GCT July 2013

The Publication of Distinction for the Maneuver Warfighter

Ruggedized Computers O Tactical Weapon Sights

Soldier Training Educator

Maj. Gen. H.R. McMaster

Commanding GeneralU.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence

July 2013

www.GCT-kmi.com

Special Section:Mobile Electrical Power

Insertion Order Deadline: July 22, 2013 • Ad Materials Deadline: July 29, 2013


Gen. Daniel B. AllynCover and In-Depth Interview with:

Commanding GeneralU.S. Army Forces Command

August 2013Vol. 4, Issue 4NEXTISSUE

Land Navigation SystemsAny LNS must be easily integrated and has to be highly accurate. We look at the latest in land navigation developments.

JLTV UpdateTesting is well underway and the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support is eager to select the best joint light tactical vehicle for the future joint force. We look at who’s got the edge.

Training SystemsWhether in a simulator at the schoolhouse or out in a field training exercise equipped with man-portable gear, U.S. Army ground training systems are progressing to a level unimaginable just a few years ago.

Special SectionMan-Portable UASSmall aircraft provide huge benefits. We look at how the capabilities of these aerial platforms have advanced to provide full-color video and other data to the boots on the ground.

Features

Cover / Q&AFeatures

Maj. Gen. H.R. McMasteRCommanding General

U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence

14

Departments Industry Interview2 editoR’s PeRsPective3 intel6 PeoPle12 innovations

colonel (Ret.) donald P. KotcHMan Vice President, Armor Brigade Combat Team, Ground Combat SystemsGeneral Dynamics Land Systems

9tactical WeaPons disPlaysCheck out the latest in tactical weapon sights, including advances to match the greater range of some newer ammo. We focus on the new sights that companies are developing, and on the various types of sights that permit the warrior to take down the enemy at a safe distance.By william murray

17RuGGedized coMPuteRsWarriors on the field of combat can access a universe of data ranging from intel to aerial video from UAVs, to cartography. But it all has to work dependably in the rough, jarring environment of a combat zone, and that is where ruggedized computers are at their best.By jeff campBell

July 2013ground combat technology

5

“Education is our top priority. We

say a soldier will follow a good

leader anywhere, under any

condition of battle, so developing the

best leaders is really important across all of our

formations.”

— Major General H.R. McMaster

21

PoWeRinG WaRfiGHteRsWhile warriors once carried just a rifle, some grenades, a canteen filled with water and little else, the 21st-century combatant is an electronic netted node, needing plentiful electrical power. See how that need can be met efficiently and effectively.By Henry canaday

Special Section

A tactical wheeled vehicle (TWV) webinar strongly reinforced two common points for those of us who used to attend trade shows more often: there’s no substi-tute for face-to-face meetings, and military, government and industry leaders are doing their best under the circumstances.

In the webinar, held in part to make up for cancellation of the 2013 Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference, Deputy Program Executive Officer for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS) Colonel David Basset did his best to give the TWV community an update on what’s in store for the program.

“We’re at an interesting time for our Army, and a challenging time,” Basset told viewers from his seat in Warren, Mich., hoping to be with them next year at a resumed TWV conference. “We’re no longer technology constrained, we’re now budget constrained.”

As the colonel began to explain the priorities and opportunities, the first of a half dozen service interruptions happened—what great timing!

Basset stressed that the office is committed to transparent communication with the commercial base, and followed through by repeating answers to questions when sound dropped out, and later making slides and Q&A text available. Since the two constants we currently have are uncertainty and change, it’s more important than ever for PEO CS&CSS to maximize the value of the war fighting benefit: they’re not driving costs down just to drive costs down, they’re doing it to buy other things the Army needs. As the office’s government employees begin the furlough process this month, PEO CS&CSS is working through the details in terms of how contracts’ costs and schedules will be affected.

Throughout the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, the office bought many costly items. Now they have more than enough in several cases for peacetime, and “the ability to sustain those over time is what we’re evaluating,” Basset said.

The Army invested in trucks heavily during the war, so now fleet sustainment will be a main focus. One truck they’re looking at for open competition is a future heavy dump truck, but the main thrust now is in light tactical vehicles (LTVs), specifically the joint LTV. “We’re really excited about the opportunity to get past concepts and demos … and pick the best LTV for the joint force for the future,” Basset said. By maintaining a strong government and industry relationship during this period of transition, PEO CS&CSS will find exactly what’s needed.


Editorial

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Border Threat Prevention and CBRNE Response

Border Protector

Michael J. Fisher

ChiefU.S. Border PatrolU.S. Customs and Border Protection

Wide Area Aerial Surveillance O Hazmat Disaster ResponseTactical Communications O P-3 Program

Integrated Fixed Towers

Leadership Insight:Robert S. BrayAssistant Administrator for Law EnforcementDirector of the Federal Air Marshal Service Transportation Security Administration

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Carrier Craftsman

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KMI MedIa Group LeadershIp MaGazInes and WebsItes

Jeff CampbellEdiTOr

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffIntel

After extensive testing of vendor-submitted carbines, the Army formally concluded the individual carbine (IC) competition without the selection of a winner. No carbine evaluated during the testing phase reached the minimum score to continue in the evaluation. The Army will continue funding and equipping soldiers with the M4A1 carbine, freeing IC funding to address other high priority Army needs. The decision is also consis-tent with recent DoD Inspector General testimony questioning the value of an IC competition in light of existing upgrades to the M4 carbine.

The IC program sought to determine whether industry could provide a best-value, improved alternative to the M4A1 carbine through a three-phased compet-itive strategy. All vendors met Phase I criteria, in which their proposals and non-firing evaluations of bid samples were reviewed. The Army commenced Phase II last year, subjecting IC candidates to rigorous tests of weapon performance in

areas such as weapon system accuracy, reliability and durability. This year in Phase III, the Army planned to award up to three contracts for weapons meeting Phase II requirements for further envi-ronmental and operationally oriented soldier testing. Finally, the Army planned to conduct a cost-benefit analysis between the M4A1 carbine and the top performing competitor.

However, no competitor demonstrated a significant improvement in weapon reliability at the conclusion of Phase II testing.

The Army’s decision not to pursue a new carbine competition was reached following careful consideration of the Army’s operational requirements in the context of the available small arms tech-nology, the constrained fiscal environ-ment, and the capability of our current carbines. The Army remains committed to the development of future competitive opportunities that support Army small arms modernization.

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, demon-strated its joint light tactical vehicle (JLTV) prototypes at an event hosted by the JLTV Joint Program Office in Quantico, Va. During the demonstra-tion, the Oshkosh JLTV prototypes completed the military’s severe off-road track (SORT), demonstrating a new generation of light vehicle mobility and protection to military and congressional leaders.

“Experience has taught us that the very nature of warfare has changed—and the JLTV program is addressing the fact that our troops need a light, protected vehicle that can perform on any number of future battlefields with unpredictable conditions and threats,” said John Bryant, senior vice president of Defense Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “The military SORT simulated difficult conditions and allowed Oshkosh to demonstrate our vehicle’s exceptional power and agility while

maneuvering steep inclines, hairpin turns and rugged terrain.”

JLTV Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase partici-pant Oshkosh has manufactured 22 JLTV prototypes built on an active manu-facturing line using lean processes. The prototypes, scheduled to be deliv-ered to the government in August, include both two-door and four-door multipurpose variants.

“The entire Oshkosh team—from engineering to supply chain to manu-facturing—is absolutely committed to the JLTV program. It was amazing to

see the first JLTV prototype make its way down a warm assembly line, start right up and drive off the line—as if we’ve been making them for years,” said Bryant. “Our truck’s performance at the JLTV demonstration reflects a deep commitment to our troops and a true understanding of the critical role this vehicle will play in protecting them.”

Army Concludes Individual Carbine Competition

Medevac Operations Support Contract Awarded

FLIR Systems Inc. has received a two-year blanket purchase agreement from the U.S. Army to support the medevac program. The agreement is valued at $81 million and is for the Army Medevac Mission Sensor (MMS) configuration of FLIR’s commercially developed military qualified Talon product, a stabilized 9-inch multi-sensor gimbal system. The Talon MMS will be installed on the Army’s fielded and new medevac Blackhawk helicopters. Work is expected to be performed at FLIR’s facility in Billerica, Mass., with initial shipments expected to be completed by 2014.

“To continue to be a key element of the U.S. Army’s medevac mission is an honor,” said Earl Lewis, president and chief executive officer of FLIR. “We excel at providing our products rapidly and with a very low total cost of ownership, which enables the success of customers such as the Army.”

JLTV Prototypes Demonstrated for DoD & Congressional Leadership

www.GCT-kmi.com GCT July 2013 | 3

Major General Edward C. Cardon, who has been selected for the rank of lieutenant general, has been assigned as command-ing general, U.S. Army Cyber Command, Fort Bel-voir, Va. Cardon is currently serving as commanding general, 2nd Infantry Divi-sion, Republic of Korea.

Major General Michael S. Linnington has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as military deputy for readi-ness to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Washington, D.C. Linnington is cur-rently serving as command-ing general, U.S. Army Military District of Wash-ington and commander, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.

