Sotech 12 6 final

MissionEnforcerCol. Christopher S. VanekCommander75th Ranger RegimentU.S. Army

FMV O Compact CommunicationsRugged Computers O Rotary Wing ISR

July 2014 Volume 12, Issue 6

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World’s Largest Distributed Special Ops Magazine

Special Section

night ViSion ReView

GCS L-3com.com

If you’re looking for complete satellite communications solutions, look to L-3 GCS. Our combined expertise in satellite systems, airtime, network architecture and field support allows us to provide you with the tools for critical communications on and off the battlefield. We understand today’s missions and are equipped to deliver reliable, interoperable solutions when you need them, where you need them.

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5 CompaCt CommuniCationsThe communications needs of special operations forces don’t differ greatly from those of warfighters in other military components. But how special operations personnel consume communications services and data differs dramatically.By Peter BuxBaum

10 RotaRy isRAirborne ISR has become an increasingly important resource for special operations. Recent conflicts have represented a departure from the traditional historical battlefield. With many operations taking place in urban locales, special operators rely on fixed wing, rotary wing and unmanned aviation resources for much of their intelligence needs.By Peter BuxBaum

21 it’s not Like the moviesPutting full motion video to work in a military setting isn’t as simple as yelling “Lights, camera, action!”, breaking out the popcorn and enjoying the results. By Hank Hogan

Cover / Q&AFeatures

3M DefenseProblem. Solved.

CoLoneL ChRistopheR s. vanek

Commander75th Ranger Regiment

17

July 2014Volume 12, Issue 6Special OperatiOnS technOlOgy

Departments Industry Interview2 editoR’s peRspeCtive3 WhispeRs/peopLe14 BLaCk WatCh27 ResouRCe CenteR

JennifeR phiLLipsChief Operating OfficerCognitive Performance Group

28

“We are chartered by the United

States Army Special

Operations’ commanding

general to conduct special operations and

specifically forced entry

into a complex environment and special operations

surgical raids.”

— Col. Christopher S.

Vanek

night vision RevieWSOTECH reached out to several industry leaders and posed this question: “What are your latest night vision technologies for aiding the special operations warfighter?”

24

Ruggedized ComputeRs RoundtaBLeThe military has a demand for ruggedized computers, and industry leaders make a case for some of their newest products in a series of op-eds.

8

Special Section

SOCOM can place another feather in its cap now that its Army Delta special forces have captured Ahmed Abu Khatalla, a ringleader of the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi. The attack resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Information Officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

Although all the facts surrounding the successful joint FBI and special operations forces driven mission remain unclear, Khatalla is now in U.S. custody and will face the American judicial system sometime later in Washington, D.C.

Remarkably, the mission resulted in no loss of life and reports from media sources have dribbled in that the special operators trained for the mission in a complex manner reminiscent of the Navy SEALS who shot Osama bin Laden.

Representative Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement on the capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala:

“The world is safer now that Ahmed Abu Khatalla is no longer at liberty, and I congratulate our men and women in uniform for bringing a dangerous terrorist into U.S. custody. The families of those who died in the Benghazi attack may now begin to get some measure of the justice they deserve. Before any prosecution process begins however, it is vital that Khatalla be fully interro-gated. This act of terrorism was not committed by one man alone—all the perpetrators deserve to be brought to justice and we need as much intelligence as possible regarding the terrorist networks now spreading across Libya. For that reason, and to better protect the United States from future attacks, it is vital that we learn all we can from him before we read him his rights.”

It is my hope that the remaining perpetrators of the attack on the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi will be caught and brought to justice here in the United States.

As usual feel free to contact me with any questions or comments for Special Operations Technology magazine.


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Rear Admiral Philip G. Howe will be assigned as president, Naval War College, Newport, R.I. Howe is currently serving as commander, Special Operations Command, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii.

Rear Admiral (lower half) Colin J. Kilrain will be assigned as commander, Special Operations Command, United States Pacific

Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Kilrain is currently serving as assistant commander, Joint Special Operations Command, United States Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Rear Admiral (lower half) Timothy G. Szymanski will be assigned as assistant commander, Joint Special Operations Command, United States Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C. Szymanski is currently serving as deputy commander, NATO Special Operations Component Command, Afghanistan.

Colonel Kirk W. Smith, who has been selected to the grade of briga-dier general, will go from special assistant to the commander,

Headquarters United States Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., to director, plans, requirements and programs, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Marine Corps General Joseph F. Dunford Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the rank of

general and for assignment as the 36th commandant of the Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. Dunford is currently serving as commander, International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan, and commander, United States Forces-Afghanistan.

Captain Brian J. Brakke, who has been selected for the rank of rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy director, Operations and Intelligence Integration, Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, Washington, D.C. Brakke is currently serving as chief of staff, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Compiled by KMI Media Group staffpeOple

Rear Adm. Philip G. Howe

Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr.

10th CWS Deactivates at Hurlburt Field

The 24th Special Operations Wing deactivated its 10th Combat Weather Squadron (CWS) May 7, 2014, during a ceremony at Hurlburt Field. Colonel Kurt Buller, 720th Special Tactics Group (STG) commander, presided over the ceremony with more than 100 airmen in attendance.

“When you leave this building and find your new buildings, your new team rooms, I want you to excel because there are a lot of people depending on you,” said Buller. “There are a lot of reasons for people to depend on you.”

Special operations weathermen from the unit will be integrated into 720th STG, joining fellow special tactics airmen in combat control, pararescue and tactical air control party.

Air Force Special Tactics has nearly 1,000 operators around the world working along-side Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces and Army Rangers to provide U.S. Special Operations Command with a highly trained SOF capability. Special Tactics is SOCOM’s premier tactical air-to-ground integration force. The organization is also the Air Force’s special operations ground force to enable global access and deliver precision strike, environmental reconnais-sance and personnel recovery.

After initial activation at Derrick Field, Md., June 24, 1942, and staging from Camp Stoneman, Calif., the former 10th Weather Squadron formed as a weather region head-quartered at New Delhi, India under the 10th Air Force in January 1943. The 10th CWS had significant historical lineage with ties to combat and special operations since 1943, said Master Sergeant April Dalessandro, 10th CWS first sergeant.

During its history, more than 1,000 Air National Guardsmen nationwide have either volunteered or deployed with this squadron. The 10th CWS will officially deactivate May 16 as Detachment 1, 720th Special Tactics Group.

By Airman 1st Class Jeff Parkinson, 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

www.SOTECH-kmi.com SOTECH 12.6 | 3

Compiled by KMI Media Group staffWhiSperS

Opening of Special Ops Aviation

Positions to Women

The Department of Defense notified Congress of the U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations Command plan to eliminate gender restrictions within previously closed units of the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command. This action involves approximately 1,300 positions.

In the January 2013 memorandum rescinding the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule, the Secretary of the Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed the services and U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations Command to work together in a deliberate, measured and responsible way to assign women to closed positions.

Advancing this effort, the Secretary of the Army and commander U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations Command forwarded to the Secretary of Defense a recommendation that expands opportuni-ties for women to serve in all four battalions of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

“Given the joint nature of special opera-tions, USSOCOM will synchronize our efforts with each service while observing the joint chiefs’ guiding principles to preserve unit readiness, cohesion and morale,” said Major General Christopher Haas, director for Force Management and Development at U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations Command.

Once the congressional notifica-tion process is complete, changes will be implemented through a deliberate and incremental process. Female officers and non-commissioned officers will be assigned to each unit previously closed to women, followed by female enlisted soldiers.

DoD officials notified Congress of the intent to open the following positions in the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command: 15B, 15D, 15F, 15G, 15H, 15J, 15K, 15N, 15P, 15Z, 25A, 25B, 25U, 27D, 29E, 35D, 35F, 35G, 35L, 35N, 35X, 36A, 36B, 42A, 42B, 42H, 56A, 56M, 61N, 65D, 68W, 74A, 74D, 88N, 89B, 90A, 91B, 91C, 91D, 91E, 91J, 91X, 92A, 92F, 92R, 92Y, 94E, 94R, 94W, 151A, 255A, 350F, 351L, 915A, 920A, 948B.

USASOAC(A) Bids Farewell to Outgoing Commanding General

Paratroopers from the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC) said goodbye to their outgoing commanding general, Brigadier General Clayton M. Hutmacher, during a change of command ceremony at Meadows Field, outside the U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) headquarters on June 10.

“Clay is first and foremost an accomplished soldier and a leader,” said Lieutenant General Charles T. Cleveland, USASOC commanding general. “What most don’t see is that he is a dedicated teammate, a humble man whose sense of humor, positive attitude, genuine compassion for soldiers and the units he commands and supports, and uncompromising standards of excel-lence in all things aviation and Army mark him as the finest Army aviation leader with whom I served, and have distinguished him from his peers.”

Along with the newly developed Aviation Foreign Internal Defense detachment and the arrival of the C-27J aircraft, USASOAC also transformed from a provi-sional to active unit and the U.S. Army Department of Heraldry approved unique distinguished unit insignia, beret flash and shoulder-sleeve insignia during Hutmacher’s time in command. Another major accomplishment during this time was the develop-ment and activation of Company E, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, USASOC’s first organic Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft systems company.

Hutmacher achieved his many accomplishments amid a time of rising budget concerns for the Army and DoD.

“Brigadier General Hutmacher led us through the continued challenges of standing up a new command while reshaping the focus of Army special operations aviation to support the future vision of both USSOCOM and USASOC,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bob D. Witzler, USASOAC command chief warrant officer. “He had to do it all against the imposing backdrop

of fiscal uncertainty. His ability to prioritize and focus the command and his unmatched breadth of experi-ence across the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (ARSOAC) enterprise was just what we needed to meet those challenges.”

Prior to taking command, Hutmacher said he had several goals for himself and the direction he hoped USASOAC would be heading towards upon his departure.

“One goal was to continue the good work of Major General Kevin Mangum,” he said. “He did an excellent job of establishing the command and pointing it in the right direction, but there was still a lot of work to be done. Commands sort of have a life cycle and we are in the early stages, where we have to mature.”

Hutmacher explained his other goals he hoped to achieve while in command as well.

“Another goal was to be a good teammate with various stakeholders like USASOC, the Special Forces Command and the other units that we support across the SOF enterprise,” he said. “I also put a big priority on being a good teammate with Army aviation, the Department of the Army and SOCOM. My final goal was to strengthen the relationship with the 160th and the other units that make up the ARSOAC enterprise and to continue to build on the teamwork and to work towards achieving our charter, which is to reduce the span of control of the operational units. I think we have done that.”

Hutmacher is replaced by Brigadier General Erik C. Peterson. Peterson’s previous role as deputy commanding general of support, 2nd Infantry Division, will be Hutmacher’s next assignment. Peterson, who has been friends with Hutmacher for years, is looking forward to his new job.

Excerpted from an article by Sergeant 1st Class Thaddius S. Dawkins II, USASOC News Service

www.SOTECH-kmi.com4 | SOTECH 12.6

The communications needs of special operations forces don’t differ greatly from those of warfighters in other military components. But how special operations personnel consume communications services and data differs dramatically, necessitating the development of com-munications equipment designed to meet their specific needs.

All of the U.S. military now strives to push informa-tion out to the tactical edge of the network. Big Army units, for example, transport communications infra-structures to forward areas to do just that.

Special operations forces don’t work that way. They need to rely on what they can carry. They operate in small teams and are unable to haul heavy equipment with them. Missions are often carried out in hostile and austere environments where the benefits of a military infrastructure are either not available or non-existent. SOF often operates in sensitive situations, where they need to blend in with local populations and make use of local resources, including the communica-tions infrastructure. Perhaps most importantly, special operations personnel, by the nature of their structure and their missions, consume more bandwidth and more data per person than personnel in other military components.

It may be true for larger military forces as well, but special operations units have a particular need to reduce the size, weight and power consumption (SWaP) of the communications equipment they carry.

Advances in electronics miniaturization facilitate that development, as does the integration of multiple communications functions onto a single small piece of equipment.

“Special operations forces operate in 85 to 90 countries every day and 125 countries annually,” said Tony Davis, program executive officer for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (PEO C4) at the U.S. Special Operations Command. “We aim to provide the same enterprise information and services at the bleeding tactical edge as we do in an office environment.”

