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The Resource Center / Allied Industries

Friday, July 28th, 2023

The Resource Center’s Manufacturing Division, Allied Industries, has been working with local and regional manufacturers supplying issued military products to the U.S. Armed Forces since 1978. The function, quality, and durability of Allied products have been battle tested for decades. Most of our forces have used items from TRC/Allied during their service such as 3-Mag pouch, Entrenching Tool Pouch, Casualty Kits, Tourniquet, Barrel Bags, the list is extensive. Several top tier Tactical Brands currently leverage Allied’s experience for the making of their commercial products.

Whether your company needs to refine an existing product or develop an entirely new one, TRC has the experience and expertise to deliver the solution you need.  We specialize in sewing and kitting, allowing us to provide a variety of items to satisfy the requirements of your contracts and/or commercial customers. After four decades, we know how to respond to the demands of the Armed Forces. We understand how quickly the military’s needs can arise and how quickly they can change. Our capabilities include kitting, packaging and assembly. Short-term or permanent. We’ve completed hundreds of jobs for dozens of manufacturers, there’s very few challenges we have not achieved.

Allied Industries is not your typical manufacturer. Yes, we provide labor and product development solutions for our customers. But we also provide education, training and employment opportunities to people with disabilities in Chautauqua County, New York. Our mission is to help people with disabilities achieve maximum independence, contribute to their communities, experience lifelong growth and enjoy a high quality of life.

One of the ways we do that is by helping people—who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to work—secure meaningful employment. We teach them the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Then we put them to work in one of our manufacturing facilities or help them find competitive jobs in the community.

Allied Industries customizes its solutions to customers’ unique circumstances.

Our competitive advantages are:

Experience and Innovation. Need a prototype for a new product? Looking to enhance an existing one? We leverage our military experience and expertise to develop new products and make improvements to existing ones that meet stringent military guidelines. Taking projects from design to production, including materials research, is our specialty.

Fast Response Times. You can’t always predict when you’ll need a product shipment. Natural disasters, military action and other world events can happen with almost no warning. When they do, you have to respond. And, so can we. We’re accustomed to ramping up production at a moment’s notice without sacrificing quality, so you get the products you need quickly.

Superior Quality. When the products you make are used in life or death situations, there’s no room for error. You’re serious about quality control, and so are we. We’re certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards by American Global Standards Registrar, and our manufacturing process has been approved by the U.S. military for decades.

Made in the U.S.A. These aren’t just buzz words to us. Our employees take pride in creating products the men and women who serve our country use every day. Our items are produced by U.S. workers, using only American-made materials.

Large Workforce. No job is too big. When your workload exceeds your employees’ capacity, and you don’t want to hire temporary workers, we act as an extension of your workforce to get the job done.

Extra Space. With 105,000 square feet of floor space spread across two facilities, we can add additional jobs to our pipeline when your capacity is maxed out.

Creating customized solutions to meet the unique needs of our manufacturing customers is what we do. Let’s start solving your production challenges today.

If TRC/Allied can help support your company product or kitting objectives Please contact TRCGOV@RESOURCECENTER.ORG.

FirstSpear Friday Focus – Fast Rope Mitt

Friday, July 28th, 2023

Looking for a minimalist glove that won’t burn through your hands during those intense fast rope insertions? Look no further than the Fast Rope Mitt (FRM). Not only does it fold flat for easy transport, but its advanced two finger pattern allows for quick access to your trigger finger as soon as you hit the ground. This fast rope glove puts all other gloves to shame. Don’t believe us? Give it a try and feel the difference in quality American “roper” cow leather and ultra-high performance Kovenex.

Visit FirstSpear to find American Made kit and accessories, Built For The X.

USARCENT Tests Phone App That Detects Unmanned Aerial Systems

Friday, July 28th, 2023

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. — U.S. Army Central’s Task Force 39, the team dedicated to developing innovative ideas throughout USARCENT, facilitated a test of CARPE Dronvm at McEntire Joint National Guard Base and Poinsett Range on July 18, 2023.