Major General Michael S. Tucker, who has been

selected for the rank of lieutenant general, has been assigned as com-manding general, First U.S. Army, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. Tucker is currently serving as assis-tant deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army, Washington, D.C.

Colonel David C. Beach-man assumed command of the 199th Infantry Brigade at a ceremony on Fort Benning, Ga., from Colonel Lance Davis, who has been reassigned to Hawaii.

Colonel Michail S. Huerter has assumed command of the Fort Benning gar-rison from Colonel Jeffrey Fletcher, who has deployed to Afghanistan.

AM General has announced that Daniel Chien has joined the company as senior vice president, engineering and product development. Chien has more than 32 years of

significant engineering, product development and business experience.

Acumentrics RUPS LLC has announced that Steven Corbesero has been named vice president of sales and marketing. Corbesero has over 20 years of corporate, sales, marketing and engineer-ing responsibilities. In his new role, Corbesero will be responsible for building and maintaining effective relationships with prime military contractors, along with decision makers in the industrial, trans-portation, and oil and gas markets.

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffPeoPle

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffIntel

Steven Corbesero

The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation awarded a $21 million foreign military sales contract to Cubic Corporation for its Engagement Skills Trainer 2000. The order includes systems, weapons, and in-country support with a key subcontractor.

EST 2000, built by the Cubic Simulation Systems division based in Orlando, Fla., uses digital video projec-tors, high-definition screens, game-based computer graphics and ballistically accu-rate weapons for marksmanship, collec-tive and escalation of force training.

“This contract emphasizes Cubic’s commitment to our allies around the world,” said Terry Kohl, senior vice president and general manager of Cubic’s Simulations Systems Division. “We understand the importance of virtual and immersive training systems for mission-specific tasks.”

Foreign Military Sales Training

Contract Awarded

AR Modular RF, a manufacturer and solu-tion provider of radio frequency (RF) ampli-fiers, systems and modules, has been awarded a high volume order for a new custom amplifier to be used in a ground-to-air traffic control (ATC) application. The KAW5030 is an 800 Watts peak envelope power, 200 Watts AM and FM carrier power amplifier system, covering the 100-163 and 225- 400 MHz frequency ranges.

This new custom communications trans-mitter system comprises a power amplifier, controller sub-system and AC Power Supply Unit encased in a 5.25 inch high 3 rack unit shelf. The unit mounts into a standard, 19-inch equipment rack and interfaces directly with a co-located lower power ATC transceiver system. Using a conservative state of the art power amplifier design, and dual AC power supplies, these units are designed for high reliability and long life in a 24/7 operational environment. The system weighs 50 pounds.

Custom Amplifier Order Awarded

The military and aerospace manufacturing divi-sion of Fidelity Technologies Corporation, a Reading, Pa., defense contractor, has been selected by the U.S. Army’s TACOM Life Cycle Mangement Command to provide add-on armor (AoA) for its family of heavy tactical vehicles (HTV). The armor enables vehicles to operate with increased crew protection during periods when threat levels are higher. The contract’s total value over the ordering period could potentially exceed $200 million.

The fleet is managed by product manager HTV/project manager transportation system’s group under the leadership of program executive office combat support and combat services support in Warren, Michigan.

Over the last several years, the U.S. Army has initi-ated and implemented what is known as the long term armor strategy. This concept provides modular armor protection for vehicles that can vary dependent upon threat levels. The AoA consists of both transparent armor and opaque armor and provides a higher level of protec-tion. They can be readily stored, applied or removed by troops in the field per mission requirements.

According to David Gulati, president of Fidelity, “This award provides opportunities beyond our present scope, allowing us to further demonstrate our core competen-cies in response to varying customer requirements.” Full scale production will commence in the third quarter of 2013 and will create employment opportunities in manufacturing and technical positions at Fidelity.

Army to Receive Accessory Armor Kits

www.GCT-kmi.com4 | GCT July 2013

All the new electric gadgets infantrymen carry dramatically increase effectiveness in combat and save U.S. lives. But enhanced capabilities require more power, which has meant more bat-teries, more weight, more complexity and more logistic burdens. Planners are now trying to lighten the load and simplify systems, for both individual soldiers and the forward bases that keep them charged.

“A soldier is a platform but, unlike a vehicle, must carry power systems around in austere environments and do it easily,” explained Colonel Brian Cummings, project manager, mobile elec-tric power (PM MEP). “Reliability and weight are very important.”

Like their civilian counterparts, soldiers now carry many pieces of electric equipment with many different power sources. “One frustrating challenge is there are so many power sources and so many different ways of charging them,” Cummings noted. On long missions, soldiers need sources with long lives or must take several, adding weight.

To better power individual soldiers, PM MEP works with Program Executive Office Soldier War-rior and with Nett Warrior, a program of record, explained Cory Goetz, product director for bat-teries. “Some of the efforts we are working on include solar power and new COTS [commercial off-the-shelf] soldier portable generators [SPGs], modified to burn military fuel, for more reliable power,” Goetz said. SPG is a 1kW generator weigh-ing less than 40 pounds. “We are also working with the Marine Corps on that.”

Another project is the soldier worn integrated power equipment system (SWIPES), which powers multiple systems from a single battery. “It doesn’t save a lot of weight until the soldier is confident he does not need extra batteries,” Goetz said. “But from the start he does not have to change batter-ies every 45 minutes, just monitor one battery.” SWIPES can maintain other batteries at an 80 percent charge.

Another device, squad power manager (SPM), allows the soldiers to tap power flexibly, from solar, fuel or used batteries. “In the past, we have

By Henry Canaday, GCT CorrespondenT

Like CiviLians, soLdiers now Carry LoTs of eLeCTroniC GadGeTs wiTH differenT power sourCes.

Cory Goetz

Col. Brian Cummings

Special Section


seen batteries thrown away with 90 percent of power left,” Goetz noted.

“Individual soldier power problems are really about batteries and recharging batteries,” Goetz said. PM MEP is now testing the conformal warfighter-worn battery, of which a soldier could carry one or two to top off other batteries. “That should enter the field soon.”

Programs like Nett Warrior will increase the power require-ments of an individual soldier by 500 percent, Cummings estimated. The only practical way to provide that much reliable power is with rechargeable batteries, which is difficult with dif-ferent battery types. “We need to get batteries down to one fam-ily, just as we have with generators, and then require devices to use a standard type.” The Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning is drafting requirements for such devices.

Similar power challenges confront small-base operations. In Afghanistan, PM MEP executed Operation Dynamo, evaluat-ing the power needs of forward bases for company level and below units, which have limited re-supply by air or land. PM MEP developed blueprints for more efficient fuel use of existing systems and provided new generators and power-distribution systems resulting in more reliable mobile electric power.

Mike Gallagher, product manager of expeditionary power sys-tems at Marine Corps Systems Command (MARSYSCOM), said his service is making an enterprisewide effort to provide lighter, better electric power for Marines on the future battlefield.

MARSYSCOM is working with the Office of Naval Research and the Naval Surface Warfare Center to assess a prototype of the squad electric power network and expects to deliver in 2014 a personal power system (PPS) to manage power for soldier-worn battery powered devices.

Gallagher said the key to the PPS is a central, conformal battery to support batteries for each device. This conformal bat-tery is being operationally evaluated and being tested for safety at the Naval Surface Warfare Center. The Army and Marines are collaborating on this conformal battery.

To support in-field charging of rechargeable batteries, MAR-SYSCOM began fielding expeditionary solar systems in 2010. Solar portable alternative communications energy system is a rucksack portable system with fold-out solar blankets to charge different batteries.

David Karcher, director of expeditionary energy and counter improvised explosive devices, said MARSYSCOM is doing early work on integrating smart textiles into Marine uniforms and equipment. “When a Marine enters a Marine Corps tactical vehicle and sits in designated seats, smart textiles will support recharging individual batteries via an internal network inte-grated into the cloth of both the seat and the Marine’s individual clothing, without the Marine removing a battery and plugging it into a separate adaptor and battery charger,” he said.

Private firms have been critical to power progress.Electric Fuel Battery, a division of Arotech, makes high-

density batteries, chargers and SWIPES, of which more than 5,000 have been fielded, according to Sales Director Jeff Jubin. Units already equipped with SWIPES include the 82nd Airborne Division, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 10th Mountain Divi-sion and the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Jubin cannot predict whether SWIPES will go to all relevant Army units as there is now a next-generation upgrade, SWIPES 2PD. The new version merges both power and data with one set of cables and one hub. A prototype of 2 PD has been produced and Jubin expects it to be deployable in late 2013 or early 2014.

More than 5,000 of Electric Fuel Battery’s soldier worn integrated power equipment systems have been fielded. [Photo courtesy of Electric Fuel Battery Corporation]

Special Section


SWIPES 2 PD was designed to work with the new Rifleman Radio, aggregating data from any devices on the soldier and then transmitting it without duplicated cables. It will continue to centralize power management, enabling reduced battery weight.

EFB has also added new batteries to its portfolio. One powers small electric submarines that can deliver SEALs. “It’s modular, affordable and easy to maintain,” Jubin stressed. “It’s a smart battery, you get the power you need by stacking batteries, and it can be used on land too.”

