Cots Journal 2011-12

A Lockheed Martin team recently demonstrated how software defined radios can extend the Army's tactical network by connecting disparate ground troops with the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical Radio System (AMF JTRS). During a recent Army exercise, AMF JTRS demonstrated the system's range and capability by successfully relaying a combination of voice, data and imagery from a test bed AH-64 Block III Apache helicopter (Figure 1) to ground forces over the Internet-Protocol-enabled Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW). AMF JTRS is a software defined radio that is capable of providing Internet-like connectivity, providing a secure infrastructure for joint forces to send data, imagery, voice and video.

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Vehicules Militaires Magazine No.40

Après avoir organisé en novembre 2009 l'opération « Tissu est dans l'iode » retraçant la libération de la région de Strasbourg par la 2eme DB.elle récidive avec la « découverte de la Ligne Maginot aquatique » le 8 et 9 octobre prochain.La ligne Maginot aquatique est une série de fortifications lacustres fondées sur des inondations couvertes par des bunkers légers qui se sont avérés efficaces.C'est une portion de 27 kilomètres qui se trouve en Moselle proche de Sarreguemines et demeure unique en Europe. Au programme: Départ du convoi de Munster (57) en direction de Barst.Le camp de base sera installé à la casemate de Barst.Circuit de 40 km à la découverte des infrastructures construites entre 1936 et 1940 (bunkers,barrage,salle des vannes..) Dimanche :visite du site de Barst et du cimetière américain de St Avoid.

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Wheels & Tracks No.17

Again we have an intriguing AFV for you to consider. The first photo of it was taken in the 1940s, when it was far from new, the others quite recently. So, it has survived. In the US of A, if it weren't obvious. The other device (following page), which does not look unlike an amphibious bathtub, is also American and we know next to nothing about this one. Going back to earlier issues, the peculiar little tracked vehicle at the bottom of page 10 in W&T 15 did not produce any readers' comments Dating from 1960, it shows a remote-control undersea exploration vehicle, based on an Ontos chassis, developed in the USA in the late 1950s for scientific observations on the ocean bed. It featured a long, jointed manipulator arm to collect samples and specimens and a special underwater television camera which enabled scientists on the shore to observe the sea floor. The machine could operate at depths of 20,000 feet, maintain a speed of three mph and climb obstacles 12 inches high. That's all we know about that one. The antique radio car shown in W&T 14 was a Winton, one of two acquired by the US Army Signal Corps in 1904. Fred Crismon sent us several views of it and we read in his big book that they were powered by a twin-cylinder engine and could carry seven passengers, in addition to the driver.

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Janes Defence Weekly December 07, 2011

On 12 November 2011 Iranian state media reported that an explosion had occurred at a 'rocket storage facility' outside the town of Bid Ganeh, 30 km west of Tehran. The blast, which was said at the time to be due to an accident, reportedly killed 17 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps personnel including General Hassan Moghaddam, who was believed to be a key figure in Iran's ballistic missile programme. The facility, located at35°37'25.85"N 50°52'24.69"E, is secured with a berm and fence perimeter. It consists of seven sophisticated buildings that appear to have been designated for specialised use, as well as several support buildings designated to handle security, administration, equipment storage and maintenance.

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Cots Journal November 2011

The U.S. really needs to face facts and once and for all tackle the issues surrounding how we acquire things for the military. It's time to initiate a plan that accommodates changing Administrations and Congresses and their ever changing vision for the military's mission. The military has three basic procurement environments: immediate, short term and long term. The problem is all three of these environments have a range to them. Immediate can range from acquiring software or technology to halt an immediate cyber attack to finding a stop gap solution for IEDs. At the other end we have large items ranging from a new tactical vehicle for the Army and Marines, to the next tactical aircraft for the Air Force to the next generation aircraft carrier for the Navy.

