SOTECH 13.1 (February 2015)

SOF Innovator

James F. GeurtsAcquisition Executive SOCOM

Operator Control Units O Sub-Zero Weather GearCamouflage O DCGS-Lite

February 2015 Volume 13, Issue 1

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5Multivehicle OperatOr cOntrOl SySteMSSOTECH examines operator control systems designed to manage multiple unmanned systems.

12reducing the SignatureThe primary goal of camouflage is to reduce the signature of the warfighter, building or vehicle. This reduction often includes the infrared signature due to modern thermal sensors.By Chris MCCoy

21dcgS-liteToday, more than ever, intelligence is the driver of operations in the battlespace. The ability of theater operations to leverage the full spectrum of intelligence and analysis is a key enabler to successful activities.By Peter BuxBauM

Cover / Q&AFeatures

The Authoritative Word on Special Operations� Defining Current and Future SOF Technologies�

JaMeS F. geurtSAcquisition Executive

SOCOM

17

Departments Industry Interview2 editOr’S perSpective3 WhiSperS14 Black Watch27 reSOurce center

david chaSeMarketing ManagerCrystal Group

February 2015Volume 13, Issue 1Special OperatiOnS technOlOgy

28

“Our priority is always

the special

operations

forces operator

and improving our ability and capability to provide the

equipment,

technologies

and support needed to

accomplish the many difficult

missions our nation

expects SOF to accomplish. ”

—James F. Geurts

24

Field FOrenSicSDuring sensitive site exploitation, special operations forces collect, organize and manage sources of potentially huge stockpiles of valuable information, including documents, equipment and computers.By Peter BuxBauM

Special Section 8SuB-ZerO clOthingBeing prepared for harsh weather conditions in the Arctic and other regions could be much more common for the future SOF operator. With the nascent Northwest Passage creating a new sea route and the search for oil under the ocean floor, the chance of a hotspot emerging in the future is possible.By Chris MCCoy

On January 16, a number of high-ranking military officers gathered at the Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington, D.C., to discuss concepts concerning the Strategic Landpower Task Force.

The Army, Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command char-tered the Strategic Landpower Task Force on January 28, 2013 to study the application of landpower to achieve national objectives in the future.

“The concepts will transition from the conceptual research the Strategic Landpower Task Force has done into joint development,” said Brigadier General Kevin J. Killea, director, Futures Directorate, vice chief of naval research, commanding general, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. “What the concept will do is provide the joint force with a new approach to campaign planning that will link operations simultaneously and in depth across all domains, functions and the range of military operations.”

“We have to think differently about how we run operations, and we have to focus them on human objectives,” said Major General William C. Hix, deputy director, Army Capabilities Integration Center, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. “The intersection of land, cyber and human elements and the increasing speed of human interactions is a driving factor in current events around the world.”

According to USASOC public affairs, “The HAMO [Human Aspects of Military Operations] concept will build on recent joint concepts and doctrine that addresses many human aspects of military opera-tions, while focusing on capability gaps that still remain.”

“The HAMO concept provides value in that it arranges for joint operations … centered on the criticality and the centrality of humans in warfare,” said Major General Christopher K. Haas, director, Force Management and Development, U.S. Special Operations Command.

Ultimately, I am glad that those well-versed in the factor of the human element abroad have a publicized seat at the table when it comes to deciding such an important national strategy as the Landpower Task Force.

As usual, feel free to contact me with questions or comments concerning Special Operations Technology.


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Special Operations Technology

Volume 13, Issue 1 • February 2015

Chris McCoyeDitor

eDitOr’S perSpectiVe

Military officers discuss the concepts of the Strategic Landpower Task Force at the Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington, D.C. [Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army/by Lieutenant Colonel Edward K. Hooks]

Compiled by KMi Media Group staffWhiSperS

Air Force Colonel Tony D. Bauernfeind has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Bauernfeind is currently serving as commander, 27th Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.

Major General Clarence K.K. Chinn, deputy commanding

general, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, N.C., has been assigned as commanding general, U.S. Army South, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Brigadier General Michael E. Kurilla, deputy commanding general (Maneuver), 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kan., has been assigned as deputy director for

special operations, J-37, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.

Brigadier General Mark R. Stammer, deputy commanding general (Operations), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky., has been assigned as commander, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, Operation Enduring Freedom, Djibouti, Africa.

Air Force Colonel Vincent K. Becklund has been nominated for appointment to the rank of briga-dier general. Becklund is currently serving as military assistant to the commander, NATO Special Operations Headquarters, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Belgium.

Compiled by KMi Media Group staffpeOple

Q: Following the divestment of RAF Mildenhall and relocation of the 352nd Special Operations Group (SOG) to Ger-many, will there be any major changes in terms of personnel added or subtracted from the SOG?

A: The 352nd SOG is expected to transition to a wing once Host Nation Notification and Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty Notification are complete, which means the number of personnel will increase.

Q: Could you give our readers any insight into why the 352nd SOG is going to Ger-many and not another close ally?

A: Germany has locations that have in-place infrastructure. This will significantly cut down the cost for military construc-tion because they are not bare bases. Additionally, Germany presents a central location to launch both humanitarian and real-world missions from as well as a site where joint and coalition training can be leveraged. While there will be construction

costs associated to the move, this will be to enhance the special operations mission rather than to incur the costs associated with creating a base from the ground up. The United Kingdom is an extraordinarily close and valuable ally of the United States. It is a supportive host to U.S. forces and has been for generations. That special relation-ship will continue as we move forward to meet new challenges together. While dives-titure of the U.S. presence at Mildenhall will affect the number of U.S. personnel in the United Kingdom, it will not affect our overall military capabilities or our ability to meet our European security commitments.

Q: What opportunities await the 352nd SOG in Germany?

A: Geographically, the 352nd Special Oper-ations Group will be closer with joint ser-vices and NATO allies. This can contribute to a more immediate coordination of forces for both training and real-world missions.

Until then, special operations will con-tinue operating at the tip of the spear and

planning and executing specialized and contingency operations using advanced aircraft, tactics and air refueling tech-niques to infiltrate, exfiltrate and resupply special operations forces.

Q: How soon do you expect before the relocation takes effect?

A: Planning will be considered over the course of the next few years on how to effectively and seamlessly move the 352nd SOG. Based on the European Infrastruc-ture Consolidation announcement, the 352nd SOG is slated to move to Spang-dahlem Air Base, Germany, over the next seven years.

Q: Is there anything else that you would like to discuss?

A: The 352nd SOG’s focus is on the mission and remaining poised to execute whatever tasking is presented. We will continue to train as we fight and when it comes time to move, we will be ready.

AFSOC Public Affairs Discusses the Relocation of the 352nd SOG to Germany

Air Force Colonel Tony D. Bauernfeind

Brigadier General Michael E. Kurilla

Brigadier General Mark R. Stammer

Air Force Colonel Vincent K. Becklund

www.SOTECH-kmi.com SOTECH 13.1 | 3

Compiled by KMi Media Group staffWhiSperS

Green Berets with the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) teamed up with soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team (BCT) “Bastogne,” 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to conduct Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missile training on December 9, 2014 in an effort to familiarize themselves with the weapon system.

“The TOW weapon system is a crew-portable, heavy antitank weapon,” said a Green Beret team sergeant with Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th SFG (A). “It consists of a launcher and guided missile designed to complement shoulder-fired weapons.”

As with any weapon system, the soldiers who operate it need training like this to keep their skills sharp.

“The purpose of the TOW missile live-fire exercise was to validate our systems and provide our TOW gunners an opportunity to fire a live TOW,” said Captain John F. Yanikov with 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT “Bastogne,” 101st Airborne Division. “It was also a chance to train the 5th Special Forces Group Soldiers on how to employ the

TOW; its capabilities and limitations; and how to fire the TOW.”

With each missile being fired and each target being struck, the soldiers began to see the benefits of this weapon being put into operation.

“The primary takeaway from this training is, of course, the emplacement and operation of the TOW missile weapon system,” said the Green Beret. “The secondary takeaway is to understand and trust the high level of expertise our conventional brothers have in each of their given military occupa-tion specialties.”

The 5th SFG (A) soldiers do not have much experience with this weapon system, but with an ever-changing battlefield, its implementation may come.

“Due to the current conflicts in our area of responsibility (AOR), it has been determined that the BGM-71 TOW missile system would be a valuable asset,” said the Green Beret. “However, this weapon system is not organic to special operations forces, so we are capitalizing on conventional force capabilities.”

The soldiers of Bastogne were eager to share those capabilities, as training between

SOF and conventional forces becomes an important key in winning future battles.

“It is significant because it allows for better interoperability between units,” explained Yanikov. “If we both under-stand how each other works in our respec-tive missions—and how they overlap into the bigger picture—it allows both of us to achieve mission success.”

In hopes to find that success, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command is moving forward with a deliberate plan, ARSOF 2022, to ensure that it can find, fix and finish tomorrow’s enemy as well as recover and revitalize our force.

Another part of the ARSOF 2022 plan is: “The Army must achieve special operations forces and conventional force interdepen-dence to lock in the advances of the last decade of conflict, more effectively counter future threats and shape the operational environment. The Army must establish a range of personnel, training, command and support relationships between SOF and conventional forces.”

“The significance lies both at the tactical and the command level,” said the Green Beret. “At the tactical level, the soldiers on the ground have the ability to refine their interoperability, learning from each other and refining tactics, techniques and proce-dures (TTPs) together. While at the command level, working toward interdependence is paramount in order to properly plan and resource training and operations.”

The TOW missile training was not the first, nor will it be the last time the Legionnaires conduct training with their conventional force brethren.

“We conducted mortar training with conventional forces last month, and we plan to conduct all-terrain vehicle and communi-cations training this upcoming January,” said the Green Beret. “But any time soldiers from different units can conduct tactical training alongside each other, it is a great opportunity to trade SOPs and TTPs, and this makes everyone better.”

By Sergeant Justin Moeller, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Public Affairs Office

Legion, Bastogne Conduct TOW Missile Training

www.SOTECH-kmi.com4 | SOTECH 13.1

SOTECH ExaminES OpEraTOr COnTrOl SySTEmS dESignEd TO managE mulTiplE unmannEd SySTEmS.

The Future of Robotic Operating Control Systems on the Frontline

the defense sector has made tremendous strides in streamlining universal remote control systems for unmanned missions. in 2014, iro-bot, with over 20 years of frontline experience, unveiled the next generation of robot control

with the uPoint Multi Robot Control (MRC) system. Using the same intuitive touchscreen technology found today on millions of digital devices, the uPoint

MrC system simplifies robot operations, including driving, manipulation and inspection, allowing operators to focus less on direct robot control and more on the mission at hand. the need to reduce training time and lower the barrier to entry for robot operators is a challenge facing military and law enforcement officers on all fronts. the uPoint MrC system was designed from the ground up alongside end-users to drive mission effectiveness by decreasing training time and increasing overall ease of use.

in today’s world, nearly all members of america’s armed forces and law enforcement personnel have experience with everyday touchscreen technology. success as a robot operator during high-stress, critical opera-tions depends on precise and reliable control, so the interface needs to

Orin HoffmanTechnical Director, Defense and Security iRobot

the military uas community had a chal-lenge: Their Ground Control Stations (GCS) weren’t designed for dismounted operations and the vary-ing uas platforms required their own separate

GCs. if only they could field a common GCs that was efficient, lightweight and rugged and could support a variety of tactical mission sets.

the ideal solution would be efficient enough to manage multiple radios, GCss, isr receivers, mission planning tools and payload/sensor opera-tions, while at the same time reducing the load-out needed for missions with power management capabilities that can run a complete mission kit (radios, receivers and peripherals) from a single-battery power source. The real game changer would be a solution that allows uas operators to remain heads up and in the fight without slowing battle rhythm to ditch a backpack and remove a laptop to operate and manage mission settings during dis-mounted operations.

these challenges were answered with Black Diamond’s Modular tactical System (MTS) and APEx Predator System (APEx). Operators are now able to install their uas-specific software onto the Black Diamond computer, which is integrated on the plate carrier (or assault pack) to increase mobility for dis-mounted operations. in this configuration, they still carried the GCs, but opera-tors reduced the weight of their rucksack configuration by roughly 12 pounds.

taking this one step further, BDat also worked with the u.s. government on a software application that could operate different uas platforms from a single system. the software ran exceptionally well on the Mts and met the user’s intent. By using the software “hub,” it eliminated the platform-specific GCs, spare batteries and cabling. this offered another substantial weight savings for the uas operator of about 22 pounds.