EFB also offers a man-packable, tank-starting battery that weighs only 30 pounds but can start an M1 Abrams.

Reducing weight and complexity by universalizing power is still a main thrust in powering the individual soldier, according to Phil Robinson, vice president of Defense Power Systems at Protonex Technology. “Another new issue is cost,” Robinson said. “It is very expensive to distribute energy to the tip of the spear.”

Robinson defines universalizing power as getting power from any source—fuel, alternative energy, vehicles or scavenged energy from local grids—and putting it on one battery to charge other batteries.

Protonex does this with its squad power manager (SPM-612), of which the Army has fielded more than a thousand. SPMs have also gone to Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Special Opera-tions Command (SOCOM) and medic teams. Robinson thinks the intent is to distribute SPMs to all infantry brigades. “We get two reactions from the field. Soldiers say it saves weight and leaders like it because it cuts costs. One 82nd officer said SPM allowed him to stop the re-supply of batteries.”

A new version, SMP-622, was made for SOCOM. It has more power than the -612 and is fully submersible.

A variant called VPM-402 is designed to be worn as a vest, not carried, and has been deployed by the Army, Air Force and Marines. “The -402 is like SWIPES on steroids,” Robinson explained. “It can be charged by solar and vehicle batteries and charges other batteries. It increases capability and decreases complexity.”

Protonex also makes the M300, methanol fuel cartridges that cost and weigh a fraction as much as the equivalent in standard BA-5590s batteries. Robinson describes the M300 as a “low signature APU [auxiliary power unit] and charger.” He said it is attracting interest from the military chiefly to power silent-watch missions by vehicles. “You do not need to start up the vehicle engine to generate power.” The M300 has been deployed by the Army and SOCOM.

For the future, Protonex has been working with the Army on biometric harvesting. This means putting devices on soldiers’ knees, rucksacks and boots to exploit power generated by move-ment. “You might get very little from each device, but add them up and you have something,” Robinson noted. “Some will not work or be too clunky, but some will.”

Another research project is getting more efficiency from solar panels, which would allow smaller panels that might be put on helmets, uniforms or rucksacks.

PulseTech provides two important products to support mobile power in the field, according to Senior Field Service Representative Roy Johnson.

The company makes solar panels that can keep batteries on diesel generators topped up when they have been idle for a long time. “This enables generators to start up suddenly when they have been left out. These generators are backups for other power sources and to start they need fresh batteries,” Johnson explained.

PulseTech can also recharge otherwise dead batteries and bring them back to as-new condition, a big cost saver as tank batteries, for example, cost more than $400. “The Army does not maintain batteries very well and the Marines did not either until recently,” Johnson said. “Last year we recovered $7.2 million worth of batteries.”

Special recharging techniques are needed because many dead batteries are severely sulfated. “If you just charge them, it will be a surface charge and will not last,” Johnson said. “We de-sulfate the battery as we charge and make it like new.” PulseTech saved 80 percent of batteries in Kuwait that would otherwise have been thrown away. The company also trains logistics staff on use of its recharging equipment.

Worldwater & Solar makes highly mobile equipment that can both provide power and purify water in remote locations. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Quentin Kelly noted, places where power is scarce are often places where drinkable water is also scarce, and vice versa.

The company’s Mobile MaxPure (MMP) unit provides up to 3.2 kilowatts (kW) of power and up to 30,000 gallons per day of pure water from fresh water or 3,000 to 4,000 gallons from saline water. Thirty-seven MMPs were used for civilian purposes in Iraq and eight in Afghanistan.

Electric Fuel Battery’s lightweight improved releasable plate carrier features adjustable padded shoulder straps that allow for eight inches of adjustments for proper placement of the front and rear plates. [Photo courtesy of Electric Fuel Battery Corporation]


From MMP, the company has developed highly portable and rugged systems for military use. These include the preposi-tioned expeditionary assistance kit (PEAK), the solar hybrid expeditionary power and purifi-cation system (SHEPS) and the miniature deployable assistance system (MiDAS).

“They produce electric power from multiple sources, mostly solar, and also purify water,” Kelly said. “They can purify fresh water, brackish water or sea water. PEAK and MiDAS also have communication systems, allow-ing the team to talk to each other and via satellite.”

The military units differ in size and capabilities. The two-ton PEAK has a 2.1kW solar array, an 18kWh lithium-ion battery bank and a 2kW multi-fuel auxiliary generator. Its reverse osmosis unit treats up to 1,500 gallons per day of salt or fresh water. The half-ton MiDAS has four 120w and one 30w crystalline solar modules and a 2kW auxiliary generator and treats up to 1,440 gallons per day of freshwater and 432 gallons per day of seawa-ter. The much smaller SHEPS comes in two or three suitcases with a 480w solar array and can treat 60 gallons of fresh water or 18 gallons of salty water per hour.

The units can charge cell phones, laptops, soldier radios and vehicle batteries, but water purification is also key, stressed Vice President of Production Michael Ingles. The firm recently demonstrated MiDAS to the U.S. Marines and Philippine forces in the Balikatan exercises. The Marines purchased one unit and Ingles expects to them to buy three more soon.

The two larger units include diesel generators and batteries for backup, so they can work 24/7. In addition to solar panels they can also tap wind power and other energy sources, such as military vehicles. “PEAK and MiDAS can use any flavor of power in world, 12 or 24 volts, AC or DC,” Ingles noted. “They can take it in or put it out so they can mesh with the local power system anywhere in the world.”

The Army has installed two PEAK systems in Latin America. Kelly said Marines appreciate the silence of MiDAS, and SHEPS was designed for SOCOM.

Oshkosh Defense developed its ProPulse hybrid diesel-electric technology to increase energy-efficiency, explained John Bryant, senior vice president, Defense Programs. “The technol-ogy has the potential to make fleets leaner, more robust and less reliant on in-theater fuel convoys and trailer-mounted generators,” Bryant said. ProPulse increases fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent and delivers up to 120 kW of exportable

military-grade energy, enough for an airfield, hospital or com-mand center.

ProPulse uses a diesel engine to power an electric generator, which delivers power directly to axles. This eliminates several components, including automatic transmission, transfer case,

torque converter and drive shafts. The vehicle is lighter, easier to maintain and more flexible in design, because packaging ProPulse is easy. Rather than batteries, ProPulse uses rechargeable ultra-capacitors that can charge and discharge power in seconds. These can be recharged millions of times.

Oshkosh worked with the Marines to equip the medium tactical vehicle replacement (MTVR) with on-board vehicle power (OBVP) kits using ProPulse for testing. The MTVR is a primary mover of troops, materials and equipment for Marines and Navy Seabees. OBVP kits support mobile

radar systems, command centers, IED-defeat systems and other applications. OBVP-equipped MTVRs completed 2,000 hours of generator operation and nearly 17,000 miles of durability and other testing by the Marines.

Oshkosh has tested an optional ProPulse power-train in its light combat tactical all-terrain vehicle (L-ATV). This option can maximize L-ATV’s efficiency with improved fuel economy, plenty of exportable power and lower life-cycle costs. ProPulse on the L-ATV could export 30 to 70kW of military-grade power. O

For more information, contact GCT Editor Jeff Campbell at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.gct-kmi.com.

John Bryant

Worldwater’s Sheps unit at work during 2013 Marine PACOM Conference at the old Clark Air Base and Subic Bay, in Olongapo, Zambales, Philippines. [Photo courtesy of Worldwater & Solar Technolgies Inc.]

Special Section


Tactical weapons displays used by the U.S. military are more rugged, better at target acquisition and more accurate at longer ranges. This makes them ideal for conflicts that come after Afghanistan and Iraq, since they can save lives through quicker elimination of enemy combatants at long ranges where operators are more difficult to detect, according to leading manufacturers who sell to the military.

Technology that might have formerly been the domain of the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA), cooked up by engineers at companies like Lockheed Martin through procurements like the Dynamic Image Gunshot Optic contract, and only entrusted to snipers and special forces oper-ators is now making its way to the infantry. Red dot and holo-graphic weapons sights (HWS) are two dueling technologies

for tactical weapons displays, making the promise of enabling each Army and Marine Corps infantryman into a sharpshooter. Proponents of the equipment say that operators won’t even have to carry around dozens of batteries.

“[We] are noticing a trend toward miniaturization and increased lethality of weapons when we work with DoD,” said Pat Mundy, senior marketing trade manager for Leupold & Stevens Inc. of Beaverton, Ore. “Our engineering and product managers send prototypes to military end-users for testing and feedback. Weapons are being designed and built to provide longer ranges and greater accuracy, so that our warfighters can engage the enemy at longer range with greater safety to them-selves.” Miniaturization allows manufacturers to create smaller target dots in display windows.

More ruGGed, BeTTer aT TarGeT aCquisiTion, and More aCCuraTe. By wiLLiaM Murray, GCT CorrespondenT

GCT July 2013 | 9 www.GCT-kmi.com

Developed by L-3 EOTech, holographic weap-ons sights are improving the accuracy of military operators who need to operate in harsh conditions by using a laser transmission of a hologram, according to Mark Miller, product manager with the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based subsidiary of L-3 Communications that designs and produces electro-optic products and systems. The design works by using a laser light to illuminate a holographic pattern in the shooter’s heads up display window. When looking through the window, the shooter sees a virtual red image of a recticle pattern projected into the target plane.

