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Archive for the ‘Maritime’ Category

MATBOCK Monday: Rain or Shine

Monday, February 19th, 2024

As military operatives, we know that the battleground doesn’t always adhere to the convenience of dry conditions. In the crucible of operational environments, where water, mud, and extreme weather are constants, gear failure is not an option. That’s where the MR Dry 2.0 asserts its dominance, leaving competitors behind.

Engineered through hard-won experience, the MR Dry 2.0 has long surpassed its rivals, setting the standard for durability and adaptability in the field. From amphibious assaults to rugged land operations, this bag stands as the quintessential solution to the challenges of modern warfare.

Pairing seamlessly with the renowned Mystery Ranch NICE frame, or adaptable to other rigid frames, the MR Dry 2.0 embodies versatility.
Its three size options cater to the diverse needs of military units, ensuring that no mission is compromised by inadequate gear storage.

Gear integrity is non-negotiable for SEALs, Marines, and maritime teams navigating unforgiving terrains. The genesis of the MR Dry 2.0 emerges from the necessity of safeguarding mission-critical equipment against the elements on the frontline. Its innovative design shields gear from moisture and debris and streamlines accessibility and organization—a game-changer for those operating in wet and demanding
conditions.

In the crucible of combat, where success hinges on preparedness and adaptability, the MR Dry 2.0 is an indispensable ally. It’s not just a bag; it’s a testament to the enduring spirit of innovation forged through experience—the kind of innovation that ensures mission success and brings our troops home safely.

For more information, check out their maritime line: www.matbock.com/collections/maritime or email sales@matbock.com

SHOT Show 24 – Watershed Airborne Waist Pack V2

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2024

The Watershed Airborne Waist Pack V2 is an update to a popular waterproof back from Watershed. In addition to the removable waist belt, they’ve also upgraded the zipper to the YKK aqua seal zipper.

It holds 12.5 liters and incorporates a laser cut PALS field at the front. Offered in Black, Alpha Green and d MultiCam.

HMNB Portsmouth Use Smarter Technologies’ Orion IoT Data Network to Drive Port Operational Efficiency

Thursday, January 18th, 2024

Smarter Technologies, the leading British provider of Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions, has been supporting the digital innovations team at His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth, with their proprietary Orion IoT Data Network, to maximise the efficiency of port operations.

HMNB Portsmouth is home to the majority of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, including the flagship aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, the formidable Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates and mine countermeasures squadrons. The harbour at Portsmouth is one of the busiest in the United Kingdom, with around 130,000 significant movements annually, and it is also the home for ship repair and maintenance. HMNB Portsmouth, like many defence establishments, is a large and complex estate that presents significant infrastructure management challenges and requires significant focus and innovative thinking to run efficiently, maximise operational capability and minimise costs. This is especially true where the estate is historic in nature and is not designed or constructed to meet modern operational needs.

The Infrastructure Asset Management team at HMNB Portsmouth, keen to adopt digital innovations, approached Smarter Technologies to assist with the provision of real-time data from multiple sensor platforms across a large geographic footprint, in order to inform critical operational decision-making.

Following an earlier demonstration of their smart sensor technology and Orion real-time IoT data network, Portsmouth invited Smarter Technologies to install depth sensors in each of the dockyard’s key operational and historic basins (No 3 Basin alone, holds over 300 million gallons of water) and transit locks to monitor water levels. Via an intuitive and customer-configurable dashboard, the sensors provided the Asset Management and Waterfront teams with the empirical evidence they needed to adjust how and when the locks and pumps were used to optimise water levels, assets to target for remediation to minimise unintended water flows and maintain effective waterfront operations. As a result, unnecessary pumping operations were avoided, both long- and short-term targeted mitigation measures were implemented and material operational efficiencies were realised, almost immediately delivering a return on investment.

Simon Kierstan, the Navy’s Strategic Infrastructure lead at Portsmouth, said, “The management insight that Smarter Technologies have brought to the waterfront operation has been incredibly helpful, and it’s been amazing just how quickly it gave us the evidence-base we needed to do things differently and do things better. This is just one part of a much broader digital innovation programme at Portsmouth Naval Base, which is gathering momentum and delivering significant step-changes in capability with each enhancement”.

