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Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and Teledyne Flir Defense Deliver Ripsaw M3 Prototypes For US Army RCV Program

Friday, October 4th, 2024

HUNT VALLEY, Md., October 3, 2024 – Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today that Team RIPSAW — Textron Systems, its subsidiary, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense — has delivered two RIPSAW® M3 prototype vehicles to the U.S. Army for the competitive Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) Phase I: Platform Prototype program. The vehicles were delivered to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

The RIPSAW M3 leverages a modular open systems architecture (MOSA) design and common chassis to support a variety of interchangeable payloads from a basic flat-top deck configuration. A rugged and reliable RCV platform, the vehicle is designed to meet Army requirements while preserving transportability and mission versatility.

“The RIPSAW M3 exemplifies the innovative technology Howe & Howe develops to support our customers,” said Senior Vice President, Mike Howe. “Designed for ease of integration with a common robotic core, the prototypes delivered represent the decades of experience in the ground robotics space our team possesses.”

“Team RIPSAW leverages the expertise of Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense, creating a mission-ready system to support the Army’s needs,” said Senior Vice President Air, Land and Sea Systems, David Phillips. “Our dedication to testing the prototype vehicles before delivery ensures we’re providing a rugged, reliable system.”

“We’re proud to be partnered with Textron Systems and Howe & Howe to deliver this unprecedented robotic platform to the U.S. Army,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, President of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We’re excited to bring our expertise in uncrewed aerial systems, 360-degree situational awareness, and intelligent sensing technology onto the RIPSAW M3 that will give soldiers a decisive tactical edge and allow commanders to make better, faster decisions.”

Team RIPSAW has invested in this family of robotic vehicles since 2019 when the RIPSAW M5 system first debuted. Later variants, including the M5-E (electric) and M3 Tech Demonstrator, leveraged the team’s collaboration with industry partners, academia and the U.S. Army to perform multiple mission sets in various environmental and test conditions. Since 2019, the RIPSAW family of vehicles have amassed over 4,700 miles of durability testing.

Brain Injury Devices in Focus During Fort Liberty Soldier Touchpoint

Friday, October 4th, 2024

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. — Team members with the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity joined dozens of U.S. Army medics at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, to assess the progress of several traumatic brain injury detection devices as part of a Soldier touchpoint this week.

The Soldiers provided feedback on two brain trauma assessment devices currently under development at USAMMDA under the management of the Warfighter Readiness, Performance and Brain Health Project Management Office and stakeholders with the North Carolina Center for Optimizing Military Performance. The event, which included combat casualty assessment lanes inside Fort Liberty’s Iron Mike Conference Center, was designed to assess the progress of TBI Field Assessment Device program and inform future program development. Feedback from prospective end users — U.S. Army medics, medical officers, and combat troops — is a vital step in development programs, according to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dana Bal, a product manager with WRPBH.

“These types of end-user interfaces are vital to what we do in the WRPBH PMO,” said Bal. “The information we gather — both from our own observations as advanced developers and from the critiques we get from the medics and medical officers actually using the device — is incredibly important to how we approach the development process. Our ultimate goal is to develop materiel solutions that meet the needs of the Warfighters, and we couldn’t do that without these types of opportunities.”

During the touchpoint, volunteer Soldiers from multiple units assigned to the U.S. Army’s largest base conducted TBI assessments on role player casualties to determine the effectiveness of the devices in a simulated real-world environment. The event was designed to gauge the effectiveness of the TBI assessment devices to detect possible brain trauma outside a clinical environment, like those found at U.S. Army role 1 and role 2 care facilities. The Soldiers provided feedback about the devices’ ease of use, design features and overall fitness for use in austere, remote environments.

“These development programs can last years, starting with identifying a capability gap or unmet treatment need, through design, modifications and FDA approval, and finally, fielding products to U.S. military medical providers and units, including through sustainment of these capabilities,” said Bal. “With the need for rugged, reliable, user-friendly devices to aid in assessing possible TBIs, we are focusing more and more on how to meet the current and future needs of military medical providers, and hearing feedback from subject matter experts helps refine our approach.”