With products used by some elite military units, such as the Navy SEALS, Delta Force and U.S. Spe-cial Operations Command for close quarters fight-ing, EOTech introduced the first holographic sight in 1998. One drawback of holographic sights compared to red dot sights is that they tend to use more battery life, although one vendor claims they can work on up to 1,000 hours of AA battery life.

Holographic patterns, according to EOTech, are designed to be instantly visible in any light and instinctive to center no matter the shooting angle, and to remain in view while the shooter sweeps the engagement zone. Reticles, meanwhile, are designed by EOTech as large, see-through patterns to achieve lightning quick reticle to target acquisition without covering or obscuring the point of aim.

EOTech officials claim that their HWS eliminates blind spots, constricted vision and tunnel vision associated with tube sights through its heads up display. User controls have no protrud-ing knobs, battery compartments or mounting rings blocking vision at the target area. Shooters can achieve instant threat identification through a greater use of their peripheral vision and achieve greater control over the engagement zone, according to company officials.

With tactical weapons systems that use binary optics technol-ogy, EOTech produces close contact and mid-range optics that are waterproof and can work accurately up to 200 yards and with magnification can work at the 300 to 400 yard range. “They’ve been shot at and still work” in field operations, said Miller of the heads up displays sold by EOTech.

“We are building lighter, wider zoom range products designed to provide the warfighter with a more effective solution for more situations,” Mundy said. “Now the individual can engage the enemy at greater range with greater precision—our optics

complement today’s evolving weapons systems,” he said.

Trijicon Inc. of Wixom, Mich., sells the Reflex, a rugged, battery-free illuminated sight for rifles, carbines and shotguns to be used in close quarter battles that allows shooters to aim with both eyes wide open, which can help shooters with situa-tional awareness. Founded in 1981 by the late Glyn Bindon, Trijicon is an any-light aiming company, so it sells equipment for daytime and nocturnal operations used by the Army, Marine Corps, and U.S. Special Operations Command.

The Reflex debuted in January, meanwhile, Trijicon’s continuously computed aiming solution (CCAS) computes a corrected aiming point based on current environmental conditions using known ballistic equations, instead of the common G1 table averages used by the majority of ballistics modeling programs, according to Jeff Eby, advanced technol-ogy program manager in the company’s military and law enforcement division.

With a ranging capability of 2,000 meters, the CCAS works with infantry weapons, sniper rifles and vehicle-mounted machine guns, among other weapons. It gathers environmental and weather data, including atmospheric pressure and tem-

perature. A half-second after activation, the onboard computer can generate a firing solution using the most advanced ballistic programs available. It can also target moving targets, and displays an aiming point on the green reticle. It seems made to help turn an average shooter into a marksman.

Tactical weapons sights can generally mount on one-inch Pica-tinny and Weaver rails.

Since 2010, Texas Weapons Systems of Austin, Texas, has been manufacturing optics and accessories for the AK-47 with occa-sional small volume sales to U.S. special forces. President Nelson Fesas is an engineer and former race car driver and designer who decided to pursue his interest in the mechanics of guns full time with the founding of the company in 2008. He intends to launch optics and accessories that could see larger U.S. military sales for tactical weapons systems beginning in summer 2014.

In the meantime, Fesas is working on selling the AK-47 clean modular system with accessory mounts to U.S.-friendly nations, such as in Eastern Europe. This will allow their military forces to upgrade their Kalashnikov platforms without investing in new rifles, ultimately saving funds.

Nelson Fesas

[email protected]

Jeff Eby

[email protected]

Aimpoint Government Sales Manager Tony Williams calls battery life “the key to our business. Some of our optics can last 30,000 hours with constant use on AA batteries.” [Photo courtesy of Aimpoint]

Leupold DeltaPoint Reflex Sights feature aspheric lens and motion sensor technology, and come in a magnesium housing. [Photo courtesy of Leupold & Stevens, Inc.]


“They can mount whatever optics they need,” Fesas said.Founded in Sweden in 1974, Aimpoint, now with its U.S. head-

quarters in Chantilly, Va., created the red dot sight to better help shooters hit moving targets quickly in all weather and lighting conditions consistently and accurately. The “low light/no light” company has sought to produce the more accurate small arms aiming system in the world, and it claims more than 1 million red dot sights in use worldwide.

There’s been a downturn in DoD optics purchases following the ending of the Iraq War and the drawdown in Afghanistan, according to Tony Williams, Aimpoint’s government sales man-ager. However, there’s been “a very large increase in sales,” to U.S. special operations forces by his company, which portends well for fourth quarter federal fiscal sales. Durability, reliability and battery life are the three keys to the company’s appeal, according to Williams.

“Some of our optics can last 30,000 hours with constant use on AA batteries,” said Williams, who served in the Marines for seven years. He calls battery life “the key to our business.” Aimpoint can also generate 80,000 hours of battery life—the equivalent of eight years—on the Army M68 Close Combat Optics system. He claims that one can throw the optics on the ground or against a wall and that they will still work adequately.

As opposed to conventional forces, special operations forces tend to engage in shots that are “five years and in,” according to Williams, who pointed to the May 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbotabad, Pakistan, as a prime example. “More than accuracy, it takes speed” to stay alive and successfully carry out a mission, he said.

Aimpoint sights and mounts enable special forces operators to keep both eyes open while targeting and shooting, since they “just point the red dot on target,” he said. “The faster you can acquire the target, the longer you stay alive,” he said. The Aimpoint red dot aiming system is a closed emitter system, so Williams noted that “there’s nothing on the outside that can be broken.”

In April, in an apparent validation of the company’s strong field performance, Aimpoint won a $8.7 million, five-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with the Naval Surface War-fare Center-Crane Division to supply night-vision capable sights and mounts for the Enhanced Combat Optical Sight-Optimized (ECOS-O) program so that Marine Corps combat infantrymen can hit targets more than a half-mile away.

ECOS-O Program combines Aimpoint’s 3.7-ounce Micro T-1 sight with the 12-inch-long Leupold Mark 6 3-18x44 millimeter riflescope, which weights 23.6 ounces. The Aimpoint T-1 sighting device will be attached to the top of the Leupold Mark 6 rifle scope

for attachment to a series of carbines, grenade launchers, combat assault rifles, and combat infantry rifles.

The ECOS-O program will provide optical targeting in close range up to 300 meters, with optical enhanced targeting from 300 to 1,000 meters and the ability to operate in extreme altitude, cold, fog, heat, humidity, ice, rough handling, salt fog, shock, solar radiation and vibration. Leupold & Stevens won a $42.8 million contract from the Naval Survey Warfare Command.

According to Aimpoint officials, this combination of optics allows military operators to utilize the non-magnified red dot sights both as a primary optic as well as a fast way to acquire targets for long-range identification and engagement using the magnified Leupold scope. The Aimpoint Micro T-1 has four night vision compatible settings and eight daylight settings, and the ECOS-O will come in illuminated and non-illuminated reticle configurations.

Over the course of the five-year contract, the Navy is working with Aimpoint and Leupold & Stevens to provide upgrade ECOS-O versions to accommodate future reticle designs for changing operational needs past the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the work completed by Leupold & Stevens in Beaverton, Ore., and Aimpoint in Jagershillgatan, Sweden, through March 2018.

The product’s ACET technology with light-emitting diode allows 50,000 hours—the equivalent of five years—of constant operation on one battery and can create a 650-nanometer red light.

Zoom magnification in the rifle scope will help combat infan-trymen detect, identify, track and engage targets at distances up to a half-mile or greater, and the red-dot technology will help infan-trymen aim their weapons accurately at targets with both eyes wide open to help them maintain situational awareness. Williams concedes that keeping both eyes open goes against what many shooters are initially taught.

In 2007, Aimpoint introduced the Micro T-1 sight, a combat reflex sight which the company touts as compact, durability and extremely long battery life. Since 2009, as a result of end-user demand, Aimpoint had been working on a smaller sized red dot reticule, which the company made available in January 2013 through the Micro T-1 and H-1.

The improved sighting technology seems to have the promise of making Army and Marine Corps infantrymen more lethal, with a corresponding potential decrease in casualties. O

The Trijicon continuously computed aiming solution computes a corrected aiming point based on current environmental conditions using known ballistic equations. [Photo courtesy of Trijicon]

Austin, Texas based Texas Weapon Systems manufactures optics and accessories for the AK-47. [Photo courtesy of Texas Weapon Systems]

For more information, contact GCT Editor Jeff Campbell at [email protected] or search our online archives

for related stories at www.gct-kmi.com.


Compiled by Kmi media Group staffInnoVatIonS

Rugged iPad CasingPelican Products Inc.

• Automatic purge valve keeps water and dust out while balancing

air pressure

• Cushion insert protects from impact shock yet won’t scratch screen

• Power cords and earbuds stow below keyboard

• Tight seal created when case is shut

Pelican Products has introduced rugged protection for the iPad, iPad2

and netbooks. The casing includes an integrated easel for hands-free viewing

in horizontal or vertical position. The cases have been tested for impact and

submersion up to three feet.

