The Illuminated Battlefield

Forum

Forum Home | Headlines | Early Brief | Opinions | Discussions | SoldierTech | Benefit Updates | Defense Tech

The Illuminated Battlefield

Leatherneck | Isaac D. Pacheco | September 21, 2006

Darkness and cover no longer offer the enemy a place to hide, thanks to an array of new gadgets aimed at giving leathernecks the line-of-sight advantage during battle. Next-generation night vision like N-Vision Optics’ new GT-14 has put the sun back in the sky for Marines on night patrols.

The GT-14 is a tactical night-vision monocular featuring a unique ergonomic design that allows single-handed operation, dramatically minimizing the probability of user error in extreme conditions. The lightweight unit fits on a standard or flip-up facemask and helmet mounts, which permits hands-free use. A rifle mount that fits on a Picatinny rail also is available.

Marines who tested the GT-14 lauded the way it handled under adverse conditions.

“We were very satisfied with the performance of the GT-14 Night Vision Optics. We even fired the GT-14 on an M240G 7.62x51 mm NATO crew-serve machine gun for over 600 rounds without it losing focus,” Lieutenant Colonel Freddie J. Blish said in a product evaluation report. “The Marines who got to use this truly appreciated its capability.”

The waterproof monocular is equipped with an invisible short-range infrared illuminator to assist with close-up tasks that have to be performed in complete darkness, such as map reading, equipment repairs, etc.

Shot in the Dark

For operations that require units to “reach out and touch” the enemy, Xenonics Inc. offers the NightHunter™ multifunctional illumination system.

The NightHunter—a long-range and versatile compact illumination system—allows Marines to see more than a mile through complete darkness. Employing Xenonics breakthrough illumination technology, the NightHunter delivers a uniform, brilliant beam without the “black hole” that obstructs the field of view in all other illumination products.

The combat-tested NightHunter is readily adapted to a variety of uses and platforms. The NightHunter can be used on foot, from vehicles, boats and helicopters, or on a fixed mount. This monster torch is self-contained with the battery and battery charger protected in a weather-resistant case.

NightHunter offers several useful accessories, including infrared and ultraviolet filters. The former significantly boosts the range of night-vision or low-light video equipment, and the latter can fluoresce objects for marking, identification and forensics.

For those Marines looking for a lighter weight, portable light, Pelican™ Products Inc. has introduced the PM6 LED (light-emitting diode) and PM6 Incandescent Tactical Lights. Marines using the PM6 won’t have to sacrifice performance for light weight. Constructed of nearly indestructible, engineering-grade polymer, the lights weigh in at a mere 3.45 ounces, making them more than half an ounce lighter than the nearest competitor.

As the first of its kind on the market, the PM6 LED uses high-output batteries to drive an extremely efficient one-watt Luxeon® LED (good for 10,000 hours), which produces 41 lumens of brilliant light output for up to 20 hours of peak performance.

The PM6 Incandescent is engineered with heavy-duty battery muscle and a high-intensity Xenon bulb that produces 74 lumens of light for up to one hour of continuous use. However, the lights’ most valuable feature isn’t visible, but still makes them outshine the competition—Pelican’s (gruntproof) Legendary Lifetime Guarantee of Excellence: “You break it, we replace it…forever.”™

“Drive-Thru” Convenience, Battlefield Necessity

Another technology developed for, and still in use by, the military is L-3 Communications’ Nightdriver™ infrared imaging system.

Originally developed to help Marines and other combat troops to literally see through the “fog of war,” and recently released to the public as a driver safety tool, Nightdriver measures heat signatures and creates an electronic image of everything in view.

The system converts these temperature differences into an electronic signal, which is projected like a black-and-white TV image on the windshield just below the driver’s line of sight. This “heads-up” display allows the driver to see up to five times farther than regular headlights while maintaining a safe view of the road ahead. In addition to its “see in the dark” capability, Nightdriver helps Marines (and now the everyday Joe) see past the glare of headlights from oncoming traffic.

