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Archive for the ‘Maritime’ Category

SOFWERX – USSOCOM Virtual Innovation Foundry Event (IF6) AI for Maritime Maneuver, Intelligence, and Effects

Friday, July 24th, 2020

From 01-03 September 2020, SOFWERX will host USSOCOM Virtual Innovation Foundry Event (IF6) which covers AI for Maritime Maneuver, Intelligence, and Effects.

The objective of IF6 is to bring together Special Forces Operators and Subject Matter Experts to assist USSOCOM in understanding and applying digital age technologies to future operating environments as described in USSOCOM’s Operating Concept 2030.

SOCOM is seeking digital and intelligence age technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), miniaturized sensors, cloud and edge computing, and secure autonomous communication networks to the military functions of maritime maneuver, intelligence, and effects to develop concepts that influence the future capability needs of SOF and inform its technology investments.

Attendees will work as teams focused on the following concept areas:

1. Enable SOF tactical and operational advantage while conducting multiple mission sets in a Maritime contested and denied environment.
• In the future operating environment, how will tactical level SOF conduct Maritime missions while maintaining real-time battlefield awareness of friendly forces/resources as well as enemy forces and resources?
• How can SOF team with and employ robotic autonomous systems to improve precision effects and minimize risk to personnel, maritime craft, systems, and overall mission?

2. Enable SOF to operate with non-lethal/lethal effects while managing personnel and electromagnetic (EM) signature in a sensor saturated Maritime environment.
• How does SOF deliver lethal and non-lethal effects, interoperate with the greater joint force, and mission command forces and network connected systems?
• How can SOF create and deliver effects that integrate traditional and non-traditional means and create dilemmas for enemy forces?

3. Enable SOF to communicate and operate in an EM contested and/or degraded environment.
• How can SOF send/receive information in denied and contested operational Maritime environments?
• How can SOF install, operate, and maintain a tactical network capable of sending and receiving secure and trusted information?

4. Enable SOF to maneuver their teams, provide intelligence, and deliver effects in an environment where traditional position, navigation, and timing (PNT) systems may not be operational or reliable.
• How can SOF utilize autonomous systems ranging in size and type to maneuver in unreliable PNT environments?
• How can SOF utilize unattended/unmanned and autonomous sensors in the maritime environment to provide a comprehensive intelligence picture?
• How can SOF manage signature while completing mission requirements?

5. Enable SOF to provide tactical, operational, and strategic options to the greater joint force through unique employment of emerging technology.
• How can SOF create windows of opportunity for the Joint Force in denied environments?
• How can SOF enable the Joint Force while preserving high-value fleet assets?

Request to Attend NLT 09 August 11:59 PM EST

US Citizens Only

For full details, visit events.sofwerx.org/IF6.

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Twin Jet Fins

Sunday, July 19th, 2020

If you have been diving for a while now, you have come across the SCUBAPRO Twin Jet Split Fins. They have a unique patented split fin propeller technology, which provides maximum propulsion with minimal effort underwater. With those main features, they can enhance your dives while avoiding cramped leg muscles and strained ankles.

The revolutionary patented design of the SCUBAPRO Twin Jet Open Heel Split Fins was inspired by the dynamic propulsion of the humpback whale. The blades unique shape and angle provide symmetrical power to help you create a smoother, more stable kicks without wearing you out or causing drag. At the same time, it allows you to move more quickly and effortlessly while swimming at great depths, despite the long blade length—all without sacrificing control.

As a diving fin, the SCUBAPRO Twin Jet is made with both an open-heeled and a full-foot (closed heel) version. The Open Heel comes with a broader foot pockets and offers a more customizable fit for those wearing dive boots for use in colder, deeper waters or military style boots for over the beach operations/ VBSS. Having strapped fins gives you the chance to adjust the fit as your boots start to compress at greater depths when diving.

The fin straps come with quick-connect swivel buckles, which makes donning and doffing easier. You can also change the rubber heel strap out, to take advantage of the optional spring heel straps. The SCUBAPRO Twin Jet open-heeled fins are one of the most comfortable fins on the market.

They come in different Colors and Buoyancy Options. SCUBAPRO has kept different types of divers in mind when they designed the Twin Jet Fins line. You’ll find that the fins come in multiple color options—black, blue, gray, and yellow—but it’s also important to note that the different colors signify differences buoyancy also.