CARPE Dronvm is a DoD funded application developed by MITRE Corporation that uses crowd-sourced information to detect unmanned aerial systems, or UAS. This test used a version of the application on cell phones to detect a UAS. Maj. Travis Valley, the Task Force 39 operations officer, said the potential for crowd-sourced UAS detection increases force protection capabilities.

“The CARPE Dronvm experiment, or proof of principle, was a huge success for ARCENT.” said Valley. “This was the largest experiment ARCENT has conducted to date. We expanded the experiment footprint, covering 50 kilometers, with multiple individuals in the area using the CARPE Dronvm app. This was all to prove the CARPE Dronvm app works. It did, in fact it exceeded my expectations on the simplicity of use and the program’s drone detection ability. This has the potential as a force protection multiplier, adding another tool to help protect Soldiers in a deployed environment.”

During the test, Soldiers used government provided cellular devices to test the functionality and capability of the application by capturing images of a UAS. The UAS used in the test flew from McEntire JNGB to Poinsett Range to provide the maximum amount of testing space available.

CARPE Dronvm is the result of a U.S. Air Forces Central initiative to develop systems to detect UAS. U.S. Army Central is testing the ability to operate this application at the Soldier level.

“Countering the drone threat in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility is essential to keeping our personnel, aircraft and equipment safe,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Steven Norris, AFCENT counter-UAS cell chief. “Our MITRE partners have been helping make CARPE Dronvm a reality since 2019. Every single warfighter can help sense and warn, creating a comprehensive layered defense that will tie into our existing command and control architecture and increase awareness of threats in the region.”

In recent years, the threat posed by UAS increased as malign regional actors continue to use and experiment with this relatively cheap weapons system. Due to its low cost to entry, it is becoming the weapon of choice for potential adversaries resulting in rapid technology proliferation and increased employment. Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, the USARCENT commanding general said his command is focused on developing technologies to counter this threat.

“The UAS threat is a shared security challenge for the U.S. and our regional partners,” said Frank. “To combat this threat, CENTCOM and USARCENT will test and field counter-UAS systems. The advanced measures we intend to pursue regarding innovation and experimentation will provide critical, real-time data to inform Army and defense decisions on counter-UAS technologies.”

United States Army Central is the U.S. Army service component command for United States Central Command and is responsible to the Secretary of the Army for the support and administration of more than 12,000 Soldiers, including those assigned to joint task forces and embassies, across the 21 countries in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.

Story by CPT Richard Moore

Photos by SFC Michael Behlin, SSG Leo Jenkins, and SGT Amber Cobena

Australian Defence Force Selects Hanwa’s Redback as New Infantry Fighting Vehicle to Replace Aging M113s

Thursday, July 27th, 2023

Redback to bring Army some sting

A Redback infantry fighting vehicle on display in Canberra. Army will take delivery of 129 of the vehicles, to be built in Geelong. Photo: Andrew Green

The Army will receive 129 new infantry fighting vehicles in response to Australia’s changing strategic environment.

Making the announcement today, the Australian Government said Hanwha’s state-of-the-art Redbacks would be built at the company’s facilities in the Geelong region, supporting Australia’s strategic imperative to develop sovereign defence manufacturing capabilities.

At a cost of between $5 billion and $7 billion, the LAND 400 Phase 3 project will be one of the largest capability acquisitions in Army’s history.

Replacing the M113 armoured personnel carriers, which were acquired in 1964, the first Redback will be delivered in early 2027.

With its latest-generation armour, cannon and missiles, they will provide the protection, mobility and firepower required to transport and protect soldiers in close combat, giving them the highest chance of achieving their mission and returning safely.

The government said the acquisition was part of its drive to modernise the Army to ensure it could respond to the land challenges in the region.

