approach to improve our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat brain injuries and mental health issues earlier and better. The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command is spearheading the advancement of TBI diagnostics and treatments by managing the largest TBI research investment in the world with over $750 million since 2007 to collaborate with the brightest scientists on over 520 studies. The Army has been working closely with the NFL and is participating in a $60 million TBI research effort funded by the NFL, General Electric and Under Armour to accelerate TBI research.

While there is no single objective test that can accurately diagnose TBI, we are making important advances on blood-based biomarkers to help detect injuries quickly and accurately, improving neuroimaging technologies so physicians and patients can detect brain abnormali-ties, and are aggressively researching treatments to facilitate recovery and return to duty. Above all, when researching new diagnostics and therapies we need to make sure that they are safe and effective for our soldiers and their families. Therefore, we work closely with the Food and Drug Administration to make sure all of our advancements comply with regulatory standards.

Brain injuries vary from patient to patient, and we are exploring treatment options to allow physicians to customize therapies to the patient’s specific needs. Often, multiple treatment and rehabilita-tion strategies are required for our soldiers with TBI; therefore, our research spans the array of detection and treatment options. Although we still have much to learn about the brain and the long-term effects of multiple concussions over a lifetime, we are aggressively col-laborating with the brightest scientists from academia and industry to identify and investigate more effective diagnostics and treatments. O

Campbell met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in his New York office to discuss their partnership to better understand traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The Army and the NFL have begun to share research to better understand the impacts of TBI, how to prevent it and how to treat individuals who have sustained such injuries. “The Army and the NFL share similar cultures,” said Campbell. “Our commitment to team sometimes prevents our soldiers and players from really asking to take a knee. The common goal is to preserve and protect the long-term wellness of our people and sustain them beyond their time in uniform.” [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/by Sgt. Christopher Tobey]


Colonel Steven Sliwa became the fifth director of the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force (REF) in August 2013. Reporting directly to the senior leadership of the Army, the REF harnesses current and emerg-ing technologies to provide rapid solutions for urgent combat require-ments faced by soldiers on today’s battlefield. The Department of the Army formed the REF in 2002 to support warfighter requirements in Afghanistan, and during the past 10 years, the REF met challenges as diverse as defeating improvised explosive devices, increasing Army contingency operation energy efficiency, gathering blast effect data to better understand traumatic brain injury, and improving intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts in austere locations. Today, the REF continues to maintain a forward presence in Afghani-stan. It remains an evolving organization and the Army’s primary rapid response force to address urgent operational challenges.

Upon commissioning from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1986, Sliwa began his career as a field artillery officer assigned to the 1/320th Field Artillery Battalion in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky. With 27 years in uniform, Sliwa served in and commanded field artillery units at the platoon through brigade levels, and performed fire support, maneuver and stability operations. His operational assignments include Germany, Haiti, Iraq and Korea. He participated in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Uphold Democracy and Iraqi Freedom. In addition to these operational assignments, he also served as a national secu-rity fellow at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University and as a strategic planner on the Joint Staff. Prior to becoming the REF director, he completed a second assignment on the Joint Staff. As the assistant deputy director for Joint Strategic Planning, Sliwa synchronized activities for the development of the national military strategy, chairman’s risk assessment, unified command plan and joint operational war plans. His efforts resulted in a broad range of responsive assessments and recommendations to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Sliwa received numerous military awards and decorations, to include: the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Bronze Star Medal (one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Superior Unit Award, (received for actions following the shell-ing of Yeonpyeong-Do Island by North Korea while commanding the 210th Fires Brigade), the Republic of Korea Order of National Security Merit Sam-Il Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Air Force Space Badge and the Ranger Tab.

Sliwa earned a Master of Military Arts and Sciences in military space applications from United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1998.

As REF director, Sliwa prepares the organization to provide global support while maintaining focus on the units serving in Oper-ation Enduring Freedom (OEF). He recently visited Afghanistan to meet with the REF forward operations centers and key Army leaders.

Q: Sir, thank you for taking the time to speak with Ground Combat Technology. What are your top priorities as the fifth director of REF?

A: First, I’d like to express how excited I am to be selected as the REF director. I became very familiar with the REF while serving on the Army Staff within G-3/5/7. It was in the position as chief of current and future war fighting capabilities division while validating incom-ing operational need statements that I first learned about the REF. I was always impressed by the speed and creativity with which the REF could provide solutions to a unique requirement.

Also, I think it’s a very exciting time for the REF. As the mission is changing in Afghanistan, REF is uniquely positioned to maintain focus on the unique requirements that support the retrograde. This is a time for REF to continue to demonstrate the value of a rapid response element within the Army.

Solution ProviderREF Director Addresses Urgent Warfighter Requirements

Q&AQ&AColonel Steven Sliwa

DirectorRapid Equipping Force

ARmy RApiD EqUipping FORCE


This is the guidance I gave my team and why I chose to visit Afghanistan during my first month as REF director. The top prior-ity right now for the REF is to provide support to the warfighter and the requirements generated by the retrograde as the mission transitions in Afghanistan. To do so, we will remain present at the forward operation bases as long as possible.

