SIG SAUER has unveiled their new Belt-Fed machine gun. Originally developed to fire the 338 Norma Mag cartridge, a 7.62 NATO version was quickly developed and now they are prepared to accommodate the 6.8mm projectile and associated ballistic requirements of the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Automatic Rifle Other Transaction Authority (OTA) currently underway.
They also showed their newly developed Hybrid Ammo. It’s a three-piece metallic design which offers 20% reduction in overall cartridge weight as well as increased velocity over conventionally produced ammunition. Even better, it works in existing weapon systems and can still be produced on current ammunition lines in any arsenal.
They have already developed multiple cartridges with this technology.
And if that’s not enough, SIG also revealed their MCX-MR (MR-Medium Range) which was initially developed for the Army’s Compact Semi Auto Sniper System. They’ve shortened it up for the upcoming Next Generation Squad Automatic Weapon Prototype Opportunity. Yes, that’s Keymod on the handguard, but it’s a prototype.
As you can see, this year’s Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition is massive! In fact, it’s the largest in five years. There’s lots going on as the Army modernizes. Let’s take a look at some of the capabilities being offered to America’s Army.
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This is the eight installment of ‘Max Talk Monday’ which shares select episodes from a series of instructional videos. Max Velocity Tactical (MVT) has established a reputation on the leading edge of tactical live fire and force on force training. MVT is dedicated to developing and training tactical excellence at the individual and team level.
Max Talk 024 is one of the earlier talks and follows the format that was originally visualized: a talk on an interesting subject in an informal environment. More recently, the Max Talks have included an outdoor location and live fire demos, as already posted here on Soldier Systems Daily.
Max is a tactical trainer and author, a lifelong professional soldier with extensive military experience. He served with British Special Operations Forces, both enlisted and as a commissioned officer; a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Max served on numerous operational deployments, and also served as a recruit instructor. Max spent five years serving as a paramilitary contractor in both Iraq and Afghanistan; the latter two years working for the British Government in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
I am a huge military history buff, particularly from World War Two on. As a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on and one of the most iconic images to come out of the Vietnam war was of a camouflaged US Navy SEAL, hiding in some reeds and carrying a Stoner.
Turns out, the photo, taken in My Tho Vietnam in 1968 is of this guy, Tom Keith, seen below wearing 30 Seconds Out’s Green Face T-shirt.
“The rifle I’m holding is a US 30 Cal. carbine that was one of the weapons we captured the day of the ambush. When you enlarge the photo, there is a hole through the for grip where a 5.56 mm went through it and the Viet Cong that was holding it. He was their point man. Photo was taken by a Navy combat photographer in 1968 while on ambush outside of My Tho Vietnam.”
– Tom Keith, USN Ret. Seal Team Two.
Diving with a drysuit is a whole new dive experience compared to diving in a wetsuit. It is a different feeling being submerged in water, your body remaining dry. Drysuits offer many advantages, such as: exposure protection from the sun, as well as elements in the water, and drysuits can also be utilized as a redundant buoyancy device for added safety. If you’ve never attempted drysuit diving before, then this will be a great introduction to helping you choose your first suit. If you’re an avid diver, then there should be some nuggets in here to help improve your drysuit game.
Finding the Best Drysuit for You
Making the change from wetsuits to drysuits is a big step. Many people convert due to their regular diving in cold water (or being cold natured), or because they perform lots of dives with long exposure times. Determining the suit that is best for you is the first step to ensuring that your transition to drysuit diving is a smooth one. Choosing a bad suit can ruin the entire sport of drysuit diving.
When choosing a drysuit, you should consider the following:
• The type of diving you do
• What amount of thermal protection you need
• Personal preference
• Cost
• Material
While the first four are pretty self-explanatory, the last one – material – may need a little more explanation. If you are going to be traveling with your drysuit, a trilaminate version may be the easiest because they are lighter and easily transportable. If you are looking for a suit that provides thermal protection and is more form-fitting, then you might prefer a neoprene suit. These are two of the top materials that drysuits are made of and that SCUBAPRO offers.