The number of nodes in the special operations tactical network has increased since 2001 from around a dozen to nearly 1,200 today. “On a daily basis we provide a broadband secret Internet protocol router network pipe to small tactical teams and individuals at the tactical edge,” said Davis. “A six-man team consumes the same bandwidth as a

battalion command post in other services.” SOF operators are expected to move in and com-

plete complex missions clandestinely with a minimum of collateral damage with whatever equipment they can carry, noted Verna Wright, director of business develop-ment for special operations forces at Thales Defense & Security Inc. “Clear voice, data and video communica-tions in highly volatile environments are imperative so they know where each team member is and what they are doing during each phase of the mission,” she added. “Reliable communications can be the difference between mission success and failure.”

Special operations teams have become very ISR-centric in recent years, noted Davis, explaining the increased bandwidth that they consume. “They make heavy use of full motion video,” he said. “They want to be able to put eyes on target and they do that with high definition video. They also want to be able to transmit sensor data to be processed and exploited and then quickly pushed back out to the edge.”

The overwhelming difference between SOF and big Army organizations is the size, portability and mobil-ity of the systems, noted Karl Fuchs, vice president of technology at iDirect Government Technologies (iGT). “Typically big Army units have the ability to roll out transmissions systems on large trucks with generator

power and relatively large antennas,” he said. “That is not the case with quickly deployable special operations units.”

“The key driver for special operations forces’ communications needs is the ability to integrate multiple assets as force multipliers,” said Nick Lowe, business development manager at L-3 Communi-cations-West. “They operate in smaller units so it is important to

Tony Davis

Verna Wright

When it comes to communications equipment, soF has special needs. By peter BuxBaum sotech correspondent

SOTECH 12.6 | 5 www.SOTECH-kmi.com

integrate all of the assets that support them. Commu-nications have to support multiple functions within the team, and with command and control centers and out-side entities and organizations, in addition to providing global data connectivity.”

“These guys are carrying 85 to 90 pounds of equip-ment,” said Davis. “The trend in recent years is to compress the communications footprint by moving from multiple devices into a single device and even to compress that single device by making it smaller and lighter.”

“Another key to special operations communica-tions is the on-the-move aspect,” said Jerry Mamrol, director for land forces at Lockheed Martin Informa-tion Systems & Global Solutions. “As opposed to the larger Army, these folks need to be more agile and flexible, because no operation is ever the same. They also need to have more knowledge and situational awareness. This requires the ability to process data over the network and to store, utilize and make sense of intelligence reports and they need to be able to do all of this in real time.”

The ever-increasing need for data throughput and high resolution video is shaping the future of com-munications in the special operations missions, noted Wright. “The mobility of the SOF team requires all of these capabilities in the small-est, most power-efficient form factor,” she said. “SWaP will always be a major concern where agility and mobility are paramount to success of the mission. Further, technology that streamlines and integrates vari-ous communications technologies, in the form of mission modules, enables SOF operators to carry and deploy communications elements as each specific mission requires. This results in maximized flexibility, minimized carry load and increased mission effectiveness.”

According to Fuchs, the key to reducing the size of satellite termi-nals, which is where iGT operates, is to reduce the power consumption of the system. “If the system is battery operated, then obviously the less power the system draws, the fewer batteries that will be required,” he said. “If you look at a printed circuit board, a very substantial portion of the real estate of that board is for a power distribution system to all individual components.”

System features that can reduce power consumption are the ability to power down when it is not in use, and the use of system-on-a-chip technology that combines power distribution with the central pro-cessing unit. “This not only reduces power consumption, but also the physical size of the remote terminal,” said Fuchs.

Among other recent technology developments that contribute to compacting special operations communications equipment is the use of more capable mobile ad-hoc networking (MANET) waveforms, according to Wright. “These are providing increased data through-put without the benefit of infrastructure,” she explained. “Strides in data compression and video resolution technology are providing the capability to obtain mission critical information in real time, and the radios and waveforms provide the means to share that information in austere environments. The continued improvements in the integra-tion of electronics also allows for smaller size, lighter weight and lower power implementations of complex communications capabilities into ruggedized packages.”

SOCOM’s PEO C4 is the focal point for the acquisition of com-pact communications equipment for special operators. “We focus on

smaller teams and on individuals,” said Davis. “We have a much shorter acquisitions cycle time than elsewhere in the military and we are able to turn technology much faster. Our customer base is a total of 40,000 to 50,000 special operators, a fraction of the services’ requirements. We also have the willingness to take an 80 percent solution in the effort to buy equipment that is smaller, lighter and faster.”

SOF Tactical Communications (STC) is the umbrella program for the radios that USSOCOM acquires. “We are on the second cycle of this program right now,” said Davis. “We are about to send a request for proposals to industry for the next-generation hand-held radio. We expect to issue an RFP next year for the next-generation manpack radio.”

The key attributes of these next-generation pieces of equipment are networking and mobility. “We think in terms of being 100 percent networked so all teams and team members have access to the necessary infor-mation,” said Davis. “The equipment we are pursuing is software-defined, ad hoc network radios that can be reprogrammed without having to be re-engineered. Our mandate is for our forces to be greater than 85 percent mobile within the next three to five years.”

Davis is also interested in equipment flexibility. Some radios have the capabilities of being affixed with mission modules that adapt the equipment to the task at hand.

The third leg of the STC triad involves the acquisition of tactical satellite terminals. “We have become increasingly smaller, lighter and more capable over the last few years,” said Davis. “Right now we are buying a new tailorable base stand across the small, medium and light SOF deployable nodes. Also, [we are] looking a lot at companies that provide leased satellite termi-nals—we are looking at acquiring SATCOM as a service.”

Industry players are recognizing the needs of special operators and have responded by designing highly capable radios within small form factors. They have also directed efforts toward integrat-ing the capabilities of communications equipment, often by collaboration among companies.

Thales leveraged technologies based on its narrowband and wideband hand-held radios—the AN/PRC-148 JEM and AN/PRC-154 Rifleman Radio—to develop the MBITR2, a tactical handheld radio that provides simultaneous two-channel communications. “The MBITR2 provides the dismounted warfighter with the ability to integrate into the wideband tactical IP and voice network via the Soldier Radio Waveform wideband channel while simul-taneously maintaining legacy reach back via the narrowband channel,” said Wright. “It retains the existing AN/PRC-148 JEM Type 1 capabilities and waveforms, and the second channel, the wideband channel,

Jerry Mamrol

Nick Lowe

The Thales MBITR2. [Photo courtesy of Thales]


For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at [email protected] or search our online archives for related stories

at www.sotech-kmi.com.

provides networking, data and video capability. It essentially combines two radios into a single form factor that is nearly identical to the AN/PRC-148, which is already in widespread use by our special operations forces.”

Since the MBITR2 has a common look and feel with the AN/PRC-148, user training is minimized, it provides for common logistics sup-port, and it retains compatibility with the existing installed base of AN/PRC-148 ancillaries, according to Wright. “We expect that the MBITR2 will benefit troops who currently have to carry two radios, one to con-nect to legacy networks and the other for high-speed, networked data, thereby lightening their load and providing more capability,” she said.

Another advancement Thales has pursued is its Full Motion Video (FMV) Receiver Mission Module for the AN/PRC-148 JEM handheld radio which it developed in conjunction with L-3. “Users currently carry multiple radios to maintain access to legacy narrowband wave-forms and wideband full motion video downlinks from assets such as UAVs,” Wright noted. “The FMV Mission Module is an add-on to the radio, to create a single device that provides the ability to receive full motion video from ISR assets on-the-fly as the mission dictates and reduces the size and weight burden on the warfighter.”

The idea is to leverage the AN/PRC-148 radios currently fielded with special operations forces and to eliminate the need to introduce a separate and dedicated FMV ground terminal receiver. “The investment is maximized, and they get mission-specific extended capability,” said Wright.

“The mission module we completed with Thales allows three chan-nels to function simultaneously in a single radio,” said Lowe. “Their MBITR2 radio does simultaneous ad hoc networking for data con-nectivity and simultaneous narrow band voice communications. When you add our module, all three channels function in a single radio that weighs 2 pounds. The module weighs 12 ounces and clamps on the back of the radio.”

In addition to the FMV Mission Module, Thales is also currently collaborating with other industry partners to introduce other mission modules. “Our ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of gear that oper-ators carry today while increasing their overall mission effectiveness by streamlining and integrating various communications technologies,” said Wright.

IGT is also considering the integration of its satellite terminals with tactical push-to-talk radios. “With next-generation equipment becom-ing smaller and utilizing less power, this might become a reality in the near future,” said Fuchs.

“Further integration and miniaturization of functionality into mul-tiband software-defined radio platforms will allow capabilities beyond communications to be made available in a single piece of lightweight equipment, thus providing our special operations forces with the technological advantages to better achieve their critical missions,” said Wright.

Through its subsidiary, Tampa Microwave Inc., Thales also provides manpack tactical SATCOM terminals for special operations forces. “Tampa Microwave’s family of tactical SATCOM terminals, X-, Ku- and Ka-band are specially designed for the dismounted warfighter,” said Wright. “By leveraging the Tampa Microwave terminals as a long-haul beyond-line-of-sight reachback gateway, users can extend a local mobile ad-hoc networking network operating on their handheld radios to a distant MANET network.”

L-3’s focus has been to allow special operations forces to connect to their ISR assets, Lowe noted. “We built an entire architecture that they use to get full motion video and intelligence data to all entities,”

he said. “We have systems for all tactical operations centers, fixed sites and vehicles that can pull in all that high-bandwidth data. Our tactical ROVER line of transceivers is a small SWaP radio that operators can wear on their vests to pull ISR data directly from aircraft. Just between those two systems SOF soldiers can share common pictures with command and control elements several miles away.”

L-3 recently demonstrated that the government-standard Bandwidth Efficient Common Data Link waveform, a radio waveform common across DoD, can be transmitted through small, low-cost termi-nals designed for platforms under 30 pounds. “A series of recent flight tests on two different UAV systems verified that common data link compliance can be brought to the smallest platforms,” said Lowe. “This low SWaP system incorporates that capability. Eventually, hand launched unmanned aerial and other SWaP-constrained systems could all have data connectivity with a government-owned waveform.”

Lockheed Martin’s efforts have revolved around a system called Whetstone. “Some larger vehicles carry rack-mounted equipment,” said Mamrol. “We focused on meeting the SWaP challenge in a very small form factor with a platform-agnostic comput-ing infrastructure. Whetstone provides a terabyte of storage and multiple cards for applications such as storage, voice over IP, and tie-ins to satellite commu-nications, WiFi and land mobile radios. It provides a very small but powerful way to host applications so that special operations forces can carry the capabili-ties they need in a small box.”

Rack mounted systems weigh between 80 and 160 pounds and measure on the order of 3 by 4 by 4 feet, or more. Whetstone measures 6 by 9.5 by 11 inches and weighs less than 20 pounds. “It also uses a lot less power,” said Mamrol.

IGT is also in the SWaP business, having developed the 950 man-pack satellite terminal. “We are building smaller terminals that are designed to operate in on traditional bent pipes and the new high- throughput satellite architecture,” said Fuchs. “This will provide special operations forces the mission flexibility they require to be deployed anywhere around the world at a moment’s notice.”

In a further effort to reduce SWaP, SOCOM will be pursuing a smartphone strategy within the next year or two. “In Afghanistan, we found we were able to achieve 3G/4G connectivity almost everywhere throughout the country, which was a big surprise,” said Davis. “We usually rely on tactical radios but if we can get good 3G/4G coverage we can provide a much bigger pipe than on a manpack radio. That can be a big game changer.”

The focus of the smartphone strategy will be on security and ease of use. Several smartphones are currently being evaluated for compliance with DoD security requirements.

“We want to be able to lock the phone down in the event if is lost or compromised,” said Davis. “But we want to use all of the smartphone functions such as Bluetooth and the camera.” O

The handheld ROVER. [Photo courtesy of L-3]


The latest offering by Exelis to support special operations forces is the Individ-

ual Soldier System (ISS), which provides shared intelligence on and off the battle-field by integrating voice, video and data. The ISS allows commanders to see what soldiers are seeing, as well as send text, imagery or video directly to the soldier. The system integrates the Exelis i-Aware Tactical Mobility Night Vision Goggle with the high-data-rate SpearNet radio and is supported by Jagwire, a cloud-based solu-tion that provides access to geospatial intel-ligence data. The ISS provides on-demand access to critical geospatial intelligence

data, reducing the time from collection to decision. This shared intelligence creates real-time two-way video and voice commu-nication from command to soldier, soldier to command, and soldier to soldier.

