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ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator – Part II – The Vehicle

Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

During Warrior Expo, ADS Inc exhibited a new concept demonstrator that integrates C4ISR technologies directly into a lightly armored vehicle based on the legacy HMMWV. While the demonstrator is packed with a variety of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and and Reconnaissance capabilities, it would mean nothing if you couldn’t protect the men and women inside the vehicle. That’s where project partner Granite Tactical Vehicles steps in. They’ve developed a set of five upgrade packages for the HMMWV. The High Mobility, Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle has been with us for over 30 years. Over this time, they’ve applied a variety of fixes to the vehicle, but fundamentally there 25 deficiencies in the design.

Over time, the HMMWV evolved from this simple replacement for the Jeep to an armored battle taxi. Along the way, it became overweight and underpowered.

Engineers at Granite Tactical Vehicles have created five kits to enhance the vehicle’s capabilities:

1) GTV’s proprietary up-armored crew capsule offers 360 degree blast / ballistic protection with underbody armor and a V-Hull. That V-Hull is one of the most effective features to mitigate the effects of IEDs.
2) Upgraded brake calipers and larger rotors, upgraded shocks, spring mounts, lift kit (centered front differential allowing 4 identical half-shafts), frame enhancements and suspension to support up-armored capsule and return vehicle to expected mobility.
3) Upgraded turbo-charged 6.5 liter diesel engine.
4) Upgraded 4L85 transmission, which is critical to overcoming torque deficiency of standard Humvee.
5) Upgraded cooling / radiator system to ensure larger engine is efficiently and effectively cooled during operation.

In fact, application of these five kits, not only enhanced the capabilities of the HMMWV (of which we have thousands still in service) but also weighs in at 200 lbs below the current UpArmored variant. As funding for programs like the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle are reprogrammed for other needs, upgrades such as this, to existing equipment are a great way to extend their lifecycle as well as enhance capabilities.

Justin Boyle of ADS goes over the five upgrade kits for the HMMWV in this short video from ADStv.

For more information visit www.ADSinc.com.

Tags: ADS Inc, FLIR, Granite Tactical Vehicles, Harris, SYNEXXUS, Warrior Expo East
Posted in ADS, Comms, Concepts, Design, Digitization, ISR, Mobility, Warrior Expo | 3 Comments »

ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator – Part I – Overview

Tuesday, July 15th, 2014

During Warrior Expo, ADS Inc exhibited a new concept demonstrator that integrates C4ISR technologies directly into a lightly armored vehicle based on the legacy uparmored HMMWV. For those unfamiliar, C4ISR includes Command, Control, Communications, Computers as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and and Reconnaissance capabilities. It’s not that this is a dedicated command and control vehicle or even a scout vehicle but rather, ADS recognizes that over the last 10 years, there has been a boom in the deployment of new C4ISR technologies. The real hurdle is delivering this disparate information to the end user and then, making sense of all of it.

ADS teamed with Granite Tactical Vehicles, FLIR, Harris and SYNEXXUS. Everything here is Commercial-Off-The-Shelf. It’s just been configured in such a way that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual components.

If you were at Warrior East, I hope you had a chance to check out this vehicle. If not, ADStv created three video segments that we will use to show what it’s all about. Below, John Fristachi from ADS of ADS discusses the project.

To learn more contact ADS Inc.

Tags: ADS Inc, FLIR, Granite Tactical Vehicles, Harris, SYNEXXUS, Warrior Expo East
Posted in ADS, Concepts, Design, Digitization, ISR, Mobility, Sensors, Warrior Expo | Comments Off on ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator – Part I – Overview

Warrior East – Juggernaut Defense Introduces Case for Galaxy Tab

Friday, July 11th, 2014

The Juggernaut.Case for the Galaxy Tab is here!

It features a new one-piece housing, a new depot level replaceable common connector module so you don’t have to trash the case of you break the cable and a new two-piece door design for audio ports. The point of these upgrades is to comply with IP-68 which offers 2 meter immersion.

www.juggernautDefense.com

Tags: Juggernaut Defense, Warrior Expo East
Posted in Digitization, Warrior Expo | 1 Comment »

Warrior East – Garmin

Thursday, July 10th, 2014

Garmin has a couple of items that will be of interest to SSD readers.

First up is the tactix, a tactical training GPS watch. Sure, it’s a watch, but it’s also a GPS device that allows you to drop up to 10,000 breadcrumb points and 1,000 TracBack points meaning it vectors you to return to the point of origin. The tactix also offers barometric altimeter and electronic 3D compass. As a watch the battery lasts for 5 weeks, with sensors, you’re at 3 weeks. When you enable GPS, it goes to 50 hours. But, you can recharge via USB. Waterproof to 50m, night vision readable and integrates preloaded tidal data and Jumpmaster software.

Second is the VIRB Elite. It’s a GPS and wi-fi enabled HD action camera. The VIRB offers true HD at 1080p with a 16MP CMOS sensor. It also interfaces with an iOS or Android app that allows you to control it remotely. In addition to GPS stamp, you can also record barometer and G-load data.