The black fins are the best, for military divers, as they are negatively buoyant and provide a more traditional fining experience with its rigid blades. But if you’re looking for more flexible blades and don’t mind having slightly positively buoyant fins.

Product Features:
• Monprene® Construction 
• Patented Split-Fin Propeller Technology
• Extra-Wide Foot Pocket
• Extended Soleplate
• Drag-Reducing Vents
• Quick-Connect Swivel Buckles
• Compatible with Spring Heel Straps

Key Benefits:
• Powerful Propulsion with Minimal Effort
• Smooth and Stable Kicks
• Preserves Energy
• Reduces Drag
• Fits Boots
• Easy Donning and Doffing
• Highly durable and Will Last a Lifetime

One of the only drawbacks for the Twin Jet fins is if you have to push something thru the water besides just you or you are fighting a current. But add something like pulling a buddy or ruck. Then you might want to go with a stiffer fin like the Jet fin’s, Seawing Nova Gorilla or the Go Sport. That being said the Spilt Fins are one of the most popular fins used by the military and countless divers around the world.

TenCate Advanced Armor USA Inc Awarded US Navy Maritime Buoyant Plate Body Armor Contract

Monday, July 13th, 2020

TenCate Advanced Armor is pleased to announce the award of a four-year contract framework for the delivery of the U.S. Navy Maritime Buoyant Plate body armor. Valued in excess of $15M, TenCate Advanced Armor will provide a new generation of body armor to U.S. Navy developed to comply with a demanding specification for performance. The Maritime Buoyant Plate will be manufactured at TenCate Advanced Armor’s facilities in Hebron, OH.

On June 24, 2020, the Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) awarded TenCate contract N61331-20-D-0011, as an ID/IQ (Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity) to provide Maritime Buoyant Body Armor (MBP), both in torso and side configurations. This award complements other recently awarded body armor contracts by Army Contracting Command (ACC) for high performance, lightweight body armor, such as SPS-VTP side and torso plates.


This is a similar plate to the one selected.

The TenCate Technical Center USA (TTC-US) developed the design for the MBP by leveraging prior Internally funded Research and Development (IR&D) efforts, which optimized the construction of high performance raw materials, and, through specialized consolidation and manufacture, met all the requirements of NQ/PQ 16-04, entitled Body Armor, Maritime Buoyant Plate (MBP), such as weight, thickness, and ballistic performance requirements.

The President of TenCate Advanced Armor USA, Col. (ret.) Andy Mills, stated: “I am extremely satisfied with the confident and effective response by TenCate Advanced Armor to the U.S. Navy’s strict requirements for a new generation of body armor. The contract underlines TenCate Advanced Armor’s position as a key partner in high-performance personal protection equipment for the U.S. Department of Defense and for allied nations.”

The maximum contract value is $15,335,930.81, with First Article Test (FAT) plates due within 120 days of the award.

TenCate Advanced Armor USA, Inc. is a major provider of personal protection solutions for police departments, federal agencies, and large multi-year government programs. With years of experience in body armor development and manufacturing, TenCate Advanced Armor USA, Inc. provides a diverse portfolio of stand-alone (SA) and in-conjunction (IC) plates with special capabilities to meet the needs of US and allied warfighters and law enforcement officers.

www.tencateadvancedarmour.com

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Self Adjusting Fin Straps

Sunday, July 12th, 2020

Self-adjusting fin straps are one of the best ways to don and doff your fins. It also makes it easier to use different size booties. Steel spring straps are a relatively new product for fins. It was invented by cave divers that didn’t want their rubber straps breaking on them in the middle of a cave. So, they took screen door springs and made fin straps out of them. Typical rubber straps have a good chance of breaking at some point. If you are lucky, it will happen as you are putting them on before a dive, not in the middle of one. While you should always try and carry a spare strap on you, replacing a strap can be a pain in the middle of a dive.

The spring strap helps avoid most of these problems. Available for many open heel fins, spring straps permanently mount to the fin. The spring straps typically attach using rust-resistant metal hardware. SCUBAPRO Steel Spring Straps are available for SCUBAPRO Jet fins, Twin Jet Max, Veloce fins, and the Seawing Nova fins. They are made from a High-grade marine steel. These straps can replace the traditional fin strap with the added benefits of being easier to don and doff, and they will compensate at depth for the pressure underwater.  The flexible nature of the spring strap tightens as you descend to compensate for the crush on your boots, meaning your fins stay on at the exact tension you set them to at the surface. They are also a lot less likely to break when entering the water from a helicopter. The Steel Spring hele strap for the SCUBAPRO Jet fin has been added to 2020 Naval Aircrew Systems State of the Art Catalog. This allows SAR swimmers the ability to start using the Spring heels on their fins.