In addition to our focus in Afghanistan, we are attempting to fill other requirements to deployed global forces wherever our authorities and budget limitations permit. For example, we were able to repurpose a unique capability from Afghanistan and provide it to an Army aviation unit in Joint Task Force Bravo in the South-ern Combatant Command [SOUTHCOM] area of responsibility.

Q: With warfighter requirements decreasing in Afghanistan, how is the REF’s mission changing?

A: Generally speaking, one might assume that a reduced number of soldiers in combat translates to fewer requirements. However, we anticipate a brief spike in requirements as units realign in sup-port of the retrograde. The REF’s rapid response capability will be critical to addressing this temporary increase.

Q: You mentioned that you recently visited Afghanistan. What were a few of your specific goals for that trip?

A: First and foremost, I wanted to meet my REF Forward teams. REF has a small team of operators and engineers at both the Bagram and Kandahar Air Bases. I wanted to meet with them and get a sense, first-hand, of the capability they are providing down range. I have to tell you, I was very impressed.

The REF forward operations centers interface with the regional commands and the higher Headquarters from the International Joint Commission within the International Security Assistance Force to identify urgent requirements, facilitate the REF 10-liner requirement document process and harvest, or repurpose REF equipment in Afghanistan. REF operators accompany units on patrol to observe tactical and equipment problems. Based on direct soldier input, they can provide one of two courses of action. They are able to provide equipment on the spot from the REF inventory or they work with the soldiers to design and prototype custom solutions at one of the two REF expeditionary labs, or Ex Labs.

Secondly, I wanted to gain a better understanding of the situa-tion on the ground as we execute retrograde and to anticipate the types of requirements that may emerge from the potential follow-on operations.

Q: What is a specific example of a lab-created solution?

A: Without going into classified vignettes, let me give you a couple of examples. One of the labs provided a basic rain shroud for a counter-fire target acquisition radar system. A unit came to the lab with the following scenario: The air-intake on the radar system was ingesting rain water, causing the radar to automatically shut down. In less than two weeks, the lab staff was able to design and manufacture a metal rain shroud to protect the radar’s intake fan. In the five months since the shroud’s installation, the radar has not gone down, and the feedback from soldiers was extremely positive.

Another example is the valve stem cover. The valve stems on select vehicles are exposed and became mobility challenges. Tires and wheels were damaged by obstacles such as T-barriers and Hesco barriers on forward operating bases [FOBs], but also by rocks and other debris while on patrol. In some cases, this required entire convoys to stop for repairs. Within five weeks of the request, the lab staff designed, machined and installed metal guards that fit over the valve stems. Lab staff also worked with Research Development and Engineering Command Field Assistance in Science and Technology Center to produce and equip more than 100 additional guards. The guards were installed on trucks at the requesting FOB. To our knowl-edge, no further issues or broken valve stems have been reported on trucks with these guards in more than three months of operations.

These are just two simple examples of how the labs down range can provide quick fixes to meet capability gaps and allow for mission continuity. Anytime we can prevent a flat tire during route clearance or resupply, or we keep an ISR asset fully functioning, it is a win for the REF. Our job at the REF is to enable Army units of all types, combat, combat support and combat service support, to rapidly adapt to changing battlefield conditions and to generate and sustain the maximum combat power while maintaining focus on their primary functions and operational priorities.

Q: How will REF address tactical NS-E during the Afghanistan retrograde?

A: REF is extremely well versed in repurposing equipment to meet existing requirements globally for minimal cost. During the Iraq drawdown, REF harvested more than 12,000 pieces of tactical non-standard equipment [NS-E] through an operation in Kuwait. More than 6,000 items were repurposed to meet 10-Liners for Afghanistan, a cost avoidance of approximately $38 million. Since 2012, the REF has been collecting and redistributing items for use in Afghanistan. This operational effort has repurposed an additional 1,200 pieces of tactical NS-E, the majority of which directly issued against approved 10-Liner requirements, realizing an additional cost avoidance of $27 million. We have used this direct experience and are applying these lessons to the Afghanistan retrograde.

Q: What’s something recently fielded that impressed you, and what are a couple of innovations you’re hoping to provide the warfighter in the near future?

A: I am very impressed by everything the REF energy to the edge [E2E] team has done to integrate solar, battery, grid [where available] and generator technologies to ensure continuous power.

When I was in Afghanistan earlier this month, I visited a tacti-cal operations center [TOC] that was charged with monitoring and managing the FOB’s security as well as providing the command and control for their quick response force, an element that provides aid should friendly forces come under attack. While tied to the grid, they would occasionally lose power, impacting their ability to pro-vide command and control from the TOC. The REF’s operational energy advisors, through our E2E effort, were able to provide a hybrid system that proved to be a critical back-up power source. The system literally powered the command and control, communication, computer, and intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance equipment, bridging the gap and allowing for continued situational awareness.


William Childers Deputy Director, Mission Support

Sgt. Jose Quinones Jr.