The MTS is the foot-mobile GCS solution for larger (Tier II) UAS plat-forms. Military uas operators successfully tested the solution during a recent exercise, supporting multiple uas/rPa platforms and controlling airborne isr payloads from one common ground control station. By integrat-ing a wave relay radio, the operators now had the ability to share real-time situational awareness.

the Mts was also recently tested as an operational control unit for com-mand and control (C2) of small and medium UAS platforms, including Scan eagle, Puma, raven and Maveric, while providing the soF uas operator with an “on the move” day and night capability. after-action reports within the u.s. special operations community have highly praised the Mts in this role, which included over 1,000 combat flight hours.

the Modular tactical system and aPex Predator system support a variety of mission sets, which requires a tactical digital communications system. it serves as a combat enabler, bridging a wearable computer running application-specific software (UAS C2 software) with peripherals such as hand controllers, isr receivers and radios. over the last year, many military uas operators have utilized the Mts for operations, and aars have touted its excellence in providing a dismounted uas solution with day/night capabilities that works in maritime and hostile environments.

Greg DellBusiness Development ManagerBlack Diamond Advanced [email protected]

A Common Ground Control Station for UAS Operations


a solution for one of the most desired needs of tactical isr operators was demonstrated in mid-December in a military base in West Virginia: a single operator controlled two unmanned isr systems (an air and a ground vehicle) simultane-

ously with one handheld controller—the roCu (ruggedized operator Control Unit) made by Roboteam.

employing a roCu, an operator can, for the first time, get real-time video and data from the sky by operating a tactical UAV while simultaneously inspecting and detecting a suspicious object identified from the UAV with a tactical ground robotic system. roboteam had the opportunity to refine this innovative capability in underground environments in several combat loca-tions around the globe.

in the challenging subterranean environment, operators are using mul-tiple ground robots in order to clear terrorists’ tunnels. in order to address deep and long tunnels, operators used three to four of roboteam’s Micro Tactical Ground Robots (MTGR), with each MTGR acting as a communication repeater for the others. Critically, and for the first time, the operators used one controller—roboteam’s roCu 7—to control all the systems and share real-time video and data between them.

in short, with the roCu, roboteam has achieved what unmanned systems operators have been demanding since the advent of unmanned systems: a tough, high-performance, easy-to-use controller with common/universal application.

Offered both as a two-handed, 7-inch Windows-based unit (the 4-pound ROCU-7) and a single-handed, 5-inch Android-based device (the 1-pound ROCU-5), ROCU is not only the controller for Roboteam’s growing suite of world-class unmanned ground systems—but is increasingly viewed as the go-to controller for an array of other unmanned systems in the land, air and maritime domains.

Built according to military standards with attendant robustness, the roCu controller provides operators with direct access to real-time tactical

intelligence while allowing precise navigation and manipulation of unmanned systems—land, air or maritime.

among the key design characteristics of the roCu systems are the following:

• the roCu design is user-driven. the design and refinement of the roCu mission management controller was and remains based upon the operational experience of our engineers and developers and on iterative feedback from our customers within the Department of homeland security and DoD.

• The ROCU is intuitive. We hear from our users that “everything is where it should be on the roCu,” making operator training on our controllers quick and easy for military, law enforcement, and public safety operators.

• the roCu is easy to use in all conditions. the roCu’s touchscreens can be operated while wearing gloves (resistive touch) and night vision (NVIS) devices. For day operations, we ensured that our ROCU displays are clearly visible in the brightest sunshine.

• a single roCu operator can control several unmanned systems (land, air or maritime) with one device thanks to innovative design and key hardware features developed based on end-user feedback.

• the roCu is truly generic. the roCu’s open systems architecture allows for ready interface with any Windows- or Android-based systems. The ROCU features a Glenair 19-pin connector for RS-232, USB, 3.5 mm audio Ethernet and payload power for plug-and-playability.

The ROCU is the official control unit of more than 10 ISR systems—UAVs, quad copters, tactical surveillance systems and ground robotic systems. unlike other solutions, roboteam’s roCu is small and light. the operator doesn’t need to carry the computer on his back—the computer, battery, touchscreen, buttons and joystick are all in one handheld tactical unit. O

Shahar Abuhazira CEO Roboteam North America

For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at [email protected] or search our online archives for related stories

at www.sotech-kmi.com.

The Multi-Purpose, Multi-Vehicle Common Controller

be instinctual. taking that everyday knowledge into the field, the uPoint MrC system runs an android-based app that standardizes the control of any robot within the irobot family of unmanned vehicles. as a result, operators are now able to easily shift between different classes of robots depending on their mis-sion needs without the extra training burden of learning a new system.

By leveraging an off-the-shelf android tablet device, the uPoint MrC system can easily be replaced in the field. By running the app on an open architecture like android, the user is able to customize their tablet to their mission needs, adding other apps and features as needed. Whether calling up other applications, consulting reference materials or simply checking email, the operators will have improved productivity and a world of data at their fingertips.

some highlighted features on the system include a virtual joystick that allows users to touch and drag anywhere on the main video feed to steer the robot and predictive drive lines that help guide operators through tight spots. Numerous autonomous features have been added, including auto vector drive, robot poses, retro-traverse, self-righting and eventually autonomous stair climbing, door opening and, with an optional navigation kit on the robot, autonomous mapping and navigation.

the uPoint MrC system also includes the uPoint radio, which offers improved communications and smart networking. irobot created a world-class robot radio network that leverages frequency agility, power manage-ment, and mesh networking to form a robust network in which robots, operators and observers seamlessly operate together.

uPoint radio allows users to quickly jump between robots such that a single operator can command several robots into position to assist in the mission at hand. since our advanced radio network is a full mesh network, robots can relay radio coverage to extend the range of robots deep into dif-ficult structures or over significant distances.

the uPoint MrC system includes data recording of all functions on the screen for later playback in mission debriefings or to allow users to go back and review sensor data captured. this data can be evidence captured and, using a third-party application, can be recorded in a method that preserves the chain of evidence. the ability to share data and video in real time from the operator’s controller to other team members or remote observers is a distinct tactical advantage. the uPoint MrC system brings users a feature-rich system approach that is fast, responsive, upgradeable and offers the benefits of cloud access for increased autonomy and mission effectiveness in the future.


Highly transportable, rugged and reliable, L-3 GCS’ Hawkeye™ III Lite is setting the new standard for next-generation VSAT performance. All-new features include our embedded ViewSAT™ web-based GUI, as well as our enhanced ODU, utilizing the latest version of the iDirect e800 modem. Rapidly deployable and able to switch quickly between bands, the Hawkeye III Lite keeps you informed when it matters most.

For more information on Hawkeye III, visit L-3com.com/GCS.

L-3com.comGCS

ENDLESS APPLICATIONS. ONE FAST SOLUTION.

ENDLESS APPLICATIONS.

Being prepared for harsh weather conditions in the Arctic and other regions could be much more common for

the future SOF operator. With the nascent Northwest Passage creating a new sea route and the search for oil under the ocean floor, the chance of a hotspot emerging in the future is possible. Moreover, in some nations such as North Korea, the climate can also make for very harsh winter weather. Presently, fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan can be frigid.

According to 75th Ranger Regiment Staff Sergeant Charles Canedy, RS8, Soldier Survival Systems NCO, “the 75th Ranger Regiment has been divested of all protective combat uniform levels except levels 3A and 9 (combat uniform). The regiment is moving forward with fielding the GEN II ECWCS (Extended Cold Weather Clothing System). This system is comprised of uniform components that allow soldiers to adapt more effectively to opera-tional and environmental conditions.

“Each piece of GEN III ECWCS functions either alone or in concert with other components as a system, thus providing more options for the soldier and enabling seamless integration with load-bearing equipment and body armor configurations,” said Canedy. “The system functions through insulation, which resists the transmission of heat, traps air and wicks moisture away from the body; layering, which increases air space and allows easy adjustment to a soldier’s activity level; and ventilation, which allows moisture to escape.”

By mixing and matching GEN III ECWCS components, sol-diers can protect themselves from weather temperatures ranging from 40 F to -60 F.

Exposure to cold-weather conditions can result a number of health problems, such as frostbite and hypothermia, which can easily lead to death on the battlefield and amputations of affected body parts.

In a more specific manner, 75th Ranger Regiment Major Nicholas Song, Medical Operations, explained that “hypothermia is most often caused by exposure to cold weather or immersion in a cold body of water. People who develop hypothermia because of exposure to cold weather or cold water are also vulnerable to other cold-related injuries. The dangers of hypothermia include freezing of body tissue, decay and death of tissue resulting from an inter-ruption of blood flow and unconsciousness, and potentially death.”

Hypothermia occurs when severe body heat is lost and body temperature falls below 95 F. These conditions occur when cir-cumstances are windy, clothing is wet, and/or the individual is inactive or immersed or exposed to water temperatures below 45 F for less than an hour. Hypothermia can also be caused by pro-longed exposure in slightly cool water 60 F or less or exposure to thunderstorms, hail, rain and accompanying winds.

“Initial symptoms include shivering, dizziness, drowsiness, withdrawn behavior, irritability, confusion, slowed and/or slurred speech, altered vision and stumbling,” said Song. “Severe stages of hypothermia occur when the individual stops shivering, desires to lie down and sleep, and has faint or undetectable heartbeat and breathing; unconsciousness is then followed by death.”

Rangers can protect themselves from frostbite and/or hypo-thermia by utilizing the GEN III ECWCS system and the currently fielded Swoop Mitt and Liner. The Swoop Mitt is a shooter mitten developed for extreme cold weather that provides the user with limited forefinger and thumb dexterity in the Mitt configuration, allowing the individual to conduct basic tasks such as changing radio batteries or reacting to contact while patrolling or moving to a target area. Other mitigating strategies that rangers use include leadership involvement by conducting personnel spot checks for potential signs of frostbite and or hypothermia, eating properly and often, drinking warm liquids and water, keeping active, stay-ing dry and wearing the uniform properly with layers worn loosely.

By CHriS mCCOy, SOTECH EdiTOr

SOF dEplOymEnT TO COldEr ClimES rEquirES THE prOpEr ClOTHing TO prEvEnT ExpOSurE.


THE advanTagES OF mErinO WOOl

Armadillo Merino specializes in designing and manufacturing next-to-skin protective clothing that utilizes the unique proper-ties of merino wool.