Communication on the battlefield reaches new levels with ISS, making each soldier a sensor that can transmit informa-tion to command elements or other sol-diers on the battlefield. At the same time, video of previously inaccessible parts of the battlefield can now be seen directly in the soldier’s night vision goggle, providing situational awareness in both urban and remote environments. On the battlefield, soldiers using the ISS can receive video feeds from unmanned aerial systems to show in real time what awaits them on the

other side of a wall or hill. Soldiers using the ISS in a building, cave or tunnel can transmit live video of what they are see-ing to other members of their team. The system can also be used to deliver video to a remote operator allowing him to rapidly confirm an enemy’s identity.

An integral part of the system, Jagwire discovers critical pieces of intelligence data from disparate sources and delivers them to the soldier in the field within seconds, allowing for timely decisions based on a more complete knowledge set. One exam-ple could be previously collected roadside imagery allowing the operator to compare past and present to identify changes.

On today’s modern battlefield, clear communication of voice, video and data is critical to special operations success. The ISS delivers those capabilities in an afford-able package consisting of proven products that is ready now and affordable in today’s constrained fiscal environment.

For nearly 20 years, UTC Aero-space Systems has been a world leader of Sensors

Unlimited short wave infrared (SWIR) cameras and devices. We manufacture a family of 2-D area cameras, linescan cam-eras and linear arrays. During many of those years we provided primarily compo-nents and camera cores to diverse system

integrators for a myriad of different end products. SWIR technology is one of the last untapped windows of sensor technol-ogy that allows for ID quality imagery and is not susceptible to many of the issues associated with similar technologies. SWIR responds to reflected light rather than thermal contrast. The technology can see through glass and obscurants, and is not affected by thermal crossover or blooming.

Our standard SWIR response is 900-1,700 nm. We also offer near infrared (NIR) SWIR material in the same form factors, which extends the response to 700-1,700 nm. This is particularly impor-tant as our early adopter customers push into an untapped covert space. The NIR SWIR material still maintains backward compatibility with all of the 12 devices that are currently fielded while providing a new technology that allows for the same ConOps, but again operating in a covert spectrum.

Over the last several years, we have pushed hard into the systems space, pri-marily for dismounted applications. We

SOTECH reached out to several industry leaders and posed this question:

seeking the Best eyes For the night.

Special Section

niCk BoBayPresident & General ManagerExelis Night Vision & Communications Solutions Division

“What are your latest night vision technologies for aiding the special operations warfighter?”

dave dennisBusiness Development Manager—ISR SystemsSensors Unlimited—UTC Aerospace Systems


have developed a number of different form factors, specifically targeting SOCOM end users, and have fine-tuned these devices to easily integrate into their existing ConOps. We have developed a wide range of product offerings. We offer a SWIR PVS-14 form fac-tor. It’s slightly larger than a conventional PVS-14, but functions the same as the current I2 devices that are in the field. We

have also developed a modular product that can be handheld, weapon mounted and hel-met mounted. This product is our Warrior HWH. Finally, we have developed a product that works with conventional single-lens-reflexive commercial off-the-shelf cameras and lenses. This product is our Warrior C2S. It provides SWIR imagery through a visible camera and lens, allowing for obscurant

penetration and various ISR capabilities. We also offer a covert illuminator for this product for use in total darkness.

We continue to invest in reducing size, weight, power and cost, and are rapidly rolling out systems level product offerings that will directly benefit today’s warfighter, and will support their missions for years to come.

For the special opera-tions warfighter, night vision per-formance and

weight are critical enablers for improved squad lethality and maneuverability. At Ray-theon, a revolution in thermal imaging sensor technology is underway that address the SOCOM warfighter future requirements. High definition infrared micobolometers are

in development that improve the handheld night vision sensor resolution by eight times over current generation systems. Detec-tor size is also decreasing by 30 percent, enabling substantial reductions in weight for head-mounted fused goggle systems and clip-on thermal weapon sights.

Raytheon is advancing the state-of-the-art in optics technology by introducing MeRLOTR technology into handheld tar-get locations systems. MeRLOTR is a new

reflective optical material that is enabling 50 percent reduction in optics weight and 30 percent reduction in optics cost relative to conventional Aluminum reflective sys-tems. This year, Raytheon expects to deliver to the USMC a 3-pound handheld target location system for scouts and forward observers using MeRLOTR technology.

Finally, Raytheon is focused on develop-ing warfighter wireless personal area net-works that will be the backbone of the ‘soldier as a system’ architecture of the future. This capability will reduce weight and improve warfighter lethality by seam-lessly integrating sensors, communication systems and interfaces to the user.

In today’s rapidly changing battlespace, spe-cial operations warfighters need

to detect, identify and engage their tar-gets from farther away, and with greater accuracy, than ever before.

With high definition thermal, SWIR, low light and color daylight imaging sen-sors integrated in a full line of vehicular or man-portable systems, FLIR makes sure our warfighters have the tools they need to positively identify a target from extreme ranges and gather critical intel-ligence more covertly than ever.

High definition sensors mean much more than just crystal clear imagery. More pixels on target gives warfight-ers the information they need to make critical decisions earlier and from greater standoff range. High definition sensors can also reveal previously indistinguish-able details, increasing the value of the imagery and delivering greater situa-tional awareness.

What it boils down to is this: With an all high-definition system, today’s opera-tors can detect targets from farther away, positively identify them sooner, and track or engage them from maximum range.

FLIR’s advanced systems are avail-able with up to 1080p resolution on their cooled, midwave infrared InSb thermal imagers, long-range color daylight imag-ers and low light imagers. Add a 1080p SWIR sensor for improved intelligence gathering, covert target marking and laser designator See-Spot capability.

All of these advanced systems also have multiple laser payload options, including precision rangefinders, accu-rate target pointers and wide beam illu-minators. Their single line replacement unit designs make installation and field support easy, while the common controls used across all systems greatly reduces training requirements.

For accurate guided weapons delivery, the Star SAFIRE 380-HLD (high defi-nition system with laser designator) is the ISR targeting system of choice.

Offering the highest performance IR/EO/short wave infrared/low light imaging in its class, the 380-HLD combines world class ISR, reliable and accurate target location accuracy, and a field-proven laser designator to put the first round on target. Designed for both fixed- and rotary-wing platforms, the 380-HLD is without equal.

For maritime applications, the com-pact SeaFLIR 280-HD is designed to bring high definition imaging to small vessels, and is rugged enough to survive in the most hostile maritime environ-ments. The latest member of this illustri-ous lineage of maritime SOCOM systems, the SeaFLIR line has been serving with small boat units at the tip of the spear for nearly 15 years.

If your mission can’t sacrifice perfor-mance for size, but you operate from a lightweight aircraft like the AH-6 Little Bird, the Star SAFIRE 380-HDc provides true 15-inch system performance at half the weight. O

miCheLLe LohmeieRVice President, Land Warfare SystemsRaytheon Missile Systems

andReW saxtonDirector of Marketing—SurveillanceFLIR Systems Inc.

For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at [email protected]

or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.


Airborne ISR has become an increasingly important resource for special operations. Recent conflicts have represented a depar-ture from the traditional historical battlefield. With many opera-tions taking place in urban locales, special operators rely on fixed wing, rotary wing and unmanned aviation resources for a much of their intelligence needs.

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR (A)) utilizes several airborne platforms for ISR. The rotary wing platforms in the inventory of the 160th SOAR, derivatives of the UH-60 Black Hawk, the CH-47 Chinook and the OH-6 Little-bird, often provide ISR capabilities to ground force commanders. But because this is not their primary function, the capabilities these platforms provide are often called non-traditional ISR (NTISR). Interestingly, the most recent addition to its inventory, the unmanned MQ-1C Gray Eagle, is the only one of the 160th’s assets dedicated to ISR.

The 160th SOAR’s ISR arsenal and inventory reflect a need for operational flexibility and an evolution in thinking about how best to deliver ISR. Some of these same processes are being mirrored in the big Army as well. The Army’s armed aerial scout program—which was to have acquired a new platform for aerial reconnaissance—has been put on hold. An upgrade to the cockpits and sensors of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter—which has been performing scouting missions since Vietnam—was canceled. And the entire Kiowa fleet of over 300 aircraft was retired, neces-sitating the search for a new and creative solution.

What Army Aviation came up with—in what it terms an interim solution—is to reposition AH-64 Apache attack helicop-ters from the National Guard to the Army. Those Apaches will be teamed with Shadow unmanned aerial systems to provide the Army with the armed aerial scout capabilities it needs—at least for now. The National Guard will be compensated for the Apaches with Black Hawks.

the question oF a need For neW recon helicopters is up in the air.

By peter BuxBaum

sotech correspondent


It is unclear how long the Army will make due with the Apache-Shadow combination. The Army may release an armed aerial scout request for pro-posal to acquire a new platform within the next few years, but the timing of such a move is still unclear.

The 160th SOAR’s rotary wing NTISR platforms have been in service for some time, since the inception of these systems. The United States Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC) is constantly investigating upgrades to the existing platforms as well as the possibility of acquiring new rotary wing aircraft to provide NTISR at some point in the future.

“A majority of SOAR operations in the past decade have been in urban or semi-urban terrain,” said Major Joseph Waid, a 160th SOAR (A) fire support officer. “Unlike the linear battlefields of the past, these areas are difficult to operate in and significantly com-plicate maneuver and observation on the ground. Accordingly, ground forces increasingly rely on airborne ISR for various func-tions like full motion video, target identification, communications relay, route vectoring and many others.”

The dynamic and flexible nature of special operations means that there is no standard for determining the correct level and capability of ISR required for the various types of operations that SOAR conducts. “Highly dynamic operations that are executed on a compressed timeline typically require a more robust ISR complement,” said Waid. “However, SOAR personnel can and have conducted incredibly complex operations with little to no ISR support. Ultimately, the supported ground force commander determines the correct ISR package required to execute the mis-sion.”

The Army’s position with regard to an airborne ISR capa-bility is somewhat paradoxical. On the one hand, it says it still has a requirement for an armed aerial scout. But, on the other, because of a budgetary squeeze, it has no plans to pursue such a platform for the foreseeable future. The Army also says that the Apache-Shadow teaming will cover its requirements for now.

Industry types, who have invested large sums of money to develop options for a new armed aerial scout, are champing at the bit, waiting for the Army to issue an RFP so that a new platform can be deployed early in the next decade. They also claim that the Army’s current strategy may be penny wise but dollar fool-ish, because upkeep for the big and heavy Apaches will outrun acquisition costs of a new, next-generation helicopter designed for scouting missions.

Manned-unmanned teaming is nothing new and has been used routinely by U.S. forces in Southwest Asia for at least eight years. “The concept enables the manned platform maximum standoff and loiter and minimum risk to crews in hostile territories,” said Lieutenant Colonel Glenn Lapoint, chief of the unmanned systems operations at Army Aviation. “We can leverage the lower signature of the Shadow platform and save our big punches for when they count the most.”

The Apache-Shadow solution was developed by the Army’s Aviation Restructure Initiative, which came about as a result of three significant developments: the winding down of involvement of U.S. forces in Southwest Asia, the resulting downsizing of the Army, and budget sequestration that cut $3 billion from the equip-ping funds of Army Aviation.

“Sequestration drove down the overall number of airframes we could carry,” said Lieutenant Colonel Don Peters, an Army

spokesman. “We have a proven winner in the Apache-Shadow manned-unmanned teaming. It performed better than the OH-58D in testing.”

SOAR’s requirements for airborne ISR can be viewed both from the pilot’s and the ground force commander’s perspec-tives, noted Waid. “The SOAR pilot deals with what ISR he wants to complete his air mission,” said Waid. “The GFC [ground force commander] considers what ISR support the SOAR heli-copters can provide his element. The GFC owns all ISR assets and it is his decision as to what, if any, ISR capabilities will be utilized to assist the helicopters in their mission. Since the GFC’s mission depends on safe and effective infiltration he will often support the SOAR crews with requisite ISR capabilities.”

The ability to see an objective, helicopter landing zone or potential threats prior to infiltration is a powerful tool, Waid noted. “ISR capabilities from the airborne stack can often help the flight lead and the GFC determine the threat level on an objective, potential enemy positions and ideal helicopter landing zones well before rotary wing assets enter audio range of the target.”

The Army’s Kiowa Warrior, which was built by Bell Helicopter, has been a workhorse of Army aviation, but it experienced per-formance shortfalls in Southwest Asia, including deficiencies in speed, range and endurance, and its capacity to operate in high and hot environments. Limitations on payload capacity also com-promised the Kiowa’s lethality.