Sergeant Major

Col. Steven Sliwa Director

Kara Ewell Public Affairs

Officer


2013

Lt. Col. Jane Hamann

Chief, Intelligence

Lt. Col. Keith Matiskella

Chief, Requirements

Jose Olivero Chief, Operations

Andrew Yuliano Chief, Acquisition

(Acting)

Garland Frost Deputy Director,

Futures

Michael Chevlin Chief, Strategic

Plans

Rhonda York Chief,

Management

Galen Shell Chief,

Administration

John Porter Chief, Budget Management

Dr. Karen Harrington

Chief Scientist

Rodney Spann Chief, Logistics

Edward Jozwiak Pentagon Liaison

Officer

Tami Johnson Program Manager

Phil Swinford Senior Advisor

During the Afghanistan trip, I met with several Army leaders who expressed a demand for additional aerostats for the current mission. REF was able to ship the first systems in less than one week and will continue to address this need in the coming months. That’s why I am so excited to be a part of an organization like REF. We have the flexibility and the authorities to immediately move out. These are just two examples in an ongoing effort to ensure the remaining soldiers in OEF have the best possible situational awareness.

Q: What is the most critical capability the REF continues to provide soldiers serving in OEF?

A: The most critical capability REF provides is not a single technol-ogy. It is being able to rapidly provide a solution. REF equips items as small as radio receivers to complex, integrated system of systems pro-totypes. However, all of these examples have a few things in common. First, there was an urgent requirement from theater. Second, for whatever reason, there is no equipment in the current inventory to sufficiently address the need. Finally, REF is able to use their unique authorities to work with the right Army organizations or vendors to equip in a matter of days or weeks. While being rapid, we must also be risk-tolerant. Not all of our solutions will be perfect. However, we also have a mechanism to work with soldiers to obtain feedback and improve the solution. Many REF initiatives have ultimately become programs of record.

Q: Based on your service in Korea as both a brigade commander and the G-3/5/7/9 for 8th Army, do you believe there is a requirement for REF there and/or other locations outside Afghanistan?

A: Absolutely. Army forces deployed throughout the world will have to adapt to the environment and may experience capability gaps. The challenge with operations elsewhere in the world is that not all Army global efforts are named operations with access to resources like overseas contingency operations funding. However, this is a direction where I would like to take the REF. Leaning on the great partner-ship between the asymmetric warfare group [AWG] and the REF that exists in Afghanistan, and previously in Iraq, I want continue to leverage AWG global scouts and expand this partnership as a means to gain awareness of emerging capability gaps wherever Army forces are deployed. REF has the flexibility to assess the capability gap and develop a set of solutions and equip the unit when the resources are available, adding to the Army’s ability to learn adaption for the future.

Q: How does the integrated blast effects sensor suite [IBESS] effort illustrate REF development capabilities?

A: The key word in IBESS is “integrated.” REF integrates existing technologies, essentially creating system of systems prototypes, to deliver an improved capability to the warfighter.

Army leadership tasked the REF to insert a technology into theater that could gather blast effects data. There are single-sensor systems out there that can register, “Yes, you have experienced a con-cussive event above a certain threshold,” or “No, you have not,” but these systems do not provide the fidelity required to recreate the blast for post-event analysis. IBESS is the first effort to combine a suite of overpressure and acceleration sensors for a more holistic picture of a traumatic or concussive event.

With this expanded data set, analysts could potentially provide a visual representation of the blast event over time. This information could be added to a soldier’s electronic medical health record and post-event analysis could inform larger Army medial and acquisition efforts.

With enough data over time, we would be able to identify, mitigate and reduce hazards, whether during training or in combat operations. The medical community would be poised to more effectively diag-nose and treat the injured. Finally, the acquisition community could potentially apply engineering lessons learned to improve protection systems at the vehicle and personal equipment level.

The great thing about an organization like the REF is that Army leadership can turn to us to immediately take on a tough technology or equipping challenge, particularly when the challenge requires the integration of multiple, emerging technologies.

Q: I learned that REF launched a new website called Army CoCreate. What is the REF objective for this effort?

A: After more than 10 years in combat, soldiers have gained invalu-able experience and insight to the operational challenges presented by asymmetrical threats in a complex environment. REF is conducting a proof-of-concept effort, Army CoCreate, an online community to harness soldier ideas and address select challenges.

The Army CoCreate platform provides a venue for soldier-focused innovation, builds a community of interested problem solvers, and captures individual soldier lessons learned and ideas. CoCreate expands on other crowd-powered design efforts, such as those used by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency [DARPA], to determine if online platforms can be used to identify problems, refine options and design solutions.

At the culmination of the online community effort, REF will send one of our Ex Labs to the Maneuver Center of Excellence [MCoE] at Fort Benning for two make-a-thon events. The make-a-thons connect the online community’s virtual design concepts with expeditionary prototyping labs provided by the REF, to demonstrate the prototyping capabilities REF provides for soldiers in forward locations. Finally, we will document the lessons learned from this experience to further evaluate the utility of this approach for future Army development of unique solutions to equipping and design challenges.

Visit www.armycocreate.com today and register for an account. This site is open to the general public.

Q: What closing thoughts do you have for the men and women of REF and the job they do in support of our troops?