“The garments are constructed for demanding environments using a range of merino performance fabrics that deliver supe-rior protection, performance and comfort to wearers,” said Andy Caughey, managing director at Armadillo Merino. “Armadillo Merino works with professionals operating in high-risk envi-ronments around the world in occupations such as astronauts, military, special forces, police, fire, ambulance, search and rescue, heavy industry, motorsport and other outdoor professions.”

Merino wool possesses technical attributes, including flame resistance up to 1000 F combined with no-melt, no-drip properties.

“At Armadillo Merino, we are using specialist R&D facilities to develop the next generation of next-to-skin fabrics for gar-ments which use the multi-attribute properties of merino to help protect at-risk professionals,” said Caughey. “We have combined 100 percent superfine merino (as fine as cashmere) with modern manufacturing techniques to create new performance fabrics and garments that are regarded as being the most advanced next-to-skin clothing and are being worn today by astronauts, soldiers, police and fire officers around the world.”

According to Caughey, the company focuses on meeting the growing demands of end-users.

“For our customers, comfort is the lack of discomfort, so we are looking at more effective ways of managing heat, sweat, cold, abrasion, odor and protection against heat and flames, which includes new fabrications and garment styles,” said Caughey. “In January 2015, we launched our new flame-resistant Arma-dillo fabric (certified to ISO 15025) that offers enhanced flame-resistant properties to help protect operators in high-fire-risk environments. The flame-resistant fabric can be substituted into the styles of our existing next-to-skin range.”

The company is also working on integrating conductive fibers within the merino knit structure to produce intelligent fabrics which, when worn next-to-skin, can measure and transmit the physiological state of an operator.

“By combining the technology within the merino knit struc-ture, we can deliver comfort and monitoring in a non-invasive form while transmitting vital information back to base sets,” said Caughey. “By choosing to wear Armadillo Merino garments, you are creating a buffer zone around the body which will help pro-tect against the extremes of hot and cold and will help maintain a more stable core body temperature.”

By CHriS mCCOy, SOTECH EdiTOr


In cold climates, the Armadillo gear actively absorbs sweat into the core of the fiber structure that helps keep the skin dry and reduces the chance of cold clammy skin when transitioning from a sweat to stand position.

“We believe that by building the protective layers from the inside out, we are creating a more effective micro-climate that can manage one’s sense of well-being,” said Caughey. “The head-to-toe collection covers all the extremi-ties and provides a range of styles for effective next-to-skin protection for all types of environments. In terms of styles, special forces prefer the Elite range with its athletic silhouette and use of our most advanced merino fabrics. The short-sleeve styles of Condor and Cou-gar are sought after for their versatility, while the long-sleeve versions, Falcon and Panther, are favored for fall/winter conditions,”

Moreover, Armadillo also has a tailor-made program.“If we don’t have a style to suit, then we can design and build a

next-to-skin garment to your requirements. We can color match, add badges and patches and make other enhancements to meet specific mission clothing requirements with small minimum quantities,” said Caughey.

“Armadillo Merino dispatches garments from the United King-dom to SOFs around the world. We also supply NASA with our Cobra T-shirts, so we could say we supply the best next-to-skin garments on earth and in space.”

vErSaTilE dESign

W. L. Gore & Associates, maker of Gore-Tex fabric, is a techni-cal fabric supplier to garment, footwear and glove customers who manufacture products for the consumer, military, law enforce-ment, fire and chemical/biological industries.

“Our portfolio of fabrics is engineered to provide enhanced protection against weather, heat and flame threats, or chemical/biological hazards,” said Jason Rodriguez, marketing associate, Military Fabrics Division. “Gore-Tex fabric provides durable water-proof, windproof and breathable protection, even after exposure to JP-8, DEET, petroleum, oils and lubricants.”

Gore Pyrad flame retardant is a new, self-extinguishing fabric technology for protection against flash-fire incidents. Chempak products offer two fabric options for protection in warm- or hot-zone chemical/biological environments.

In 2015, Gore expects a couple of new products to hit the mar-ket: a lighter-weight Gore-Tex fabric, which leverages the Active Shell technology from the consumer side of its business, and an insulated piece that is engineered with Gore Pyrad flame retar-dant, a self-extinguishing fabric technology for protection against heat and flame threats.

The Gore-Tex product offers a lighter-weight construction, enhanced breathability, and superior packability compared to tra-ditional Gore-Tex fabric.

“Essentially, this product was designed for highly mobile users who are on the move and need lightweight protection dur-ing their activity or mission,” said Rodriguez. “We anticipate this product being introduced within SOCOM and the USMC.”

Rodriguez continued, “Another would include the Chemi-cal/Biological Protective Clothing System (CPCS) that features Chempak selectively permeable fabric. This NFPA-certified stretch undergarment helps minimize thermal burden by allowing per-spiration vapor to escape, while providing long-lasting protection in warm zone operations.”

“The stretch construction of the close-fitting undergarment provides additional comfort by eliminating the thermal insulating layer that surrounds your body,” said Rodriguez.

The undergarment’s stretch fabric and unique design maxi-mize its range of motion and comfortable fit, enabling increased mobility and operational effectiveness in traditional and cata-strophic environments. Its versatile design enables the undergar-ment to be easily integrated with other equipment in a variety of ensembles for CBRN response missions.

The company has been providing fabric solutions to the U.S. military for more than 30 years. “One of the most popular prod-ucts from a historical perspective would be the Level 6 Gore-Tex jacket and trouser in the Army’s ECWCS program, which is now in its third generation,” said Rodriguez. “The complete system features seven levels of protection for a broad range of environ-mental conditions with a two-layer Gore-Tex fabric representing the Level 6 jacket and trouser.”

Another popular Gore product is the Fire Resistant Environ-ment Ensemble (FREE) procured by the U.S. Army for combat vehicle crew and aviation mission sets.

“FREE is designed with a Nomex outer layer, a durably waterproof, windproof and breathable Gore-Tex membrane, and a Nomex liner. Another is the Cold Weather Flyer’s glove manufac-tured by Masley Enterprises, which has sold more than 500,000 pairs to the U.S. Army.”

Gore fabrics are currently being used in two products cur-rently under contract by the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Climashield’s signature continuous filament insulation is consistent throughout the life of the product no matter how many times it’s stretched, packed or washed. [Photo courtesy of Climashield]


“They include the Level 6 Gore-Tex jacket and trouser in their PCU and the Level 3B jacket, which features a durably water-resistant and highly breathable Gore fabric with PrimaLoft Fusion insulation.”

COnTinuOuS FilamEnT inSulaTiOn

Another company involved in protecting SOF operators from exposure is Climashield. The company’s products are based on hollow continuous 100 percent polyester fibers; in most cases, these have an acrylic binder for water repellence that is applied during manufacturing.

“The military uses several different insulations that we make, as we customize depending on the application,” said Matt Schrantz, chief operating officer of Climashield.

The signature continuous filament insulation boasts warmth that is consistent throughout the life of the product no matter how many times it’s stretched, packed or washed.

“We are in the final stages of developing a flame-retardant insulation based on our technology platforms, as we have seen in most cases [that] our customers give up a high level of thermal efficiency to achieve flame-retardant properties. With our flame-retardant product development, we have found that we can retain thermal efficiency,” said Schrantz.

According to Schrantz, the company is always looking for ways to improve the thermal efficiency of their insulations and is in the early phases of developing a product that will raise the standard for thermal efficiency at any given weight.

“Our goal is to continue to improve thermal efficiency (warmth/weight) while reducing the size of the product. For example, a sleeping bag that is warmer, lighter and smaller is especially useful for the extreme requirements of military appli-cations,” said Schrantz. “We supply insulation for many of the military products. We have supplied some products, such as the Modular Sleep System, for many years in different versions, while others, such as the Protective Combat Uniform (PCU), Layer 7 of the Extreme Cold Weather System (ECWS) and the USMC APL (Advance Poncho Liner), are relatively new for us.”

Schrantz continued, “The U.S. Marines especially love the Advanced Poncho Liner—the latest version incorporates a zipper and improved warmth so it can be used as a sleeping bag in cool weather.”

When asked if Climashield has any contracts with SOCOM, Schrantz replied, “We work with the garment and sleeping bag manufacturers to meet the solicitation requirements. Recently, we have worked closely with Massif as their insulation of choice for development of Layer 7 of the PCU, helping them shed weight by 20 percent without losing warmth.”

in THE End

Ultimately, as SOF forces continue taking on a more global series of deployments outside of the Middle East, the need for pro-tection from exposure may increase. And the defense industrial base is ready to meet their requirements. O



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Developments in camouflage in mod-ern warfare reach back to the mid-19th century, when the more accurate and lon-ger-ranged rifles gradually began to replace the musket.

According to Greg Snyder at MARSOC G-83, SPEAR/Weapons Program Manage-ment, the true purpose of today’s camou-flage is signature reduction, that is, both visual and heat reduction.

When asked what advances in camou-flage are of interest to MARSOC, Snyder answered, “heat/thermal reduction, while still providing fire/flash retardation capa-bility that does not reduce form and fit maneuverability.”

Snyder also emphasized that “camou-flage is not just about the textile pattern, but more about reducing the signature within the environment.”

Many well-known defense contractors contribute to the different forms of cam-ouflage needed by U.S. special operations forces such as the Marines of MARSOC.

a Family OF TECHnOlOgiES

Newark, Del.-based W. L. Gore & Associ-ates has developed a family of technologies and a patent portfolio to address the needs of reducing and managing multispectral sig-natures in the visual, nIR (near IR), SWIR, thermal bands (MWIR and LWIR) and radio frequency/radar bands. These technologies have been integrated into various product forms, such as multispectral concealment garments; hides for warfighters, their small

vehicles and caches; and larger covers for bigger vehicles.

In addition, Gore has worked on acces-sories for the SOF community. These tech-nologies can be leveraged for tents, shelters and other forms.

According to Gore Advanced Military Products product specialist Russ Hornung, “Gore continues to invest for the next gen-eration of products and to advance the tech-nology with self-investment. This includes efforts that leverage our technologies into more advanced combat uniform technol-ogy that will provide not only multispectral concealment in all bands (nIR, SWIR, MWIR, LWIR and RF), but also provide unequal and very low thermal resistance and water vapor resistance.”

Hornung explained that “as the United States looks beyond Afghanistan and Iraq and addresses other areas of interest, such as arctic and jungle environments, there is an opportunity for Gore to provide additional value for those environments.”

An example of this is addressing the visual patterns while providing multispectral concealment in a very different thermal environment. Another example is providing garments that not only provide low water pick-up and quick dry, but also provide mul-tispectral concealment.

“Most of Gore’s efforts in camouflage has been focused on ‘blackout’ for shelters (nIR and SWIR) or multispectral concealment against all bands, said Eric Garver, prod-uct specialist, shelters. “Details [of] Gore’s advancements are sensitive and considered

ITAR restricted; thus, Gore’s ability to dis-close them is very limited.”

The company’s focus and niche is pro-viding multispectral concealment not only against thermal (MWIR and LWIR), but, also nIR, SWIR and RF.

There are less sophisticated technologies that can provide concealment against ther-mal detection, but they make operators and equipment more vulnerable in other bands of interest.

“This becomes more critical as U.S. warfighters engage with better-funded enemies or enemies that have access to non-participating or enforcing states in the Wassenaar Arrangement,” said Hornung. “This arrangement is a group of 40 or so countries that have agreed to maintain dual-use controls and does not include China.”