Finding a replacement for the OH-58D has had a long and somewhat tortured history. As far back as the 1980s, the Army made moves toward replacing the Kiowa through the Army Helicopter Improvement Program. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the Army procured and tested the Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche helicopter only to cancel that program in 2004. Next, the Bell ARH-70 Arapaho was chosen in 2004 to replace the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. That program was canceled in 2008 due to excessive delays and cost growth in the program.

As recently as two years ago, the Army released a request for information about a replacement for the Kiowa Warrior aircraft, including an invitation to industry to provide a demonstration of the current state-of-the-art technologies in rotary wing aircraft. “The [first] requirement the Army said it was looking for was the high and hot capability, 6,000 feet above sea level and 95 degrees versus the 4,000 feet that had prevailed before,” said Brigadier General (Ret.) Stephen Mundt, director of business development

The MH-6 Little Bird often provides ISR capabilities to ground force commanders. [Photo courtesy of the 160th SOAR]


at Airbus Group and formerly chief of Army Aviation. “This stan-dard is a measure of power and performance. The Kiowa doesn’t perform very well at higher elevations.”

The AH-64 Apache may perform better at higher elevations and hotter temperatures, but it is a much bigger and heavier platform than the Kiowa Warrior, making it more expensive to operate and sustain and less suited to subtle ISR work. “If you compare the Apache to the OH-58D, the Apache wins,” said Mundt. “But it is expensive and big for the mission. The total cost of ownership is higher and the agility required to get in and out of tight places is inhibited.”

A demonstration took place in 2012 but did not yield any fur-ther action by the Army. “The Army concluded that none of the aircraft evaluated provided a generational leap in capabilities,” said Frans Jurgens, a spokesman for Sikorsky Aircraft.

The budget crisis and the implementation of sequestration brought an end to any investigation of a new aerial scout plat-form for the time being. “At the end of the conflicts we expected the Army to downsize, and this has been exacerbated by sequestration,” said Colonel Michael Hosie, deputy director for Army Aviation. “We are unable to maintain a force structure as we know it today. The task is to keep the force at an acceptable level of readiness and to continue to modernize Army Aviation.”

It was under these financial and fiscal pressures that the Army’s Aviation Restructure Initiative was born. “What this plan does is to try and maximize the platforms and the aircraft that we have now and use them to meet mission demands, which are not diminish-ing,” said Hosie. The retirement of the Kiowa fleet and the cancel-lation of its modernization program freed up the funds to upgrade the engines on the Shadows and data links on the both the Shadow and the Apache.

“Our acquisition objective is for 690 AH-64 Apache Echo air-craft,” said Hosie. “Those aircraft in the active component will comprise 20 24-ship Apache battalions and two additional bat-talions. Half of those will be in attack reconnaissance squadrons. Each of the line troops will have a platoon of Shadows. What you will have then in these attack reconnaissance squadrons is great organic capability between the manned and unmanned platforms in an armed reconnaissance role.”

Manned-unmanned teaming for armed reconnaissance was common in Afghanistan and was done with the Kiowa as well, according to Hosie. The reason an organic manned-unmanned capability for the Kiowa was not established was because the Army would have had to procure many aircraft to team with the Shadows, which was cost prohibitive. “But now that the Army is downsizing we have the opportunity to use the platforms we already own and team them with the Shadows,” said Hosie.

“Our position is that it would be best for the Army to release an RFP now,” said Mundt. “The acquisition and testing and evalu-ation processes will enable the Army to field a new aircraft in 2022 or 2023. If they don’t start today, everything moves to the right.”

Mundt estimated that it will cost the Army $12 million over the next two years to move forward with the acquisition process and $350 million over the next five years to equip the first unit with a new aircraft. “Acquisition costs are only 20 to 30 percent of the total ownership costs,” he said. “The rest is in owning, operating and upgrading. Right now it runs $1 million a year to sustain an Apache.”

Companies like Sikorsky and Airbus are developing their offer-ings for an armed aerial scout and are awaiting consideration by the Army. Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider is the only next-generation aircraft on the horizon, according to Jurgens. The company is in the process of building two prototypes of the Raider, which Jurgens expects to be ready by the end of this year.

“The aircraft we are building is designed to outmatch con-ventional military helicopters in speed, maneuverability, payload, range and high-altitude operations,” said Jurgens. “We believe the Raider program, which we are building with 35 partners on our own dime, fits the government’s requirements to keep forces at the cutting edge of technology with a generational leap.”

The Raider will be a 36-foot-long, 11,000-pound-gross-weight aircraft based on Sikorsky’s X2 coaxial design. It will feature coun-ter-rotating rigid main rotor blades for lift and forward flight, and a pusher propeller for high speed acceleration and deceleration. In 2010, Sikorsky demonstrated its coaxial design on a 6,000-pound X2 demonstrator, which achieved 250 knot flight speed, twice that of a conventional helicopter. The Raider will allow precision maneuvers in low flight speed, high G turning maneuvers at over

Left: The AAS-72X+ is based on the commercial EC-145 platform that also spawned the UH-72A Lakota. [Photo courtesy of Airbus Group]Right: Two UH-60 Black Hawks prepare to take off on Forward Operating Base Mehter Lagham province, Afghanistan. [Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army/by Specialist Andrew Claire Baker]


200 knots, hover performance at high temperatures and at altitudes up to 10,000 feet, and improvements in payload and flight endurance compared with conventional light tactical helicopters.

“It will also be a very affordable platform,” said Jurgens. “Last year we told the government that at production quantities we could build the S97 Raider with a full mission equipment pack-age for $15 million per copy.”

Airbus Group’s offering, the AAS-72X+, is based on the company’s commercial EC-145 platform, which also spawned the UH-72A Lakota. Airbus has delivered over 250 UH-72A Lakota helicopters to the Army, Navy and National Guard.

“We meet or exceed the Army’s requirements for duration and high-hot operations,” said Mundt. “We also are constantly making improvements to the platform. We have made a significant investment in the development of this aircraft since 2009. The AAS-72X+ incorporates the latest technology including improved avionics with 4-axis autopilot and more powerful engines.” Airbus also describes the AAS-72X+ as an affordable solution.

The introduction of the unmanned Shadow to Army scouting missions raises the possibility of using an unmanned rotary wing aircraft as an armed aerial scout. Saab North America is the maker of the Skeldar, a small rotary wing unmanned aircraft that can carry as much payload as a fixed wing UAV of the same size. The Skeldar has been deployed with the Spanish navy for European Union anti-piracy missions off the coast of Somalia.

The Skeldar’s ability to hover or fly at low speeds benefits the collection of data from some types of sensors. “For some sensors like penetrating radar or software like three-dimensional mapping, you get better-quality data if it is collected at slow speed or at hover,” said Johan Hansson, vice presi-dent for marketing and sales at Saab North America.

Hansson acknowledges that using a small UAV creates some range and payload capacity limitations. “But there are benefits as well,” he said. “It could have longer endurance and if you could extend the communications range beyond the line of sight then it could fulfill a lot of the tasks that the Kiowa is currently doing.”

The further miniaturization of sensors means that more could be packed on a platform like the Skeldar, enough to satisfy Army requirements. Developments in engine technology could provide Skeldar with more power, translating into longer endurance and more lift capability. “If we can increase power and lift I think we could compete, and because it is unmanned, the costs are in an entirely different league,” said Hansson. The Skeldar has flown at over 8,000 feet and is capable of being weaponized.

“If the Army issued an RFP, Saab would put itself forward,” said Hansson.

For now, the Apache-Shadow team is the Army’s interim solu-tion. “We don’t know how long that will last,” said Hosie. “We should revisit the armed aerial scout at some point in the future.”

“The Army will sooner or later have to answer concerns from Congress on what an interim solution means,” said Mundt. “The best course is to release an RFP and get factual data that can be presented to Congress. Either there is or something out there the

Army can use or there is not. If there is, the Army can identify its needs and propose what it should do.”

“The armed aerial scout has been an enduring requirement,” said Peters. “The OH-58D was never designed to be the solution. It was always an interim solution from the beginning. We still have a requirement for a reconnaissance helicopter that isn’t going away, but in this fiscal environment we just can’t afford it.”

“Although we are losing some capabilities with the standing down of the OH-58D, we are also increasing other capabilities with the long endurance of the UAS and the minimizing of risk to the Apache crews. This could very well be a paradigm shift that endures well into the future,” said Lapoint.

SOAR helicopters are designed to accomplish other missions, noted Waid, particularly assault and attack, so their ISR systems are often less capable than their fixed wing counterparts. “The nature of rotary wing support places SOAR helicopters in low altitudes within close proximity to the ground force,” he said. “This position in the stack makes SOAR aircraft a powerful NTISR asset in certain sit-uations. Whether it be observing vehicles of interest on the objective or assisting the ground forces with maneuver route vectoring, SOAR helicopters can provide an advantage to the GFC through NTISR. General purpose rotary wing elements regularly perform autonomous ISR missions, such as route

reconnaissance, but SOAR helicopters normally do not perform such missions unless requested to do so by the GFC.”

The rotary wing platforms used in SOAR, with various upgrades and modifications, have been in service since the inception of the original models. The Systems Integration Management Office (SIMO) falls under the USASOAC and provides research and devel-opment, innovation, engineering, application, fielding and life cycle support to the regiment. “SIMO is constantly developing plat-form modifications as well as researching entirely new platforms,” said Waid. O

Johan Hannson



The Skeldar’s ability to hover or fly at low speeds benefits the collection of data from some types of sensors. [Photo courtesy of Saab]


FIRST NoN-ITAR RADAR FoRCE PRoTECTIoN KIT WITh SLEW-To-CUE SpotterRF

SpotterRF announced its new Shield Mobile radar system for military,

government and commercial use. Following on the announcement of its

popular Shield robotic perimeter security Initiative, the SS Mobile provides

U.S. military a non-ITAR-restricted system usable by allies after completion of

a U.S. deployment. It further provides a low-cost, portable radar system that

maximizes small force ability to detect, classify, communicate and respond to

perimeter threats with slew-to-cue capabilities.

“Response has been very positive to our turn-key solutions with camera

cueing to reduce overall system cost,” stated SpotterRF CEO Logan Harris.

“This new Spotter Shield Mobile kit puts the power of radar and camera slew-

to-cue surveillance into man backpackable kit that is easy for local forces to

use and maintain.”

An effective security system exhibits the following four criteria: reliably

detect intruders that entered the perimeter day or night and in all types of

weather; classify the intruder; communicate the existence of the intruder to the

response team; and then respond to neutralize the threat prior to that threat

inflicting damage. Spotter Shield Mobile provides the first three criteria in a

commercial off-the-shelf, cost-effective package.

The Shield Mobile enables up to a 360-degree field of view up to 1,500

meters regardless of weather, day or night. The system includes an embedded

networked input/output server built-in with a rugged Ethernet hub that cues a

low light PoE camera and creates other alarms.

At the heart of Spotter Shield systems, SpotterRF’s proprietary networked

input/output is the hardware and software that overcomes the difficulty

and expense of connecting radar to other devices like video management

systems, cameras, email and alarms. SpotterRF and its resellers aim to bring

this high-end targeting and tracking capability to a wide range of military and

commercial applications, including mobile small force protection, oil wells,

oil drilling platforms, substations, dams, bridges and other mission critical

environments.

Spotter compact radar units come in many sizes, weighs as little as 1.5

pounds each, use less energy than a light bulb (approximately 8W each), and

can communicate with standard Web browsers and Google Earth. Training

takes less than 30 minutes in the field.

LATEST ADDITIoN To SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SySTEM FAMILy Lockheed Martin

Designed for versatility and affordability, the new Lockheed Martin Vector Hawk

addresses a broad set of unique missions and operating needs within a single

system. With a gross takeoff weight of only 4 pounds and a vertical profile of only 4

inches, Vector Hawk boasts best-in-class payload capacity, speed and endurance.

Vector Hawk features fully autonomous flight, landing and fail-safes. It is

inaudible at operational slant ranges. The data link features a high bandwidth

software defined radio, mesh networking (including 3G, 4G and LTE cellular), over-

the-air reconfiguration, and is capable of employing a variety of waveforms. With

an open architecture, reconfigurable variants, adaptable data link and scalable

payload, Vector Hawk is engineered for unmatched capability.