Neoprene Drysuits
Neoprene suits are beneficial in that they provide thermal protection, whereas with others, you wear additional undergarments. The neoprene suits are more form fitted, which require less air to be used in the suit and offer the diver a more streamlined suit. Neoprene suits are economical in the sense that they are typically less expensive, and eliminate the need to buy undergarments as well.
The Exodry offers a unique approach to drysuit design by fusing 4mm high-density neoprene with latex wrist and neck seals. This hybrid design is extremely effective, delivering minimal inherent buoyancy, maximum range of motion and an excellent sealing system. The Exodry is a smart choice for all types of diving and can be used with or without an under-suit.
The Everdry 4 offers the streamlined fit, comfort, and flexibility of a wetsuit, with the thermal properties and water-tightness of a drysuit. Equipped with smooth-skin, fold-under neoprene neck seal, and ultra-smooth wrist seals, the Everdry provides comfortable, watering tight sealing surfaces. Known for its comfort and extended wear, the Everdry 4 fits like a glove, offers an excellent range of motion, and most importantly, keeps body heat in and cold water out.
Trilaminate Drysuit
Trilaminate suits are some of the most lightweight suits on the market. Trilaminate suits are also one of the strongest suits offered. Build with a Trilaminate material; these suits are more resistant to deterioration, are fast drying, and easy to repair. Trilaminate suits are designed to be worn with thermal undergarments. You can wear as many or as few thermal layers as you prefer, making it a good choice for a diver that does both cold and warm water diving. Our choice in Trilaminate suits is the Evertech Dry Breathable Drysuit. It is a premium Trilaminate drysuit designed for avid divers and loaded with features. Built with a breathable fabric blend, this suit is comfortable both above and below the surface. Stitched and waterproof taped seams provide extra protection from the water.
Additionally, a front entry diagonal zipper and Si-Tech ring seal system for wrists and neck allow you to change seals quickly. This suit is both comfortable to wear and easy to maintain. You will also find a telescoping torso, top, crotch strap, and bungee system within the waist to tailor the suit to your body shape.
Accessorizing the Drysuit Diving Experience
When it comes to accessorizing your drysuit, many additions are built into the suit – from the padding to pockets. The small details are essential details to consider when choosing a drysuit. Pockets are handy for storage of equipment, and every SCUBAPRO suit comes with at least one large utility pocket. Each pocket houses a D-ring and water draining grommets. These items might be helpful to store a spare mask, reels, wet notes, or surface marker buoys.
Some additional features you may find on your SCUBAPRO suit are attached boots or socks, removable blue suspenders to hold your suit in place, heavy-duty kneepads, and I-safe straps to secure your wrist computers. Each suit always comes with an anatomically shaped hood, repair kits, zipper wax and a versatile carry bag that also doubles as a changing mat.
Drysuit Gloves
When diving in cold water, your hands are typically what get cold first, and can potentially end your dive due to the discomfort. This is why dry gloves are a great addition to your drysuit if you commonly perform dives in frigid water. Dry gloves are designed to allow air inside, making a considerable difference in regulating temperature, much like a drysuit. SCUBAPRO offers two types of dry gloves, the Easydry Pro and the Easy Don Dive Glove.
Both gloves are manufactured from high-quality, vulcanized latex, which gives them high elasticity, plus makes the gloves very resistant to punctures and tears. The elastic latex cuff seal ensures that the glove is waterproof, while still providing access for air to enter the glove. The textured surface enables the wearer to maintain a non-slip grip on instruments, valves or regulator. They come with an inner glove for added thermal protection.
Wetsuit Gloves
Whereas many drysuit divers chose to dive with dry gloves, many others prefer neoprene gloves. Neoprene gloves still allow your hands to get wet, while the neoprene foam offers thermal protection. Many divers prefer wet gloves over dry as they vary in thickness and can provide better dexterity. SCUBAPRO carries dive gloves from 1.5mm up to 5mm, for all your diving needs.
What to Wear Under Your Drysuit
One of the beauties of diving in a drysuit is being able to control the amount of thermal protection you want. As previously stated, in a Trilaminate, suit you have the room to layer as much or as little undergarments as desired. With the neoprene suits you are more limited by space; however, the suit itself provides warmth. Our preferred undergarment is the SCUBAPRO Climasphere.
