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October 7th, 2011Design Philosophy at Triple Aught Design
October 7th, 2011Aquire Mag produced a great video featuring Triple Aught Design founder Patrick Ma.
Acquire Profile: Triple Aught Design from ACQUIRE on Vimeo.
The End User Device
October 7th, 2011Already the techno websites are making much hay of the Army’s move to a new End User Device that will, most assuredly, wipe the notion of what was Land Warrior/Nett Warrior from our collective bad memories. By removing 70% of the weight from the Soldier, the End User Device is simultaneously enhancing the capability of the system as a whole.
What has tongues wagging is that, thankfully, the Android-based systems currently being evaluated are not phones. That’s right. As PEO Soldier, BG Camille Nichols stated at yesterday’s media roundtable, they are NOT 3G devices. Instead, the Army will connect these End User Devices to the Rifleman’s Radio variant of the Joint Tactical Radio System or JTRS. It is pronounced “jitters” as in, that radio system that is still in development hell after 15 years gives me the JTRS. At any rate, the Rifleman’s Radio segment of JTRS actually works and much better than its predecessors the PRC 126, 127 or God forbid 68 (if you are old enough). Plus, it handles data pretty well which is critical for a system like this.
Why no 3G you might ask? Simple, it’s all about the infrastructure, or lack thereof. Oddly enough, we rarely fight in places with a nice, new 3G (or better) network in place. And even if it is there, the bad guys are using it so we have to knock it out in order to disrupt their Command & Control. Sure, there are new portable mobile networks being developed, but they are still just phone networks that rely on switches. A radio on the other hand does not. Radios can talk to other radios without a switch and if a redundant mobile network goes down, radios continue to Soldier on. Yes, we know that a cellphone uses a radio. Unfortunately, it requires a complex infrastructure to work. Like it or not, the Rifleman’s Radio is the key here.
This strategy can also be cheaper. If a newer End User Device is approved you aren’t stuck with that pesky contract. Instead, you just go out and buy the new one. Likewise, if we upgrade radios there’s no need to replace everything.
And then, there’s that whole accreditation issue. How do you keep the data and access to the network safe safe from the enemy? That’s the current long pole in the tent, working out the security for the device. But, we are very pleased to hear, that the Army gets it. Unfortunately, those writing about it don’t seem to.
Most of the comments flying around the interwebs about this issue are confounded about why we can’t just go buy the latest ‘Droid, let the troops upload some apps, and go kick ass. That’s because those commenting know two things about warfighting. That’s “Jack”, and you can guess the other one. What’s worse, they don’t seem to have much of a grasp on telecommunications either.
So, big points here:
Army looking at Android based tablet or handheld devices.
Army is not going 3G with the End User Device.
Mobile Devices require a network, networks don’t exist in places we tend to fight.
Consequently, radios are not going away.
Discuss amongst yourselves…
XPX Light Assault Vest
October 6th, 2011
More Info on the XM25
October 6th, 2011In addition to a new name, the XM25 is going to get a facelift, according to BG Camille Nichols, PEO Soldier. During today’s media roundtable she amplified comments by PM Soldier Weapons, COL Scott Armstrong stating that an additional 36 XM25 Punishers would be produced and eventually make their way to Afghanistan.
COL Armstrong mentioned that the 36 new launchers would receive slight upgrades based on Soldier feedback. According to comments by BG Nichols, these include buttstock and pistol grip modifications. The Army should receive the new weapons by late 2012 and have them ready for combat six months later.
Warrior Expo 2011 – SureFire 
October 6th, 2011
Here are some of the latest products from SureFire courtesy of Warrior Expo 2011. They’ve begun to refer to themselves as a “Tactical Technology Company” and we couldn’t agree more. Watch the video to see why.
XM25 Renamed
October 6th, 2011According to COL Scott Armstrong, PM Soldier Weapons the Army has renamed the XM25. During today’s PEO Soldier media roundtable he relayed that although originally called the Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) System the XM25 is now known as the Individual Semi-automatic Airburst System to more accurately describe what it actually does.
I still prefer “Punisher.”
Army Camouflage Improvement Effort Update
October 6th, 2011The most common questions we currently field are for updates on Phase IV of the Army’s Camouflage Improvement Effort. Finally, we have an answer. In a PEO Soldier media roundtable earlier today COL William Cole, PM Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment related that the Army received over 20 submissions for their solicitation. The picture-in-picture evaluation strategy has been completed by over 900 Soldiers viewing the patterns in 45 environments. Currently, the Army is evaluating the data. According to COL Cole, they plan to brief the Army Senior Leadership late this month. Ultimately, the mix of patterns may be 3 commercial families and 2 Government or possible 4 commercial variants to 1 Government family of patterns.