Mark Read, CEO of Smarter Technologies, said, “We’re just delighted to be working with Simon and the management team at Portsmouth and to deliver value for them. We pride ourselves in delivering the end-to-end solutions that our customers need. It’s our knowledge and expertise, working in partnership with our clients, that enables such digital transformation programmes to succeed and enable end users to improve their critical operational decision making using real time data.”

Green Berets Complete Dive Requalification

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — In the uncertainty of the Pacific Ocean, combat divers assigned to 2nd Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) successfully completed their annual dive requalification exercise on Oct. 10 – 27, 2023.

With overcast skies, fast winds and cold waters, the combat diving teams planned and executed multiple maritime operations, enhancing their effectiveness in various tactics and procedures.

“We want to familiarize our divers [old and new] with different team tactics and procedures as well as exposing the team in a progression and operational glide path,” said a team captain. “We test ourselves in more advanced and punishing conditions such as intense surf, cold water, low visibility and an overall more demanding environment.”

During the 17-day training period, the two combat diving teams initiated their preparation by acquainting themselves with the Zodiac, a boat used within special operations, and diving equipment. This familiarization helps combat divers develop confidence and comfort with their equipment.

The teams then carried out a series of exercises focused on extensive swimming, beach landing techniques, infiltration, extraction, navigation at depths reaching up to 120 feet beneath the water’s surface and long-distance navigation. Some of these operations were conducted in daylight and under the cover of night.

By being proficient in these skills, combat divers can use their abilities as a method of infiltration to access target points in real life operations.

“For us [combat divers], diving is an ability and a skill to apply on unconventional warfare settings, which is our expertise as Green Berets,” said one of the team sergeants. “It makes Green Berets calmer and more lethal underwater and even more in any real-world situations.”

The divers also had the opportunity to work alongside the U.S. Navy, performing long range movement. This tactic is used to infiltrate target points within the intercoastal or coastal waters.

The teams also took advantage of practicing with a landing craft air cushion, or LCAC. The LCAC is a type of hovercraft used to carry out smaller boats for longer distances in more demanding conditions to complete this exercise.

“We are always looking to do joint exercises with other U.S. military branches and even with partner allies,” said a team captain. “Today, we had the opportunity to work with the U.S. Navy in this operation and it was a success.”

Lt. Col. Matthew Mesko, 2nd Battalion, 10th SFG (A) commander, emphasized the importance of mastering different operation domains as the special operations command finds new ways of mitigating operational strategic threats in the maritime domain.

Green Berets defy the belief that they excel only on land; they excel in maritime environments too, proving their expertise in any conditions.

“Our teams here are practicing their mastery in waterborne infiltration methods, improving their lethality across all kinds of domains,” said Mesko. “10th SFG (A) has a proud track record of presenting the best maritime dive capabilities. These gentlemen right here work hard to foster and cultivate that reputation within the country and with our allies.”

An old saying tells that water is unforgiving, however, these elite warriors operate silently and unseen in both, the shadowy depths of the water, and the unpredictable demanding surface. They represent a unique and highly specialized branch of the U.S. Army and the Special Forces Operations Command.

Photos and Story by SGT Luis Solorio

Photos by SSG Isaih Vega

GA-ASI Demonstrates Short Takeoff/Landing of UAS on UK Carrier

Friday, November 24th, 2023

Mojave Flights for the Royal Navy Highlight UAS’ Ability to Operate From Warships

SAN DIEGO – 17 November 2023 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) conducted a first-of-its-kind demonstration of its short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability on the HMS Prince of Wales, a Royal Navy aircraft carrier, using the Mojave Unmanned Aircraft System. The demonstration took place on November 15, 2023, when the Prince of Wales was underway off the East Coast of the U.S., and the Mojave was controlled by an aircrew within a control station onboard the ship. The demonstration included takeoff, circuits, and approaches and ended with a landing back onto the carrier.

“We applaud the Royal Navy’s foresight in embracing this unprecedented capability for its carriers,” said GA-ASI CEO Linden Blue. “We knew our STOL capability would enable a UAS to safely take off and land on the Prince of Wales. Seeing our Mojave operate successfully in this environment opens myriad new ways our aircraft can be used to support multi-domain naval operations.”

Mojave is a short takeoff and landing UAS demonstrator originally developed to prove STOL operations at unprepared landing sites. While Mojave shares common systems and components with GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle model, a STOL wing set option is likewise being planned for the larger, more capable MQ-9B aircraft, which includes SkyGuardian®, SeaGuardian®, and the new Protector RG Mk 1 currently being delivered to the UK Royal Air Force. The MQ-9B version, called MQ-9B STOL, is being considered by the Royal Navy and other navies that operate aircraft from large flat-deck warships without catapults and arresting gear.