Precision Munition AdditionRaytheon Company

Available to

• 155 mm artillery land forces

• 155 mm and 5-inch (127 mm) naval guns

Through an internally funded program, Raytheon

Company has initiated an internally funded program to

enhance its 155 mm Excalibur GPS-guided projectile

with a new guidance and navigation unit (GNU)

with a semi-active laser (SAL) end-game targeting

capability. With the SAL seeker, the munition can

attack moving targets, attack targets that have

re-positioned after firing, or alter the impact point,

avoiding casualties and collateral damage.

“No other gun-launched GPS-guided artillery

round is as precise as Excalibur, which in its current

design gives one the ability to hit within 4 meters

of the target 90 percent of the time,” said Kevin

Matthies, Excalibur program director for Raytheon

Missile Systems. “Now we’re ready to take this to

the next level, giving the warfighter the ability to

not only re-target the munition in flight, but leverage

Excalibur’s maneuverability to use the pinpoint

precision of a semi-active laser seeker to hit targets

on the move.”

Naval guns can use the additional capability

to address moving targets on land and at sea,

with counter-swarming boat capability as the prime

focus. The existing GNU design also fits in a 127 mm

projectile body.

“Excalibur has proven itself an invaluable asset

for avoiding collateral damage while defeating

targets that may otherwise be out of reach or

cannot be quickly engaged,” said Michelle Lohmeier,

vice president of land combat for Raytheon Missile

Systems. “The need for this degree of precision to

attack moving targets is there, and we now have

the ability to leverage demonstrated Excalibur Ib

technology to make this happen.”

Soldier Systems BatteryPanacis Inc.

• Multi-port, 2-pound package

• Stores energy internally as a rechargeable battery

• Powers one or more devices at once

• Two form factors, fit standard issue military pouches

Panacis Inc. has launched the Panacis Energy SharePack, a

power solution for the dismounted warfighter in a single lithium

ion device using universal, bi-directional power ports. The

battery features integrated power management, distribution and

scavenging functions within a high energy density rechargeable

lithium ion battery. It’s designed to power soldier-worn command,

control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I)

equipment while reducing the logistical footprint and weight

borne by the soldier. Recharging can be performed directly from

energy sources in the immediate environment, such as solar

blankets, military vehicle power, DC generators, and partially

used batteries that would normally be discarded. A liquid-crystal

display (LCD) provides information about the system including

the state of charge, time to empty, and mode of operation

(charging, discharging, scavenging).


• Speeds of 20 GB/min

• Provides imaging to/from a network location

• Supports multiple source and destination drives

• Supports multi-tasking to improve efficiency and

shorten evidence collection process

Hard drive duplicator and digital forensics

technology provider Logicube has announced the

addition of the Forensic Falcon to its line of

forensic imaging solutions.

“Logicube’s Forensic Falcon will set a

new standard in digital forensic data imaging

technology,” commented Farid Emrani,

president and chief executive officer of

Logicube. “This new solution was

developed after in-depth discussions

with our customers in the government

and private sector, both domestic and

international, on what they wanted in their

ideal forensic imaging solution.”

The Falcon allows users to image and

verify from four write-protected source drives to up

to five different destinations. Imaging to or from a network location

is supported using network protocols. A web-based user interface

provides remote access using a web browser to manage all operations

of the Falcon.

The solution can also perform a forensic, filter-based file copy. This

allows users to filter and copy by the extended file name such as .pdf,

.jpg, .mov, etc. The Falcon’s compact size makes it portable and ideal

for field work and features a large, 7-inch capacitive color touchscreen.

Other features include a multi-pass wipe function, AES 256

encryption and decryption, the ability to create password-protected

user profiles and a task macro that can set specific tasks to be

performed sequentially.

The Falcon began shipping to customers at the end of June.

Marine Personnel CarrierBAE Systems

• 8-by-8amphibiousplatform

• 26-tonopen-ocean,swim-capablevehicle

• Blast-resistanthullandseats

BAE Systems and Iveco Defence Vehicles completed 12

daysofwheeledamphibiousvehicleevaluationsaspartof the

U.S. Marine Corps’ Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) Continued

SystemsDemonstrationandStudiescontract.

The evaluation included a series of water performance

demonstrationsinvariousseaconditions,aswellasanevaluation

ofhumanfactorsandstowagecapacity.

“Despiteademandingprogram,ourMPCwascompletedon

scheduleandonbudget,”saidJohnSwift,BAESystems’MPC

program director. “It will provide our Marine Corps customer

with a highly maneuverable solution both in water and on

land,withexcellentamphibiouscapabilitiesandahigh levelof

survivability.”

Duringtesting,theMarineCorpsrequireddemonstrationsof

thevehicle’smaneuverabilityonlandandatsea,aswellasthe

vehicle’sloadcapacity—theabilitytoaccommodateareinforced

Marineriflesquadandallowforaquickandefficientpersonnel

exit. BAE Systems’ MPC exceeded all vehicle requirements,

performing personnel exit drills in less than 17 seconds and

showcasing an interior layout and compartmentalization that

allows for the stowage of more than three days of supplies

withoutjeopardizingthesurvivabilityofthevehicleandpersonnel.

Thetestingtookplaceattheamphibiousvehicletestbranch

(AVTB), in Camp Pendleton, Calif. The MPC’s demonstrated

its ability to navigate within an open ocean environment, and

reinforcedsimilar testingconductedon theSUPERAVby Iveco

Defence Vehicles that included ship launch and recovery and

surfzonetransitions.ThejointBAESystemsandIvecoDefence

Vehiclesteamisnowpreparingforsurvivabilitydemonstrations

plannedforthissummerattheNevadaAutomotiveTestCenter.

TheBAESystemsMPCisdesignedtofillthemedium-armor

ground vehicle gap and complements the capabilities of the

assaultamphibiousvehicle,theamphibiouscombatvehicleand

thejointlighttacticalvehicle.

Forensic Imaging SolutionLogicube

Compiled by Kmi media Group staffInnoVatIonS


Major General H.R. McMaster assumed command of the MCoE and Fort Benning on June 13, 2012. Prior to his arrival at Fort Benning he most recently served as commander, Combined Joint Inter-Agency Task Force Shafafiyat (Transparency) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Previously he served as director of Concept Development and Learning at the U.S. Army Training and Doc-trine Command. He was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984. He holds a Ph.D. in military history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

McMaster’s previous command assignments include Eagle Troop, Second Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bamberg, Germany and in Southwest Asia during the 1991 Persian Gulf War; 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry in Schweinfurt, Germany from 1999 to 2002; and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado and in Iraq from June 2004 to June 2006. Staff assign-ments include special assistant to commander, Multinational Force-Iraq from February 2007 to May 2008; director, Com-mander’s Advisory Group at U.S. Central Command from May 2003 to 2004; and squadron executive officer and regimental operations officer in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment from July 1997 to July 1999. He also served as an assistant profes-sor of history at the United States Military Academy from 1994 to 1996.

McMaster’s military education and training includes the Airborne and Ranger Schools, Armor Officer Basic and Career Courses, the Cavalry Leaders Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a U.S. Army War College fellow-ship at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace. McMaster has also served as a senior consulting fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London.

Q: Since taking command of MCoE last June, what changes have you effected in the center?

A: I wouldn’t say that we’ve made a lot of changes at the Maneuver Center. We’ve continued the great work that was going on here already. And that work, in a high level of generality, was an effort to institutionalize the lessons of the last 12 years of combat and to make a grounded projection into the future to ensure that our maneuver forces are prepared to fight in future conflicts as part of combined arms and joint and multinational teams. That work is progressing in four key areas. One is in leader development and education, where we have modified a great deal of our curriculum

so that we can enable our leaders to make decisions, visualize, describe, and direct operations in complex environments and academics. The second key area is in training. And some of our biggest innovations in our training involve increased rigor in our courses to ensure that we are challenging our soldiers to develop the competence and confidence to fight and win in combat. We’re also focusing on the human and psychological dimensions of combat. And that is really training soldiers for cognition under a program called Advanced Situational Awareness Training.

Then [there is] the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program, which prepares soldiers to operate in environments of uncertainty and persistent danger. There is an effort still ongo-ing to revise all of our brigade-level and below fighting doctrine. In our doctrinal revisions we’re emphasizing a description of enemies, threats, and adversaries in the operating environment of the future. We know, for example, that we have to be prepared to fight and win against a broad range of enemy organizations. Not just the fielded forces of nation-states, but also what some refer to as irregular forces and everything in between, which some people refer to as hybrid threats.

The other key thing we’re emphasizing in our doctrinal revisions is the importance of effective reconnaissance and security operations, and the need to develop situational under-standing through actions as well as through stealth means and

Soldier Training EducatorMCoE Prepares Soldiers to be Effective Warriors

Q&AQ&AMajor General H. R. McMaster

Commanding GeneralU.S. Army Maneuver Center

of Excellence


long-range security operations. And then finally, we’re emphasizing the actions that we have to conduct. There are influential actors in those environments, and then to consolidate gains so that we’re making progress and we’re accomplishing our missions and we’re achieving outcomes that are sustainable, consistent with our goals, and worthy of the sacrifices our soldiers are making in combat.