Moreover, according to the company, smuggled commercial sensors out of the United States are a threat. “Advancements in hyperspectral sensors also need to be addressed in Gore’s efforts to provide con-cealment that benefits not only today’s warfighter but is also applicable to threats that suddenly emerge on the battlefield,” said Hornung.

Public-domain information shows that the company has and is working under mul-tiple contracts and CRADAs. This includes multiple RIF (rapid innovation funding) con-tracts to provide product data, field testing and specification for various product forms.

The Rapid Innovation Fund provides a collaborative vehicle for businesses to

CamOuFlagE COnTinuES TO advanCE WiTH mOdErn TECHnOlOgy.

By CHriS mCCOy

SOTECH EdiTOr

12 | SOTECH 13.1 www.SOTECH-kmi.com

provide the department with innovative technologies that can be rapidly inserted into acquisition programs that meet specific defense needs. RIF is administered by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engi-neering to support SOCOM needs.

gEnEral-purpOSE CamOuFlagE

Saab Barracuda LLC, a worldwide leader in signature management, is part of Saab Defense and Security, located in Washing-ton, D.C.

“We are the only U.S.-based producer of general-purpose camouflage for the U.S. military. All of our products that are made in the United States are Berry Compliant,” said Kevin Dunham, program manager, Barracuda, Saab Defense and Security USA LLC.

“We have products that we make that are a standard fit, but we also produce many custom products based on customer requirements,” Dunham. “In all of our cus-tom products, we use 3-D surface models to

ensure that our products fit perfectly to the system we are designing for. All of our cam-ouflage solutions are designed to protect against visual, near-infrared, thermal and radar threats.”

Saab Barracuda offers several solutions, but the biggest camouflage solutions for shelters and vehicles are the Ultra Light-weight Camouflage Net Systems (ULCANS), the ULCANS-based Solar Shade System and the Mobile Camouflage System (MCS).

Currently, the company is working on a new arctic camouflage, a chemical/bio-logical agent indicator and neutralization process that would be embedded into Saab vehicle MCS material, and some enhanced radar properties.

“We are also working on Woodland Enhanced SWIR specifically for regional reaction forces, global reaction forces and a reversible (two-sided, two-color) net,” said Dunham.

Saab Barracuda is working with sev-eral small companies to explore dynamic camouflage, a camouflage that can adapt to its environment by altering characteristics

such as color depending on the amount of light the material is receiving.

“We are also working on improving our radar-absorbing material in order to defeat a greater range of radar systems that are prevalent today,” said Dunham. “Our cam-ouflage systems will reduce detection from a thermal imager in different climatic condi-tions, obstruct thermal reconnaissance and block the thermal energy being transmitted by whatever you are attempting to conceal.”

COnCluSiOn

Overall, as camouflage technologies have advanced, they have contributed to the survival of SOF operators and other servicemembers worldwide. Today’s defense contractors have contributed this trend and are ready to provide more sophisticated cam-ouflage going forward. O

For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at [email protected]

or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.


BlacK Watch

Aerospace Flame Arrestors

Essex Industries designs and manufactures a wide range of flame arrestors for the aerospace industry. Flame arrestors are designed to prevent external flames or other ignition sources from entering the downstream side of an aircraft fuel system.

Used in both aircraft fuel vent systems and fuel tank nitrogen inerting systems, Essex flame arrestors are available in various shapes and line sizes from 3/8” to 10”.

Essex flame arrestors are installed in all Boeing commercial aircraft, as well as in a number of regional aircraft throughout the world.

New Capabilities and a New MASS Ship Protection System Customer

Rheinmetall continues to expand its range of ship protection products. The Düsseldorf-based system supplier has added to the capabilities of its tried-and-tested Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS).

Since space and weight always present a limiting factor on any platform, Rheinmetall has integrated an anti-torpedo capability into MASS. The current concept offers the possibility of launching up to four anti-torpedo decoys from a single MASS

launcher. Existing launchers can be easily equipped with the new anti-torpedo upgrade kit without modification.

Rheinmetall also continues to offer the Multi Ammunition Softkill System variant MASS_ISS (Integrated Sensor Suite). It features integrated radar ESM systems and laser warning systems. Threat analysis conducted by Rheinmetall and a number of its customers shows that the threat to seagoing vessels in littoral waters from small

weapons such as guided missiles (i.e., asym-metric threats) is basically undetectable using current shipboard sensor systems. In order to bridge this capability gap, Rheinmetall is cooperating with the Israeli company Elta to integrate its NavGuard technology into MASS. NavGuard is a radar-based projectile warning system capable of detecting even small incoming threats. MASS has already undergone successful live-fire testing in combination with NavGuard.

Inflatable Field TourniquetBCB International Ltd.’s

inflatable field tourniquet can be used in any emergency requiring a tourniquet, such as a loss or major/minor damage to a limb.

This system is far more efficient than the CAT-type tourniquets currently used by the military. It also causes less damage to the limb than the CAT.

The standard readily avail-able gas bottle will deliver 7 psi to the tourniquet to inflate it and then maintain pressure with the remains of the gas in

the cylinder. A standby hand pump can be used to maintain pressure. The integral pressure regulator means the user can fit, activate and almost forget about it, allowing him or her to carry on treating the casualty.

Earlier proof of concept prototypes have been shown to cut off a pulse in the ankle when inflated on the thigh of test subjects.

The hand pump will inflate the tourniquet to a sufficient pressure in about 10 to 15 seconds.

Chinook Medical Gear, a distributor and manufacturer of tactical medical kits, unveiled its latest addition to a growing line of customizable medical gear with the Medical Panel Insert (TMK-MPI). Designed and tested in cooperation with the special operations community, the Medical Panel Insert meets the need for versatility and functionality.

The result is a system that allows the TMK-MPI to be oriented either vertically or horizontally for integration into backpacks, messenger bags and hard cases, or as a standalone hanging medical supply panel for vehicles and helicopters. It is comprised of two reconfigurable, semi-rigid panels and features a hook-and-loop attachment to quickly secure multiple removable pouches and equipment panels.

“Our customers needed an option to turn their issued bag into a fully stocked medical kit,” explained Jessica Denison, chief operating officer with Chinook Medical Gear. “The TMK-MPI is a simple yet ingenious concept, where users can change its orientation to insert the panel into almost any bag.”

The TMK-MPI features seven removable mesh pouches (three large, four small), two removable equipment panels and eight removable labels. The TMK-MPI can also be purchased as a fully stocked kit which contains the supplies necessary to perform TCCC/TECC-recommended treatment protocols for the three leading causes of preventable deaths on the battlefield: exsanguination, tension pneumothorax and airway obstruction.

James Graven;[email protected]

Customizable Medical Kit


Compiled by KMi Media Group staff

Tactical Launches BC2 Grip and Rail System

Recover Tactical has released its new Recover BC2 grip and rail system for the Beretta 92/96 series of pistols. The Beretta grip and rail system follows on the success of Recover’s CC3 grip and rail for 1911s. The patented design of the BC2 adds a fully functional picatinny rail to the Beretta which can be easily installed in about three minutes without a gunsmith.

Just like Recover’s 1911 grips, the new Beretta BC2 grip and rail system was designed by world-renowned Israeli weapons designer Tamir Porat (who also designed the IWI Tavor assault rifle).

The BC2 grip is manufactured in Israel from the same high-grade, glass-reinforced polymer used by many polymer gun manufacturers. The Recover BC2 will not scratch or damage a gun. Weighing in at only about 65 grams, it will not significantly change the weight of the gun or the thickness of the grip.

According to Ron Rosenberg, presi-dent of Recover Tactical, “the new BC2 grip and rail system captures the essence of the Beretta design and enhances the existing features of the Beretta and complements it by giving you the ability to take the pistol into the 20th century to add modern accessories to your gun.”

Air Bearing Landing System

Aeroscraft Corporation (Aeros) announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted a patent for its vertical takeoff and landing logistical cargo air vehicle that covers the Aeroscraft’s Air Bearing Landing System (ABLS).

The patent covers the ABLS technology, which is an integrated part of the Aeroscraft design. The ABLS is designed for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) versus prior air cushion “hovercraft” landing systems for a rolling takeoff and landing. The Aeroscraft’s ABLS supports the aircraft’s oper-ational performance by providing energy absorp-tion during vertical landings, including taxing and towing capabilities, conforming to terrain and adjusting the Aeroscraft on unlevel surfaces.

The Aeroscraft has built-in internal ballast control. The distinguishing utility in the Aeroscraft’s logistical approach is VTOL and hover at maximum payload, without the use of off-board ballasting or ground infrastructure typically required by airships or hybrid airship, as well as off- and on-loading cargo while hovering.

According to the company, other approaches cannot do this. The new capability will dramati-cally decrease the time and cost for delivering cargo to areas with no pre-positioned infrastruc-ture, making the tyranny of logistics a thing of the past. In addition, it features a rigid structural design that maintains the shape of the airship without the need for internal pressure.

U.S. Air Force Selects ‘Smart’ Targeting Platform

Modus Operandi, a company that delivers big-data analytics solutions for national security and commercial organiza-tions, has been selected by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to develop workflow modules for the Air Force targeting plat-form called “CATALiST,” which is designed to improve the analysis and assessment of battlefield targets.

Under terms of the two-year contract, Modus Operandi will develop a system that effectively automates, monitors and

improves the targeting process. The system will be based on Modus Flow, a distributed, semantically-enhanced process automation and knowledge management framework. The platform will leverage mature, best-of-class government off-the-shelf and open-source software consisting of knowledge management, analytics and visualization technologies Modus Operandi developed in support of other government customers.

A unique aspect of the workflow approach is the ability to utilize semanti-

cally-enhanced or “smart” data to optimize the targeting processes, thus shortening the targeting cycles. As a result, the CATALiST platform provides the Air Force Targeting Enterprise with the necessary tools to promote a continuous targeting process—supported by distributed process automation and auditing, with enterprise collaboration capabilities, culminating in the real-time dissemination and discovery of the targeting products through a multimedia electronic target folder.


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James F. Geurts, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Acquisition Executive, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. He is responsible for all special operations forces research, development, acquisition, procure-ment and logistics.

Geurts, a native of Charleston, S.C., entered the Air Force in 1987 as a distinguished graduate from the Lehigh University ROTC program, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering. He has served as an acquisition program manager with engineering and program management leadership positions in numerous weapon systems, including intercontinen-tal ballistic missiles, surveillance platforms, tactical fighter air-craft, advanced avionics systems, stealth cruise missiles, training systems and manned and unmanned special operations aircraft. He commanded an acquisition group, served as the Program Executive Officer for Fixed Wing Programs at SOCOM, and was commander, Joint Acquisition Task Force Dragon, an elite team of SOCOM and service acquisition personnel responsible for execut-ing SOCOM’s most urgent acquisitions in response to wartime critical mission needs statements. He retired from the Air Force at the rank of colonel in July 2009 after more than 21 years of active duty. Prior to his current assignment, he was the deputy director, Special Operations Research, Development, and Acquisition Cen-ter, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base.

Q: Mr. Geurts, could you discuss the priorities of your office?

A: Our priority is always the special operations forces (SOF) operator and improving our ability and capability to providing the equipment, technologies and support to the SOF warfighter.

Our vision is to always be the recognized expert and trusted provider of SOF-unique equipment, technology and support to our forces at the speed of SOF.