BlacK Watch

UNMANNED SySTEMS MoBILE CAMERA TEChNoLoGyAmimon

Amimon, an industry innovator for wireless high-

definition video and bi-directional control transmissions

with zero latency, is producing their SkyLink solution for

UAV, UGV and virtually any unmanned mobile platform

application.

SkyLink empowers new content creation capabilities

by redefining how cameras are operated on mobile

platforms. With Amimon’s wireless video link, a camera

operator with a handheld monitor can be up to 6,000

feet away from the camera—viewing high-definition

video and controlling what the camera sees with no

delay—while a second operator controls the mobile

device’s movement and makes it fly, run, swoop or

spin. The unique zero latency link enables video to

be captured in new ways through remote control of

the camera framing. Plus Amimon SkyLink technology

delivers the performance and range capabilities

previously only available from more expensive wireless

systems.

Sebastian Seidel, CEO of UAV manufacturer Globe

Flight GmbH, said of Amimon SkyLink, “Customers

report excellent results in image quality, robustness and

extended range. With SkyLink mounted on a multicopter

we gained the ability to transmit high definition live with

perfect quality at a much lower cost. UAV makers and

operators have been waiting a long time for Amimon’s

SkyLink.”


Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

PoLARIS DEFENSE DISPLAyS ULTRA-LIGhT VEhICLES FoR SPECIAL FoRCESPolaris Industries Inc.

Polaris Defense, a division of Polaris Industries Inc., has made

available its MRZR and MV850 with TerrainArmor non-pneumatic tires.

International expeditionary forces use the CV-22 transportable MRZR and

MV850 vehicles to help meet mission demands and emerging threats.

Both vehicles can be configured a number of ways, including two- and

four-person variants for the MRZR as well as other driveline options. Some

common tactical features to these off-road platforms include increased

payload, shocks, standard winch, electronic power steering, aircraft

tie-downs and IR light capability. The MRZR and MV850 are highly mobile,

air transportable ultra-light vehicles and have been combat-proven and

purchased by U.S. and allied forces throughout the world.

The MV850 is equipped with Polaris TerrainArmor non-pneumatic tires.

This breakthrough tire technology is engineered to maintain operability

after sustaining tire damage that would destroy a typical pneumatic

tire. TerrainArmor tires are designed for peak performance at full vehicle

payload and eliminate the need for an on-vehicle spare, which increases

available payload and reduces the logistical burden. TerrainArmor tires

also provide a better center-of-gravity and improved cornering due to less

tire roll. This tire technology is currently offered on the Polaris MV850 and

the civilian counterpart, the WV850, but can be engineered for many other

applications in the future, either as a block upgrade to a vehicle fleet, or

as an integrated component.

FRoNT END MICRoWAVE SySTEM FoR NExT GENERATIoN RADAR WARNING RECEIVER API Technologies Corp.

API Technologies Corp., a provider of high

performance radio frequency/microwave,

power and security solutions for critical and

high-reliability applications, announced the

receipt of a strategic development order for

a multi-channel microwave front end system.

This integrated microwave assembly will be

used in a next-generation radar warning

receiver targeted for use in major DoD

military aircraft platforms.

The front end system will include the

basic building blocks of pre-selection

filtering, amplification and high isolation. It is

designed around API’s suspended substrate

stripline technology, which enables broad

frequency coverage, low loss and fast

switching speed in a small footprint.

“Our strength in system integration

is a direct result of our heritage in the

development of high performance microwave

assemblies, including amplifiers, filters, and

other passive and active components for

electronic warfare systems,” said Bel Lazar,

president and chief executive officer, API

Technologies.

ELECTRoNIC JAMMING BACKPACK SySTEMSNorthrop Grumman Corporation

The U.S. Marine Corps has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation to provide electronic

jamming backpack systems to counter the threat of roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Under the Counter Radio-controlled IED Electronic Warfare Marine Expeditionary Unit Special

Operation Capable, or CREW MEU (SOC), contract, Northrop Grumman will deliver and support five

initial production systems for testing.

The maximum ceiling for the firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), multiple

award contract is $90 million over five years. The initial contract awarded to Northrop Grumman by

PMS (Program Manager, Ships)–408 via the Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., was

$4.1 million for five initial CREW MEU (SOC) systems. The Navy will purchase an indefinite number of

systems in accordance with an IDIQ award.

Northrop Grumman is offering its Freedom 240 for CREW MEU (SOC) that provides precision

electronic jamming of a wide range of IEDs and is designed to create a protective barrier around

a Marine ground combat team and their equipment while minimizing disruption to friendly

communications systems.

The Freedom 240 dismounted system is part of the Joint CREW Increment 1 Build 1 (I1B1) family

of precision multifunctional electronic warfare systems that protect warfighters, vehicles, watercraft

and permanent structures from IEDs. The CREW MEU (SOC) and JCREW I1B1 programs are

managed by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command.

“The Freedom 240 is designed to defeat complex clusters of current, emerging and future IED

threats. It’s also capable of worldwide deployment with only software changes. Because the system

features a fully open architecture common across all the JCREW I1B1 variants, the Marine Corps can

take advantage of technologies developed by third parties and benefit from the system’s flexibility,

extensibility, ease of upgrades and reduced life cycle cost,” said Jeannie Hilger, vice president, Network

Communication Systems business, Northrop Grumman Information Systems. “This award perpetuates

the Northrop Grumman Freedom product line, providing the Marine Corps with a software-defined

system that supports CREW and enabling future multifunction radio frequency capabilities.”


Colonel Christopher S. Vanek was commissioned as an infan-try officer in 1989 upon graduation from Arizona State University. He attended the infantry officer basic course and was assigned to the 1/14th Infantry, 25th Infantry Division from 1991 to 1993 as a rifle platoon leader and company executive officer. He was then selected for assignment to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment where he served as a rifle platoon leader from 1993 to 1994.

From 1994 to 1995, Vanek attended the infantry officer advanced course and then served as a battalion logistics officer and rifle company commander with the 1-501st Parachute Infan-try Regiment, Fort Richardson, Alaska, from 1995 to 1997.

In 1998, he joined 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment where he served until 2004 with a 10-month assignment to Fort Leav-enworth, Kan., to attend the Command and General Staff College from 2000 to 2001. While at 1st Battalion, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., he served as the battalion logistics officer, rifle company commander, battalion liaison, operations and executive officer and deployed multiple times in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

From 2004 to 2006 he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment Regimental Headquarters at Fort Benning, Ga., as the regimen-tal operations officer and deputy commanding officer while also serving as the joint task force operations officer in Operation Enduring Freedom.

From 2006 to 2007, Vanek served as the Joint Special Opera-tions Command commanding general’s executive assistant in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. From 2007 to 2009 he assumed command of the 1/87th Infantry, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., where he deployed with the battalion for 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2009 he returned to the 75th Ranger Regiment where he again served as the regiment’s deputy commanding officer until 2011. From 2011 to 2012, he commanded 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Hawaii, and from 2012 to 2013 he attended the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.

Vanek holds a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and two master’s degrees.

Q: How would you characterize the state and condition of the 75th Ranger Regiment today?

A: The 75th Ranger Regiment represents the best in our nation. It is composed of five-time volunteers of the highest caliber and degree of selfless service.

The regiment continues to be the standard bearer for our nation’s Army and is held to the highest standards of performance and discipline. The regiment has participated in combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan continuously for more than 12 years, executing the most complex and dangerous operations in support of our national objectives and interests.

It has not come without a significant cost. To date, 64 Rangers have made the ultimate sacrifice and the regiment has sustained 672 wounded in action personnel since 2001. But we are also a force in transition. As the conflict in Afghanistan draws to a close, the regiment remains at the highest state of readiness, prepared to answer our nation’s call to service in combat.

We are chartered by the United States Army Special Operations’ commanding general to conduct special operations and specifically forced entry into a complex environment and special operations surgical raids.

Finally, I would say that more than a dozen years in combat has given us the most experienced and tested force in the history of the Ranger Regiment. We have literally grown a generation of leaders through more than a decade of combat against one of the most resilient enemies our country has ever faced. Our ranks today are filled with an understanding of what it takes to survive and win on the battlefield. As an example, our platoon sergeants have

The Bearer for the Highest Standards of Performance and Discipline

Mission Enforcer

Colonel Christopher S. VanekCommander

U.S. Army 75th Ranger Regiment

Q&AQ&A


participated in an average of 500-700 special operations combat raids and the majority of them have been wounded on multiple occasions while also performing valorously on the field of battle. We are also more capable than ever before. The 75th Ranger Regi-ment has added specialties, technologies and programs that make us an even more lethal force than we were in 2001.

Q: Have you seen a reduction in training as a result of reduced budgets—are you making as many jumps as planned, participating in as many FTXs?

A: Our training requirements have not changed at all. As a result of ARSOF 2022 and the emerging environment, we truly need to be ready for any type of mission and that is why we will continue to train to remain proficient in a multitude of tasks.

It is important that our battalions continue to train consis-tently on the forcible entry mission. We must remain able to provide our national military command the capability to gain a foothold and operate in a hostile environment, whether to destroy an enemy, facilitate follow-on forces as part of a larger operation, or to conduct a non-combatant evacuation.

We will continue to train our special operations capabilities at the platoon and company levels to remain proficient in syn-chronizing joint assets and attack enemy networks. We are also focusing on training with units outside the special operations community, brigade size and above, in preparation for a more conventional fight. The 75th Ranger Regiment will have a mission in any type of conflict and across the full spectrum of operations.

Q: Army Special Forces are looking at several options to enhance their tactical ground mobility. Are the Rangers looking to improve their battlefield mobility with an increase in the number of vehicles and/or new platforms?

A: As new threats emerge, the Ranger Regiment remains poised to intercept, defeat and destroy them through skillful direct action raid operations at the precise locations and times required. Ground mobility plays a significant role in the regiment’s ability to meet its mission requirements.

Current mobility platforms such as the Light Tactical All-Ter-rain Vehicle (LTATV) and Ground Mobility Vehicle Ranger (GMVR) are being replaced by vehicles that provide increased performance.

The current material solution for the LTATV is the two-seat Kawasaki Teryx; this vehicle will be replaced by the Polaris four-seat MRZR. In addition to increasing the carrying capacity by two, this vehicle also increases safety through better handling, has more power, and is ergonomically designed for military operations. The regiment has always had the requirement for a lightweight, highly mobile and internally-transportable vehicle to conduct long-range surveillance and forcible entry operations.

The GMVR was fielded to the Regiment in 2003 in order to meet this requirement and has been our main assault/reconnais-sance vehicle for forcible entry and long range mobility operations ever since. The GMVR is a HMMWV platform with SOF-peculiar modifications for C4I, on-board electrical power, equipment stowage, weapons mounting and several modifications that allow for a more rapid ingress or egress of the vehicle.

The GMVR has been a reliable and effective mobility asset but does have limitations that prevent it from fully meeting our

requirement. Most significantly, its size and weight prevent it from being internally transported by CH-47, and limit the vehicle’s abil-ity to move rapidly across the battlespace.

The GMV 1.1 solves these capability shortfalls with its narrow chassis and considerably lighter weight. This vehicle was designed from the start to address SOF-peculiar requirements. It also benefits from a modular design, giving commanders the ability to take a baseline vehicle and outfit it to meet mission-specific requirements. The 75th Ranger Regiment is, and will continue to be, a force that our leaders call on to solve our nation’s most complex problems, under austere conditions in all types of terrain, anywhere in the world. Ground mobility assets play a key role in our ability to accomplish all assigned tasks across the full range of military operations.

Q: The Rangers conducted the last unit-size airdrop assault against the H1 Airfield in western Iraq—some 11 years ago. How important is the parachute mission to the Rangers toolbox of capabilities?

A: Airfield seizures are still and will always remain part of the regi-ment’s toolbox. The regiment is always prepared to seize an airfield on a moment’s notice. Before 9/11, we were known as a force that seized airfields and conducted raids. But now, after almost 13 years of continuous combat, our capability has outgrown that narrow mission set.

We have an interoperability capacity with the conventional forces that allows us to conduct anything in support of an opera-tion from special operations missions to Infantry related tasks. That capacity will continue to grow as we integrate into major training events with conventional forces at the National Training Center, the Joint Readiness Training Center, and even the Korea Training Center.

We have also developed the capability of training and partner-ing with a host nation special operations force. In Afghanistan, we have partnered with and operated on the battlefield with the most capable Afghan SOF in the nation for over half of a decade.