Royal Navy Director Develop, Rear Admiral James Parkin, whose team planned the trial, said: “The Mojave trial is a European first – the first time that a Remotely Piloted Air System of this size has operated to and from an aircraft carrier outside of the United States. The success of this trial heralds a new dawn in how we conduct maritime aviation and is another exciting step in the evolution of the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group into a mixed crewed and uncrewed fighting force.”

Equipping UAS with STOL capability provides greater versatility and allows the aircraft to operate in areas previously deemed unsuitable for UAS operations, including landing onto and taking off from an aircraft carrier. MQ-9B STOL will be capable of carrying the same payloads and conducting the same missions as the SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, including maritime surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Airborne Early Warning (AEW), and surface strike.

A New Canadian Gunboat?

Monday, November 6th, 2023

The Canadian Army Trials and Evaluation Unit (CATEU) trialed mounting a C9 machine gun to an assault boat.

This capability would provide assault boat occupants force protection during combat operations.

Purdue Delegation Embarks on USS Nimitz, Gains Insights into Naval Operations

Sunday, September 10th, 2023

Opportunity provides deeper understanding of at-sea operations and ideas on expanding online military educational offerings

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – It was the experience of a lifetime for members of a Purdue University delegation as they cruised the Pacific Ocean on the USS Nimitz with almost 5,000 sailors.

From left to right, Dimitrios Peroulis, senior vice president for Purdue University Online; Frank Dooley, chancellor of Purdue Global; and Kelvin Gumbs, executive director for educational partnerships in Purdue’s Office of Industry Partnerships, were members of a Purdue delegation that visited the USS Nimitz in August.

Frank Dooley, chancellor of Purdue Global; Dimitrios Peroulis, senior vice president for Purdue University Online; and Kelvin Gumbs, executive director for educational partnerships in Purdue’s Office of Industry Partnerships, participated in this firsthand experience, which offered a unique view into the training-rich environment of sailors at sea, learning about ways to strengthen educational opportunities for officers and enlisted personnel.

“It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Dooley said of his weekend at sea. Approximately 300 dignitaries a year visit the Nimitz (CVN 68), a supercarrier and the lead ship of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

The trio started their visit receiving briefs at the Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters and then took off from Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California, on a C-2 Greyhound aircraft, which made an arrested landing on the Nimitz.

“The arrested landing forces the aircraft to stop completely within a second or two. The deceleration that you feel is immense — going from 160 miles per hour to zero,” Peroulis said. “By the time you realize what is going on, it has ended. It’s only a few hundred feet and the plane has stopped.”


Dimitrios Peroulis, senior vice president for Purdue University Online; and Frank Dooley, chancellor of Purdue Global, on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz.

Once on board, the Purdue delegation began meeting with the admiral, commanding officer, executive officer, command master chief, and other officers and enlisted personnel, touring most areas of the ship.

A highlight of the Purdue delegation was watching the crew perform about 180 daytime and nighttime flight maneuvers, in some instances observing from just 30 feet away as F/A-18 Super Hornets launched from the flight deck.

“All of these men and women serving on the USS Nimitz have received training and are constantly training,” Dooley said. “It is incredible, and it shows how the team all knows how to work together in their areas. Everyone knows what they are supposed to do. It’s a well-organized and -operating machine.”

Purdue Global serves approximately 10,000 military-affiliated students, a population that includes uniformed personnel, veterans and eligible dependents. Purdue University Online serves about 200 military-affiliated students through its online master’s programs.

As the trio toured the ship, they were continually greeted with “Boiler Up!”

“There were people who shared stories of relatives and friends who had come to Purdue; some people had themselves been to Purdue. There was a Purdue connection almost everywhere, which was impressive,” Peroulis said.

Dooley, Peroulis and Gumbs learned of the need for continuing education for sailors of all ranks, especially after their time in the service, and saw firsthand not only where they work but also where they live and would study. The group plans to further develop programs and procedures to make online learning programs more innovative for Navy and other armed forces personnel and more aligned with sailors’ professional development needs.