A: First, I am extremely proud of their history and accomplishments in support of the soldiers deployed as well as proud to be the leader of this team. Second, I would ask them to remain flexible. No one can predict the future. There will be change within Army, within OEF and within REF. We need to remain aligned with where the Army is going in the future, strategically and tactically. We may have to develop new procedures and ways to continue to support those in contact and those deployed around the globe, but we must always be prepared to react in support of the next Army operation. Finally, we must stay vigilant, anticipating future soldier requirements and mak-ing ourselves continuously aware of emerging technologies, the art of the possible, to meet those needs. O



When an M4 carbon is firing within 6 inches of a military opera-tor’s ear, emitting 650 decibels of sound, it’s easy to understand that one’s auditory system is not meant for such a harsh experience. Roadside bombs, a favorite of insurgents in Iraq, are another devastat-ing force. Peacetime military training can also present shocks to the auditory system. Many hearing experts recommend the use of earplugs when exposed to noise 85 decibels or greater.

According to one Veterans Affairs Department study, 18 percent of soldiers coming back from service in Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from combat-related hearing loss, despite the fact that hearing protection has been standard issue in the military since 2002. The VA is paying out about $1 billion annually for hearing loss-related claims, according to one report. The Army began ordering mandatory hearing tests for redeployed soldiers in 2009. Blown eardrums, the most common effect of blasts, can heal with treatment.

Long-term static noise—such as from helicopters and heavy trans-port vehicles, gunfire, and blasts from roadside bombs and IEDs—is the most common threat to a servicemember’s hearing, according to Jim Price, business development manager with Tactical Command Industries (TCI), a New Hampshire-based company that sells hearing protection gear.

Having retired from the Air Force in 2006 after serving as a tacti-cal air controller, Price only has 50 percent hearing capability in one ear and 9 percent in the other ear. Luckily for him, the ear has seven layers, and he will get much of his hearing back.

Despite the additional efforts, nearly 70,000 of the more than 1.3 million troops who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating ringing in the ears, and more than 58,000 are on disability for hearing loss, according to the VA. Some observers say that hearing loss has emerged as the silent epidemic of the overseas contingency operations.

Even as defense budgets have gone down, the technical require-ments and need among military operators for hearing and visual protection appears to have grown.

Traditionally, soldiers, sailors, Marines and other operators have only reluctantly worn earplugs or eye protection in combat, even though in Afghanistan and Iraq, ear protection was mandatory, accord-ing to Frank Gavin, business development manager for 3M Defense, who served in the Army. “It’s a tough sell because an earplug is an ear-plug is an earplug,” he said. Even if a vendor develops an earplug that is faster, lighter and smaller, if it’s perceived as obstructing one’s hearing, then such a perception is a significant hindrance to its acceptance in the field. This challenge seems to point to the importance of soldiers wearing ear protection in training, even in basic training.

“Five or six years ago, it was never a factor,” said Nicholas Lafferty, director of marketing at TEA Headsets, addressing the military’s need for hearing protection, which seems to have spiked as a result of the experience with gunfire and roadside bombs in Iraq. More recently, U.S. military leaders have begun addressing the need for inner-aural and supra-aural protection. TEA Headsets is a leading supplier to the U.S. Special Operations Command, providing high-quality headsets and push-to-talk switches.

“Some people have felt wearing earplugs would make them com-bat-ineffective” because an earplug would affect situational awareness, and operators need to be able to detect noise in their surroundings, Gavin said.

As a result of such needs, 3M Defense created EAR Combat Arms earplugs four years ago, which can enable an operator to carry on normal conversations and filter out noises as drastic as the sound of an improvised explosive device detonating. The earplugs, which usually

earIng and hearIng protectIon Is becomIng not only requIred but used In the fIeld. by wIllIam murray

gct correspondent

Body army Protection needs Continue to evolve

Michael Foreman, vice presi-dent at Point Blank Enterprises Inc. of Pompano Beach, Fla., is seeing a continuing demand in the U.S. military for lighter-weight, modular body armor with increased mobility.

Since the company’s found-ing in 1973, it has seen the U.S. military’s body armor needs evolve from fragmentation pro-tection to full body protection to special operations needs. “They’re all very real and in many respects, quite different” of such user needs, Foreman said. He worked for 30 years in law enforcement, including 18 years in SWAT.

Addressing an emerging need, Point Blank Enterprises officials are working on a body armor suit for female military members, Foreman said.

The U.S. Marine Corps initially adopted plate body armor vests, and Foreman sees this requirement spreading throughout the military. Point Blank Enterprises’ largest U.S. government customer is the Army. “The U.S. military receives the best [body armor] equipment of any military in the world,” Foreman said proudly.

Michael Foreman


cost $15-17, received a national stock number by the Defense Logistics Agency four years ago, helping to pave the way for broader acceptance by military users and resulting in a few million units in sales each year, according to Gavin. He works in Phoenix.3M Defense, the one large company in the ear and vision protection market for DoD that appears to be battling a number of smaller, start-up ventures, and that also makes the Peltor brand of ear protection gear.

The ballistic eyewear that Eye Safety Systems Inc. (ESS) of Sun Valley, Idaho, sells is much different than standard safety glasses one might see on a construction site, according to Mike Vigueria, ESS’s director of government contracts. The 15-year-old company provides ballistic goggles and ballistic sunglasses to military users. ESS units provide six times the energy of normal safety glasses, he said.