The new vehicles will be delivered about the same time as the new HIMARS missile systems and landing craft, reflecting the Defence Strategic Review’s call for Army to be transformed for littoral manoeuvre operations from Australia.

The government said it was providing the ADF with the capabilities it needed to defend Australia and protect national security.

Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said the government was committed to investing in the security of the nation and the safety of Australian soldiers.

“We are also committed to supporting Australian defence industry so we can make more of the critical defence equipment we need in this country rather than relying on overseas suppliers,” Mr Conroy said.

“Our decision to build the Redback infantry fighting vehicles in Australia will support up to 600 direct jobs and more than a thousand jobs in the Australian industry supply chain.”

By Australian Defence Force

MARSOC Multi-Discipline Logistics Operations Course

Thursday, July 27th, 2023

CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina —

Marine Forces Special Operations Command held a Multi-Discipline Logistics Operations Course, March 6-31, 2023, to certify a new class of special operations capability specialists in the logistics (SOCS-L), maintenance (SOCS-M), and ordnance (SOCS-O) fields.

MDLOC is the final aspect of an 11 to 12-week training pipeline designed to create multi-disciplined logisticians able to provide expertise and support unique to the special operations forces operating environment. Each SOCS training pipeline includes Special Operations Forces Fundamentals; Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape; and a culminating military occupational specialty specific course.

“The Multi-Discipline Logistics Operations Course is tailored for logistics enablers at MARSOC,” said the MDLOC lead instructor. “Marines from multiple different MOSs can come to MDLOC and get further trained on their occupational specialties and enhance their capabilities, broadening the spectrum of things that they would learn from one platform or technical background to multiple different technical backgrounds to better enable small teams in austere environments with limited logistical support to accomplish their mission.”

MDLOC is open to all Marines within the logistician communities who are interested in advancing their skills and potentially serving at MARSOC later in their careers.

“We are looking for Marines that have been recommended by command, that have a lot of experience, that they’re proficient in their MOS, and have capacity for more,” continued the lead instructor. “Not only should they have interest in MDLOC and in expanding their knowledge, their technical background, and their technical specialty, but they should also be coming here eager to learn.”

The logistics and sustainment track of MDLOC focuses on mobility, supply, and procurement catered to the special operations logistics architecture.

“Being at MARSOC and being a logistician will make you more effective when you go back to the fleet because you are now seeing the bigger picture of logistics,” explained a supply chief with MARSOC. “SOCS-L is now incorporating all the functions of logistics and supply and how to transport and support the teams and units you’re deploying with. In the fleet, you’re only seeing that one function of logistics or supply that you’re attached to, whether that be embark, supply or ammo. Understanding the overall picture of all the functions of supply and how they work together will make you a more efficient Marine going back to the fleet.”

The maintenance Marines receive commercial training on diagnosing and repairing a wide variety of combustion engines with limited access to parts and tools.

“I did benefit from MDLOC,” said a motor transport maintenance chief with MARSOC. “In my experience, the technical side of my MOS is very important to help support the [Marine Special Operations Team’s] mission down range. Focusing on the fundamental theories of electrical, engine, powertrain, and troubleshooting, helps the Marine understand how the components work and how they can apply mechanical theory to all the gear sets they may fall in on down range.”

The ordnance curriculum cross-trains Marines in a wide variety of weapons systems and optics, including SOF-peculiar and foreign weapons.

“I benefited from this course due to the [number] of weapons we were able to get our hands on during this course that generally I don’t have time to work with,” said an electro optical ordnance repairer with MARSOC. “The main difference with this course is it’s specificity to MARSOC weapons and foreign weapons that MARSOC uses that isn’t implemented in the Fleet Marine Force.”

The MARSOC graduates of MDLOC will go on to be assigned to Marine Raider Support Teams with the unique skills needed to support and sustain Marine Special Operation Companies.