Spring straps are strong springs with a rubber or nylon heel cover for comfort. Instead of having to adjust the tension every time you put them on like with traditional straps, you simply stretch the spring over your heel.

This decreases your time and energy spent putting on and taking off your fins before and after a dive. Several models of fins now come with spring straps pre-installed, but they can also be added to many fin models.

The other type of self-adjusting straps is made from quality marine-grade bungee designed for years of reliable use. Marine grade bungee is design and construction, making it ideal for prolonged exposure to moisture, sunlight/UV radiation, and the general wear and tear that fins regularly go through. A denier Dacron polyester cover is thick and long-lasting, repelling water and resisting abrasion better than nylon. Made from a top-quality first extruded latex rubber, this bungee has a consistent 100% stretch and high modulus that won’t lose its elasticity as many others do. Bungee straps are depth compensating as they compress when your neoprene boots get thinner due to increased water pressure. Like the steel spring, the bungee is self-adjusting at depth. Upon ascent, they decompress keeping fin straps comfortable throughout the dive. Straps have a large rubber finger loop to aid in donning and doffing. Marine bungee is highly reliable and has a very low percentage of breaking. All this being said, I know you can break it if you “test it” to try and prove me wrong. They come standard on the SCUBAPRO Go (Barefoot fin) and GO Sport fins (Boot fin).

FirstSpear Friday Focus – FS Rash Guard

Friday, July 3rd, 2020

Today we are getting a look at FirstSpear’s American Made short and long sleeve Rash Guards.

Built from a premium poly/spandex blend the FS Rash Guard is an ultralight compression fit garment that helps to protect against abrasion and rub commonly found in a maritime environment.

Quick to dry with natural sun / UV protection. Sloth flat seams, medium high collar, and integrated low profile thumb holes keep the sleeves in places when putting on equipment and other garments.

Available and shipping now in short and long sleeve in charcoal and ranger green. Order your standard t-shirt size for a compressed fit and consider stepping up 1-2 sizes for a more relaxed fit. 100% Made in America.

www.first-spear.com/rash-guard-7232

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Heart Rate Monitor/ Body Temperature  

Sunday, June 14th, 2020

Why monitor your heart rate when you are diving? Measuring your heart rate using a heart rate monitor (HRM) is an excellent way to gauge the effectiveness of your workload because as you strengthen your body through exercise, you also strengthen your heart. Today just about every watch has an HRM to analyze and evaluate everything you do. Whether you are in the military, public service, or a working diver, you should be at a certain level of fitness so you can do your job.

So why not use this technology in diving as well? With the help of a heart rate monitor, you can keep an eye on the heart rate underwater and make your dives safer. By monitoring your heart rate, you can assess your workload. Furthermore, by measuring your heart rate, you can specifically train to increase your endurance in advance, and also you can use it to measure your output so you know how fast you are swimming and help track the distance you are covering. With the SCUBAPRO HRM, you can monitor your body temperature also. It is also great for diving in the winter, during long-duration dives, or even open ocean swims in the winter.

Increased exertion, while diving in deep water, improves circulation, which, in turn, increases the nitrogen uptake. The heart rate can also be used to calculate decompression times even more accurately and make diving even safer. That’s why the SCUBAPRO computers don’t just show depth, no-stop times, and the decompression schedule but also continuously inform the underwater athlete about his or her heart rate, i.e., his or her stress, which in turn is factored in when calculating other dive parameters. Exclusive to SCUBAPRO dive computers, the heart rate monitor, jointly developed with Polar (the world leader in the field of heart rate monitors), measures your heartbeat and body temperature during the dive that can then be factored into the decompression calculation along with your workload. This can results in safer diving because each diver is unique, and each dive location and situation are different. The HRM is also ideal for freedivers, measuring heart rate, and sounding an alarm if the heart rate drops below the set level.

Factoring your heart rate into your decompression calculations makes diving safer and a lot more fun. A lightweight waterproof ECG (electrocardiogram) transmitter is built into an elastic belt that straps around the chest, directly against the skin. This belt wirelessly transmits your heart rate data to your SCUBAPRO personal dive computer. Data is displayed on the screen, plus it is factored into your decompression calculations to create a more personalized dive plan and improve the quality of your diving. 