The Climasphere is our undergarment of choice for drysuit diving. This thermal wear keeps you warm with a low profile two-piece insulation system. You can wear one or both pieces under your drysuit, at depth, for total comfort and warmth. The garments are breathable and windproof, making them a perfect surface interval ensemble while on the surface. Designed with neoprene wrist and ankle cuffs, with thumb loops and stirrups, they’ll both enhance warmth and prevent ride-up when climbing into your drysuit. The Climasphere is also one of few undergarments that are washable; however, we recommend you air-dry them not to deteriorate the materials.
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.—Engineers and technical experts from Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity conducted systems operability testing in September aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) in support of 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit operations.
Amphibious warships must be able to sail in harm’s way and provide a rapid buildup of combat power ashore in the face of opposition. This requires cyber-enabled network Marines to integrate shipboard systems, and provide combatant commanders real-time command and control capabilities.
Capt. Victor Castro (left), Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activityengineer, provides over-the-shoulder training to Cpl. Jonathan Parlett (right), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit data systems administer, during systems operability testing aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) Sept. 5. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)
“Whether you are fighting the ship or assaulting an objective, communications and information management are critical for mission success,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Ronald Dowdell, Boxer’s commanding officer. “The MCTSSA experts that came aboard the ship enhanced Navy and Marine Corps integration, and also enabled Boxer [Amphibious Ready Group] to become a more lethal force.”
The 11th MEU is a forward-deployed, flexible sea-based Marine air-ground task force capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response and limited contingency operations, to include enabling the introduction of follow-on forces and designated special operations in order to support the theater requirements of geographic combatant commanders.
The primary objective for the MCTSSA team was to assist the 11th MEU in integrating tactical command, control, communications and computers—or C4—systems into the afloat environment.
Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activityengineers and technical experts tested various command and control systems in the afloat environment aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) Sept. 4-7 (From left: Derrek Bond, Rudy Banzali, Joe St. Onge, Will Santiago). (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sky M. Laron)
For Marines aboard ship, the Landing Force Operations Center, or LFOC, is the primary space for leaders to plan and execute amphibious operations. The functions of the LFOC mirror those of a Combat Operations Center, controlling and monitoring all landing force activities until command is established ashore.
“The support received from MCTSSA enabled months’ worth of troubleshooting systems checks to be completed in days, setting the stage for the 11th MEU to move forward with greater confidence in our amphibious C4 systems,” said Capt. Jeffrey Robbins, 11th MEU assistant communications officer.
The time spent optimizing systems in the LFOC and Supporting Arms Coordination Center allowed the MEU to validate critical satellite communications and digital fires systems, which will be used to plan and execute landing force fire support and amphibious operations, said Robbins.
Brig. Gen. A.J. Pasagian (right), commander of Marine Corps Systems Command, speaks with Capt. Ronald Dowdell (left), USS Boxer commanding officer, Sept. 13, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4). The familiarization tour came one week after engineers and technical experts from Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity conducted systems operability testing aboard the ship. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 David Ortiz)
“Both the 11th MEU and MCTSSA were equally invested in the effort,” said Capt. Caleb Wu, MCTSSA assistant naval systems integration officer. “It was great to see the two teams tackle difficult technical issues side by side.”
Many of the C4 systems integration issues that MEUs face at sea include: physical connectivity, power, space, network accessibility and throughput, data and voice communications, system configurations, information assurance and cybersecurity.
“MCTSSA’s presence onboard BOXER was absolutely invaluable, and they are the bridge that ensures that all blue in support of green communications suites are properly fine-tuned prior to the embarkation of the 11th MEU or any MEU,” said Ens. Joe Tran, Boxer communications officer. “All of our efforts are ultimately geared toward safe operations of the ship and supporting our combat power.”
Specifically, the testing supported engineering and risk reduction, identification, and possible elimination or development of work-arounds for any C4 interoperability issues.
“By resolving many of those concerns months prior to their first ‘at sea’ period, the 11th MEU is far more prepared for any work-up or deployment,” said Maj. Paxton Miller, MCTSSA naval systems integration officer. “As we better understand the requirements and challenges of how MEUs employ C2 systems aboard ship, the value of these events will continue to grow.”
Boxer is homeported at Naval Base San Diego. For more news from USS Boxer (LHD 4), visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd4/.