“There’s a need for durability” among military users, said Vigueria, a former airman. “They want the gear lighter, leaner and more lethal,” he said. ESS’s gear provides anti-fog and anti-scratch features to users, and costs begin at $55 per unit. He credited a “cowboy” ethos in the military among some combat operators with the resistance to wearing eye gear. “I’m going to do what I’m going to do,” is the phrase that Vigueria uses to illustrate the mindset of the cowboy ethos.

ESS and other vendors are working hard to meet the transition combat eye protection (TCEP) criteria set by Program Executive Offi-cer (PEO) Soldier. According to these emerging requirements, vendors need to provide eye gear that can transition quickly from a dark lens to a clear lens.

“The DoD budget is off so much, it is challenging” to invest suf-ficient funds for such a research and development initiative, according to Vigueria. “There have been lots of people working on [TCEP] for a lot of years.”

“They’re buying a fraction of what they once did,” in part because of the ending of the Iraq War and the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Vigueria said. ESS’s largest U.S. military customer is the Marine Corps, and in addition to selling throughout the armed services, ESS also sells to the Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

“We will continue to develop,” Vigueria said. “The cost is less important than providing protection for those in harm’s way,” he said, noting letters written to ESS officials from grateful military members who credit ESS gear with saving their eyesight. He credits PEO Soldier with better educating many soldiers about the need for eyesight and hearing protection in theater.

TCI’s Price noted that many military servicemembers are looking for lower profile earpieces, particularly if they are engaged in special reconnaissance operations and unconventional warfare. Such opera-tors want to be as inconspicuous as possible. “It works for the mission set they’re doing,” Price said. With U.S. military leaders wanting to operate in a more lean, quick-moving and lethal way, such a lower profile works well.

“We’re getting asked to [configure equipment] that’s more modu-lar,” including producing gear that allows servicemembers on deploy-ment to keep the base layer of their gear on, but also plug in their radios to the systems on transportation systems such as MRAPS and helicopters and then run on batteries on their body armor, according to Price. Such “plug-and-play” equipment works well with the existing communications architecture that U.S. military members use.

Price noted that TCI has the capability of producing gear that is waterproof. “We can build it to the customer’s specification,” he added.

Some military users are looking for integrated helmet systems that with eye and vision protection, according to Eric Hounchell,

vice president of optics of Revision Military Ltd., an Essex Junction, Vt.-based company that provides ballistic eyewear and advanced head systems to law enforcement and military agencies. Founded 11 years ago, the company received an initial contract to provide eyewear to the Canadian military, after the coun-try became the first NATO member nation to make eyewear mandatory in combat. The company’s founder recognized an unmet need in foreign nation militaries for eye protection.

When one considers threats to eyesight in combat, he should think about roadside bombs and IEDs, but could also consider the threat com-ing from commercially available lasers used by insurgents and in crowded areas, Hounchell said. According to one figure he has seen, 16 percent of injuries in Afghanistan and Iraq for U.S. troops have been eye-related. “Ninety percent of them could have been prevented with ballistics protection,” he added.

Revision Military’s products are known for providing strong bal-listics protection, according to Hounchell, and have very strong anti-scratch and anti-fog capabilities. “Even with the best coating, you still get scratches” during deployments, Hounchell said. “Anything you can do for scratch protection” makes a difference. He noted that U.S. special forces operators are known for testing and purchasing cutting-edge vision protection gear.

Another vendor, David Clark Company Inc., produces wireless headset communication systems that provide a high level of mobility and clear communication for military personnel involved in vehicle and ground operations, according to John M. Tasi, the Worcester, Mass.-based company’s government product manager.

“Safety is dramatically improved, as military personnel maintain full situational awareness through crisp, clear and constant commu-nications, enhancing the overall safety and effectiveness. The wireless system provides military personnel with enhanced freedom and mobil-ity, dramatically improving safety,” Tasi said. David Clark Company launched its operations more than 50 years ago.

For their part, 3M’s EAR Combat Arms earplugs work particularly well for convoy operators, according to Gavin. “The earplug drowns out white noise,” he said.

3M also sells Peltor Tactical Communications headsets, which can protect hearing and amplify ambient noise, giving operators situ-ational awareness of noise as far as 50 feet away, Gavin said. The units are popular in the U.S. Special Operations Command.

As earplugs have received broader acceptance in the military, protective sunglasses “have gone from being forbidden to ‘buy manda-tory,’” 3M Defense’s Gavin said.

It used to be that about one of every 10 soldiers operated a radio. The military is moving toward a communications scenario in which practically every soldier will have a smartphone or some other hand-held unit, Gavin said. 3M Defense and other companies are research-ing how to help protect the eyesight and hearing of military operators using smartphones in theater. O

For more information, contact GCT Editor Jeff Campbell at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.gct-kmi.com.

eric Hounchell


To hear Staff Sergeant Joseph Roberts tell it, leading the crew of an up-armored HMMWV going down the road at speed was one raucous experience. Roberts was with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq before the installation of noise attenuating inter-com systems on their vehicles. “That person in that far seat over there or that gunner with the wind whipping in his face, they’re not going to be able to hear everything that you’re trying to put out. I have to scream at him and try to reach back and grab his legs and tug at him.”

