Countries through the Asia-Pacific region are “excited by our increased participation here,” said the military component commander for that area. “We intend to place into motion a pathway of activity (for the military) into multiple countries for extended periods of time, linking a chain of events and exercises on various topics, said Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, commander, U.S. Army Pacific, called USARPAC. Brooks spoke today at a press engagement on the Association of the U.S. Army’s 2013 Annual Meeting and Exposition, on the Washington, D.C., Convention Center. The activity of which Brooks spoke includes disaster relief, humanitarian and army-to-military training... Read More »
The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. and Boeing, has successfully completed an initial test of the V-22 Osprey performing as an aerial refueling tanker. Adding this capability to the tiltrotor aircraft would further advance its versatility in combat, humanitarian and ship-based operations. In the August demonstration over north Texas, a V-22 equipped with a prototype aerial refueling system safely deployed, held stable, and retracted the refueling drogue as an F/A-18C and an F/A-18D Hornet flew just behind and to the side of the aircraft. “Adding aerial refueling tanker capability to the V-22 will... Read More »
The Program Executive Office for Ammunition’s Enhanced Performance Round program shaved off greater than $20 million dollars in a price engineering project aimed toward renovating the bullet production lines and improving the program’s purchasing strategies. The M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round, or EPR, is the latest member of the Army’s small-caliber family of munitions fired from the 5.56mm family of weapons. It’s replacing the M855 cartridge. The M855A1 EPR’s new bullet design provides Soldiers with better hard-target penetration and more consistent soft-target performance at increased distances. Additionally, as it is lead-free, the M855A1 allows training exercises to occur on ranges where... Read More »
U.S. Special Operations Command wants its operators to be protected with what it informally calls an Iron Man suit, named after the fictitious superhero. In September, U.S. Special Operations Command, called SOCOM, made a Broad Agency Announcement for proposals for prototypes of the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or TALOS. The goal of TALOS is to produce ballistic protection to big Operations Forces, together with fire-retardant capability, said Michel Fieldson, TALOS lead, SOCOM. “We sometimes confer with it because the Iron Man suit, frankly to draw the notice, imagination and excitement of industry and academia,” he said. “We’re hoping to... Read More »