Traumatic brain injuries, caused by exposure to concussive events like roadside bombs and indirect fire, are a significant threat to frontline service members. There have been more than 505,000 traumatic brain injuries reported within the Department of Defense since 2000, ranging from mild to severe. Many TBIs are not accompanied by exterior signs of injury yet can have both short and long-term health effects. In TBI cases, identifying internal injuries, like intercranial hemorrhage or other non-visible brain damage, is a vital first step to ensure injured are treated adequately across the continuum of care.

The WRPBH TBI assessment programs are designed to develop devices that are rugged, deployable, cost-effective and user-friendly in the hands of medical providers as close to the point-of-injury as possible. This allows the providers to shape treatment decisions before, during, and after medevac post-injury, according to U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Procter, senior enlisted advisor for USAMMDA’s Soldier Medical Devices PMO.

“TBIs can be very hard to recognize immediately after a concussive event because there usually no visible signs of injury,” said Procter, a medic with nearly 20 years of experience and multiple deployments across the globe. “Medics and first responders usually focus on outward signs of injury — bleeding, burns, airways, broken bones, things that are immediately apparent after injury — to stabilize a patient before medevac. Because determining the severity of TBIs requires specialized screenings and imaging devices, it’s tough to accurately diagnose the severity and type of brain injury in a field environment. But what we are doing now, what the WRPBH team is focusing on, will hopefully give future medics and first responders a way to recognize TBIs and assess their severity before evacuation decisions are even arranged.”

During recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, wounded service members were usually less than an hour from higher echelons of care due to the availability and proximity to the front lines of evacuation aircraft and vehicles. The “Golden Hour” roughly described the minutes immediately after a wound occurred and indicated the amount of time medical providers had to assess a casualty, stabilize them, and arrange for evacuation. But during future conflicts, with logistics and evacuation capabilities limited by distance and austerity found in regions like the Arctic and Indo-Pacific, the Golden Hour may not be a feasible amount of time to move injured and wounded to higher care facilities. To answer the TBI treatment challenges presented by possible future conflicts in remote locations, the USAMMDA team works each day to develop new capabilities and improve tested treatments to meet the needs of tomorrow’s Warfighters, said Procter.

“Our Joint Force medical providers have had a very robust logistics capability the past quarter century and our ability to save and preserve lives has been unmatched by any period in history. What we recognize, however, is that our current treatments for injuries are very much tied to our ability to move casualties rapidly from point-of-injury to more advanced facilities further from the front lines,” said Procter. “The TBI assessment programs we’re currently developing will hopefully go a long way to maximizing ground commanders’ evacuation options, limit unneeded evacuations, shorten the time from injury to the start of treatment, and help keep Warfighters in the fight.”

USAMMDA develops, delivers and fields critical drugs, vaccines, biologics, devices and medical support equipment to protect and preserve the lives of Warfighters across the globe. USAMMDA Project Managers guide the development of medical products for the U.S. Army Medical Department, other U.S. military services, the Joint Staff, the Defense Health Agency and the U.S. Special Operations community.

The process takes promising technology from the Department of Defense, industry, and academia to U.S. Forces, from the testing required for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval or licensing to fielding and sustainment of the finished product. USAMMDA Project Management Offices will transition to a Program Executive Office under the Defense Health Agency, Deputy Assistant Director for Acquisition and Sustainment.

By T. T. Parish

EDGE of Innovation: EDGE 24 Concludes at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

Thursday, October 3rd, 2024

The Army Futures Command’s (AFC) Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Cross-Functional Team (CFT)’s 2024 iteration of the Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event (EDGE) concluded earlier this week after three weeks of experimentation.

EDGE 24 was deliberately smaller in scale than previous iterations of the event and focused on autonomous collaborative behaviors of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), launched effects (LE), and unmanned ground vehicles.