MCTSSA, an elite, full-scale laboratory facility operated by the Marine Corps, is a subordinate command of Marine Corps Systems Command. MCTSSA provides test and evaluation, engineering, and deployed technical support for Marine Corps and joint service command, control, computer, communications and intelligence systems throughout all acquisition life-cycle phases.
By Sky M. Laron, Public Affairs Officer, MCTSSA
Posted in Comms, Guest Post, USMC | Comments Off on MCTSSA Conducts Systems Operability Testing Aboard USS Boxer
New UF PRO® Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket Offers Enhanced Protection from Cold Weather
The Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket from UF PRO® is set to debut. The jacket’s design and materials provide extra warmth in extreme cold weather without overheating the wearer or causing loss of focus.
TRZIN, SLOVENIA (2 October 2018)—Soon to be available from UF PRO® is the long-awaited Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket, which the maker of innovative clothing for military and law enforcement personnel said today will prove ideal for wear while engaging in heavy physical activities at or below freezing temperatures.
“Extreme cold weather has always been a challenge to work in because it shifts your focus away from whatever vital tasks you’re doing and puts it instead on just trying to stay warm,” said UF PRO® head of product development Armin Wagner.
“Our new Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket solves this problem by providing the extra warmth you need in order to stay focused on the mission,” Wagner said. “And, the jacket does this without causing you to become overheated.”
Wagner predicted purchasers will discover so much to like about the UF PRO® Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 that they will make it their go-to tactical jacket.
Weighing less than a single kilogram, the new version of the jacket builds on the high-performance characteristics of the original UF PRO® Delta AcE upper-body outerwear, Wagner disclosed.
“Its face material is still 100-percent windproof and water-repellent, and we continue to use the special lightweight thermal-insulation lining that works even when wet,” he said. “But now, this tactical jacket is more of a workhorse than ever—and it’s as much at home in the cold as it is in dust and dirt,” he said.
One of the key improvements of the UF PRO® Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket is better moisture management. The sleeves, for example, are lined with merino wool—a fiber acclaimed for its exceptional comfort and moisture wicking properties.
“These sleeve liners absorb body moisture and transport it outside the jacket extremely fast,” Wagner explained.
Also big: the UF PRO® Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket features detachable air/pac® inserts in the shoulder and upper back.
“The air/pac® inserts create an 8mm-thick air barrier between wearer and outer fabric,” Wagner noted. “This traps hot air, providing needed heat and super-rapid drying.”
Another major improvement is the abrasion-resistance capabilities of the sleeves and side-stretch panels.
“We reinforced the elbows with CORDURA®, which is just about the toughest and longest-lasting synthetic fabric available,” Wagner said. “And we also added ultra-strong nylon mesh to the side-stretch panels. The result is a tactical jacket that holds up exceptionally well, even under the load of a heavy plate-carrier and backpack.”
Responding to user wishes, UF PRO® designed the Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket to include an adjustable collar. Said Wagner, “You can regulate the amount of protection your neck gets while you’re being blasted by icy wind. This feature is meant to let you stay comfortable at all times and in all conditions.”
Yet another enhancement is the addition of a strap to make it easier to open the jacket’s zippered upper-sleeve pocket.
“If you don’t have a free hand to work the zipper, you can just grab the strap with your teeth and pull on it by tilting your head—the zipper will slide right open,” Wagner said.
Topping it all off, the UF PRO® Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket now comes with wrist warmers that have openings sized to let the face of a wristwatch peek through.
“Keeping an eye on the time is essential in almost every type of situation, and the way we’ve designed the wrist warmers allows you to easily do just that,” said Wagner. “No need to fumble around with the sleeves to get a look at your watch. You simply glance down and there’s the time.”
The UF PRO® Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket soon will be available at the company’s online shop and at its distribution partners, according to Wagner.
He added that subscribers of the UF PRO® newsletter can look forward to being the first to receive word of the exact date of initial availability.
For more information about the UF PRO® Delta AcE Plus Gen.2 Tactical Jacket and other outstanding UF PRO® products, or to subscribe to the UF PRO® newsletter, please visit the company’s website: ufpro.com/delta_ace_plus_gen_2_tactical_jacket