There are two good reasons for putting a vehicular intercom system (VIS) on an Army vehicle: noise and the need to communicate in spite of it. Noise can make it impossible to be heard, which threatens situational aware-ness and mission success. Noise can also cause irreparable hearing loss to the occu-pants of a tactical vehicle. Besides impacting a veteran’s quality of life, service-connected hearing loss is costing the government mil-lions upon millions of dollars. According to a 2009 report from the Department of Vet-erans Affairs National Center for Rehabilita-tive Auditory Research, “Auditory disabilities affect veterans of all ages and represented the most prevalent individual service-connected disability among veterans.”

Prevention of hearing loss in soldiers has become an Army priority, important enough to be included in Army Safety Regulations AR 385-10 and AR 40-501.

The Army began installing VIS capa-bilities as far back as the 1960s, at first on tracked vehicles. Typically, these systems consist of a series of electronic boxes or mod-ules that allow occupants to plug into the system to communicate with each other and, through on-board radio connections, with external locations. The systems also include mounting brackets and associated hardware, interconnecting data and power cables, head-sets and sometimes loudspeakers. In the 1980s, the Army introduced the Army/Navy Vehicle Inter Communications system, or

AN/VIC-3. When and where the system was installed, the results were dramatic.

The AN/VIC-3 system has gotten rave reviews from users like Staff Sergeant Nicho-las Richards, also with the 101st Airborne Division. “I don’t have to scream to the gunner what’s going on and he doesn’t have to ask two or three times what’s happening, which way do I need to face, because he can hear me just like if I was talking to him in the seat right next to me.”

The VIC-3 has provided a standardized, modular and easily configurable intercom suite that has enhanced situational aware-ness and speech intelligibility while attenu-ating ambient vehicle, gunfire and impulse (explosion) noise. It has proven itself rug-ged and durable with a “ring” architecture that automatically re-routes signals through highly robust, double-shielded cables to ensure that crewmembers continue com-municating even if some of the cables are severed by combat damage.

The acquisition enterprise behind the AN/VIC-3 is Project Director, Vehicular Inte-gration Systems (PD VIS). PD VIS is part of the Project Manager, Defense Commu-nications and Army Transmission Systems (DCATS) organization, which reports to the Program Executive Office, Enterprise Infor-mation Systems (PEO EIS). PD VIS conducts comprehensive assessments of vehicle plat-forms and variants to determine the best places to run cables and mount intercom modules so they’re ideally located for crew-members to use and so that the intercom system is fully integrated into the platform environment.

VIS then works with commercial manufacturers to provide vehicle-specific intercom kits, components, headsets and ancillary hardware as needed to Army vehicle PMs, specifically within the Program Executive Office, Ground Combat Systems and Combat Support and Combat Service Support communities. PD VIS also provides VIS kits directly to the Army Logistics

Readiness Center, relevant Army depots, Army major commands, other service components (especially the Navy and Marine Corps) and SOCOM.

By serving at the nexus of this equa-tion, where end-users, commands and prod-ucts converge, PD VIS is able to save the Army money by consolidating requirements across platforms, acquire systems only as needed, and rapidly adapt to evolving plat-form requirements and configurations. Most importantly, they have the subject matter expertise and experience to anticipate and leverage advancing technologies in effective intercom technology and noise reduction.

communIcatIons

Communications, obviously, are critical to effective execution of the Army’s mission. The DCATS tagline is “Freedom Through Communications.” Within a crew-served vehicle, however, soldier-to-soldier commu-nications can be seriously impaired by sys-tem, vehicle, weather and weapons noise, as well as the confusion of an enemy engage-ment. Vehicle intercom systems overcome these obstacles by providing a normalized channel for speaking in a normal tone of voice (the ability to do so without raising one’s voice is critical, since a loud voice can itself introduce distortion).

In essence, by enabling effective commu-nications, these systems make it possible to accomplish the mission and save lives. They increase situational awareness because all members of a vehicle crew are able to com-municate what they observe. They increase readiness by allowing the crew—all mem-bers of the crew—to serve as the ears and eyes of the vehicle.

hearIng protectIon

According to the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, hearing loss can occur if the ear is not adequately

Next-Gen Vehicle Intercom System

an/vIc-5 allows soldIers to communIcate and Improve sItuatIonal awareness. by twyman bledsoe


protected when noise levels exceed as few as 85 dB(A) (decibel A levels are weighted average measurements of sound or acoustic pressure). As one might expect, maximum exposure times decrease as sound levels increase. The interior steady state noise level of an M1114 HMMWV at speed is approxi-mately 95 dB(A) sound pressure level, which is a logarithmic measure of sound pressure in the air. Exposure to that level of noise without protection can cause permanent hearing loss in less than an hour on the road. At speed, the interior of an M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank is 110 dB(A), which can cause permanent damage in less than four minutes.

According to the Veterans Administration National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, 39 percent of the 3,069,652 veter-ans who received service-connected disability benefits in 2009 had auditory acuity impair-ment. By 2011, annual disabilities compensa-tion to veterans for hearing loss and tinnitus (or “ringing” in the ear) exceeded $1.1 bil-lion, according to the VA. These numbers, moreover, appear to be increasing at a rate of 18 percent per year.