“Our specific experimental objective was learning how launched effect surrogates behave on a network and off a network,” said Brig. Gen. Cain Baker, FVL CFT Director. “Based off a simulated enemy threat array, we allowed the launched effect surrogates to operate on a network and pass information back at extended ranges, then deliberately removed the network to see if the autonomy could continue. We experimented with that very specifically and had a lot of success in the information we captured and the behaviors we saw from platforms from multiple vendors that were out here.”

The behaviors within launched effects provide a decisive advantage to ground commanders, giving them the capability to extend the range of sensing and use machines instead of Soldiers to make first contact with an adversary. The Army is rapidly integrating layered UAS and LE across formations in a combined arms fight that is synchronized with fires and maneuver across phases to penetrate, exploit, and defeat near-peer adversaries in a complex environment.

“We know looking into the future that we are going to be operating in congested airspace: there will be a number of friendly and adversary platforms that will exist in that space,” said Brig. Gen. William Parker, Director of the Air and Missile Defense CFT. “Reducing the cognitive burden on the operator and helping us deconflict what is in the air with respect to friendly and adversary capabilities will go a long way in how we fight that small UAS threat while protecting friendly UAS in that same airspace.”

The FVL CFT sees EDGE providing the Army Futures Command an experimentation and demonstration platform to help deliver the Army of 2030 and design of Army of 2040, and has chosen U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) as its venue for the last two years. The proving ground’s clear, stable air and extremely dry climate combined with an ability to control a large swath of the radio frequency spectrum makes it a desired location for the type of testing EDGE was interested in: counter-unmanned aircraft solutions, extending network access, and flying autonomous and semi-autonomous aircraft. YPG’s wealth of other infrastructure meant for other sectors of the post’s test mission were utilized to support the demonstration, including technical and tactical targets.

“YPG was essential for us to have the simulated threat array to conduct the experiment in at echelon that would replicate an enemy capability that we would potentially face in the future,” said Baker. “YPG has the air space that allows us to operate at the distances we need and the instrumentation to collect the data to inform our requirements from an analytical standpoint.”

YPG’s deep institutional knowledge allowed the participating industry partners to run complex test scenarios each day across three weeks of demonstrations, and the event paid dividends that could inform the Army for years to come. One industry partner exercised autonomous collaboration between an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) and an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) through real-time aerial mapping of an urban environment to deliver a recommended route for the UGV to follow. Another successfully executed an automated target hand off between a UAS with a radio frequency sensor and a UAS with an electro optical infrared sensor. The demonstration also saw a long-range data communications relay of over 250 miles to execute a strike from a surrogate lethal long range launched effect.

“We’re seeing autonomy advance year after year when we do events like EDGE and Project Convergence,” said Baker. “If we operate these effects en masse, how do we offload the requirements for operators to control from one controller to one vehicle versus one controller for multiple vehicles? How do we share information about the battlefield rapidly and accurately, and how do we do that at extended ranges so crews can maximize the mission set they’re faced with?”

By Mark Schauer

Wilcox Industries – US Army’s Grenadier Sighting System

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024

The Grenadier Sighting System for the M320A1 Grenade Launcher Module is one of the most successful programs of the past few years and one of the least publicized.

Assigned NSN: 1010-01-686-8798, GSS provides the capability to accurately engage targets day and night with the M320 GLM. The GSS features include a reflex optical sight with integral back up iron sights, near infrared (NIR) aiming laser engagement for night engagements, NIR illuminator for increased detection and recognition at night, user selectable ballistic solution for up to 16 ammunition types, including quick selector for two pre-programmed ballistic solutions, atmospheric temperature and pressure sensors for ballistic compensation, and a cant indicator for increased accuracy when firing. Wilcox makes similar commercial version alternatives designated by the company as the Rapid Acquisition Aiming Module Grenadier Sighting System (RAAM GSS). The Wilcox RAAM GSS is an exportable version of the US Army selected and current production Grenadier Sighting System.