We also have a charter from the current chief of staff of the Army. General Odierno laid out his expectations for the 75th Ranger Regi-ment. His expectation is that we will always continue to be a premier special operations force, the proponent for forcible entry missions, the link between the SOF community and the conventional combat brigades, and the most elite infantry force in the world.

Q: The Rangers, for most of their history, were recognized for their strike and raid capabilities, and not deployed for sustained operations. That started to change about 10 years ago. What is different today and what is inherent in the design of the Ranger Regiment that allows for more continuous operations?

A: Before 9/11, the Ranger Regiment was known for quick strikes into hostile territory to accomplish a specific mission and then redeploying when the mission was completed. You could say the regiment was expeditionary-like.

Missions like Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada and Opera-tion Just Cause in Panama are examples of missions the modern Rangers were known for. Afghanistan and Iraq changed all of that. Now we are known as a special operations force that can operate in sustained combat indefinitely for years.


However, at the end of the day, what allows the regiment to maintain the OPTEMPO during the last 12 years of sustained combat is the dedication and commitment of the individual Ranger and his family. Without them, this unit would not be what it is today—a lethal, agile, flexible operation force, capable of closing in and destroying the enemy on a moment’s notice, for however long it takes, anywhere in the world.

Q: What role does the regiment have in suggesting, evaluating and recommending new pieces of kit? Any examples of new equipment that came from Ranger input?

A: The regiment has continued to serve as a platform for the latest technologies and equipment advances for the Army in line with the CSA’s charter to the Ranger Regiment.

Most notably, this includes the en route mission command capability that has revolutionized our situ-ational awareness and mission planning in support of forcible entry operations and is now moving forward as a program of record in support of the greater Army.

The regiment also played a significant role in the advancement of individual soldier situational awareness through the use and further development of the Nett Warrior End User Device. Rangers worked with the Asymmetric Warfare Group on the development of the man portable line clearing charge.

The regiment continues to work closely with the Maneuver Cen-ter of Excellence and the greater SOF community to develop soldier systems that increase the lethality and effectiveness of all soldiers. As another example, the regiment tested and utilized mortar preci-sion ammunition for the first time in the history of the Army, in combat.

In addition the 75th Ranger Regiment has replaced the Emer-gency Medical Technician Basic program with an internally run Advanced Ranger First Responder program. The program will take one 11B infantryman per squad and train him in advanced first responder skills, giving him a significant increase in medical skills applicable to the battlefield. The course, run annually, runs for one to two weeks and trains the non-medic in advanced hemorrhagic control, airway management, shock management, pharmacology, casualty collection point operations and high/low angle rescue. The intent of the course is to bridge the gap between a medic and first responder, giving the non-medic advanced skills for medical treat-ment when isolated from the medical team, or to serve as a highly qualified first assist.

The 75th Ranger Regimental medical team recently imple-mented a new hemorrhagic shock management protocol. The protocol integrates early use of tranexamic acid, freeze dried plasma (FDP), and field use of fresh whole blood. FDP has been fielded to the 75th Ranger Regiment as part of an FDA investigational new drug study. Recently the protocol was put to use and for the first time FDP was used on a surviving trauma patient in combat. This training and protocol has contributed to an unprecedented survival rate for Rangers wounded on the battlefield.

Recently, the Joint Trauma System based out of San Antonio, Texas, implemented a theaterwide casualty after action review

process. This process captures level one medical care data to fuel future research and training. The system is based on the 75th Ranger Regiment’s well-publicized Pre-Hospital Trauma Registry.

Q: The recruiting stream is different from that of the rest of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. How do you go about attracting the right candidates? Have the standards for the assess-ment and selection process changed and is the manning trajectory on a path to meet your staffing goals in the near and longer term?

A: There are several ways for the 75th Ranger Regiment to attract and find the right candidates.

Our current recruiting team consists of seasoned Ranger NCOs who have extensive experience working in various military occu-pational specialties within the unit. Their experience, knowledge and success in the 75th Ranger Regiment allows them to find key servicemembers that would be a good fit in our organization.

We work directly with Human Resources Command, various installations as well as past Rangers to identify the right candi-dates. The recruiting team has selected Ranger liaisons at various advanced individual training installations who work directly with the school houses to identify superior performers at those loca-tions, affording them the opportunity for direct assignment to the regiment. In addition, we conduct recruiting trips throughout the nation to inform all in-service soldiers of the opportunities the 75th Ranger Regiment has to offer.

The assessment and selection process changed in 2009 because of the lessons we learned from Afghanistan and Iraq as well as in response to the high operational tempo of our battalions. What the regiment needed to send battalions were not just Rangers who had proven their mental and physical toughness.

Rangers also needed to be trained as if they were going to deploy the day they arrived at their battalion. Furthermore, we identified a deficiency in that prior to 2009, we really only oriented candidates to the regiment prior to assigning to a specific platoon, company and battalion. Candidates frankly were not assessed for their potential to successfully serve in the regiment, while

Rangers train their special operations capabilities at the platoon and company levels to remain proficient in synchronizing joint assets and attack enemy networks. [Photo courtesy of the 75th Ranger Regiment]


simultaneously the regiment was being asked to conduct its nation’s most sensitive operations. So the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP) and the Ranger Orientation Program became the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP).

RASP 1 is the training path for all sergeants and below with eight weeks of training and assessments vice three weeks in RIP. The course is incredibly challenging, both physically and mentally, but now also provides the training required to serve in the entry level positions of the regiment and a baseline of knowledge regard-less of their occupational specialty. Rangers now learn advanced marksmanship on all common Ranger weapons, the Ranger First Responder medical program, breaching techniques, vehicle driving skills, land navigation and small unit tactics. When a Ranger gradu-ates from RASP 1, he is ready to join his squad, perform his duties, and deploy to combat.

RASP 2 is the path for all staff sergeants and above, warrant officers, and officers with three weeks of training and assessments instead of two. This course is designed to expose potential leaders of the regiment to our operating procedures and culture with the same demanding physical and mental testing standards while assessing leadership abilities and skill competencies that are compatible with our organization. All members are required to complete the same selection and assessment program regardless of career field.

Rangers serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment are afforded the opportunity to attend the U.S. Army Ranger Course. However, the Ranger Course is run by the Army’s Training and Doctrine Com-mand, not the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Q: As has been well-documented, long deployments are hard on the warfighter and their family as well. Can you talk about what the Rangers do to take care of the warfighter and their family in the lead-up to a deployment, during the away time, and upon return?

A: The regiment conducts multiple Strong Bond retreats through-out the year, couples and family retreats either before or after deployments, a spouse retreat while the Rangers are deployed, and intermittent activities like date night. The regiment provides child care during these events to give our Ranger couples an opportunity to bond and learn relationship skills and communication techniques to stay connected during deployments.

For our single soldiers, we routinely hold retreats somewhere fun and adventurous, like rock climbing—high adrenaline activi-ties; and also conduct lessons on resiliency and relationship skills.

The Ranger Enhanced Care Clinic (RECC) provides Rangers and their families exclusive access to the military health care system. The RECC allows the Ranger family same day or next day appoint-ments, continuity of care, and provides an advocate in the hospital if needed. We also have military family life consultants at each battalion that provides counseling to Rangers and their families, as well as psychologists and licensed clinical social workers at each battalion to support and work with Rangers on their individual mental health needs.

In addition, the regiment has a chaplain at every battalion to provide the spiritual and pastoral care to our Rangers as needed.

Q: Anything to add about the Rangers and their mission?

A: As I look back at more than 13 years of continuous combat, in both Afghanistan and Iraq, I am humbled by the performance of the

75th Ranger Regiment and specifically those assigned to the regi-ment who have served their nation so faithfully and often with so much sacrifice.

Our battalion commanders and command sergeants major have four to six cumulative years of combat experience and yet only want to serve their nation to their greatest ability. And they are represen-tative of every Ranger in the organization.

It is also important to recognize what has been asked of our Ranger families. The spouses, mothers, sons and daughters, fathers, and brothers and sisters who have not had the convenience of hav-ing their Ranger home for so many holidays and special occasions that it’s almost become acceptable. And finally I remain incredibly humbled by those families who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the loss of their Ranger.

Based on a desire of so many of these heroic families to main-tain a tie to their Ranger, we have developed a Gold Star Family program that directly links these special families to our regiment. The outpouring of continued support and resilience has been truly spectacular and it’s made our regiment even stronger.

Finally, I join the rest of the nation in honoring the service of this truly unique formation of selfless servants. I am amazed by the character, resilience and commitment of each of our Rangers. While the vast majority of our nation has remained remarkably supportive of our service members and our Rangers, they have done so while living in relative security that our Rangers provide as they conduct exceptionally dangerous operations in combat every day or night. The Rangers that serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment are the best our country has to offer. O

Rangers now learn advanced marksmanship on all common Ranger weapons. [Photo courtesy of the 75th Ranger Regiment]


Putting full motion video (FMV) to work in a military setting isn’t as simple as yelling “Lights, camera, action!”, breaking out the popcorn and enjoying the results. That’s particularly true for special operations forces due to constraints on power, bandwidth and how much attention can be paid to FMV. Fortunately, advances in tech-nology promise to alleviate these limitations.

First, though, it’s important to note that full motion video is get-ting bigger, at least in terms of resolution. “Most of the new systems that we are developing and fielding for full motion video are moving to high definition. That means 720p or greater,” said Adam Terio, technical director for the product manager of electro-optic/infrared payloads in the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Intelligence Electronic Warfare and Sensors.

Going to 720p provides roughly three times the resolution of standard definition video. At 1080p, which is 1920 by 1080 pixels, the ratio runs about six to one.

Commercial products are moving beyond high definition to ultra HD. For this technology, pixel counts top 8 million, four times that of 1080p. However, such systems demand big, and therefore heavy, optics, which present challenges in tactical situations. For that rea-son, 1080p full motion video is likely to be the limit for some time.

Even moving to 1080p can present problems. One is bandwidth, as moving all of those extra pixels around burdens networks. One solution is to use the H.264 video compression standard. This can condense data by about 50:1, with the exact value depending on the video type and the desired quality of the video output. With H.264, a link of a few megabits per second could support full color FMV of acceptable quality.

Warfighters, analysts and others want higher resolution full motion video, but constantly moving up in pixel count isn’t always possible, Terio indicated. For one thing, high performance optics are not only heavy but are also hard to stabilize. There’s also the added expense of deploying new systems, something difficult to do given budgetary constraints.

Thus, there may be a push instead to maximize the utility of sen-sors already on UAVs and soldiers. It may be possible, for instance, to repurpose a FMV sensor already present to perform LiDAR, thereby

providing extra information in the form of object distance to the warfighter.

“With every shot, every pixel of your image, you have not only an x and a y direction, but you also have a z direction. You have that third dimension. You have that range information,” Terio said.

Pulling this off would require extensive processing. At present, this could be done remotely, with data traveling to some distant loca-tion, or locally, with large, heavy equipment. In the future, advances may allow most of the processing to be done locally on much lighter equipment, giving special operations and other forward deployed forces real-time information.

Whatever technology is used will need to be applied intelligently. That can be seen in video compression, as the best choice depends somewhat on the content, according to Sant Gupta, video products and federal markets vice president of Cornet Technology. The Spring-field, Va.-based company designs and manufactures voice, video and data communications equipment.

While H.264 video compression is suitable for FMV, JPEG or JPEG 2000 is a better compression choice for low frame rate video, Gupta indicated. As for getting video to a dismounted soldier, tech-nology choices can play an important role.

“Transcoders can be used to reduce the bandwidth requirements to transport video through low-bandwidth networks,” Gupta said.

Cornet’s next-generation products combine the ability to store higher resolution data for later analysis with the ability to send out a real-time lower quality video signal. Such an approach counteracts the sometimes less than robust networks found in theater.

Gupta predicted a future in which dismounted soldiers serve as nodes in a network, requiring two-way video communication and devices with greater functionality. Wearable computers and local power sources, such as solar cells or the energy generated by walking, will be part of the solution. The challenge, though, is how to achieve all of this without overburdening the warfighter either physically or mentally.

Part of the display solution may come out of research and devel-opment work done by Applied Research Associates. The Raleigh, N.C.-based research and engineering company was the lead in

Breakthroughs in Full motion video technology.By hank hogan sotech correspondent


DARPA’s UltraVis program, which developed warfighter-friendly aug-mented reality technology.