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Wheels & Tracks No.07

Canadians do not seem to boast about their country. It is an unusual phenomenon, developed apparently through a combination of colonial tradition and 'not wanting to sound like Americans'. The reasons are probably as complex as those that establish any cultural identity. Canadian reticence is mentioned here in an attempt to explain how it is that the design and production of nearly 900,000 military vehicles and a vast array of other war material by eleven million Canadians during the Second World War, largely 'given away1 to the Allies, remains an unsung aspect of Canada's contribution to the prosecution of the war and would seem to be passed over in Canadian schools. Personally we have long been intrigued by the apparent lack of Canadian interest in those rather peculiar but distinctive right-hand drive Canadian Military Pattern trucks and assorted armoured vehicles so familiar to Europeans (and Australians for that matter). Was it a case of 'hats off to the past but sleeves up for the future'? Perhaps.

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The M1 Carbine

The origins of the Ml Carbine lay in the US Army's decision to develop a weapon that could replace the pistol carried by many soldiers with a more effective weapon. In today's terminology the Ml Carbine was an attempt to develop a PDW (Personal Defense Weapon) for those troops not involved in front-line infantry combat. Although some personnel who would previously have been armed with the pistol did carry an Ml Carbine instead, it did not completely supplant the pistol. However, it proved to be one of the most popular US small arms of all time, serving from World War II through at least the Vietnam War. The USA had issued carbines in the past, primarily to cavalry and artillery personnel, but, beginning with the 1903 Springfield, design philosophy had shifted to favor a standard-issue rifle with a medium-length barrel intended for use by all. Likewise, when the Ml Garand was adopted in 1936 there was no carbine version. Because one of the problems in issuing the Garand to support troops who often had to carry other equipment was its length and weight, one criterion for the Ml Carbine was a weight of 51b or less. This made it far handier than the Ml Garand (9.51b unloaded) or Thompson submachine gun (10.61b unloaded). Since many of the troops who would be issued the Ml Carbine had previously carried a pistol, it was considered necessary for the carbine to have greater range and firepower than the pistol. An effective range of 300yd was considered optimal.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 23, 2011

A new request for proposals (RfP) for fighter aircraft from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the UK and US governments threatens to derail political relations between the UAE and France at the highest levels. The RfP was issued on 9 November and seeks offers for the supply of 60 combat jets and a training package for 90 pilots to be in place by 2017. The request asks for bids from three aircraft: the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing's F-15 Eagle and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It does not include Dassault's Rafale, for which the UAE had previously been pursuing a single specific contract negotiation. After years of bargaining with Dassault to acquire 60 Rafale aircraft as well as a sizeable weapons package, signature of a final contract was believed to be close and was expected perhaps during the Dubai Airshow (13-17 November) or on UAE National Day (2 December).

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The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques

The U.S. has the best-equipped and well-trained Army in the world. Barring unforeseen political considerations or a catastrophic act of nature, it can deploy nearly anywhere and accomplish almost any reasonable mission. This is due in large part to the Army's experience as an institution in a variety of wartime environments. Its hard-earned wisdom about how to cope with almost every imaginable scenario, on a soldier-by-soldier basis, distinguishes it as a service of excellence whose individuals are highly adaptable. They are well prepared, they accomplish the mission, and when the circumstances are truly unfavorable to life itself, they are survivors. The keys to this preparation are contained in the Army's many sensible, well-written, voluminous, and scattered publications. They address nearly every aspect of running, provisioning, or being in the Army, but they are especially useful for their tips on how to stay alive under any circumstances. The task of culling every bit of useful information about survival from every U.S. Army publication would take months however, so I've done it here for you in The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 16, 2011

The Obama administration has released a set of proposed changes that would streamline US export restrictions for military and dual-use aircraft and associated components. US aerospace industry leaders have long contended that the export control system, which is overseen by five separate government agencies, is burdensome to business dealings. The administration announced on 7 November that it would move aircraft components from a restrictive State Department-controlled International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) list to a streamlined Commerce Control List (CCL) regulated by the Commerce Department. Items on the US Munitions List (USML) are all subject to the same controls regardless of their sensitivity. The CCL, however, has rules tailored to each type of item as well as its export destination. The draft list is the second section of ITAR to undergo revision since officials began a review last year. The section on land vehicles has been drafted and another on space vehicles is pending. There are 21 categories of items controlled by the USML in total.