To do this, we focus on training, developing and retaining our incredible workforce of SOF acquirers, logisticians and technolo-gists, executing sound and innovative acquisition plans, develop-ing and refining technology and capability roadmaps with our users, ensuring sound business and competitive processes, and using the full complement of visual management and enterprise analytics to ensure we are always improving.

We are also focused on creating and leveraging a broad net-work of partnerships with the services, industry, academia and

international partners to rapidly identify and transition technol-ogy and equipment into capabilities for our SOF warfighters.

This network enables us to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage in our acquisition velocity and iteration speed.

Q: How does Special Operations Research, Development and Acqui-sition Command (SORDAC) promote technological innovation?

A: SORDAC has the distinct advantage of overseeing all technology development, acquisition and logistics for all SOF operators, as well as having a very close relationship between the end-user and the developer.

Closing the distance between the operator, acquirer, logistician, industry partner and international partner enables innovation and collaboration to occur over what are traditionally large chasms between invention, procurement, fielding, support and operator use.

We are always looking for new ways to achieve this collabora-tion. Our Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) effort is a recent example of our continual drive to try new ways to achieve this synergy, which has resulted in numerous innovations to both drive our future capabilities and enable immediate spinoffs to rapidly improve capability on the battlefield.

Aligning the Culture of SOF Acquisition with that of the SOF Operator

SOF Innovator

James F. GeurtsAcquisition Executive

U.S. Special Operations Command

Q&AQ&A


We are using numerous other methods to promote innovation, whether it is operator-driven, technology-driven, threat-driven or needs-driven.

We hold several multiweek experimentation venues each year that promote industry, academia and operational units to bring new technologies into the field and experiment with them in field conditions. These are held at no cost to attendees, and SOF par-ticipants provide immediate feedback. Our Technology & Industry Liaison Office (TILO) provides an excellent conduit to present information on capabilities to the various SOCOM Program Exec-utive Offices, Directorates, and others responsible for the R&D, acquisition, production and sustainment of SOCOM materiel and technology platforms.

We have also greatly expanded the use of cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) to enable early partnering with industry as they explore new technologies or capabilities. Finally, we have expanded the number of SOF-to-SOF cooperative development agreements with our international SOF partners. By getting clearer communication lines and by working together, we all make better decisions and, in the end, get desired capability to the operator better, faster, cheaper and more effectively.

On the battlefield, we continue to push engineering and production as close to the end-user as possible. Our mobile tech-nology and repair centers have been forward-deployed to combat zones for several years and recently completed their 25,000th project in Afghanistan.

We have major initiatives underway to continue to network these capabilities and expand our already heavy use of new tools such as 3-D printing/advanced manufacturing. Recently, we stood up a 3-D printing support cell, which will serve as a key node in our solution network and be manned with expertly trained wounded warriors.

Q: Could you explain to our readers the term “innovation leader-ship” and what it means in relation to SORDAC?

A: Innovation leadership is having a leader focused on creating the culture, workforce and method of operation that embraces innovation and uses it as an enabler to allow the organization to better function in a dynamic and complex operating environment.

It involves developing an entire staff who value employee-driven decision-making, radical transparency and massive decen-tralization, and who understand the value of ‘productive failures’ as a means to improve the overall capability of the organization.

As a leader, this requires rethinking traditional management models that value position, strict directives, standard operating principles and tight control on decision-making and, in their place, using a much more collaborative, employee-driven business model.

For SORDAC, it means creating an organization that can straddle the duality of a traditional statutory-based framework (traditional DoD acquisition system) and the dynamic, global, complex and time-sensitive needs of the SOF missions.

It means creating an organization that values velocity, itera-tion speed, rapid and low-level decision-making, and pushing the bounds of the status quo, where the emphasis is developing numerous tools and processes and then training employees on how to understand the situation and tailor the tools used for the task at hand. By constantly evaluating enterprise performance

in real time and with big-data style analytics, we are striving to remove friction from the process and provide top cover to enable asymmetric returns.

To accomplish this, I push and empower decision-making down to the lowest levels (99 percent plus of milestone decision authority is at the PEO level or lower), promote radical trans-parency (100 percent of the acquisition data is available to 100 percent of the SOF enterprise in 100 percent real-time), and pub-lish broad intent versus specific program direction. I believe our return on investment is greater because our process requires less investment.

It also means improving the capability of everyone in the network, not just our direct reports. A good example of that is SORDAC’s Ghost program, which has been in place since 2009. In this program, the Air Force deploys its top-notch acquisition junior force to SOCOM so that they can learn rapid acquisition skill craft and then bring it back to the Air Force. To date, we have had 80-plus officers benefit from this experience, which has been a win-win for SOCOM and the Air Force.

Q: Are there key principles you use to try and drive innovation into the acquisition process, which is traditionally viewed as bureaucratic and slow reacting to change?

A: More than anything else, success in SOF acquisition is driven by the mindset and culture of the organization, not any specific procedure or method.

I believe the following principles best describe the culture we aim to establish for the SOF acquisition, logistics and technology:

1. A cause is not a business: Supporting the SOF operator is paramount, and we measure our success in their eyes, not solely by traditional functional metrics. Our goal is to ensure that everyone working in SORDAC feels that working to support the SOF operator is a passion and privilege, not just a job.

2. Execute an elastic business definition: We support the mission, not a rigidly defined set of tasks or prescribed job description. We approach problems with a ‘yes, if’ versus a ‘no, because’ mentality. Providing acquisition and logistics support to SOF train and equip missions is a recent example.

3. Plan for the unplanned, and own change: We recognize that our ability to plan and predict is inherently limited and thus we craft strategies, develop people and look for solutions which allow us to rapidly flex to the needs of our operators and exploit our velocity as one of our comparative advantages.

4. Embrace and listen to new voices: We embrace diversity in all its forms and believe that it’s the key to enabling innovation, whether through more competitive opportunities, close links with academia, better partnerships with our international SOF teammates, or internally through operator or team member initiatives.

5. Enable a market for innovation: Create the marketplace which attracts challenges and potential solutions and solves problems. If someone has an innovative idea, we want them to think of SOCOM as a market, or conversely if they have a hard problem, we want them to ask us about it. We work hard to reduce barriers, expand opportunities and create


new business models (e.g., prize challenges, collaborative prototype environments) to enable this marketplace to thrive.

6. Exploit experimentation and productive failures: We don’t believe that risk can be avoided; real innovation in solutions or business models can only be achieved by robust experimentation. Pushing the boundaries and learning where equipment, processes and strategies fail enables us to convert these productive failures into improved capabilities.

7. Create and exercise the network. SOCOM has demonstrated the power of a truly networked force. We see the same in acquisition, technology and logistics. By developing, exercising and nurturing a network across industry, academia, international partners, and service nodes, we can leverage the power of their diversity and depth to increase our velocity, iteration speed and variety of options to meet the demanding needs of our customers.

The key challenge here is aligning the culture of the SOF acquisition process with that of the SOF operator.

Q: What are some of the tough challenges expected for 2015?

A: The complexity of SOF operations around the world certainly presents challenges for SORDAC. We are seeing diverse requirements and supporting expansion in almost all dimensions. We are operat-ing in declared combat zones and outside declared theaters of armed

conflict, in a wide variety of missions from direct action to partnered operations, and in a wide number of countries and climates.

We are not only supporting U.S. SOF, but we are also sup-porting training and equipping actions with several of SOCOM’s international partners.

This increasing diversity stresses both the range of equipment capabilities we must field, as well as the SOF logistics systems needed to ensure all forces are properly equipped. We are also chal-lenged as we try to support deployed forces in current fights as we simultaneously look at the technologies and capabilities needed for future operations.

Bottom line: We have to strive to ensure SOF acquisition, logistics and technology efforts can continue to match the ever-increasing speed of change in the world today, which demands that we adapt rapidly to change.

Q: Are there any new programs or initiatives at SORDAC that you would like to discuss?

A: I remain extremely proud of the SORDAC team and all they have accomplished. As we continue to put tools in the hands of our amazing SOF operators who are executing today’s missions, we are executing numerous critical activities to improve SOF’s capabilities for the future.

We are in the midst of the largest recapitalization of SOF’s surface maritime fleet, having delivered several new capabilities to

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the Naval Special Warfare Command SEALs, including the Combat Craft Assault (CCA) and Combat Craft Medium (CCM) boats. We are simultaneously finishing assembly, checkout and delivery of next-generation dry and wet combat submersible prototypes.

On the ground, we have entered initial production of SOF’s newest ground mobility vehicles (GMV 1.1). In the air, we are in the midst of recapitalizing Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) Vietnam-era MC-130s and AC-130s.

Our radically affordable CubeSat program has passed its first-year anniversary in space, allowing SOF to explore new ways to operate in that medium at previously unimaginable affordability. We continue efforts to harness the latest in technology, advanced manufacturing, and collaborative design models with our TALOS program.

We also have been expanding our international partnerships with our global SOF partners, executing several new agreements that allow us to reduce costs and increase interoperability through cooperative capability development.

We continue to explore new business models to include execut-ing prize challenges, over 80 new CRADAs, and groundbreak-ing rapid prototyping collaborative events while simultaneously achieving 74 percent competition rates, nearly 30 percent small business rates, and a staggering almost 10 percent service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses award rate.

Q: How is the tightening budget affecting SORDAC?

A: While we have fared well in the recent budget deliberations due to great support from our stakeholders, I am always mindful of the services’ situation since any cuts they have to absorb and manage can potentially impact us as well. Our 5th SOF truth is that most SOF operations require non-SOF support; the same is true in SOF Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L). We get tremendous support from the services and greatly leverage their activities to enable our speed and agility.

Our biggest challenge in the current environment is ensuring we do not sacrifice science and technology or other research and development funding as a lower priority to maintain a keen edge in operations and maintenance readiness.

To ensure this does not occur, we have established core tech-nology roadmaps, which in combination with user-developed capability roadmaps allow us to ensure we are funding the critical new emergent technologies and capabilities needed to maintain our competitive advantage over our adversaries.

We also continue to grow our strong SOF network of users, industry, academia and international partners to synchronize activities and ensure there is no duplicative effort.

We also continue to exercise new business models, such as incentive prize challenges and using the government as the inte-grator, to provide new tools to attack problems.

Q: What are some of the challenges in going from an acquisitions standpoint based on urgent needs, at a time where large numbers of troops are deployed to combat zones, to an acquisition stand-point that is more hamstrung by budgetary concerns?

A: For SOCOM, I don’t foresee there will be any change in our need for to be able to field capabilities urgently. In fact, I think for us, the challenge will increase as we shift from a strategy of

large formations, in largely the CENTCOM area of responsibility, and focus on smaller, SOF-led missions in support of geographical combatant commands around the world.

That said, our acquisition and logistics system will need to be dynamic and responsive as the set of missions and locations of missions continue to expand and evolve.

Q: What methods are you using to prioritize your equipment acquisitions?

A: Another one of SOCOM’s strengths is its strategic planning process (SPP) that prioritizes the command’s efforts into a synchronized strategy, which we then support with equipment acquisitions.

SORDAC plays a key role in that process by identifying tech-nology opportunities and ranges of equipment that can provide these needed capabilities. They are then prioritized by the com-manders through the SPP, which enables us to execute programs with the full buy-in of our customers. We also execute, in parallel, rapid requirements and acquisition processes to respond to urgent battlefield needs as required.

Q: What are some of your key acquisitions priorities?