“We’ve worked with warfighters and soldiers and provided them with something they can actually use that requires very low cogni-tive load to understand what’s happening around them,” said Jenn Carter, senior scientist at Applied Research Associates.

According to Senior Scientist Dave Roberts, leader of the military operations and sensing systems group, the technology accomplishes this by tracking where the user is looking. This is done through inertial sensors combined with some image processing, an approach that reduces computational demand yet makes it possible to keep up with rapid shifts of view.

Thus, a member of squad could have friendlies marked by a blue icon, with the icons displayed in sync with the movements of the wearer and of the friendlies. As for FMV, that data could be shared on the squad level.

“I could intentionally look at one of my blue force icons and command my system with a simple click of my finger—we also do gesture recognition—to show me his video feed, and then immedi-ately I could put it away,” Roberts said.

Such interaction with any asset could take place while having to divert very little attention from the world around the wearer, he indi-cated. The system could be particularly useful in situations where teammates are out of sight and not readily able to talk.

The software and hardware combination is display agnostic, allowing night vision devices and any wearable see-through display to be used for augmented reality. Applied Research Associates sees military as well as civilian applications, with the latter encompassing logistics and gaming uses.

Other technology innovations should make it easier for special operations forces to put video to work. For example, Melbourne-based Sentient specializes in imagery analytics, bringing to bear artificial intelligence on the problem. The company’s software has been deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia and Libya. Sentient’s technology makes raw FMV more useful.

“On land, we automatically detect movement within view of an electro-optical/infrared sensor and over water we automatically detect objects on the surface,” said Simon Olsen, director of business development.

A key measure of any automated approach is the handling of false alarms, such as the case where something is flagged as moving or present when it is not. Sentient’s system allows users to dial detec-tion up or down. Users can, therefore, decide if they favor more hav-ing more aggressive detection or would rather reduce the incidence of false alarms.

Thanks to recent advances in onboard processing, the software can detect objects on the water at a rate about on par with radar, Olsen indicated. He added that this will deliver in excess of a 10-fold performance improvement.

However, this capability may require changes in sensors and software. The sensor improvement would involve higher resolu-tion equipment. Real time analysis of the data will likely have to be done on the platform itself, due to operations in environments with degraded communications. Thus, everything will need to fit within the size, weight and power envelope of the platform, which may require slimming down the software.

Test flights have been done with sensors of about 8 megapix-els. The results have been very encouraging in terms of detection, according to Olsen.

Systems developed by Ball Aerospace & Technologies of Boulder, Colo., also extend the capabilities and usefulness of full motion video. In particular, Ball has systems that provide real-time, 3-D, full color FMV.

The company did this by fusing the output of a visible, short-wave infrared or long-wave infrared camera to that of a flash LiDAR. A flash LiDAR sends out a laser burst, illuminating an area much like a visible camera flash does. Objects reflect the laser pulse and the time-of-flight of the light determines the distance to them. Ball’s software takes this information and uses it to assign depth informa-tion to the appropriate visible or infrared pixel.

“If time is the mission critical parameter, then flash LiDAR can meet this mission objective,” said Roy Nelson, senior advanced sys-tems manager in the Tactical Solutions business area, in speaking of the advantages of this approach.

The alternative would be a scanning LiDAR, which sweeps an area much like radar does. This process necessarily results in an update lag due to the beam scan time.

The point cloud data that is generated through Ball’s fusion of imagery to LiDAR is geo-referenced. By selectively gating when the returning LiDAR signal is captured, the detection can be set for a given height. For example, it could be the top of a forest canopy, the ground below, or some intermediate height. The system also sup-ports waveform LiDAR. The data can be collected up to 20,000 feet, a distance set by the optics of the flash LiDAR camera.

The flash LiDAR technology currently has a resolution of 128 by 128 pixels. Visible and infrared cameras’ pixel counts run sev-eral times that. Recently, Ball demonstrated interpolation between LiDAR points, which means the resolution of the system is now the same as that of the visible or infrared camera.

Ball’s 3-D FMV has been deployed on planes and helicopters. The company is now working on getting its system on a UAV to provide real-time 3-D geo-registered information in support of tactical operations, according to Nelson.

Another example of data fusion involving FMV comes from BAE Systems, the London-based defense, aerospace and security multi-national company. The company’s Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP) are the dominant intelligence analysis tools, indicated Susan Oakley, technical director.

She added that data fusion could involve video, LiDAR, multi- and hyperspectral imaging, synthetic aperture radar, and other infor-mation. Having an array of data can help analysts more accurately determine what’s happening. Automated activity based intelligence tools have been developed that can help speed up this analysis. Tasks that used to take weeks can now be done in hours, Oakley noted.

Continued movement toward more real-time results could be important to forces in the field. In general, the need for automation is growing due to more and more video and still imagery being col-lected.

On the tactical front, GXP has a mobile incarnation that could be used on a smartphone. BAE has also developed an app for Google Glass, thereby allowing users to view data without taking eyes off surroundings. BAE’s focus is on leveraging and exploiting commer-cial off-the-shelf technology, although the company is developing its own technology as well.

“We have been investing internally in mobile ISR solutions that are suitable for being deployed to remote locations. That could also be used for emergency response as well,” Oakley said of some of BAE’s efforts.


In another instance of technology going tactical, in May, prime defense contractor General Dynamics announced the delivery to SOCOM of nine of its tactical extension of its enterprise FMV solution. The extension is specifically designed for users at the edge of the network, where bandwidth is often more constrained, and for analysts in the field, noted Mike Manzo, director for GEOINT mission processing and exploitation for General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems of Fairfax, Va.

Dubbed Tactical Multi-INT Analysis and Archive System (TAC-MAAS), the product is a software sys-tem that provides standalone FMV capture, archive and exploitation capabilities. It has an intuitive interface, according to Manzo, and that allows it to be mastered with minimal training.

“Additionally, given that our DoD, intelligence community and military customers’ missions take them anywhere in the world, TAC-MAAS provides a proven, reliable and scalable solution that enables easy deployment on ruggedized laptops and tablets in tactical environments including, but not limited to, combat vehicles, forward operating bases, ground stations and airborne surveillance platforms,” Manzo said.

The product offers video enhancement, event-tagging and geo-spatial search tools. These and other capabilities of the software, Manzo indicated, can help analysts better dissect full motion video and arrive faster at answers. In turn, that can improve situational awareness while reducing risks, managing costs and providing timely intelligence.

There are also companies attacking the problem of bandwidth. Full motion video can consume megabytes per second, with the specific number set by the resolution, color depth, the incorpora-tion of additional data such as distance, and other factors.

One company with a solution that addresses bandwidth is defense contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Haifa, Israel. The company’s ImiLite imagery intelligence system has features built in to it that aid forward operations.

“ImiLite incorporates a unique hardware/software streaming solution that can dynamically change the video compression rate in order to adapt to changing availability of communication band-width,” said Johanan Klorin, marketing manager.

Another company tacking bandwidth issues is Bethesda, Md. -based Lockheed Martin. Jerry Mamrol, program director for C4ISR Land Forces, said the company is working to take FMV from enterprise solutions and scale them for forward deployed users, such as special operations forces. In doing that, one challenge is that a video-capable network may not be available. This is a prob-lem, however, that has confronted others, and Lockheed Martin leverages already-developed solutions.

“Our Geo Flix solution starts with the Internet’s video streaming models—think of Netflix—and then uses adaptive bit rate technology to provide FMV to our users on disadvantaged networks automatically by providing down-sampled videos to fit the particular pipe they have, streamed on demand,” Mamrol said.

This approach allows video to be delivered over cellular and WiFi networks. Although the picture quality may not be the great-est, the video can still be useful—particularly if it is fused with

other geo-registered data and if it forms the basis for activity based intelligence.

Looking to the future, Mamrol noted that automated process-ing of video has to be implemented. Systems may, for instance, scan through hundreds of feeds and only bring some to the atten-tion of analysts. Completely automating the process is probably not achievable, but it is certainly possible to turn eyes away from simply scanning pixels and instead to analyzing activities of inter-est, Mamrol indicated.

Finally, one way to make full motion video more useful to special operations forces is to team it up with other kinds of video. Wide area surveillance, for instance, may only update images once a second and so not be suitable for capturing an event right after it happens. However, such surveillance can be quite helpful in assessing the situation both before and after an event.

Some of this data will be pushed out to the field and some of it will be requested by operators. In the case of special opera-tions and other forward deployed forces, it’s important to get this data split correct. Maker of wide area surveillance systems Logos Technologies of Fairfax, Va., is working with users to figure out what data should be pushed and what pulled, said John Marion, company president.

The data may include how many people are in a structure, for instance, with this information pushed to a handheld device. An example of pulled data may be FMV zoomed in on a particular spot, along with wide area surveillance video of the surround-ings.

Of any technology solution, Marion said, “It comes down to lots of smarts where the sensors and the data are, as well as having very good compression algorithms so you can push it out over very limited communications.” O

Combining laser ranging from LiDAR with camera imagery yields 3-D full color FMV, shown here with an image of the Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver. [Photo courtesy of Ball Aerospace]




Ruggedized computing comes in a vari-ety of platforms, shapes, sizes and computing power. At Argon, we specialize in providing customers with the latest in Intel com-puting power in the smallest, most eco-nomical package, be it a computing brick, tablet or embedded into our rugged displays, that matches the power and oper-ating system needs of their program. And, more recently, we are developing solutions employing the ARM based processor run-ning an Android operating system.

We can now offer products that cover the range from low power ARM to 3rd Gen i7 processors.

Although not a recent development for Argon, we continue to provide solu-tions within a package that is completely

enclosed (and with no internal fans), utiliz-ing only natural convection and meeting the required temperature range. In order to achieve the highest performance in the smallest package, attention to specialized cooling techniques becomes paramount. Our engineers have devised several propri-etary techniques of managing the internal thermal environment and are able to dis-sipate the heat quickly and efficiently to the outside of the mechanical package. This ensures that the components are operating within their manufacturer’s specification or below and providing a highly reliable solution.

However, the most important trend for Argon is to simply follow the trend. By this we mean that it is important to have designs that are flexible enough to sup-port a variety of commercial off-the-shelf motherboards.

Nearly every application has its own customization needs (typically surrounding

processor power, input/output and ther-mal management), and that invariably drives us to select a specific mother-board. At Argon, one size does not fit all! By employing a flexible design approach we can provide solutions that are opti-mized for the specific application, be it land, air or sea. Additionally, we can provide this custom solution quickly (sometimes within our standard lead times) while maintaining competitive pricing.

Having a fixed computing offer means that our customers would not be able to take advantage of the latest processing power or the constantly diminishing power consumption.

So, at Argon, the “latest development” in ruggedized computing is to create designs that employ the latest develop-ments in the commercial computing mar-ket, to not reinvent the wheel, and not offer one size fits all.

Mike FordeChief Operating OfficerArgon Corporation

What are your latest developments in ruggedized computers?

SOTECH asked industry leaders the following question:


For nearly two decades, Panasonic has had the honor of equipping members of the armed services with the rugged mobile technology they use to stay connected and communicate efficiently as they keep our country safe. As the needs of servicemem-bers—particularly those in special opera-tions—continue to change and evolve, so too have our products.

Even as technology matures and form factors change, military service person-nel still need rugged computers that can weather the harsh elements in theater without sacrificing performance. Panasonic now offers nine different models of lap-tops, tablets and convertible tablet PCs with fully-rugged MIL-STD-810G certifications,

and several more that are categorized as semi-rugged or business-rugged. Each one is purpose-built to enable users to access mission-critical information no matter where their mission takes them. With secu-rity and reliability a top priority, our devices are built to provide lower total life cycle cost.

Our latest products include our first 5-inch handheld tablets just announced this June—the Toughpad FZ-E1, pow-ered by Windows Embedded 8.1 Hand-held, and the Toughpad FZ-X1, running the Android 4.2.2 operating system. These handheld tablets are enabled with voice and data connectivity and go beyond MIL-STD-810G specifications. The devices are

equipped with FIPS 140-2 Level 1 security and high definition touchscreens that are sunlight-readable and can be operated with thick gloves or in the rain. Our tablets also offer optional industry-leading GPS technology, allowing those on the field to pinpoint their destinations faster and more accurately.

We also recently released the rugged Toughpad FZ-G1, a 10-inch tablet PC, and the Toughpad FZ-M1, the world’s thin-nest and lightest rugged 7-inch tablet. Both tablets run on high-powered Intel processors and run the Windows operat-ing system, making them ideal for special operations forces looking to slim down from bulkier laptops for use in the field.