As always, I prefer to purchase my Garmin products for personal use I go to www.strohmanenterprise.com. Unit and agencies contact www.ADSinc.com.

Tags: Garmin, Strohman Enterprise, Warrior Expo East
Posted in Digitization, Sensors, Warrior Expo, Watches | 5 Comments »

DARPA’s FLASH Program Leverages Persistant Close Air Support Development To Aid Hotshot Firefighters

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014

The Defense Advanced research Project Agency funds a wide variety of tech development programs but rarely does the capability developed for one end up changing the lives of a completely different profession. This is the case when capabilities identified during the Persistent Close Air Support program were used for the Fire Line Advanced Situational Awareness for Handhelds (FLASH) program to aid firefighters.

FLASH utilizes tablet computers, aircraft-mounted sensors and radios to link everything together. It is designed to identify the location of every firefighter and firefighting aircraft in expansive fire zones. The system overlays multiple streams of information visually via a tablet to each firefighter and the fire command post onto a digital map.

The results of a recent 3-day exercise were promising. Much like on a modern battlefield, firefighters on the ground and controllers in a command post in Prescott, Arizona as well as observers in Virginia had access to the same information. It increased situational awareness and personnel accountability. Both are critical to successful firefighting. In fact, the exercise took place not far from where 19 firefighters from the Prescott Fire Department’s Granite Mountain Hot Shots unit gave their lives just one year ago on June 30, 2013, battling the Yarnell Hill wildfire.

Not only does the FLASH technology increase the safety for firefighters but it also helped them find fires more quickly. But that advantage doesn’t stop there. They also ran a separate but related demonstration of search and rescue for an injured hiker. Triangulating from the person’s 911 call, the FLASH-equipped team found the person within 15 minutes. Normally, this can take hours or even days.

According to DARPA, several performers participated and made the demonstration and training possible:

-Persistent Systems LLC developed the tactical radio
-Juggernaut Defense developed the case for the tablet, radio/tablet cabling and vest to hold the equipment
-AvWatch provided the aircraft with mounted sensors for the training
-The Digital Precision Strike Suite team from Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake, California, provided the FLASH software and integrated the various systems

In fact, the Prescott Fire Department continues to use the equipment and DARPA is developing training materials.

Thanks to Juggernaut Defense for the heads up and the photos!

Tags: DARPA, Juggernaut Defense
Posted in Digitization | 12 Comments »

SOFIC 2014 – Physical Optics Corporation – Tactical Flex Display Unit

Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

Called SITA by its creator Physical Optics Corp, the Tactical Flex Display Unit is offered in a couple of different sizes. It’s currently greyscale and sunlight readable as well as compatible with NVGs. They’re working on a color version that will also be sunlight readable. Below, you can see a couple of mockups.

SITA runs on Android OS and offers a certain amount of inherent functionality along with the ability to serve as a I/O peripheral for other devices. Currently using a commercial mapping software, they are working on the integration of NGA digital mapping products (raster and vector), SITA can be used as an autonomous Blue Force Tracker. POC pairs SITA with a digital GPS Receiver and commercial satellite tracker/text messenger Track24 to offer BFT services as well as sat text messaging.

Tags: Physical Optics Corp, SOFIC 2014
Posted in Digitization, SOFIC | 3 Comments »

SOFIC 2014 – Pelican VITAL-Case

Thursday, May 22nd, 2014

pelican’s VITAL-Case Solution is a new intelligent case that holds up to 50 M4/M16 weapons.

When weapons are RFID chipped, the case facilitates GPS tracking of each weapon through a software interface. It will also tell you if a weapon has been removed from the case.

This same technology can also be used to ship narcotics or other controlled substances.

Tracking Technology by www.VerdaSee.com with storage technology by www.pelican.com

Tags: Pelican, SOFIC 2014
Posted in Digitization, Medical, SOFIC, weapons | Comments Off on SOFIC 2014 – Pelican VITAL-Case

SOFIC 2014 – BAE Systems SPS Preview

Thursday, May 22nd, 2014

BAE Systems shared two technologies that they’ve put forward for the US Army’s Soldier Protection System program.

The first technology is ISSS or the Integrated Soldier Sensor System. Based on their HEADs technology (Headborne Energy Analysis and Diagnostic System) which helps measure the forces that can lead to traumatic head injuries, ISSS incorporates external pressure sensors based on the DARPA blast gauge, physiological stats monitor for heart and breathing rate as well as skin temp and inactivity. All of this feeds into a Soldier Display. There is also a data retrieval system similar to HEADS that allows the data to be interrogated post mission. It can then be interpolated to help better diagnose Soldier injuries.

The second technology is the SPS Vital Torso Protection or VTP. Consisting of four different plates, X-SAPI and E-SAPI toros as well as side plates. BAE Systems have delivered over 1.25 million armor plates to DoD beginning with the original Small Arms Protective Insert program back in the late 90s.

www.baesystems.com

Tags: BAE Systems, SOFIC 2014
Posted in Armor, Digitization, Sensors, SOFIC | 2 Comments »