A: Just as with the operational forces, people are our most important asset, so our continuing to recruit, select, train and retain top-notch SOF acquirers, technologists and logisticians is my top priority.

Our workforce development team remains focused on develop-ing our people so they are prepared to meet the heavy demands of the SOF operator.

Our program managers’ priority will be executing their respec-tive programs within their cost/schedule/performance baselines to deliver what we promised, when we promised it to the operator.

We’re continuing to improve our competitive processes to fos-ter a competitive environment that offers incentives to industry to propose their best solutions to our tough problems while we con-tinually incorporate technology opportunities and better buying principles into programs to provide the command with the best long-term solutions at an affordable price.

Our logistics team continues to mature our SOF sustainment enterprise to ensure we have the logistics system needed to enable our forces to operate at the speed of SOF on a global scale.

Q: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

A: I am very proud of the SOF AT&L team for all they have accom-plished in 2014 as a combat enabler for our SOF operators, both in direct combat support as well as in creating opportunities for the future.

We continue to focus on our people, having been selected as the winner of the DoD Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Award for the fourth year in a row (a feat unequalled in DoD). We continue to ensure we have the acquisition, technology and logistics team we need to meet a demanding future environment.

We continue to challenge ourselves to innovate in what we develop and how we develop it and, in doing so, we not only improve our ability to equip and support the SOF team, but we also continue to lead the department in rapid and focused acquisition and sustain-ment at the global scale. O


HOW THE miliTary iS prOviding SpECial OpEraTiOnS FOrCES WiTH grEaTEr inTElligEnCE CapaBiliTiES.

By pETEr BuxBaum, SOTECH COrrESpOndEnT

Today, more than ever, intelligence is the driver of operations in the battlespace. The ability of theater operations to leverage the full spectrum of intelligence and analysis is a key enabler to successful activities. For special operations forces, a near real-time access to the most relevant data has been enabled by the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) series of programs and the capabilities it brings to warfighters.

The importance of DCGS-A, the Army’s DCGS program, to Army special operators is evidenced by the fact that all operational detach-ment alphas (ODAs) are authorized a DCGS-A unit. Moreover, all ODA intelligence personnel are trained on DCGS-A. As DCGS has developed, greater emphasis has been placed on getting intelligence to and from the most remote edges of the network. To that end, vari-ous iterations of DCGS-Lite have emerged, which have incorporated the mobile technologies required to allow isolated special operations teams to exploit intelligence at their far-forward and remote locations.

DCGS is a family of programs with common elements designed to meet the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance needs of each of the armed services. DCGS provides an interoperable archi-tecture for the collection, processing, exploitation, dissemination and archiving of all forms of intelligence. While DCGS includes common elements, it is not, strictly speaking, a joint program. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps are each developing their own DCGS platforms. The ultimate DCGS vision is to amalgamate all sources of intelligence so that everyone—from forward-deployed special opera-tors to commanders at headquarters to remote analysts and plan-ners—has access to the same intelligence.

DCGS does not eliminate the use of legacy systems. Instead, each service is adapting its legacy systems to the DCGS Integration Backbone (DIB), which provides a common operating environment for all of the DCGS programs. Systems which collect, analyze and disseminate various forms of intelligence have become DIB-enabled; new tools are also being developed for use on DCGS.

The DIB’s common operating environment represents a transi-tion from the old architectures utilized by the Department of Defense, in which systems were integrated individually on a point-to-point

basis. Legacy systems tend to collect and disseminate intelligence data from sensors and other sources in a stovepiped fashion. The DIB, which slices across all of the service DCGS programs, allows data to be shared so that data coming from the Air Force, for example, could be accessed and processed by the Army.

Tools have been and are being developed for DCGS to facilitate the capture, analysis and dissemination of all forms of intelligence. These tools are configured as services harmonize to the interoperable DIB architecture. Progressive iterations of that architecture have enhanced the interoperability of the DCGS systems and services. As a consequence, the DCGS family is becoming more joint and more amenable to be managed as an enterprise, as evidenced by the grow-ing number of common elements that have been developed from the beginning as enterprise capabilities.

DCGS-A is the computer system that all Army special forces sol-diers train on while they are attending the Special Forces Intelligence Sergeants Course at the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School in Fort Bragg, N.C. “Students utilize the DCGS-A on a daily basis to produce multiple products, includ-ing targeting packets, both target intelligence packets and subject intelligence packets, threat vulnerability assessments, intelligence estimates, evasion plans of action, link analyses and intelligence briefings,” said Chief Warrant Officer Five Andrew Maykovich, the officer in charge of the sergeants course at the school. “Students are provided training on the basic functions and software of DCGS-A, given production requirements with specific deadlines and are then expected to utilize the DCGS-A to produce their products for graded evaluation.” According to Maykovich, students are allowed some flexibility in determining the tools they utilize, but rely primarily on Analyst Notebook, a software tool that facilitates information linkages and timeline analyses; ArcGIS, a widespread geographic and geospa-tial platform from Esri; query tools within the multifunction work station (MFWS); and Google Earth.

DCGS is a large and diverse enterprise, and industry is playing a diverse role in its continuing development. “We have been working on DCGS-A since 2006,” said John Bendyk, program manager for


DCGS-A Lite at Raytheon. “The DIB backbone was our program originally. It was recognized by OSD and was implemented by DoD to be used by everyone as a data infrastructure.”

The DIB represents one of two ways to approach intelli-gence data. “You can federate with data, or it can be replicated,” explained Bendyk. “The DIB allows data to be left at rest. Users are able to pull data forward based on their specific needs. From there, we built applications and services, fixed and mobile, on top of the DIB for the Army. We were also the ones who developed the Ozone widget framework for the Army, and we taught others how to use that to build widgets for use on DCGS-A. From there we were asked by the Army to work on DCGS-A Lite,” the Army’s program for mobile DCGS applications, which is still in its pilot stage.

“We have done research and prototyping relating to incorporat-ing advanced geospatial capabilities into DCGS,” said Jim Stokes, vice president for technology solutions at Digital Globe. “These capabilities look at terrain analysis and use satellite imagery as a ground truth and guide for special operations. Digital Globe imagery is releasable so that the use of that imagery in DCGS is sharable. This allows users all the way to deployed warfighters to be able to have very rapid cloud access to these capabilities to rapidly produce line-of-sight analysis and other types of terrain analytics on the spot.”

Advances in sensors and related equipment have enabled the greater dissemination of intelligence capabilities to the tactical edge of networks through DCGS. “There have been a number of developments in this area,” said Karl Fuchs, vice president for technology at iGT. “Smaller anten-nas are being developed which utilize techniques such as spread spectrum, and remote communica-tions equipment that is very power-conscious is being designed.” Spread spectrum provides more throughput and bandwidth efficiency to enable sen-sors equipped with small antennas for power- and weight-constrained applications to provide real-time data to end-users.

“On the other side of the spectrum, the advent of new high-throughput satellites enable the use of very small antennas and very low-wattage transmit-ters,” said Fuchs.

At the Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, training on DCGS-A is stan-dard for all Special Forces assistant operations and intelligence Sergeants, known as 18Fs. “A significant number of the 18Fs that come to the course indicate that they have not seen a DCGS-A prior to arriving,” said Maykovich, “and many are unaware that each ODA is authorized a DCGS-A. I believe there is some negative sentiment surrounding the system that has forced many potential users to adopt the notion that DCGS-A is not a good system. This perception has been difficult to overcome, but dissipates once soldiers have the opportunity to use DCGS-A.”

These negative notions evaporate once the trainees realize that DCGS-A has access to all the intelligence tools that 18Fs need to be successful. “The course exposes students and teaches them to utilize software packages that are common to the remainder of the intelligence community,” said Maykovich. “Prior to receiving DCGS-A, the 18F course purchased a wide variety of commercial

software that often performed overlapping functions and was in many cases several generations ahead of software used by the rest of the intelligence community. This created a generation gap that was often difficult or impossible to bridge, limiting attempts at collabo-ration. The use of DCGS-A has eliminated this gap. Since we fully incorporated the DCGS-A into training at the Special Forces Intel-ligence Sergeants Course, we have saved approximately $850,000 in annual software licensing costs.”

DCGS-A Lite is an outgrowth of a Raytheon development capa-bility to focus on low and limited bandwidth situations as well as standalone operations. “We developed a product that Army special operations took interest in, which was the genesis of DCGS-A Lite,” said Bendyk. “DCGS Lite comes to bring the capabilities of DCGS to bandwidth-challenged environments. The challenge is that a lot of data has to be moved. We are able to isolate data relevant to the warfighter and push that data over existing tactical networks.” Ben-dyk estimates that the overlap between DCGS-A and DCGS-A Lite is around 97 percent.

“The advantage of DCGS-A Lite to the disadvantaged user is a scale down to specific interests,” said Tim Freeman, senior director at Raytheon ISR Mission Solutions. “They are able to use DCGS-A capabilities without having to carry the DCGS-A infrastructure with them.”

By scale down, Freeman is referring to limiting the amount of data carried by or available to warfighters to that which supports a given mission and/or operations within a specific geographical area.

“DCGS-A Lite provides a scale-down capability to an area of interest,” he added.

“You can scale geographically, geospatially, tem-porally and contextually,” said Bendyk. “You can iso-late everything that happens on a given street corner over the last six hours having to do with IEDs. All those parameters are put on in the search.”

Among the tools Raytheon has developed for DCGS-A Lite, the company has demonstrated a capability that merges blue-force tracking with red-force situational awareness on a single electronic kneeboard, a small, wearable device carried by Army aviators that already displayed blue-force tracking. “That was an investment from Raytheon to bring technology to the warfighter to improve situational awareness and effectiveness,” said Freeman. “We built a software bridge between the two programs that allowed them to exchange data in near-real time.”

Raytheon’s electronic kneeboard effort is emblematic of DCGS-A Lite’s likely future trend of providing more wearable computing devices to spe-cial operators. “We are seeing wearable computers expanding commercially and it will go that way for [the] military as well,” said Freeman. “The Army will

be able to directly apply those not only to aviators but to dismounted warfighters as well.”

Raytheon’s overall strategy is to leverage investments that have already been made. The company is applying analytics to potential DCGS-A Lite applications. “We are talking about large data sets that extract relevant data to do analytics against specific data sets for specific missions,” said Bendyk. “We are also working [with] other companies that provide link analysis and data visualization

Jim Stokes

Karl Fuchs


capabilities. Those types of investments will allow us to take some of our existing products and combine them with DCGS to enhance visualization.”

Digital Globe is working on making applications available in a DCGS environment to provide quick answers to warfighting prob-lems that traditionally could have taken hours in a desktop envi-ronment. “We are imagining web applications where a guy with minimal training can point and click to set up observation posts based on line-of-sight analysis of geospatial data,” said Stokes.

The innovation which allows the development of that type of capability is the ability to configure computational environments in which the data storage and data processing reside together. “There are high-performance computing capabilities, leverag-ing graphical processing units, and lots of open-source perfor-mance enhancing environments like Hadoop and Spark that have advanced over the last five years,” said Stokes. Hadoop and Spark are open-source computing projects that aid in storing and pro-cessing large data sets.

These resources assure that forward-deployed warfighters such as special operators have rapid access to advanced capabilities. “The alternative is to deploy with data sets that are no longer cur-rent,” said Stokes. “But with current data and the ability to rapidly analyze large data sets with minimal training, special operators can get the answers they need with a point and a click. That is a huge paradigm shift.”