Even in theater, as a direct, immediate result of prolonged exposure to high steady-state noise, soldiers experience increased stress and fatigue, sleep deprivation, impaired task performance, cardiovascular distur-bances, increases in mental health issues and negative social behavior, and annoyance reactions. In turn, these conditions can lead to inefficiency and reduced morale.

lookIng ahead

To date, 125,000 VIC-3 systems have been delivered and are fully operational on more than 70 vehicle variants in the field. It is field-proven and is the standard intercom system for the U.S. Army and several inter-national programs. Now it is time for the AN/VIC-5, the Army’s next-generation VIS.

Awarded to Northrop Grumman Cobham Intercoms LLC (NGCI) through a competi-tive bidding process for a commercial prod-uct that could be hardened for military use, the AN/VIC-5 contract is a five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity agreement with range quantity pricing. The contract allows for five one-year renewal options with a total ceiling of $2.4 billion. The acquisition action covers procurement of hardware, spare parts and support services for the new system.

In form and fit, the AN/VIC-5 suite of components is identical to that of the VIC-3.

The two systems use the same mounting brackets or drill holes (though the new sys-tem requires fewer modules to do the same job). The VIC-5 uses the same cables (though replacing some of the cables will further enhance performance). The ringed cabling architecture remains intact. The two systems also share the same power requirements, drawing between 24 and 32 volts direct cur-rent, depending on system configuration. All of this ensures that VIC-5 hardware can easily replace VIC-3 equipment.

In fundamental function, too, the VIC-5 mirrors its predecessor in that it allows crewmembers to reliably and effectively com-municate with each other and with external locations via connected radio systems, and it significantly reduces crew exposure to poten-tially debilitating noise levels. The difference is in how these functions are accomplished. When compared with the VIC-3, the VIC-5 provides the same reliability, modularity and ease of use, with a much greater feature set.

The VIC-5 supports interconnection with Voice over Internet Protocol networks for reliable digital voice communications.

The software for each of the system mod-ules can be upgraded in the field by trained users, allowing users to easily add future system enhancements and optional system upgrades.

The system’s main module provides a 1GB Ethernet connection, while the other modules provide 100 MB connections. This allows connection to Ethernet-based net-works, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, and smart displays.

The VIC-5 enables large-scale Command Post operations where additional radios (as many as 16, versus 6 with the VIC-3) or a larger user base (as many as 58 users, though additional power is required for any more than 20, versus eight users with the VIC-3) is needed.

The system provides a built-in graphical user interface and allows for remote control of selected radios.

These VIC-5 advancements over VIC-3 capabilities are primarily software-based. This brings the system fully into the digital age by leveraging advancements in digital combat communications technology. These advancements also introduced challenges. Some of those were standard. For example, “hardening” the system for military use involved the addition of new build specifications to ensure durability and reliability. Unlike most civilian applications,

the military version of this commercial product had to withstand electromagnetic interference, lightning strikes, and nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.

In addition, the VIC-5 system had to do exactly what it claimed to do on day one. This meant that the system had to be independently verified and validated to meet military technical specifications and operational requirements. VIS turned to the Realization, Engineering and Quality Direc-torate of the Army Communications-Elec-tronics Command (CECOM) to oversee these critical tests. On February 7, 2013, CECOM confirmed that the VIC-5 system had suc-cessfully completed First Article Testing. The system passed production verification testing at Blackburn, England, and Kelso, Scotland, over the following summer. Acting as milestone decision authority, PEO EIS subsequently approved the system for Army-wide procurement on August 28, 2013. The VIC-5 is now available for roll-out to all new production vehicles and to older platforms through reset programs.

According to Sergeant Ryan Berkhart of the New Jersey National Guard, who led a team of soldiers involved in field testing the AN/VIC-5, “It’s a big improvement over the VIC-3 with a lot of features that helped us perform our mission. The audio quality on the VIC-5 was a lot better than on the VIC-3, for both intercom and radio. Also, there are extra features on the VIC-5 with the different menus and settings. A case in point would be a monitor level so that we could set the audio volume for radio stations for less than inter-com, which allowed us to continue to talk inside the vehicle and pass along information and still hear what’s going on in the net.”

Indeed, the new AN/VIC-5 takes vehicle crew communication and noise attenuation to the next level by enabling crew safety and tactical information exchanges, connectivity and retransmission, and IP communications, in demanding, high-noise environments. O

Twyman Bledsoe is product director, Vehicular Intercom Systems at Project Man-ager Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems, U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Sys-tems.

For more information, contact GCT Editor Jeff Campbell at [email protected] or search our online archives for related stories

at www.gct-kmi.com.


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Educated in Britain to degree level in telecommunications and microwave tech-nology, Heavens has worked in engineer-ing, project management and business management around the world over the past 40 years with 20 years in business management and for the last 10 years as division executive for AR Modular RF in Bothell, Wash.

Q: How vital are AR’s products to tactical communications?