Engineered by divers for divers, the SCUBAPRO Aladdin 2 (A2) watch performs advanced functions in the timeless style above and below the surface. Galileo 2 is everything you need for an extraordinary underwater experience.

The unique integrated Heart Rate Monitor senses your effort, incorporates it into the workload calculation, and adapts the decompression algorithm. The result is safer diving, because the diver’s physiology reports it, and because each dive location and situation is different. The HRM is also ideal for Apnea divers, measuring heart rate, and sounding an alarm if the heart rate drops below the set level.

SCUBAPRO’s line of “smart” personal dive computers, including the Galileo 2 (G2), Galileo Sol, Galileo Luna, M2, Mantis 1, the Mantis, the Meridian, and the new A2 Dive computer are all designed with Human Factor DivingTM. All enable you to better track your time underwater and improve your diving by continually calculating and adjusting to new data based on your personal biometrics.  

SCUBAPRO and Human Factor Diving bring the world of biometrics and wearable technology to diving. SCUBAPRO’s personal dive computers are indispensable tools for divers of all skill levels, providing personalized data not available on any other dive computer.

Sneak Peek – Dynamis Alliance Neptune Dive Blade

Sunday, May 24th, 2020

Dynamis Alliance has been evaluating their prototype Neptune Dive Blade with a goal of producing the single most versatile and useful dive blade in the world. It also has to be Made in USA.

They are looking at long term compatibility with their existing IWB/IWS sheath as well as Salt Water corrosion on the metal they have selected. The metal and hardening processes is the single biggest factor in price point so this is an area where it will be worth spending some extra time and research.

The mission continues…

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Nova Series Lights

Sunday, May 17th, 2020

The SCUBAPRO Nova series of lights has long been a standard for recreational and professional divers around the world. SCUBAPRO has updated its range of underwater lights with the new Nova 850 and Nova 250 dive lights. All the lights in the series have been updated with new colors and features. All lights are available in a non-reflective matte black, blue accents aluminum body while still providing the same lightweight long-term durability.

The new Nova 250 is a versatile dive light that can be stored in the smallest BCD pocket or mounted on a helmet or the rail of a gun. It offers three modes: 100% power, 50% power, and Flash, it is also equipped with an over-pressure valve to release battery off-gassing, making it the safest small light on the market. Delivering 250 lumens of illumination, Double O-ring seals ensure watertight integrity. An extended light head shroud prevents the light beam from blinding other divers. They have over-pressure valve releases battery off-gassing – a safety feature not commonly found on dive lights of this size. A depth rating of 492ft/150m ensures worry-free lighting in virtually all diving conditions. It can be used with the Ops-Core single clamp. So, it can fit on any ACH Rail helmet.  

The Nova 850 series replaces the previous 720 models, with an updated lumen rating and brighter beam. The lights are available as either the Nova 850, which uses 3 C-cell batteries or the more compact 850R, which uses a single rechargeable lithium-ion cell. Both models are also available in a ‘Wide’ version, The Nova 850 Wide delivers the same illumination and offers the same features as the Nova 850 but is equipped with a wider 80° beam. All the models are constructed from heavy-duty aluminum, and depth-rated of 492ft/150m ensures worry-free lighting in virtually all diving conditions.

The powerful Nova 2100 SF (Spot Flood) multi-use dive light offers both a 65° wide beam and a 15° spot beam to perfectly match different diving situations. Five light modes plus an emergency signal mode provide lots of versatility, with one-button control for easy operation. Extremely reliable, the waterproof battery compartment is isolated, so even if the O-ring seal fails, water cannot reach the internal electronics. The Nova 2100 SF comes as a set with both a large and a small a Goodman handle, plus a pistol grip handle and a GoPro adapter. 

Dual beams include a powerful 2100 lumen 65° wide beam and 800 lumens 15° spot beam. Wide beam features 6 Cree XM-L2 LEDs; the spot beam features 1 Cree XPL LED. Five primary light modes: 100% Flood, 50% Flood, 100% Spot, 50% Flood + 75% Spot, and 25% Flood + 50% Spot. Hidden emergency signal mode offers a one-second blink interval or an SOS Morse code. Just push and hold the power button for four seconds to activate. Simple one-button control lets you power on and off, adjust brightness, and switch beam angle. It provides 55 minutes of burn time at full power and constant brightness. The light is depth tested to 328′ (100 meters). Corrosion-proof metal light head improves heat dispersion and increases durability.