DRS Technologies was awarded a $455 million, three-year IDIQ contract to supply the U.S. Army’s next-generation mounted computing and displays solu-tion, called MFoCS (Mounted Family of Computer Systems). This contract, pro-nounced “m-fox,” is now in production and will begin deliveries this year.

MFoCS will provide a common family of platform computing and displays that can be tailorable to the mission, thereby providing three levels of capability: basic, intermediate and advanced.

• The basic configuration serves as the foundation for MFoCS. It includes a tablet PC and docking station.

• The intermediate configuration provides workstation capabilities for additional warfighters and offers everything in the basic

configuration with the addition of two solid-state hot-swappable 512-GB hard drives as standard storage, a processor unit and an additional display unit and keyboard.

• The advanced configuration provides workstation capabilities for additional warfighters and offers everything in the intermediate and basic configurations with additional processor units, displays, keyboards and hard drives.

The rugged, dismountable tablet fea-tures an Intel Core i7 Dual Core proces-sor at 2.8 GHz with up to 16 GB RAM. It features a 10.4 XGA bonded resistive touchscreen display and two internal hard drive bays. The computer can operate in a vehicle dock and takes up no more space than a prior-generation Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) display. It comes standard with a 25-foot tether to allow flexibility of use in and around the vehicle.

The processor unit (PU) remains vehi-cle mounted and will serve as the “hub” for the Army’s Mounted Computing Envi-ronment. The PU features a powerful Intel Core i7 Quad Core processor with up to 16 GB RAM in a ruggedized, highly compact form factor. As the primary plat-form server, it supports multiple operating systems and applications. The processor is one-half the size of the prior generation FBCB2 PU, so two of them can be stacked in the same footprint, enabling advanced capabilities.

There are three display options in the MFoCS family—12.4-inch XGA, 15-inch XGA and 17-inch SXGA. Ruggedized for wheeled and tracked ground platforms, these displays provide greater platform installation flexibility and enhanced usability.

MFoCS hardware will be fielded with existing FBCB2/Blue Force Tracking hardware to provide enhanced capabil-ity while enabling continued use of the Army’s more than $1 billion investment in prior-generation hardware and installa-tion assemblies.

Bill GuyanVice President Strategy for DRS Technologies C4ISR GroupDRS Technologies

James PooleDirector, Department of Defense SalesPanasonic System Communications Company of North America


MaxVision Rugged Portable Comput-ers LLC is introducing two new high-end C4ISR products to its product line this summer. The MaxPac 8200XL features dual E5 Xeons, 512 GB of memory, 16 TB of removable storage and 24-inch, 1920-by-1200 displays. This product will support either side-by-side or over-and-under screen configurations. The side-by-side configuration can be either dual or triple folding screens. The over-and-under

dual-screen configuration is also avail-able in a 10-touchscreen option. Any of these screens can be driven by the nVidia Quadro K5000 graphics, providing the lat-est in graphics computing performance. An optional integrated uninterruptable power system a five to seven minute hold up time and also allows 28VDC input power.

We are also responding to numer-ous customer requests for extended bat-tery power operation for these ultra high performance workstations, particularly in the UAV/UAS market. Beginning in September 2014, a new separate power pack supplying over 1,300 watt-hours

of battery power will sustain our most powerful workstations for three to four hours or more depending upon config-uration. The MaxUPS 3000 is both an uninterruptable power system and alter-nate power source with charger. It will sustain loads of up to 3,000 watts for 20 minutes or more. The MaxUPS 3000 is packaged in a briefcase configuration, amazingly weighing less than 55 pounds. The MaxUPS 3000 can be paralleled and hot-plugged for extended run time. This product will operate on all global power grids without configuration. It will be rated for over 2,000 deep cycle charge/discharge services.

Our rugged computers are engineered based on customer feedback and years of experience as a leading provider of government technology solutions. We understand the unique challenges faced by our military customers and are dedicated to providing them with the best tech-nology solutions to meet their specific needs.

The emphasis on technology develop-ment for ruggedized computing is driven by the demand for remotely piloted vehi-cles (RPVs) and manned mobile systems to perform missions once performed by aircraft, ships and submarines.

RPVs are moving beyond traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnais-sance using imaging and digital signal processor (DSP) payload sensors to more active roles generally reserved for jet fight-ers or special operations forces and the demand for more processing power and I/O flexibility will only increase as technol-ogy progresses.

Supporting RPV and battlefield infra-structure for command and control and secure communications and networking systems also drive needs for those systems to improve and scale with the increasing

demand for secure, distributed communi-cation bandwidth.

Ruggedized computing designs must take into consideration performance requirements, size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints, operating environ-ment, and efficient thermal design.

One approach to reduced SWaP for RPVs and portable systems in the battlefield is to design a single board computer (SBC) using the latest generation processors, like the Intel Core i7 Gen2. A processor of this type will handle a multitude of I/O data requirements as well as heavy floating point and DSP computation demands, thereby reducing SWaP by lowering the number of peripheral boards required.

Further reductions in SWaP can be achieved by integrating multiple data I/O interface conversions on the SBC by using efficient field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). For example, converting RS232, RS 422, ARINC429, 1553 and Naval Tactical Data System to Ethernet can be integrated onto a SBC using a FPGA-based design with data I/O conversion software.

Heat, caused by power dissipation, reduces the life of systems. Efficient ther-mal dissipation and cooling solutions result

in long-term reliability. One solution is to minimize power dissipation, and the other is to mitigate or conduct away the heat pro-duced. A combination of both is necessary for ruggedized computing solutions.

Conductive solutions employ a mass of thermally conductive material, such as aluminum or copper that is placed in direct contact with the heat producing compo-nents and a surface of a metal support structure.

Convection cooling forces air directly across a heat-sink on the heat-producing components. Airflow and heat-sink size can be determined by thermal analysis and testing.

Ruggedized computing designs will increase in demand, driving the develop-ment of efficient processors with higher levels of integration and performance. SBCs will also be required to perform many more functions than computational, such as data I/O conversion, and video and voice processing. O

For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at [email protected]

or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.

Bruce ImsandChief Executive OfficerMaxVision Rugged Portable Computers LLC

Michael CarterChief Executive OfficerSabtech


SOtech reSOUrce center

AAvArtisArs In AAx

3M Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1www.3mdefense.com/soldier

3M Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4www.3mdefense.com/soldier

L-3 GCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2www.l-3com.com/gcs

Northrop Grumman Technical Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16www.northropgrumman.com/ts

W.L. Gore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3www.multispectralconcealment.com

CA lAn AA r

July 21-23, 2014Night Vision SystemsWashington, D.C.www.nightvisionevent.com

July 29-30, 2014Military Vehicle Exhibition & ConferenceDetroit, Mich.www.militaryvehiclesexpo.com

September 23-25, 2014Modern Day MarineQuantico, Va.www.marinecorpsexpos.com

October 13-15, 2014AUSAWashington, D.C.www.ausa.org

November 3-5, 2014SOFEXFort Bragg, N.C.www.sofex.org

November 18-20, 2014SpecOps East Warfighter ExpoFayetteville, N.C.http://defensetradeshows.com/specops-warfighter-east-expo-2014/

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August 2014Volume 12, Issue 7next ISSUE

Lt. Gen. Bradley A. Heithold

InsertIon order deadlIne: JuLy 21, 2014 | ad MaterIals deadlIne: JuLy 28, 2014

speciAL section

Aerial FirepowerFrom missiles to cannon fire, what rains down from the skies can be terrifying for forces confronted with the full range of SOcOM’s resources.

cover And in-deptH interview witH:


sensor/situational AwarenessSensor technologies are growing more advanced and leading to a deluge of situational awareness for the SOF operator.

stealthy Air transportsair transport technologies have been growing stealthier. in this article, we examine a number of such systems.

sAtcoMSatellite communication systems offer the ability to communicate in areas where other modes of telecommunication are unavailable.

Advances in unmanned systemsUaVs, UgVs, USVs and UUVs will soon become ubiquitous. With a special focus on UaVs, this article centers on some of the newest developments in the field.

FeAtures

commanderAFsoc


Q: Could you tell our reader about some of the solutions CPG offers to the military?

A: Cognitive Performance Group is a team of applied researchers, technology developers and military SMEs who apply scientific principles to improve cognitive performance. We develop applications for complex, ambiguous domains where per-formance requires critical thinking, prob-lem solving, and adaptability to make and execute sound decisions.

We offer solutions in three areas: 1) We describe the nature of expertise or the stages of development to make experts’ knowledge and know-how explicit and ready to use in a training or assessment product. 2) We design training and expe-riential learning programs and content, using principles of adult learning and an understanding of domain expertise, to accelerate the development of expertise. 3) We develop cognitive metrics and assess-ments to measure the impact of training interventions or policy changes on cogni-tive skills and decision-making abilities.

Q: What unique benefits does CPG pro-vide its customers in comparison with other military contractors?

A: Our leadership has been part of the cognitive science and naturalistic decision-making revolution over the past 20 years. We understand the processes involved when people apply their knowledge to make decisions in chaotic, high-stress, ambiguous environments. We continue to do cutting edge research in the military domain to better understand how train-ing can be more effective and efficient at preparing warfighters for the decision challenges they’ll encounter.

As a small business, we are lean and agile. We are therefore highly collaborative with our customers and responsive to their needs. We are also very affordable. Custom-ers comment on how much value they get for their dollar with CPG.

Q: Can you describe how your programs are being used by customers?

A: Our customers look to us to help them describe what “gold standard” perfor-mance looks like and how people achieve it, especially for operators whose jobs have evolved due to new mission require-ments or employment of new capabilities as a result of technological advances. We have a proven process for generating Mas-tery Models, which are highly customized road maps, based on validated scientific models showing how people move from novice to expert. A Mastery Model is the foundational piece for screening, training and assessing performance for a domain. Our Mastery Models are the basis for the USMC’s Squad Leader Development and Instructor Professional Development programs.

We recently worked with an agency responsible for the development of highly specialized military planners. This cus-tomer said: “We have a small group of planners with ‘the knack’ at this type of planning, but we don’t understand what they know that others don’t, and we don’t know how to train others to be like them. Help us define ‘the knack’ and improve our screening and training processes so that we can build more of these highly skilled planners.” We applied our methods to describe the experts’ tacit knowledge and strategies in the form of expert and cognitive competency models. We then

produced screening criteria, redefined learning objectives and course content, and generated a robust job description for the customer to support an overhaul of the professional development process and requirements for these specialized planners.

Our customers seek us out to help them measure individuals’ decision-mak-ing, adaptability and judgment skills. Quan-titative measurement of these skills in a military context proves difficult, because often there are several right answers, and decision quality can’t necessarily be tied to an outcome. We treat decision mak-ing as a multi-dimensional construct and use a battery of instruments to triangulate on decision-making proficiency by assess-ing the family of skills that support or enable decision making. We are imple-menting our assessment tools at The Basic School (USMC) to gauge the impact of their Enlisted Instructor-Advisor program.

Q: How is CPG positioned in the market for expansion?

A: As the Department of Defense seeks training efficiencies and focuses resources on the agility of small teams of specialized warfighters, we are preparing for growth. Some of the most pressing needs of our military are uniquely addressed by our knowledge base and competencies. Our growth strategy will enable us to meet customers’ needs while still maintaining our core values of objectivity, supportive-ness and competence. We have a staff of talented, passionate professionals. Our business processes value and reward qual-ity, continuous learning and customer focus. We pride ourselves on collaboration and working well as team members, and we continue to work with trusted business partners and build relationships with new companies to form teams that will provide warfighters with the best training, educa-tion and preparation practices available. O

[email protected]

inDUStry interVieW Special Operations technology

Jennifer PhillipsChief Operating Officer

Cognitive Performance GroupWHAT THE FUTURE WEARS.

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WHAT THE FUTURE WEARS.

GORE®CONTROL

GORE® Multispectral Concealment materials deliver comprehensive visual, near infrared, SWIR and thermal (MWIR and LWIR) mitigation - significantly reducing the probability of detection against multiple sensor threats.

The technology is used to create a collection of products, including garments, covers and hides.

By providing concealment from Visual, nIR, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR, products utilizing GORE® Multispectral Concealment materials aid in the infiltration to and exfiltration from target objectives with minimal detection.

mult ispectralconcealment.com

800 -431 -GORE

©2014 W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. GORE, and designs are trademarks of W.L. Gore & Associates.

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