A: In days gone by, forward scouts and recon groups would bring back informa-tion about the enemy by word of mouth. These days, radio communication is vital to surveillance activity and the tactical radio booster amplifiers that AR Modular designs and manufactures are designed to go hand in hand with the portable and vehicle radio systems. These tactical booster products were originally conceived to extend the range of special operation forces, but they have now become commonplace items used by all arms of U.S. forces in just about every possible vehicle platform imagin-able: ground vehicles, drop box kits, UAVs, aircraft of all types, and even boats from Zodiacs to cutters.

The quantity of radio communications within the services has grown exponen-tially in recent years, and the complexity of the type of communications traffic carried has increased as well. Originally, com-munications were on a one-to-one basis, then one to many; now, it’s networking on an all-to-all basis, with huge jumps in the information exchange capacity capabilities of the radio equipment used. This drive for a bigger coverage area and faster data rates demands superior radio products like the AR50 family of booster amplifier products designed and made by AR Modular RF.

Q: How well are the AR-50 RF amplifiers performing in theater?

A: The AR-50 design grew from the well-known KMW1031 20 watt portable

product that has had an outstanding field performance. The AR-50’s design, like the smaller 20W unit, was dramatically overbuilt with regard to the RF amplifier section in order to make it essentially unbreakable even in the most demanding of field conditions. We chose to include a DC-DC power system that allows the unit to operate from both civil and military vehicles, which at the same time isolates the internal circuitry from noise and DC voltage variations that could affect the fidelity and RF output level of the complex modulation signals that it carries.

Additionally, its advanced design is such that it has been able to carry not only all the legacy modulation formats but also all of the newer modulations and network-ing formats such as TDMA, IW, ANW2/C and SRW, all with one common RF board design. By carefully designing the product to monitor its operating conditions and prevent abnormal conditions from damag-ing it or requiring the operator to reset the system, we have been able to ship thousands and thousands of them into the field with an extremely low return rate. Its tremendous success in the field has resulted in a number of product variants like the high power 75W SATCOM model, the AR50/SAT75, and the full multiband 75W AR75.

Q: What is AR most focused on for future military communications innovations?

A: Technology has never stood still, and so we too are always evolving new designs, using the latest RF devices and always striving to make more power in smaller

packages and have better DC power effi-ciency. Military communications are undergoing changes too, with a move away from the old concept of a “hub and spoke” kind of communications between a few key individuals and locations to a world where everybody needs to be able to “reach out and touch someone” on the other side of the planet in real time, so networking and big Internet Protocol pipes in the sky are an essential part of everybody’s future world.

Smaller is better, so we are launching a new 20W booster for 30-512MHz, the AR20. It’s smaller and better performing than our legacy KMW1031unit. Network-ing radios are going up in frequency to 2GHz, so we have a new L band 50 watt booster to work with radios like the PRC 117G that have a “wideband” networking antenna port. The AR55L offers 50W out-put up to 2GHz, has a switchable receive path low noise amplifier, and filters to help keep local high-power transmissions out of the receiver channel.

Q: What closing thoughts do you have about your company, its people and the ground combat warriors who use AR’s amplifiers, antennas and various sys-tems?

A: Our future soldiers will be better informed and better protected than at any time in history due to the high-tech sys-tems that they carry in their backpacks or on the dashboard of their vehicles, and AR Modular RF will be there to support them. The military market isn’t our whole busi-ness, but it’s a very important part of our business—not only from a fiscal point of view, but from a sense of purpose. It’s not just smart technology, it’s technology that supports a group of very special people who maintain our freedom. We know that they “stand on the line” in defense of us all and it makes us very proud to be a small part in their success. Our “battle tested” logo means a great deal to us and also to the folks who use our equipment! O

InduStry InterVIeW ground combat technology

Chris HeavensVice President and General Manager

AR Modular RF


Next Issue


December 2013Vol. 4, Issue 6

Insertion Order Deadline: Nov. 7, 2013 • Ad Materials Deadline: Nov. 14, 2013

Cover and In-depth IntervIew wIth:

Douglas K. Wiltsiearmy Program executive officerenterprise Information Systems

Features:ADvAnceD OpticsIn just under 15 years, the u.S. has flown over 2.5 million uaS hours. the demand for this ISr platform continues to grow exponentially, due in large part to the mechanisms that enable analysts to take a close look at what the enemy doesn’t want seen.

Rifle AnD pistOl AmmunitiOncenturies ago, a bullet was a bullet. now, ammo options are enormous. From the basic to armor-piercing and precision-guided munitions, and even the possibility of going green, we help narrow the field.

vehicle fiRe extinguishing systemsattacks on ground vehicles can rupture fuel tanks and set tires ablaze. the longer that fire burns, the greater the harm that can come to our troops inside. We examine the latest available to our warriors in automatic fire extinguishing systems.

WeApOn AccessORiesthrough the course of a career, tactical operators discover or create items to improve their skill and effectiveness with weapons. once a buddy sees the innovation, a common response is, “Why didn’t I think of that?” We look at who did and explain why you need these accessories.

speCIal seCtIon:RecOveRy vehiclesa wimpy tow truck won’t do when it comes to repairing battle- or mine-damaged armored vehicles. armored recovery vehicles can handle not only that job, but can also support combat engineering missions.

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