Manufacturer Wilcox Industries has created a three part series on the GSS. In Part 1 & Part 2, Wilcox covered the US Army’s search for a new 40mm M320 GL in 2009, their decision to choose theWilcox GSS as the single production awardee in June 2019 and the GSS’s initial production and discriminating features.

“The GSS is a significant improvement to the M320 and tremendously increases the Grenadier’s capability in all environments.”

– COL Jason Bohanon

Program Manager, Soldier Lethality

Next week, Wilcox publishes the final part to the GSS story. Learn more about the Development of the Wilcox Grenadier Sighting System or download the GSS Case Study.

Be sure to check it out in person at the AUSA Annual Meeting, October 14-16 at the Walter Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC in booth #3607.

Teaser Video for Irregular Warfare Forum

Tuesday, October 1st, 2024

Draganfly Receives Military Purchase Order for Its Commander 3XL to be Used for Logistics Within Various Branches of the U.S. Department of Defense

Saturday, September 28th, 2024

Commander 3XL to be used as a primary transport vehicle for the TB2 Aerospace DROPS UAV Cargo POD for autonomous tactical resupply

Saskatoon Sask, September 24, 2024– Draganfly Inc. (NASDAQ: DPRO) (CSE: DPRO) (FSE: 3U8A) (“Draganfly” or the “Company”), an award-winning, industry-leading drone solutions and systems developer, is pleased to announce that it has received a purchase order from TB2 Aerospace (TB2)  for Commander 3XL Drones to be deployed with TB2 Drone Recharging Operational Payload System Pods (DROPS) within the DoD for various mission types. This order represents the beginning of the deployment and scaling of the DROPs system in conjunction with the Draganfly line of drones.

The Commander 3XL will be utilized to carry out various logistics missions. The Commander 3XL is well suited as a transport vehicle, as is the entire Draganfly drone product line for TB2 Aerospace’s smart logistics PODs, as Draganfly Drones are interoperable, providing operators a variety of aircraft size, payload capacity and weight configurations that utilize common communication, counter electronic warfare options, mission planning software, accessories, payloads and more. TB2 Aerospace and Draganfly have collaborated to integrate TB2’s DROPS Pods on Draganfly’s drones, positioning Draganfly as a primary transport vehicle for TB2 Aerospace deployments within the DoD.

“We are honored to be doing this exciting work with TB2 and to have been selected for this important work in the military logistics sector,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. “Draganfly thrives at working to provide exceptional capabilities by integrating our line of drones, experience, and technology stack into mission profiles and use cases with our commercial and military partners—and doing it within time frames and at costs that few others can.”

“We chose Draganfly to be our launch and developmental partner as they have a fantastic series of UAVs,” said Hank Scott, CEO of TB2. “Their aircraft are very stable, easy to fly and set up, and we were impressed by the commonality between their three UAVs. Common controllers, batteries, motors, and parts mean that the DoD can train a Warfighter to operate three different-sized UAVs with a simple, standardized training package. The commonality and interchangeable components will reduce DoD operational and training costs, and standardize the supply chain. Adding the DROPS system will make each of their UAVs a Multi-Mission Payload capable system too. It’s a win-win.”

Soldiers Stationed at U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden Shoot for the Schützenschnur

Friday, September 27th, 2024

ALTENDIEZ, Germany – At the invitation of the Bundeswehr Landeskommando Hessen (Bundeswehr Hesse State Command), approximately 30 Soldiers stationed at U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden competed at the Bundeswehr Shooting Range in Altendiez, Germany, Sept. 12, to earn the German Schützenschnur.

The German Schützenschnur is a decoration of weapons proficiency for enlisted Soldiers.

The American Soldiers took the opportunity to earn the coveted Schützenschnur badge by participating in a shooting event that consisted of two weapons, firing rounds to qualify on the German armed forces P8 semi-automatic pistol and the standard Bundeswehr rifle, the G36.