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Wheels & Tracks No.23

We are probably all familiar with stories of hidden, or buried, military vehicles; the chap who tells you always got it straight from the fellow who buried it, or found it. There is the one about the Tiger in East Anglia, left there, so they say, by a couple of soldiers who parked it in a farmer's barn for the night, promising to come back for it in the morning. Or there is the King Tiger (they're almost always Tigers) sitting quietly where it was parked in 1945, in a sealed off underground bunker in Germany. Perhaps because we are the Tank Museum we hear more of them than most and can therefore be excused for taking a sceptical view. Of course there was the famous case of the Dorking Covenanter, that turned out to be true [see issue No. 6], but so far it has been the only one out of dozens. Some years ago now I was talking to someone, an American who could be described as eminent among tank historians, and he told me about this big museum, somewhere outside Moscow, where they have the only surviving Maus, the Germans' superheavy tank.

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The UZI Submachine Gun

The Uzi submachine gun (SMG) surely ranks alongside the AK-47 as perhaps history's most recognizable firearm. Its fame, as these pages shall explore, is entirely warranted. Few firearms have brought together sheer firepower and compact dimensions so successfully as the Uzi. Its close-range lethality, and distribution figures in their millions, have ensured its popularity across the full spectrum of possible users. Throughout its lifespan to date Uzis have been seen in the hands of infantrymen, armoured vehicle crews, special forces soldiers, law-enforcement officers, Secret Service agents, civilian enthusiasts, Hollywood stars and outright criminals. Almost all without exception developed an enormous respect for the weapon, both for its ability to save life - their own - and its capacity for killing.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 30, 2011

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the sale of its fleet of BAE Systems Harrier GR.9 ground attack craft to the US Marine Corps (USMC) on 24 November. The early retirement of the UK Harrier force, coupled with this deal, has saved the UK government about GBP1 billion (USD1.55 billion), the MoD said. In a statement the MoD added that it had agreed the transfer of 72 Harrier aircraft, as well as spares and associated support equipment, to the USMC in a deal worth USD180 million. The USD1.5 billion figure quoted by the MoD is the value of the sale plus the savings it says it has made from the early retirement of the aircraft in 2010 - some eight years earlier than originally planned. It is understood that the GR.9 aircraft will help support the USMC's McDonnell Douglas AV-8B fleet as well as allowing the corps to retire some of its

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Wheels & Tracks No.27

The Bren Carrier which survived until at least 1979 when Major Southby-Tailyour, Royal Marines, photographed it in Moody Brook Camp, three miles west of Port Stanley (see main text). Major Southby-Tailyour, in charge of the Marine detachment during 1978-79 and privately a keen hydrographer, covered some 6000 miles in small boats round the islands and his very detailed charts were the basis for a book manuscript which, after rejection by 15 publishers, was immediately classified when in 1982 the Argentinians invaded. He played a prominent part in the Task Force, receiving an OBE for leading the troops ashore at San Carlos.

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Wheels & Tracks No.40

During the period 1928-33 Nicholas Straussler's company Folding Boats and Structures Ltd was engaged in design of bridging equipment and devices to make tanks float (see W&7'36). Following these activities, Straussler concentrated more on vehicular developments but soon after the outbreak of war he invented a brilliant construction to convert existing tanks to amphibians which upon landing could shed all this equipment and engage in combat. It comprised a collapsible rubberized canvas screen — held rigid by compressed air in tubes — and a propulsion system. The invention became known as the DD, for Duplex Drive. Rather than narrate the story in our own words we have opted for publishing the notes made by a person who was there and used them for a film show and talk for the Birmingham Rotary Club at the Imperial Hotel on October 22. 1945. Unfortunately we do not know the name of the speaker but he was a high-ranking government official. For the film we have substituted a selection of Straussler-sourced photos showing the vehicles in a variety of modes.

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Knives And Swords - A Visual History

From prehistoric times to 1000 ce, the creation and use of tools with sharp edges was one of the pivotal developments in technology. When exactly early humans started sharpening rocks into cutting tools is unclean but rudimentary hand axes—rocks with one end sharpened and the other shaped to fit into a hand— were first used up to two and a half million years ago in Africa and the Middle East. Such tools were not only useful for everyday jobs, such as scraping meat off bones, but also served as potential weapons against human adversaries. These blades were made by pressure flaking—a process of hitting a rock with a piece of horn or antler until its edge became jagged—and were surprisingly sharp. Using this simple method, prehistoric man made many practical tools such as stone blades, particularly those made from flint, with smooth or serrated edges. However, a further step was required to transform the stone blade into a true fighting weapon.