Q: Simulators are increasingly being used in training personnel. In this era of defense funding austerity, how do simulators help to provide training at lower cost?

A: Simulators are helpful in two areas. First, they allow us to develop proficiency with weapons to levels that help us get the most out of live training. So, for example, we don’t waste bullets based on rudimentary mistakes. And we don’t waste bullets as sol-diers learn how to master their weapons. And if you work through all that in simulation it allows you to get a lot more out of live fires. The second thing simulations allow us to do is to replicate complex environments that are difficult or impossible to replicate in live training. So we’re able to immerse soldiers in combat vehicles into complex environments in which enemies can mingle with civilian populations. Soldiers can practice identifying the presence of the extraordinary and the absence of the ordinary. And that’s important because soldiers have to be comfortable operat-ing in environments of insurgents. Increasingly, what we need to do be able is make adjustments. We’re integrating all arms and capabilities into the fight, and that is not something we’ve been doing too well.

Q: What other cost-saving initiatives have you effected in MCoE?

A: We’ve initiated a broad range of cost-saving initiatives at the Maneuver Center and we’ve done this in a way that’s consistent with our Army’s philosophy. We’ve asked commanders to really look at costs and expenditures across the board. In an effort to look at the services that we’ve contracted out, we’re looking at more efficient ways to accomplish our tasks so that we don’t degrade our mission. Our commanders have taken the initiative and we’ve realized considerable savings across all of our forces and across all of our training. We’ve also reduced travel dramati-cally. To compensate for that, we’re using video teleconferencing. We have also found a broad range of things on the installation, for example, using our combat engineer units for range improve-ments. And we’ve also been constructing new facilities here at Fort Benning over the past 10 years or so that are energy-efficient.

Q: In airborne training, are there improvements that you would like to see in the state of the art for parachutes?

A: The T-11 Advanced Tactical Parachute System is our approved replacement for the T-10 parachute. The T-11 has several considerable advantages. First of all, it can carry a heavier payload—400 pounds compared with 360 pounds—while it reduces significantly the rate of descent and has 28 percent more parachute surface and 14 percent more inflated diameter. This is great for our paratroopers because it reduces the rate of descent by 25 percent and reduces injuries. It also comes with an improved reserve parachute that has a 99.6 percent

reliability rate. The T-11 is being integrated into the Basic Air-borne Course and it’s also being incorporated into training our jumpmasters here.

Q: Are advancements being made in training for IED detection and disablement?

A: We’re constantly innovating to reduce the threat to our force of roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices. Here at Fort Benning we run courses that help leaders take an effective tactical approach to ensuring security in areas of operation and freedom of movement along routes in those areas of operation. There’s a focus obviously on the new technology, but there’s also a focus on tactics, as well as soldiers’ ability to detect threats and provide support.

Q: Has the entry to the battlefield of electronic devices such as smart phones changed the way combatants are trained?

A: Electronic devices such as smart phones have allowed us to improve the effectiveness of our training and we have a small team here at the Maneuver Center. Training and Doctrine Command has teams across the other centers of excellence who are developing apps for smart phones to allow soldiers to better prepare for courses and to give soldiers access to infor-mation and instruction wherever they are. And these sorts of distance learning capabilities have had a significant and positive influence on graduation rates, especially in those courses that emphasize technical skills and attention to detail, such as the jumpmaster course.

Q: As communications have moved to link warfighters at the edge, how has this affected MCoE and its mission?

A: The MCoE has been a key participant in developing improved communications capabilities in our units. Initially, many people believed that the power of improved communications would derive from command posts that had access to better informa-tion. What we realized is that information of greater fidelity [and relevance] allows tactical units to take initiative consistent with the mission and allows our units to be more agile and more effec-tive. So that’s what we’re emphasizing, capabilities such as the Nett Warrior system that allow our units to see themselves in context of the terrain as well as to communicate quickly—to send simple orders and complete reports, and to coordinate with the adjacent units.

Q: We have seen a mortar explode, killing seven Marines in mountain warfare training in Nevada. Are you reviewing the safety of mortars that MCOE uses in its training?

A: Whenever there’s a safety incident, we obviously take it very seriously and we work with the Army Safety offices and the Army Safety Center to ensure we have the latest information. So we’re continuing to ask people to train within all our courses but we are going to remain especially diligent to ensure all our training is both realistic and safe. We’re tracking the initial reports on what is likely to have caused that terrible incident, and we’ll continue to track it as information comes through. We’ll be prepared to


employ any risk-mitigation measures that we deem necessary, and that the Army deems necessary.

Q: What steps have you taken to relieve stress on forces and the family, to increase chances that personnel will wish to remain in service?

A: Really, what our Army has been doing is unprecedented—we have had an all-volunteer force that has fought America’s lon-gest wars over the last 12 years. And the force has demonstrated extraordinary resiliency—maintaining discipline, standards, pro-fessionalism. But we recognize that there have been stresses on our soldiers and on our families. The most important thing we’ve been doing is to work on destigmatizing anybody who wants to seek help for traumatic stress and its negative effects, and also that we have done some really great work in improving the resiliency in not just our force, but in our families. One particular program that’s improved this is our Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fit-ness program. It’s really designed to strengthen soldiers and fam-ily members in five key areas: physical, emotional, social, spiritual and family. There are five pillars to this program that we’re using to accomplish the goal of resiliency. We have the Global Assess-ment Tool, a confidential online survey that will ask you to assess your physical and psychological health. We have trained a large number of Master Resiliency Trainers, soldiers that are authorized to conduct formal advanced training. These efforts provide very

important skills to strengthen the mind, and this is really, I think, one of the key initiatives over the last 12 years of combat.

Q: Do you have any final thoughts for the men and women of MCoE and the mission they perform each day?

A: The MCoE is really critical to the combat effectiveness of our Army. It’s a privilege to serve with such a high-performing team who work every day to make our Army better. We’re emphasiz-ing five key areas here at the Maneuver Center. The first is leader development and education, and that’s one of the Chief of Staff of the Army’s top priorities, and it’s our top priority. We say a soldier will follow a good leader anywhere, under any condition of battle, so developing the best leaders is really important across all of our formations. The second area is training: ensuring our soldiers at the Maneuver Center, and the whole force, have the skills necessary, and [that they] train under tough, realistic condi-tions to build the confidence and competence necessary to fight and win against our adversaries. The third area is doctrine; we are rewriting all of our doctrine. The fourth is combat development, to ensure that our maneuver forces have every capability to over-match the enemy under all conditions of combat. And then finally, we’re working continually to make Fort Benning a better installa-tion. It’s already a great installation. We have a uniquely positive relationship with the cities and towns of the Chattahoochee River valley that support us. O

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Just as a soldier in the field doesn’t have time for a broken down vehicle or jammed weapon system, the computers that sol-diers operate must perform without fail. And as commercial computers for personal use advance in great leaps from one year to the next, rugge-dized computers carried by troops or mounted in their vehicles have moved forward in several areas over the past year, according to U.S. Army Computer Hardware, Enter-prise Software and Solutions (CHESS) Project Director Brendan Burke.

“The advancements in ruggedized computing are the same shared by notebooks in general: faster perfor-mance, larger storage and longer battery life,” Burke said. “The place where note-books have excelled the most is touch screen capabilities which allows for alterna-tive data entry capabilities—especially with graphics applications.”

Fremont, Calif.-based GammaTech Com-puter Corp. has more than a quarter century invested in the rugged computer business. The company released its latest rugged note-book in April, and made a rugged tablet avail-

able for industrial and field applications in May. Previous models have been used in military tactile environments, according to GammaTech Product Manager Peter Kha. “That outdoor environment requires a specific rugged-ness, a specific international protection (IP) rating,” Kha said. “For military usage, we have deployed some units into

the U.S. Air Force and Army branches, with some being mounted into a vehicle.”

seMi vs. fuLLy ruGGed

The Army has no minimum standards for a ruggedized notebook, according to Burke. “CHESS notebooks are required to

run the Army Golden Master (AGM) oper-ating system, have self encrypting drives, tamper resistant basic input/output system (National Institute of Standards and Tech-nology Special Publication 800-147), include a Federal Information Processing Standard 201-approved common access card reader, be energy star qualified, and electronic product environmental assessment tool-registered,” Burke said. “The level of ruggedness is strictly determined by the end user.”

Industry vendors have made some dis-tinctions between semi-rugged and fully rug-gedized computers, but for the Army, there’s no clear demarcation. “Generally speaking, ruggedized platforms have all key electrical components sealed, all external ports have covers, and have an IP rating [according to International Electrotechnical Commission standard 60529] of 55 or greater,” Burke said.

In most cases for the industry, on a semi-rugged unit, only the keyboard sur-face and LCD panel are completely sealed. So if a soldier is operating in a drizzling, rainy environment, there’s sufficient time to

By Jeff CaMpBeLL

GCT ediTor

new noTeBooks and TaBLeTs Can Take aLL THaT’s THrown aT THeir operaTor…and THen soMe.

Peter Kha


move the unit into a drier environment, or wipe the surface off and it won’t get in to the system’s vital components. Don’t set it down in a damp place though, Kha cautioned. “There may be vents at the bot-tom of the unit, so if water gets in at the bottom from a semi-rugged, then it’s not completely protected.”