Advances in sensors and antennas allow special operators access on a single platform to the entire spectrum of information that they need, including high-definition video transmissions from unmanned aerial systems as well as manned aircraft. “Transmis-sion of data from different sensors, such as seismic sensors or video transmissions, were historically done on the equivalent of dedicated networks,” said Fuchs. “The very small sensors and antennas that have been developed enable high data rates for high-definition video transmission and other sensor data to be accessed by warfighters over a single network. Operationally, this will enable more video to be transmitted off UAV-type platforms, so the individual guy in the field will get a real-time and much more complete picture of the battlespace. In addition, this same data will be transmitted globally to analysts in CONUS, and all this will hap-pen virtually in real time. The warfighter in the field and the ana-lyst back home will have access to the same data immediately at their fingertips. This will enable all of these people to collaborate together in real time with access to the full scope of data wherever they happen to be.”

Stokes agrees that the future of DCGS will expand mobile capabilities to allow far-forward-deployed personnel access to advanced capabilities. “Advancements in mobile technologies and multisensor fusion will allow data from many sensor platforms to be displayed in one single unified map environment,” he said.

Aiding in the analysis of divergent data from multiple sources, according to Bendyk, will be the automated ability to synchronize and store diverse forms of data. “The correlation and fusion of multi-int data such as signals intelligence and full motion video will help analysts with their targeting,” he said. “The ability to create relationships among data and context accumulation in an automated fashion will aid in intelligence searches. Names and objects found in diverse data sets become part of a single file to eliminate multiple searches. The ability to normalize data among repositories will ensure that no matter where a user taps into data,

he will get the same data back. Increasing processing speeds which facilitate sorting through large amounts of data is key to us. That is where we think technology is going.”

Maykovich and his students have found that DCGS-A is a good system, but that the special operations soldier could use a leaner tool in certain situations. “DCGS-A has the toolsets needed by the 18F, but DCGS-A is an expansive and complex system that the 18F doesn’t always require in its entirety,” he said. “The Special Forces Intelligence Sergeants Course would like to see a specifically config-ured, unclassified hard drive to be included with each DCGS-A basic analyst laptop. Although that idea hasn’t been adopted at the school, we have seen the establishment of an unclassified DCGS-A server, which has the potential to be very beneficial to the SOF community in the future.”

Maykovich’s wishes for DCGS-A may come true in the not too distant future. An Army request for information released last year seeks “ways to improve and replace the software-based tools soldiers use to analyze and integrate data and visualize intelligence informa-tion,” according to an Army statement. This move to improve and replace, the statement went on to say, “builds upon ongoing efforts to address well-publicized soldier concerns regarding the existing DCGS-A system’s ‘ease of use’ in the field.” O




Special Section

In the movie “Zero Dark Thirty,” after the Navy SEALS ended Osama bin Laden’s life, a shout is heard: “Conduct SSE!” The command refers to sensitive site exploita-tion, a procedure during which special operations forces collect, organize and man-age sources of potentially huge stockpiles of valuable information, including documents, equipment and computers.

Forensic analysis is a key component of the after-incident investigation of special operations, as it is for crime scenes and for suspected storage sites of weapons of mass destruction. In the past, forensics investigators would collect samples from a site and send them back to a laboratory to be analyzed, a process that could take hours or even days. In recent years, thanks to the ability to compact analytical tools in handheld devices, these capabilities have been brought to the field, allowing for much quicker exploitation of collected evidence, as well as faster reaction time to the conclu-sions drawn from the collected materials.

A number of different technologies have been incorporated into handheld devices that help identify the presence of specific kinds of materials and data at incident sites. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy methods are used to identify drugs, explosives and other chem-icals in less than a minute. Gas-chroma-tography-mass spectrometry extends the analysis of sam-ples to identify and quantify low-level chemical markers present in complex samples in less than three minutes. Some categories of devices specialize in the identification of bio-logical weapons, while others quickly and easily download the content of smartphones and other handheld devices, and then analyze that data.

“Testing is performed in the field using portable instruments that are small, light, fast and ruggedized, but the data and results are conclusive and comparable to results

generated at a full-service forensic labora-tory,” said Pauline Leary, an applications manager at Smiths Detection Inc.

“Forensics helps us address the ‘who’ and ‘what’ parts of the incident scene,” said Paul McQuillan, chief marketing officer of A-T Solutions. “For example, if there was an

IED incident, field forensics teams would investigate the scene, collect physical and visual evidence, and analyze that evidence to help deter-mine what kind of device was used and what markers were left behind, and based on that information, who could be responsible. With the right tools, you can capture every last scrap of data at the scene and bring it in for analysis, or

better yet, analyze it on-site.”“Field forensics is a valuable capability

that saves time, money and lives,” added Leary. “Testing is performed quickly, using

dETECTing THE “WHO” and “WHaT” aSpECTS OF an inCidEnT.

By pETEr BuxBaum, SOTECH COrrESpOndEnT

Pauline Leary


reliable methods at the scene. This removes the lengthy procedure of sending samples back to the laboratory for testing and wait-ing for results to determine an appropriate course of action. Field forensics also empow-ers the user to have assurance that they are collecting high-quality samples, because they can get answers in real time and re-sample in the event a poor sample is collected.”

Historically, the primary goal of field testing was to screen samples to classify evidence or to determine which samples should be sent to the laboratory for forensic analysis. Advances in electronics, coupled with ruggedization, have brought improved analytical capabilities to the field, which pro-vides the information required to respond to the threat and save lives. These factors have increased the value and role of field foren-sics. “Screening is now the first step in the workflow that makes it possible to not only classify samples, but to conclusively identify and even quantify trace-level contaminants present in the sample in the field,” said Leary.

The key recent advance in field forensics has been the advent of mobility. “Mobile apps put solutions in the palm of your hand,” said McQuillan. “Mobile data collection tools streamline workflow, enhance collaboration and data sharing, and improve operational effectiveness. The quicker you can collect, organize and analyze evidence, the faster you can ID perpetrators and trace them back to a network.”

One of the biggest benefits of mobile forensic data management is the ability for real-time, on-scene collection and secure, instantaneous data sharing. “The immediacy of collection avoids tainted evidence and gaps in eyewitness and investigator recall,” said McQuillan. “Any time-lapse between incident and evidence collection creates opportunities for errors and omissions. Mobile apps imme-diately synchronize observations, photos and facts into the system via smartphones and tablets. Evidence collected on scene in real time is more credible than that gathered via pen and paper and then transcribed back at the office. It’s also better standardized for eas-ier use and comparison to other examples.”

Field forensics is an important capability for special operations forces fighting terror-ists, noted Leary. “Field forensic capabilities can help identify perpetrators, thus reducing the adversary anonymity that makes fighting terrorism such a challenge,” she explained. “Explosive ordinance teams can get immedi-ate information about the chemical makeup

of the compounds tested. Teams responding to gas and chemical releases can better cat-egorize the hot zone, with sample run times of three minutes per analysis.”

Firefly Dx is a handheld portable unit being developed by PositiveID Corporation designed to test for the presence of bio-logical weapons and pathogens in the field. “The device achieves results in a field set-ting equivalent to a lab and with minimally trained personnel,” said Lyle Probst, the company’s president. “The device detects specific strains of DNA and distinguishes the presence of biological mate-rials from those which may occur naturally. In the case of anthrax, for example, Firefly Dx can identify the source of the sample and provide clues as to who is the perpetrator of an anthrax attack.” An initial prototype of the Firefly Dx is expected to be introduced in the first half of 2015.

The Firefly Dx detection system takes advantage of advances in device and diagnostic technolo-gies. The two-part device consists of a hand-held instrument with wireless Bluetooth communication and disposable single-use cartridges containing all necessary analytical elements.

“Forward-deployed personnel in areas where they suspect some biological weapon is being manufactured or stored can use Firefly to confirm that presence,” said Probst. “After collecting samples, they inject them into the cartridge and then press a single button to start the programming required for all the analytical processes. They also have the ability to transmit the results back to an operations center.” PositiveID has a coop-erative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Special Operations Command, allowing SOCOM to communi-cate its requirements to the company for the deployment of such a device to the field and for PositiveID to share proprietary informa-tion with the command.

Earlier iterations of biological analytic systems were anything but handheld, resem-bling instead the proportions of a refrig-erator. PositiveID was able to shrink the same processes down to a handheld device by optimizing existing laboratory analytical processes. “The whole process is based on standard laboratory protocols and proce-dures,” said Probst, “We have not developed

any new chemistry, only a more efficient way for the chemistry to be processed. What takes several hours in a lab will take 10 to 15 minutes with Firefly Dx and with the same quality obtained in a lab.”

Probst expects Firefly Dx to penetrate multiple markets, allowing military users to benefit from lower test costs allowed by economies of scale. He expects costs to run around $50 per test on Firefly as compared to $250 to $300 for other field-portable units.

Teel Technologies specializes in the mobile device forensic space. “We use rugged

computer equipment to more quickly and easily download acquired data from digital media such as cellphones,” said Bill Teel, the company’s president. “When there is dig-ital media found at a location, it is advantageous to analyze and exploit its data quickly. We provide the forensic tools to develop links, connections, and relationships that help identify who was behind a

given incident. Cellphones contain a wealth of information, including pictures and call logs, useful in pursuing criminal and terror-ist groups. The advantage to special opera-tors comes in more efficiently and rapidly acquiring the data so that they can react.”

The Teel solution—which includes prod-ucts provided by several different compa-nies—is equipped with a variety of cables and connectors that allow for the immediate and automatic identification of a device once it is plugged in. The content of the device is then downloaded and information of interest is identified.

“The software queries the phone for con-tacts, text messages and emails,” said Teel. “Most devices have unique ways of com-municating with computers. Our tools allow the transfer of most cellphone data to the computer for analysis.”

PINs and passwords present a challenge to these kinds of forensic tools, but not insur-mountable ones. “Some phones are tougher to get into than others,” said Teel. “Some passwords are harder to crack than others, but it is doable.” Teel foresees digital field forensics moving to platforms that are even easier and faster to use and that enable more non-technical personnel to operate forensics equipment in a wider spectrum of situations.

A-T Solutions’ DCT, or Data Collection Tool, allows investigators to gather, upload

Lyle Probst


and integrate data into diagrams and case files in an evidence collection management system right where an incident occurred and as the investigation is taking place. “Mobile-enabled tools increase efficiency, which is essential to effective field forensics,” said McQuillan.

A-T Solutions has a number of field report-ing software solutions that are currently in use by federal, state and local law enforce-ment. ATTAC, part of a recently updated suite and accredited with an Army Certificate of Networthiness, has been the DoD standard for post-blast field reporting and data man-agement for the past eight years.

“DCT, our newest addition to the suite, is based on the resounding success of ATTAC,” said McQuillan. “DCT is a complete field reporting solution that allows data entry; audio, video and photographic digital evi-dence management; satellite imagery attach-ment; diagramming; and quick, customized reports specifically designed for the govern-ment sector.”

DCT’s most significant benefit, according to McQuillan, is its mobile capability for data and evidence management, reporting and analysis on desktop, handheld and mobile devices running the Windows, Android and iOS operating systems. It can also be used to collect data via any web-enabled interface in the absence of laptops and mobile devices.

DCT also enables operators to collect critical information in any environment. “Incidents, by their very nature, often limit internet connectivity,” said McQuillan. “With DCT, you can stand up, access and manage data without a connection. You simply sync data collected in a disconnected environment when a connection is available.”