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Nordland

The 11th Volunteer SS Panzer Grenadier Division "Nordland" was one of the most valiant units of the German army during WWII. A number of fascist groups were active in Denmark prior to the outbreak of war. The largest of those, the Danish National-Socialist Worker's Party (Danmarks National Socialistiske Arbejder Parti) was formed in 1930 and was headed by Dr Fritz Clausen. There was also a strong pro-German movement in Norway. It was directed by Major Vidkun Quisling, who, as of May 1933, headed a political group that united Norway's Fascists called the Nasjonal Sämling NS (literally: National Unity). The Germans did not only support the Fascist movements in other states, but also attempted to draft their supporters into the ranks of the Waffen-SS. Despite the occupation of Denmark in April 1940, the tiny Danish Army was not disarmed. However, it did not participate in combat, maintaining its "neutrality". That is why the sending of Danes to the East had to take place in a manner other than e.g. Hungarian units, whose government had declared war on the USSR.

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Janes Defence Weekly November 09, 2011

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has returned all elements deployed for Operation 'Ellamy' to the UK after the end on 31 October of the NATO mission over Libya. Significant contributions to an unexpected air operation were made by a diverse range of aircraft, including E-3D Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, Sentinel R.l Airborne Stand-Off Radar aircraft and VC10 and Tristar tanker aircraft. However, most notable was the effort made by the Panavia Tornado GR.4 strike aircraft and Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4s operating extensively from the deployed location at Gioia del Colle in Italy. The Tornado GR.4s of No IX(B) Squadron opened the air-power offensive on 19 March with a 3,000-mile-round-trip Storm Shadow cruise missile strike mounted from RAF Marham in Norfolk. Supported by VC10 and TriStar tankers, the GR.4s launched eight Storm Shadows against com-mand-and-control nodes. These were the RAF's longest-range strike missions since the 'Black Buck' operations during the Falklands conflict in 1982 and the first RAF bombing raids launched from the UK since the Second World War.

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Defense Technology International Magazine December 2011

Libya under Moammar Gadhafi had more man-portable air-defense systems (Manpads) than any other country, excluding those that produce the missiles. The collapse of the regime has Western officials scrambling to figure out what to do with potentially tens of thousands of surface-to-air missiles, including Manpads, which in many cases are unguarded and unsecured, and could pose a threat to civil aviation if they fall into the wrong hands. The biggest concern is the Russian SA-7B Grail. Human Rights Watch says its employees have viewed unsecured arms caches, including one with at least 20 SA-7s and over two dozen SA-24s, advanced Russian Manpads missiles. In Libya there is good data on the types and origins of the Manpads, says Matthew Schroeder, director of the Arms Sales Monitoring Project at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington. "We've got photos with markings on the missiles and crates," which have emerged from Libya in recent weeks. "It's easy to tell what model they are." The U.S. State Department has allocated $30 million to help secure Libya's arsenal and dedicated 15 personnel to track down the missing weapons.

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Special Operations Patrol Vehicles

Special Operations Forces (SOF) have a long history of the use of specialist or customized vehicles adapted to match the unique requirements of their unconventional missions. In the Western Desert during World War II, the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) used often gaudily camouflaged, and heavily armed, Chevrolet 30cwt trucks alongside machine-gun equipped Willys Jeeps on special reconnaissance (SR) missions. The unit's colleagues in the fledgling Special Air Service (SAS) also pioneered the use of the "Gun Jeep." The SAS mounted daring airfield raids, destroying German aircraft on the ground, and became a major hindrance to Rommel's forces, whilst also proving that raids using specialist armed vehicles were a valid SOF tactic. The LRDG and SAS also developed the concept of what were later termed "mother-ships" - medium to heavy transport trucks driven far behind enemy lines to act as mobile resupply points, allowing the SOF to undertake longer patrols without recourse to traditional resupply channels.

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