Fully rugged units are completely sealed, protected from dust, spillage, drop, shock, and certain levels of gas. Gamma-Tech’s SA14 is on the heavy side because of its IP43 rating.

The SA14 mainstream model comes with either an Intel Core i5-3320M or Core i7-3520M processor, but with lead time is fully customizable. “We know that most of our clients want more computing power,” Kha said. “We incorporate the latest into the Intel Ivy Bridge platform.”

power proTeCTion

A close second to power is the reli-ability required to use the notebook on a long mission.

GammaTech’s SA14 features a dual battery option, with a quick-release hard drive compartment. “For battery duration, on the single nine-cell battery, it is roughly eight to nine hours, and you can add in a second battery if you want, but that will take out the quick-release function,” Kha noted. “We utilize that same department with a second six-cell battery that’ll give you operation of 11-13 hours, depending on your configuration.”

Kha mentioned a specific need for classified information which called for HDD data storage compartments to be quickly removable for secure storage. “A customer can utilize one unit with a quick-release HDD compartment that allows them to swap out four [or more] different hard drives easily. Each hard drive has different applications for differ-ent users, different security levels, there-fore users only have the information they are authorized to have on the com-puter,” Kha said. “And the other quick release HDD compartments and their drives can be safely stored in a separate secure location to minimize any potential data breach.”

Panasonic’s Toughbook computers for the military are MIL-STD-810G tested fully rugged, designed to survive drops, falls, spills, sand, grime and extreme tem-peratures. Mission-critical features of the

Toughbook mobile computers include daylight viewable screens, long-life bat-teries and heightened security, accord-ing to Panasonic System Communications Company of North America Senior Federal Sales Director Tim Collins. The battery life for the Panasonic Toughbook 31 lap-top—which Collins said is engineered with the world’s most rugged design—starts at 13 hours and can operate up to 21 hours when using the optional media bay second battery.

In keeping pace with wireless advancements, Panasonic spends approxi-mately $5 billion annually on research and develop-ment, according to Collins. That includes an investment in one of the world’s larg-est anechoic chambers in the industry in Kobe, Japan. “We use this state-of-the-art chamber to produce a controlled envi-ronment that makes it easier to perform frequency tests for total isotropic sen-sitivity and total radiated power,” Col-lins said. “Using the data collected in Kobe, our engineers evaluate factors such as driver performance, software perfor-mance, and variable environmental and network conditions to isolate problems and improve the wireless connectivity of our device.”

soLdier BenefiT

Versatility is inherent in the rugged requirement of U.S. Military Standard 810G (MIL-STD-810G), so GammaTech durability means the unit will still oper-ate after falls of at least three feet, and while bouncing along on rough roads. “The unit is going to be in an environment where it’s susceptible to either moisture, or to heat, or to rain, the elements basi-cally,” Kha noted. “If you have a typical, traditional laptop, and try to use it in that environment, it’s going to be really hard, and you’re going to have to pay special attention to it.”

Soldiers cannot afford frustrating dis-tractions in the middle of combat. “Having the unit up and running and not sus-ceptible to the environment is of critical importance because we’re talking about lives at stake, too,” Kha stressed. “So, having the unit not in a situation where if they drop it, if they accidentally spill

something, or they got some water on it, that they’ll be able to still function, is of critical importance.”

Testing conditions do have a break-ing point. After all, the unit’s not going anywhere beyond temperatures humans can withstand because otherwise there’s no one operating the system. “All the sys-tems that are semi-rugged to fully rugged can go anywhere from 20 below Celsius to roughly 55 Celsius in terms of tempera-

ture and humidity,” Kha said. “All the ports are sealed because of the IP rating for the SA14, so there should be no dust or any kinds of ele-ments of a certain size that get into the unit.”

If the mission calls a unit into extreme environ-ments, they may want a fully rugged option, which GammaTech also has avail-

able. In the case of IP65, a certified unit can be sprayed with water from all direc-tions, and at any angle, water and dust won’t get past the seal. At the highest IP rating, a unit may be submerged in water. “We try to take a look at requirements and meet them all,” Kha said.

Another area in which customization can apply is the backlit keyboard—in one instance a customer didn’t want it illumi-nated while in total darkness. “They may want the LCD throttled up to a specific brightness rating so it won’t be seen in a combat environment,” Kha said. “The user must be able to control the bright-ness level on that keyboard. Those are very specific to a particular project we were able to accomplish.”

GammaTech has continued strides into the growing tablet sector of the rugged computers with the release of their Dura-book model TA10, which is a fully rugge-dized IP65 unit. “We basically take all the bells and whistles on a typical laptop and convert it because of the popularity of tab-lets,” Kha said. Now available for industrial and field applications, the TA10 features a 10.4 LCD display with LED backlight. Kha pointed out there are different ways to protect tablet screens. “They are tem-pered glass, so it’s not like the typical cell phone glass,” he said. “In testing, a metal ball is dropped on the glass to make sure it doesn’t break.” The TA10 has withstood multiple 5-foot drops onto 2-inch plywood set over concrete.

Tim Collins


TaBLeTs for Troops

Panasonic’s Toughbook brand holds nearly an 80 percent share of the rugged mobile device space. They’re responding to increased demand from the troops for tab-lets with a goal to achieve 50 percent of the ruggedized tablet market by 2015. Its most recent releases are the Toughpad JT-B1, a 7-inch Android tablet, and the Tough-pad FZ-G1, a 10-inch Windows tablet. Both devices follow the original 10-inch Android-powered Toughpad FZ-A1 which became broadly available late last year. “The Toughpad family of tablets provides advanced features that ordinary tablets simply cannot offer, including fully rug-ged durability, advanced security, long-life batteries, daylight-viewable screens and compatibility with mobile device management solutions to secure devices from unauthorized use,” Collins said.

Several “firsts” have helped Panasonic land in a position to deliver solutions that address government custom-ers’ challenges. “A few of our innovations include being the first to integrate CD-ROMs into laptops, the first to encase LCDs in magnesium alloy, and the first to engineer a rugged convertible tablet PC,” Collins said. ”We have been developing rugged mobile computers for more than a decade, and have constantly adapted our process to provide our customers with the most reliable, seamless integrated solutions.” Panasonic also aims to stand out by offering unified, integrated verti-cal market-specific technology solutions designed to work together to drive value. “This provides government buyers with a partner to provide a wide range of inte-grated, reliable technology that is going to provide the highest return on investment possible,” Collins said.

In developing the new line of tab-lets, Panasonic referred to user insights about the Toughbook computers already in service. “Our users in the armed services asked us for a tablet device that would be designed from the inside out to address the needs of the 21st-century soldier,” Collins said. “Toughpad is our answer.” To reach that goal of holding half the ruggedized tablet marketplace within two years, Collins and his team are focused on translating the value of the Toughbook brand into the Toughpad tablet products.

“Recognizing the potential that ruggedized computers offer to national defense opera-tions, our government customers have expressed an overwhelming amount of interest in our latest ruggedized tablet solutions and we are committed to meet-ing this demand,” Collins said.

Tablets’ recent jumps for civilians are mirrored by the ruggedized versions used by U.S. servicemembers. Harris RF Com-munications’ flagship tablet evolved from the company’s leadership in developing wideband tactical radios. “These radios are transforming the way deployed forces communicate by providing bandwidth for rugged and secure Internet-like capability on the battlefield,” according to Harris RF Communications Product Manager Elea-nor McBeth. “The military is filling this bandwidth with all sorts of new data—pho-tos, videos, position location information and intelligence reports, just to name a few.”

With more data pouring in, more efficient ways of managing the data are required. McBeth emphasized Harris’s option is up to the task. “The RF-3590 is the first tablet optimized to integrate

with this tactical network and the first in a breed of small, handheld devices that are intuitive and based on open stan-dards,” she said. “It provides soldiers with a very familiar platform for working with data, with a familiar user interface and menu structure.”

As missions and the environments in which soldiers fight change, tablets evolve with updated battle conditions. McBeth said the RF-3590 is a flexible platform that—with the addition of applications—provides valuable system solutions. Casual users are familiar with the phrase “there’s an app for that,” but in some cases for the more specialized military user, the app they want doesn’t exist yet. Harris doesn’t wait for someone else to create the apps end users want. Rather, the company has focused both on the development of its own applications—which provide radio control, chat, video and situational aware-ness capabilities—as well as providing a platform for customer and other commer-cial apps. Furthermore, “Harris continues to expand beyond the initial tethered use cases that leverage the security and trans-port capabilities of our wideband radios,”

Panasonic’s Toughbook computers for the military are tested fully rugged, designed to survive drops, falls, spills, sand, grime and extreme temperatures. [Photo courtesy of Panasonic]

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McBeth said. “For example, the tablet has received Wi-Fi and FCC certifications, as well as the ‘FIPS Inside’ designation.”

soLdier BenefiT

If you’ve spent any time on the battle-field within the past decade, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the Panasonic Toughbook, according to Collins. “When government officials develop procurement plans to supply their units for wartime operations, they choose Panasonic rugged mobile computers and tablets because they recognize that computer hardware failure is not an option,” he said. “The annual failure rate of Toughbook mobile computers is six times less than the industry average, which translates to less downtime, fewer repair expenses and a lower total cost of ownership for our government customers.”

