Archive for June, 2011
Mission Ready Equipment’s New Ride
Friday, June 3rd, 2011JIEDDO Helmet Pad Report
Friday, June 3rd, 2011Earlier this year Lawrence Livermore National Lab issued a report on the issue helmet pad’s performance in mitigating impact injuries to the head commissioned by the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) and funded partially by the US Army. The main stream media made much of the researcher’s investigation of NFL helmet pads.
According to LLNL, “Five types of pad systems were studied-those currently and previously used by the Army, two used in NFL helmets, and one used in other protective sports equipment. The two Army systems consist of bilayer (hard-soft) foam pads within a water-resistant airtight wrapper or coating. One NFL system consists of a thin foam pad and a hollow air-filled cylinder that buckles under load, and the other is a bilayer foam pad surrounded by a covering with air-relief channels that connect to adjacent pads in the helmet. The fifth pad consists of uniform dense foam.”
Researchers Mike King’s and Willy Moss’s conclusion? None of the other pads out perform the current issue pad. In fact, NFL pads are not as soft as military pads, allowing larger forces to be transferred to the head.
Ultimately, the two scientists found that by increasing the thickness of current pads by just 1/8″ would significantly decrease the risk of Traumatic Brain Injury. While this answer sounds simple enough, it raises a serious issue. That extra 1/8″ of padding would require most everyone to go up one helmet size.
Unfortunately, the research was accomplished in support of ACH standards rather than against the energy levels associated with the new Enhanced Combat Helmet (.30) threat. Until this issue can be dealt with the ECH is ultimately just an expensive ACH. As lead service for the ECH program, the USMC has yet to unveil any plans at all on how to deal with the increased kinetic energy associated with the higher caliber threat.
Read the full report here:
Huskey Amentum Slider Sling from Ares Armor
Friday, June 3rd, 2011Named after Marine Scout Sniper Instructor and 2009 International Sniper Competition winner Josh Huskey, the Huskey Amentum Slider Sling from Ares Armor is a two point affair designed to make for easy transitions. Check out the photos and video for more details.
Additionally, Ares Armor offers a 2 To 1 Point Triglide which allows you to instantly turn your two point sling into a single point sling and back when needed. It’s the only transitional sling device designed to function with any Push Button Quick Detach Sling Swivel. CNC machined from Billet 6061-T6 aluminum and then hard anodized Type III per MIL-A-8625F.
Available in Black, Coyote, A-TACS, and MultiCam. American made with a lifetime guarantee.
Ares Armor is offering 15% off the Huskey Amentum Sling to SSD readers this weekend. Use discount code “SOLDIERSYSTEMS†at checkout from now until Monday evening, 6 June.
HEL-STAR 5 from Core Survival
Friday, June 3rd, 2011The requirement for the HEL-STAR came from tragedy. In 1998, a USAF PJ was killed in a parachute accident over the ocean off of Japan. His parachute was caught in a strobe light zip tied to his pro-tec helmet. This accident caused the joint parachuting community to begin the search for a more conformal light specifically for freefall parachuting. Over the ensuing years, several solutions were used until they started working with Core Survival and adopted the original HEL-STAR 4.
The HEL-STAR 5 is a flexible lighting solution designed to be velcroed to a parachutist helmet offering a smooth, low profile mount. One of the big enhancements over the HEL-STAR 4 is at the junction between the control module and the light strip. It was strengthened in order to alleviate concerns over cable wear due to repeated flexion. Additionally, the controls were altered slightly to enhance tactile verification of operating mode.
Three distinct operating modes are provided with a choice of White, Green or IR signals, either flashing or steady. The light is bright enough for jumpers to identify one another in freefall or under canopy. The O-ring sealed design is waterproof to at least 16 feet and the unit is powered by a single CR123 battery.
Below is a short video of the HEL-STAR 5 blinking in strobe mode between white and green lights (mode 1).
The HEL-STAR 5 boasts three operating modes:
HS-501 M-1: White/Green (Alt. Flash)
M-2: Green (Steady)
M-3: IR (Flash)
Naturally, once the troops got a hold of the marker they came up with additional applications for it including vehicles, outer wear, and equipment. Based on user feedback, additional capability is being developed for this family of lights. Core Survival products are Made in USA.
The JAMMA from Force Protection
Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Looks-wise, it kind of reminds me of an old DUKW that mated with a Mazda pickup but it’s something altogether different. The new Joint All-Terrain Modular Mobility Asset (JAMMA) from Force Protection (think Cougar MRAP) is a lightweight mobility asset. While they are keeping many of the specs close to the vest, as you can see it features a unique roll over protection system and can be fitted with an optional state-of-the-art hybrid, multi-fuel engine that generates 22kW of continuous exportable power. Currently, Utility, Gun Truck, and Rescue variants have been configured but the architecture of the design allows for multiple other uses. Additionally, it is fitted with an electric winch, on-board air compressor, open electrical architecture for the fitting of specialized equipment, as well as a built in armor attachment system for the fitting of scalable armor panels to correspond to various threats.