“The fact that we can serve both officers and enlisted personnel at the same time through the virtual campuses of Purdue was intriguing to them, as they are aware of Purdue’s quality education and commitment to the military. This is where Purdue is positioned so differently than other schools,” Dooley said.


Frank Dooley, chancellor of Purdue Global (left), and Dimitrios Peroulis, senior vice president for Purdue University Online (middle), learn about naval operations while on the bridge of the USS Nimitz.

Gumbs, himself a Purdue Global grad and a Navy veteran who previously served on the Nimitz, said the visit allowed everyone to understand and witness the training and learning that takes place on board.

“America’s Navy provides a tremendous opportunity for young people to receive highly technical training and learn countless skills, develop themselves as leaders, thinkers, communicators and innovators, all things that also translate smoothly into success as adult learners and our military students,” Gumbs said.

The visit also renewed a commitment to improve access to the various programs offered through Purdue Global and Purdue University Online.

“I appreciate the dedication, professionalism and skill that the Navy has. You really get to understand how much they sacrifice to accomplish their missions,” Peroulis said. “We want to further improve the quality of the opportunities we offer those crew members in their next career steps.

“Getting to know the people behind that and understanding the challenges they face, the sacrifices they make and the dedication to our country really increased my appreciation for them and my desire to serve them as best we can,” Peroulis said. 

Huish Outdoors Announces the Next Chapter of Oceanic+ Oceanic+ Now Works With Your iPhone via the New Oceanic+ Dive Housing

Sunday, September 3rd, 2023

Salt Lake City, UT, August 30, 2023—Last year, Oceanic partnered with Apple to take its 50 years of dive expertise and created an app that transforms an Apple Watch Ultra into a full-featured dive computer. This innovative partnership sparked widespread interest in scuba diving worldwide and fueled the growth of the sport. 

Today the next chapter of Oceanic+ begins with the launch of the new Oceanic+ Dive Housing, available at local retailers in late September, or now for pre-order here. The Oceanic+ Dive Housing is the first of its kind to take full advantage of your iPhone underwater for the best in underwater photography, dive computers, and sharing capabilities so now anyone can share their underwater adventures and stories.

“Oceanic+ has already transformed the way we dive,” said Mike Huish, CEO of Huish Outdoors. “With the new Oceanic+ Dive Housing, it will now change the way we will share our adventures.” 

Designed for rugged underwater use, the Oceanic+ Dive Housing is depth rated to 60 meters (196 feet). It features an automatic vacuum pump for air removal along with universal mounting points to accommodate various underwater photo accessories.

The Oceanic+ Dive Housing is equipped with a depth and temperature sensor to enable the Oceanic+ app to transform the diver’s iPhone into a fully functional dive computer. It works with iPhones starting from SE 2nd generation to the latest version using iOS16 and above. Its battery provides a full week of diving and is fully rechargeable in 45 minutes with a standard USB-C cable. 

The Oceanic+ app is the heart of the ecosystem for diving with Apple Watch Ultra and iPhone using the Oceanic+ Dive Housing. The new capabilities of the Oceanic+ app allow divers to use both the Apple Watch Ultra and iPhone with Oceanic+ Dive Housing concurrently on the same subscription, giving them the ability to run both dive computers independently at the same time.

The combination of the Oceanic+ App and Dive Housing is powerful in defining how divers will tell their stories about their dive adventures. The logbook now features a carousel of pictures and videos taken during the dive and showcases at what depth and time the media was recorded. For sharing, the diver can overlay the dive profile on top of the photo to tell a more interesting story for their family and friends to enjoy.

“Oceanic+ continues to revolutionize the dive experience, offering underwater capabilities for iPhone. Now divers can save pictures and videos directly to their logbook and easily share their stories with family and friends,” says Nick Hollis, Oceanic Brand Manager.

The cutting-edge Oceanic+ app empowers photographers to capture media files in both compressed and RAW formats, each offering unique benefits to cater to diverse preferences and needs.

“The Oceanic+ Dive Housing is a game-changer for underwater photography enthusiasts. Whether divers prioritize the convenience of automatic color correction or the creative control of RAW, the Oceanic+ app and Oceanic+ Dive Housing have them covered,” says Andrea Silvestri, VP of Product Development and Design at Huish Outdoors.

The Oceanic+ Dive Housing works in connection with the Oceanic+ app. The app is subscription-based and includes a free version and a paid subscription for more advanced photo and dive computer features. The Oceanic+ app can be downloaded here.