As the nation continues its strategic pivot to the Pacific, Panasonic products are ready. Extreme climate changes can be disastrous for combat communications, potentially resulting in millions of dol-lars in damage each year for government users, according to Collins. “Since we began development of the first rugged PC in 1993, Panasonic has always tested its mobile com-puters and tablets for operation in extreme temperature and humidity to ensure that they are built to last no matter where they’re used in the world,” Collins said.

Both the Toughpad FZ-G1 and JT-B1 have an operational temperature range from -20 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Tem-perature extremes are just one part of Panasonic’s ruggedized quality control. “Our technicians conduct more than 500 checks and tests before, during and after production to ensure that every unit is built to handle the challenges presented by extreme climates,” Collins said. “By apply-ing a range of torture tests that include resistance to extreme temperature, humid-ity and particle exposure, we are able to accommodate the evolving needs and con-cerns of our government customers both at home and abroad.”

In addition to exceptional performance in extreme conditions, operational security is a must, and Collins said Toughpad and Toughbook’s enhanced security features go far above and beyond ordinary con-sumer devices. Some of those features are hardware encryption, trusted boot, and embedded security processor functional-ity. “Tool-less removable hard drives on

Toughbook units mean information is not compromised when a device is sent in for service,” Collins said. “The Toughpad FZ-G1 and JT-B1 are both FIPS 140-2 (Level 1) compliant and the FZ-A1 is the only tablet that is FIPS 140-2 (Level 2) compliant with a dedicated security core for data encryption and includes prein-stalled, and persistent, drivers for approved smart card readers.”

Manufacturers like Harris build devices with the soldier in mind, optimizing rug-gedized tablets for the difficult environ-ments users face on the battlefield. “It’s rugged according to military standards, but still lightweight,” McBeth said. She added that it offers device interfaces for attaching peripherals such as cameras or scanners. “The large display screen is designed to be used by operators wearing gloves, or conducting missions in bright sunlight, or at night with night-vision goggles on,” she said.

Beyond the bells and whistles, the goal of Harris’ tablet is to meet the need for information. “Just like we’ve seen on the consumer side, the appetite for data and technology has steadily increased, as people want access to information at any time, and at any place,” McBeth said. “That same mentality has carried over onto the battlefield. The tablet gives soldiers access to real-time, mission-critical information, when and where they need it,” she added.

The Harris Ruggedized Tablet is the only tablet that is built specifically for military and public safety use, according to McBeth. “What makes it unique is the full combination of capabilities in a small, single, lightweight device,” she said. “We were able to hit this sweet spot because we built the device from the ground up, with the user in mind, rather than modifying a commercial-off-the-shelf tablet.”

The wideband tactical network unifies the power of the joint force, according to McBeth.

“It connects soldiers at the tactical edge with each other as well as com-manders in far off tactical operations cen-ters and allows them to access real-time command and control information,” she said. “Through the network, tactical users are able to access applications and other critical data files that are otherwise beyond their reach due to constraints in band-width and power.”

Harris designed its tablet for the tacti-cal environment, featuring a multi-touch

screen and sunlight readability. It weighs just two pounds. “The tablet is extremely portable, providing maximum power in a small, lightweight form factor, but maintains a usable 7-inch screen size and provides the flexibility of the Android plat-form,” McBeth said. “The device is also scalable, providing a wide range of inter-face [USB, wireless, cellular] and expansion capabilities, but can also be used with one of Harris’ tactical radios [AN/PRC-117G or AN/PRC-152A] to provide secure commu-nications on the battlefield.”

Information security is a key reason why McBeth recommends tying back to the wideband tactical radio network. Har-ris’ Falcon III line offers the only wideband manpack and handheld radios that have been NSA Type-1 certified. “The radio provides information assurance for data traveling from the network to the tablet and back, including, in some instances, up to Top Secret,” McBeth said. “The tablet/radio combination enables the operator to communicate using multiple waveforms over multiple bands at higher power, with improved range.”

Coupling the tablet with Harris’ wide-band tactical networks also allows users to send and receive high-bandwidth informa-tion such as video, images, and situational awareness data. “The tablet also provides access to software applications and secure databases that contain crucial intelligence information,” McBeth added. “Access to, and the ability to share this information could be the difference between life and death for them, and success and failure for their missions.”

In the near future, CHESS is looking to develop and implement the latest Windows version into the AGM operating system. “A Windows 8-based AGM will allow for the adoption of more touch screen applications which enhance data entry and retrieval,” Burke said. “The keyboard has always been the limiting factor, but now touchscreens help mitigate data access challenges.” As quickly as computer processes evolve, it appears keyboards won’t be limiting our war fighters much longer. By this time next year, information will likely be at their fingertips even faster. O

For more information, contact GCT Editor Jeff Campbell at [email protected] or search our online archives for related stories

at www.gct-kmi.com.


Don Kotchman graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1979. He holds a Master of Science degree in mechani-cal engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. During the early stages of his 27-year military career, Kotchman’s assignments included leadership positions in maintenance and supply management units in support of combat brigades.

After 1998, the majority of his military service consisted of acquisition leadership assignments. Included in those assignments were tours as project manager, Abrams Tank Systems and project manager, Future Com-bat Systems Manned Ground Systems. In 2004, he became deputy program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems.

Kotchman retired from the Army in October 2006 and joined General Dynamics Land Systems, where he has been responsible for oversight of a variety of combat vehicle programs including the Abrams tank. He became vice president of Armor Brigade Combat Team, Ground Combat Systems in January 2011.

Q: How does fuel dependency impact combat effectiveness?

A: Fuel distribution operations are critical in war. During Operation Iraqi Freedom and in operations in Afghanistan, the U.S. Army paid particular attention to the implications of fuel consumption and resupply on combat effectiveness. Fuel requirements and refuel-ing operations play a key role in develop-ing operational plans and are a major cost driver in combat operations. They require siz-able resources to execute and protect them. Improperly planned or disrupted, they can impede maneuver and limit operational flex-ibility. In response to lessons learned during recent operations, the Army started several initiatives to reduce operational energy con-sumption, including the establishment of the Operational Energy Offices, and the Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory. Gen-eral Dynamics Land Systems is exploring

opportunities to assist in reducing opera-tional energy consumption by addressing energy consumption in systems it provides to the Army.

Q: What is General Dynamics doing to improve Abrams fuel efficiency?

A: Over the last three years, General Dynam-ics, along with key suppliers MTU and Allison Transmission Inc., developed an Improved Diesel Abrams vehicle with the potential to provide up to 50 percent better fuel effi-ciency than the current system. The design increases the system’s operational range by 100 miles and is less costly to sustain.

The system relies on an integrated MTU 883 series engine coupled to an Allison 5250MX transverse transmission. General Dynamics developed the cooling system and did the integration design effort ensur-ing the vehicle maintained current system level performance.

Q: Are you working with the customer on this fuel enhancement initiative?

A: In 2013, General Dynamics will com-plete subsystem integration into an Abrams and provide it to the U.S. Army Tank Auto-motive Research and Development Cen-ter [TARDEC] for collaborative testing and analysis through a cooperative research and development agreement.

The TARDEC test program begins by instrumenting and conducting a baseline test on a current Abrams. A comparative test of the General Dynamics improved die-sel Abrams follows. TARDEC and General Dynamics’ engineers will then test the vehicle

in TARDEC’s Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory, using its unique dyna-mometer test stand, running the improved diesel Abrams through the same test plan.

Q: The Operational Energy reduction initiatives in DoD and the Army are focused on organizational effectiveness and efficiency. What are you doing with the Abrams tank to address these goals?

A: The improved diesel Abrams can be part of improving both segments within the armored brigade combat Team formation. This new power plant configuration for the Abrams meets or exceeds current vehicle performance requirements, offers up to a 50 percent improvement in combat day fuel consumption depending on the environment, and increases cruising range by 50 percent while using 9 percent less fuel, all within the existing vehicle envelope. In addition to the diesel engine initiative, the addition of new track with reduced weight, lower rolling resistance, a 5,000-mile replacement life and simplified track pad replacement procedure has the potential to further improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Q: What is General Dynamics doing to help improve the combat effectiveness of the Abrams?

A: General Dynamics Land Systems is engaged in a modernization program known as Engineering Change Proposal 1, which sig-nificantly improves the system’s electronics and addresses space, weight, power and com-puting concerns. The Diesel Abrams Program has the potential to be a large contributor for future cost avoidance and improving com-bat effectiveness. The diesel configuration is projected to operate at triple the mean time between operational mission failure com-pared to the current turbine engine. Should the Army elect to pursue the diesel engine program, the combination of these efforts on the Abrams main battle tank will help ensure it remains the dominant land combat system in the world. O

InduStry InterVIeW ground combat technology

Colonel (Ret.) Donald P. KotchmanVice President

Armor Brigade Combat TeamGround Combat Systems

General Dynamics Land Systems

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GCT July 2013

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Transcript of GCT July 2013