SOCOM is on the lookout for a new Ground Mobility Vehicle System (ver 1.1) to replace their HMMWV-based trucks currently in service. Keep your eyes peeled for it to kick off in September. Consequently, SOFIC was packed with mobility systems.
While the SOCOM requirement is for an MH47 compatible vehicle, the JAMMA even fits (just barely) in a V22 Osprey. This is becuase it is offered in both wide (MH47) and narrow (CV22) track versions.
The search for a V22-compatible Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) with sufficient range and load capacity for SOF use has been an ongoing issue since the 90s. The search for this mythical beast still lives on as a joint requirement for both SOCOM and USMC. The problem is the cabin size of the V22. When the tilt-rotor was first envisioned it was expected to replace one-for-one, every CH46 in the Marine Corps inventory. The USMC as lead service wrote a requirement based on the CH46, giving it the same cabin size and cargo capacity as the Sea Knight. When the CH46 was designed they still used JEEPs. However, in the 30 odd years the Osprey spent in development hell, the US military mothballed the M151 JEEP due to its limited cargo capacity and propensity to roll over thanks to a narrow wheel base. The V22 was perfect for a JEEP but nothing with a wide enough stance to remain stable while maneuvering under fire would fit. The search remains with all forms of expandable wheel bases and crouching suspensions attempting to fill the requirement. As of yet, nothing that fits in the CV22 (SOCOM will eventually own 50) seems to fill the rest of SOCOM’s unique needs.
The Marine Corps is pretty much in the same boat although they have purchased a more modern variant of the venerable JEEP called the Growler that features an active suspension for use as their ITV. The Growler began life as a prime mover for the Expeditionary Fire Support System and has been procured in limited numbers by the Marines. Unfortunately, it takes several minutes of prep time in order to configure it for the tight squeeze into the rear of an Osprey.
Force Protection has been applying lessons learned from their production of larger vehicles into the development of the JAMMA. The transportation infrastructure in Afghanistan is very limited, and what is there cannot be used by heavily armored vehicles. It is imperative that smaller and lighter vehicles are developed for this type of terrain.
Blackheart International Celebrates Grand Opening of Phillipi Store
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011West Virginia Governor Early Ray Tomblin will be on-hand for Blackheart International’s Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony in Philippi, WV. The new retail outlet store is located three miles north of the historic Philippi covered bridge on Rt. 250/119 with the ceremony on Friday, June 3 between 12:00 and 1:00.
If you can make it, this is a great weekend for such an event. The grand opening coincides with the Annual Blue & Gray Reunion in scenic Philippi. The first land battle of the Civil War took place at Philippi on June 3, 1861 so this year’s reunion marks the 150th Anniversary of the Start of the Civil War.
Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. As a GSA Contract holder, Federal organizations able to purchase from the GSA schedule can do so at both the retail store or online.
Wild Things Announces Jordanian Contract and Partnership
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011Wild Things, LLC, a manufacturer of technical outerwear and tactical gear for both men and women, will design uniforms for the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) and enter the footwear business through a licensing agreement with the Jordanian Company for Manufacturing Special Boots.
WT Tactical will sell and market its own brand of tactical boots internationally. WT Tactical CEO, Ed Schmults, signed these two agreements Wednesday in front of HM King Abdullah of Jordan at the Jordan – U.S. Business Forum in Amman.
“This is a key part of our business strategy to expand in the international marketplace,†said Schmults. “It makes strong business sense for a number of reasons — the Jordanian government is stable, there is a high quality, low cost apparel manufacturing infrastructure, and finally, these new partnerships enable us to expand outside of Jordan into the region and more broadly around the world.â€
Utilizing WT Tactical’s extensive military apparel expertise, the Jordanian uniforms will feature enhanced fit and functionality, advanced fabric to enhance comfort across a broad range of temperatures and will provide a range of product options to meet the needs of the JAF. In addition, WT Tactical will begin production of a portion of its current military product line in Jordan for export to the international military community.
In addition, WT Tactical will begin to design, market and sell footwear for the international military and law enforcement community via a licensing agreement with The Jordanian Company for Manufacturing Special Boots at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Jordan. WT Tactical has begun discussions with boot designers to begin work on a next generation boot that will include new phase-change impact absorbing foams and other technical design features.
The first apparel lines will be ready by late 2011 with the footwear following later in 2012.
PEO SOF Warrior Briefing on Ground Mobility Systems
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011This is another presentation from SOFIC 2011. You need to review it now in order to have a good frame of reference for a couple of future articles. In particular, pay attention to the GMV 1.1 requirement.
SOF Warrior – SOFFOV Brief SOFIC 2011