“I had so many hands go up and there were more who wanted to go,” said Maj. Brandon McFarlane, Headquarters U.S. Army Europe and Africa G3 Civil Affairs Division, about the Landeskommando invitation. “I’ve done the march portion of the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (GAFPB) before. It was tough, but we did it, just like we are going to do the Schützenschnur as the next step towards the GAFPB.”

Staff Sgt. Kasey Griffin from the 66th Military Intelligence battalion spoke about the pride she would feel, from earning the Bundeswehr badge.

“It is a challenge, and to be able to participate in the partnership with the Landeskommando Hessen is an experience I will never forget,” said Griffin.

“I am confident I’ll make it”, said Spc. Mia Shaw, who also serves with the 66th MI. “I am used to handling a pistol, so it should not be a problem to deal with the P8 and shoot some reasonable results.”

Marines often serve in a variety of special capacities, whether protecting our Nation’s embassies abroad or recruiting the next generation of United States Marines. Two Marines, Sgt. Dillon Houk and his teammate, Sgt. Markus Jones, both serving as security guards for the Germany embassy in Frankfurt, also took on the Schützenschnur challenge.

Houk said, “To pull the trigger of the German P8 is different from what I am used to dealing with.”

“The German pistol seems a bit bigger, but sure, I am convinced that we will meet this challenge,” Jones added.

Soldiers from the 56th Artillery Command, 2nd Multi-Domain Task Force, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, 2nd Theater Signal Brigade and 102nd Strategic Signal Battalion, 66th Military Intelligence Brigade, 86th Airlift Wing and Marine Embassy Guard competed in the event. At the end of the day 28 of the Soldiers received a medal, three of them gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze.

By Roland Schedel

Army Announces Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport Inc. II Contract Awards

Thursday, September 26th, 2024

Detroit Arsenal, Mich. (Sept. 24, 2024) — The Army announced the award of two Other Transaction Authority Engineering and Manufacturing Design contracts today to American Rheinmetall Vehicles, LLC, and HDT Expeditionary Systems, Inc., totaling a combined $22 million to provide eight prototypes each of the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport Increment II.


American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ S-MET Inc. II offering


HDT’s S-MET Inc. II offering

The S-MET was originally developed as a Directed Requirement meant to identify opportunities for the Army to quickly field existing platforms to improve the fighting force’s capability. The S-MET Increment I is a single radio-controlled, eight-wheeled platform designed to carry payload, generate power for organic electronic systems, and conduct unconstrained movement. In its first increment, the S-MET is capable of carrying 1,000 lbs. of equipment and provides enhanced capability primarily in Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, and Security Force Assistance Brigades.

The second increment seeks to double that payload capacity while adding several improvements identified by Solders during evaluation and operation. Those improvements include:

  • Higher exportable power to enable modern mission payloads like Unmanned Air Systems and communications equipment
  • Improved audio signature reduction
  • A dismounted wireless mesh communication network
  • Increased reliability
  • Worldwide grid charging
  • Modular and open architecture allowing for easier and more cost-effective upgrades

“S-MET Increment II addresses capability gaps associated with excessive physical burdens, recharging batteries during continuous operations, and reducing sustainment burden for semi-independent operations. The S-MET reduces Soldier load and enhances small unit combat effectiveness by reducing fatigue and injury caused by excessive physical loads, shifting the burden to the robotic platform,” said Kyle Bruner, the Army’s project manager for Force Projection, Program Executive Office Combat Support & Combat Service Support, headquartered here.

“S-MET supports the Army’s mission to implement robotic and autonomous system capabilities with urgency to lessen risk to Soldiers in multi-domain operations,” he added.

Successful S-MET Increment II developmental testing will lead to a production contract slated for late Fiscal Year 2027 for an Army Acquisition Objective of up to 2,195 systems.

By Sam Tricomo, Program Executive Office Combat Support & Combat Service Support