By Sgt Jesula Jeanlouis, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

Strike Industries – RMR to ACRO Adapter Plate

Wednesday, July 26th, 2023

The Strike RMR to ACRO Adapter Plate is a convenient and versatile solution for mounting an Aimpoint® ACRO P-1/P-2 (or other ACRO footprint optics) on an RMR footprint slide or RMR optic mount. This mount is designed to work with both front RMR footprint recoil bosses and indexing posts, ensuring a secure and stable fit. The package includes front mounting posts for use with RMR fitment SI LITESLIDE or Strike Slide. Made from high-strength 6061-T6 aluminum, this mount is lightweight and durable. The included hardware is compatible with both standard (#6-32) and metric (M3) screw holes, making installation quick and easy. For hard use or just a good time at the range, the Strike RMR to ACRO Adapter Plate is an essential accessory for mounting your Aimpoint® ACRO P-1/P-2, Steiner MPS or other ACRO footprint optics on an RMR footprint slide or RMR optic mount.

www.strikeindustries.com/si-acro-rmr

27th Special Operations Wing to Participate in Talisman Sabre 2023

Wednesday, July 26th, 2023

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M —  

The 27th Special Operations Wing will be supporting the tenth and largest iteration of the biennial Australian-led exercise, Talisman Sabre 2023, running from mid-July to early August.

Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States, and provides an opportunity to strengthen relationships and interoperability amongst the key allies. The exercise is a demonstration of the strong alliance that is underpinned by deep levels of cooperation and trust built over decades of operating, training, and exercising together. Training together enhances the U.S. and Australia’s collective capability to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

From the 27th Special Operations Wing, AC-130J Ghostrider gunships with the 17th Special Operations Squadron, an MC-130J Commando II with the 9th Special Operations Squadron, and the Mission Sustainment Team with the 27th Special Operations Support Squadron will participate in Exercise Talisman Sabre. Additionally, MC-130J Commandos with the 1st Special Operations Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, will participate.

The 17th SOS AC-130Js are already in the Indo-Pacific theater supporting exercise Teak Action, another Australian-U.S. bilateral exercise. Their presence in Australia marks the first time AC-130s have ever flown to Australia and operated there, highlighting one of our most critical alliances in the region.  

Several other units from across the Wing, to include members of the 27th Special Operations Maintenance Group and the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group, will be providing the munitions, maintenance, and logistics necessary for effective deployment to the region.

“The 27th Special Operations Wing’s support to Talisman Sabre is historic.  It reaffirms Air Force Special Operations Command’s commitment to the region and our partnerships to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jeremy Bergin, 27th Special Operations Wing commander. “The ability to rapidly project power into the region from Cannon AFB not only builds trust with our allies and enhances our collective capabilities, but it intentionally prepares Cannon’s Air Commandos to respond to our nation’s call…any time, any place, anywhere.”

The 27th SOW’s participation in the upcoming iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre is a testament to AFSOC’s shift to align with National Defense priorities.

While Talisman Sabre is jointly sponsored by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command, other nations participating are: Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and United Kingdom.

27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

USAF Flies with Angry Kitten Jamming Pod

Tuesday, July 25th, 2023

SAN DIEGO – 20 July 2023 – The U.S. Air Force flew a remotely piloted aircraft equipped with an Angry Kitten® ALQ-167 Electronic Warfare Countermeasure Pod for the first time on April 27, 2023. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. integrated the pod onto the aircraft.

The Angry Kitten EW Pod is supplied to the U.S. Air Force by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and has flown on other Department of Defense systems, including F-16s. GA-ASI integrated the EW pod in less than nine months at no cost to the U.S. Air Force by using a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.

“It was great to see the Angry Kitten Pod on an Air Force platform for the first time,” said GA-ASI Vice President of DoD Strategic Development Patrick Shortsleeve. “Flying this EW capability on an MQ-9A demonstrates its possible use on future aircraft.”

The Air Force plans to continue flying with Angry Kitten Pods over the next 12 to 24 months to develop the best Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) to leverage EW capabilities in support of the Joint Force and partner nations.