DCT’s flexibility also allows it to store data across multiple locations and teams and to securely export it to larger systems, in a variety of formats, for broad-based reporting or deeper analytics. “Evidence, such as pho-tos, diagrams, fingerprints, videos, audio and notes, can be gathered on the scene, cata-loged in real time, and automatically synced with the organization’s records management system,” said McQuillan. “Once collected, data can be visualized in various formats and dashboards for data and trend analysis.”

Smiths Detection’s Guardion was recently introduced into the field-forensics arsenal and was quickly adopted by special operations forces to support their mission. “This instrument is based on gas chroma-tography–mass spectrometry technology

and enables the detection, identification and quantification of low-level contaminants in samples,” said Leary. “Trace-level contami-nants generate a chemical fingerprint for a sample that is characteristic of the sample’s manufacturer and history. The ability to generate and compare these chemical finger-prints provides the field-forensics team with extremely valuable investigative information that is generated in near-real time and used to make timely decisions that will save lives.”

Smiths Detection also produces devices that make use of Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spec-troscopy technology. Raman spectroscopy is a laser-based technology that enables non-contact sampling through sealed containers but can’t be used to scan dark substances. FTIR spectroscopy identifies substances of any color but requires contact with the substance.

Smiths Detection’s HazMatID Elite is a handheld device that uses FTIR spectros-copy to detect hazardous chemicals and biological substances in one minute or less. It can identify and categorize thousands of materials, including chemical warfare agents, explosives, toxic industrial chemi-cals, narcotics, and suspicious powders, among other dangerous chemical classes. The analysis is performed by placing a small amount of an unknown substance onto the device’s sensor.

Smiths Detection’s Ace-ID uses Raman spectroscopy to enable non-contact analysis and yields rapid results in seconds. Materials can be identified through translucent and semi-translucent containers such as plastic and glass. Ace-ID is supported by a software kit for remote operation and is ruggedized for use in severe climates and terrains.

The Smiths Detection product line and technology capabilities are an integral part of the kinds of filed forensics equipment and systems used by special operations forces. “The Guardion is currently deployed in EOD [explosive ordinance disposal] mis-sions,” said Leary. “Some products are used as screening devices for both the indi-vidual soldier and for critical locations to verify safety. When identification of targets is required, as in the case of explosives, chemical warfare agents, and other toxic chemicals, systems like the HazMatID Elite, Ace-ID and Guardion provide conclusive identifications that are comparable in data quality to laboratory testing results, but [are] performed at the scene in minutes.”

“The capabilities of field forensics have dramatically improved in recent years and the technologies available are analytically sophisticated,” said Leary. “It is likely that as this field continues to evolve, the mission of field forensics teams will include concerns for the legal admissibility of scientific evi-dence in court.”

Much of the work that is performed by field forensics teams today is used for inves-tigative purposes only and not for court-room admissibility. “However, equipment like HazMatID Elite, Ace-ID and Guardion systems meet the requirements for admis-sibility of scientific methods in U.S. courts,” said Leary.

The devices’ workflows are compatible with standards, methods and technologies that are used for the seizure and analysis of dangerous materials. “When used in a workflow that is consistent with accepted laboratory practices, the extension of field forensics into the courts will become more common,” said Leary. “The potential to use the Guardion in field forensics is extremely exciting. Coupled with the use of historical data, it will provide EOD teams the ability to immediately identify the origin or producer of compounds.”

McQuillan foresees mobile technology enabling more and faster interagency infor-mation sharing. “Biometric analyses will eventually be an integrated part of field forensic investigations,” he said. “In-field rapid DNA analysis software is a big push now. Also, apps that let you collect finger-prints and perform biometric matches on-scene are in development. The Holy Grail is dustless latent print collection. If you could go in and capture the latent prints without letting the bad guys know you’ve been there, that would allow continued surveillance, leading to possibly more links.”

“The products used by special opera-tions forces not only protect the individual soldier from toxic chemicals and warfare agents, but also reliably generate data that provides them with the intelligence needed to successfully complete their mission,” Leary added. “The ability to get the most information directly from the site as quickly as possible is a capability that is critical to creating an effective response.” O

For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Chris McCoy at [email protected]

or search our online archives for related stories at www.sotech-kmi.com.

Special Section


SOtech reSOUrce center

Calendar

February 24-25, 2015Global SOF SymposiumSt. Pete Beach, Fla.www.globalsofsymposium.org

March 29-31, 2015Quad-ANashville, Tenn.www.quad-a.org

March 31-April 2, 2015AUSAHuntsville, Ala.www.ausa.org

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advertisers index

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Advertising with SOTECH will showcase your product to the military.

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Special Operations Technology is the world’s largest distributed Special Ops Magazine.


Q: Could you tell our readers about some of the solutions that Crystal Group offers to the military and government contractors?

A: Crystal Group provides server, switch, dis-play, storage and embedded computer archi-tectures and related integration services for mission-critical installations worldwide. Crystal Group designs, manufactures, inte-grates and supports rugged computer-based systems for intelligence, communications, reconnaissance, navigation, surveillance and critical control applications in government and industrial segments. The company has rugged products deployed aboard the Inter-national Space Station, on aircraft, land vehicles, surface ships and submarines.

Q: What unique benefits do Crystal Group products provide to your customers in com-parison with other companies in your field?

A: Crystal Group products provide the rug-gedness, dependability and reliability needed for mission profiles. As a rugged server man-ufacturer, systems integrator and custom design team, Crystal Group is positioned to quickly and cost-effectively address all aspects of customer projects. The company excels at providing commercial-off-the-shelf and custom-designed computer systems tai-lored to customer specifications.

Q: What are some interesting new pro-grams or initiatives at Crystal Group?

A: Given the importance of SWaP, we continue to invest tremendous time and resources into reducing weight and increas-ing storage density and available power.

The company has developed a line of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber chasses focused on meeting the needs of the com-mercial and military aerospace markets. Our carbon fiber material has been spe-cifically engineered for superior shock/vibration performance while providing unprecedented electromagnetic compliance. The latest addition to our carbon fiber line is the RS2516PS18. This 2U, rack-mount unit provides server-class computational capabil-ity, with 24 removable hard drives and best-in-class environmental/electromagnetic

compliance while weighing in at less than 25 pounds.

Today, Crystal Group has the only RTCA/DO-160G compliant 1U and 2U server power supplies at 425WDC and 585WDC, respec-tively. Tomorrow’s processors and expansion cards (e.g., GPGPUs) continue to drive the need for yet more power. Additionally, tomor-row’s customer configuration requires more options for input power, including standalone AC, 1+1, N+1, and AC+DC. Crystal Group is working to answer the call with increased power density, modularity and configurability of its unique power supply line.

Q: How is your division of Crystal Group positioned in the market for expansion?

A: We are is positioned as the most trusted provider for operational, deployable and high-reliability computing applications. The key for serving expansion in the marketplace is listening to customers, investing in human capital with the knowledge and desire to provide the best solutions and collaborating together.

Q: Can you provide a few success stories?

A: General Dynamics C4 Systems devel-ops communication products, integrating them into secure networks that deliver vital information for military, homeland security and public safety professionals. The com-pany was chosen by the U.S. Army as the prime contractor and systems integrator for upgrades to the Prophet tactical signals intel-ligence program. Prophet, the U.S. Army’s top SIGINT program, enables tactical com-manders to securely and accurately detect, identify, locate and deter a wide range of signal emissions on the battlefield.

Prophet’s mission requires an evolving technological platform that can be adapted to changing battlefield situations and trans-portation needs. Project leadership sought proven technology and dependable device management to be able to respond quickly as program elements change.

General Dynamics C4 Systems chose Crystal Group’s RS112 1U for upgrade proj-ects based on the past performance and reliability of the company’s rugged servers. Our responsiveness, fast turnaround time and extensive configuration management were also important determining factors. We worked closely with General Dynamics’ engineering team to understand their needs and those of the Army. This resulted in a rapid response to the Army’s requirements and improved product integrity.

Q: Could you discuss the 2015 government market?

A: Increases in government market opportu-nities for military product requests are being driven by WIN-T requirements, the Navy’s Information Dominance roadmap 2028 and the Army’s Force 2025 documents.

Q: Can you describe the challenges that you are facing in the government market?

A: Identifying and reaching key decision-makers in programs where there is not much public exposure is a challenge.

Q: How are your communications solutions customized for the government?

A: Crystal Group has a variety of military-grade computer products and services to ensure that warfighters and support troops on the front lines have the best tools to do their jobs. We provide a full line of rug-gedized servers, displays and embedded systems for mission-critical installations worldwide.

All Crystal Group products are designed and manufactured in Hiawatha, Iowa, giving the company the capability to customize any of its products to fit customer needs. Crystal Group products are tested to military and FCC standards. O

inDUStry interVieW Special Operations technology

David ChaseMarketing Manager

Crystal Group

INSERTION ORDER DEADlINE: February 27, 2015 | AD MATERIAlS DEADlINE: March 6, 2015


March 2015Vol. 13, Issue 2Next Issue

Battery TechnologyAdvances in battery technology are aiding the special operator in austere environments.

ISR RetrofitISR abilities improve at a rapid pace. This often necessitates a nearly constant upgrade of technology in order to extend the range of the warfighters’ situational awareness.

INSERTION ORDER DEADlINE: February 27, 2015 | AD MATERIAlS DEADlINE: March 6, 2015

Bonus Distribution: AUSA GlobAl Force SympoSiUm

SPeCIAl SeCTIOn

SOF LogisticsSuperior logistics abilities lead to the success of servicemembers in the field. However, when SOF operators conduct their missions in distant austere environments, logistics becomes far more complex.

COVeR AnD In-DePTH InTeRVIew wITH:

SOF AmmunitionA large number of defense contractors are involved in producing the munitions needed by SOCOM.

Rugged DisplaysUnderstanding what is happening on the battlefield is important; however, computer-based combat displays must be able to handle harsh environments and the rigors of warfare.

FeATUReS


col. michael J. Hertzendorfcommander160th SOar (a)

AUSA GLobAL ForCE

SyMPoSIUMISSUE

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– Sun Tzu

“ATTACK HIM WHERE HE IS UNPREPARED, APPEAR

WHERE YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED”

http://www.insitu.com/SunTzu

Decision-Making Superiority Delivered.Agile. Powerful. Capable of sustained operations in the middle of nowhere: The Insitu ScanEagle® UAS platform works the way you do. Adding ScanEagle to your small, specialized teams brings strategic capability to the tactical level. With expeditionary launch and retrieval, multiple target tracking, stealthy ops, and an unparalleled record of success—covering over 800,000 combat flight hours—ScanEagle is ready to go, just like you.

– Sun Tzu

“ATTACK HIM WHERE HE IS UNPREPARED, APPEAR

WHERE YOU ARE NOT EXPECTED”

http://www.insitu.com/SunTzu

Decision-Making Superiority Delivered.Agile. Powerful. Capable of sustained operations in the middle of nowhere: The Insitu ScanEagle® UAS platform works the way you do. Adding ScanEagle to your small, specialized teams brings strategic capability to the tactical level. With expeditionary launch and retrieval, multiple target tracking, stealthy ops, and an unparalleled record of success—covering over 800,000 combat flight hours—ScanEagle is ready to go, just like you.

SOTECH 13.1 (February 2015)

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Transcript of SOTECH 13.1 (February 2015)