Blinded by the Light

Marines looking for a way to make the glare rather than see through it, turn to B.E. Meyers & Co’s GBD-III laser. The GBD-III is an extremely powerful, weapon-rugged, battery-operated green laser. Marines and other troops can use the super bright, green pointer for close air support, as a friendly location signal device, and for laser-targeting/illumination of enemy positions from miles away. Attachment of an underwater filter provides long-range pointing and signaling in clear water conditions.

The GBD-III also is available with a positioning device for day/night use on crew-served weapons. The laser’s green-light wavelength properties make it significantly brighter (approximately 50 times) than older, red laser technology. This allows Marines to see the beam itself and not just the laser “dot” on their target.

Snipers Cannot Hide From Laser Sensor

Until recently, the only way to detect snipers was after a shot had been fired.

A new laser sensor can detect shooters before they pull the trigger and can provide information on the shooter’s location.

The Mirage, a hand-held binocular device provided by the San Diego-based company Torrey Pines Logic Inc., sends out a defocused, eye-safe laser up to 1.2 kilometers. The laser bounces off all objects in view, but when it hits the layered optics of a gun scope or other similar devices, it sends back an image in real-time that highlights the exact location of the shooter or observer.

“If you pick up an optic, it literally blooms in this view. It looks like a light shining back at you, even though it’s not a light. It’s really the reflection of the diffused laser,” says Mike Konrad, co-owner of 4ISR LLC, a business partner of Torrey Pines.

Technology embedded in the Mirage provides discrimination of eyeglasses, windows and other everyday objects from possible targets of interest, says David Copenhaver, 4ISR co-owner.

A sniper hidden a mile away is picked up easily, he says.

The technology was developed in response to a need for detecting snipers targeting U.S. troops in Iraq.

“Sometimes a camera can be worse than a gun scope,” says Konrad. For example, when insurgents place roadside bombs, they [tend to] watch or record the subsequent explosion so they can take credit for it.

“If we can find where those optics are, we know in general what area these IEDs [improvised explosive devices] might be,” says Konrad.

Mirage can measure the distance between the operator and the detected optic and will display the parameters in the viewfinder.

“That’s important, because how I’m going to handle that may be determined by the distance,” says Copenhaver.

With its capabilities to “see” through smoked glass, the device can transfer easily to the homeland security arena where it could be employed for dignitary protection, says 4ISR co-owner David Williams.

The company is preparing to release the technology in a vehicle-mounted configuration to allow 360-degree detection.

Grace Jean
National Defense magazine
July 2006 (reprinted with permission)

“Wasp” Puts the Sting Into Recon and Surveillance

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s “Wasp” micro air vehicle is a small, portable and rugged unmanned air platform designed for front-line reconnaissance and surveillance over land or sea.

The Wasp serves the company level and below by virtue of its quiet propulsion system and extremely small size (it’s literally back-packable). DARPA has developed both land and waterproofed versions of the Wasp, which was designed to be hand-launched by a Marine and later recovered via hard-ground landing or water-ditch.

This ultra-mini unmanned aerial vehicle weighs in at approximately 250 grams and has a 33-centimeter wingspan. It seeks out the enemy with two color video cameras (front and side) from two to four kilometers away, depending on its operational altitude of 15 to 300 meters. In addition to its camera payload, the Wasp can cruise at 20 to 35 kph for about an hour while carrying a global positioning system sensor, altimeter, compass and air speed sensor. The Wasp’s ground control station is common to other UAVs like the Raven, Pointer and Puma. The Marine Corps and Navy are currently evaluating Wasp prototypes.

Gun Cleaning Goes Green

Marines on several Stateside installations are testing a revolutionary one-step gun-cleaning formula that cleans, lubricates and protects their weapons (sound familiar?) while eliminating skin problems and health concerns associated with current military cleaners. Gunzilla™ is made entirely from plants, which (according to its developer) makes it safer and more effective than most other gun cleaners.

“You could drink the stuff,” said Don Kettles, president of TopDuck Products—the company that manufactures Gunzilla. “I wouldn’t recommend [that] because you’d end up with a pretty bad stomach ache, but it’s not going to kill you. It’s all plant based.”

Gunzilla’s all-in-one formula can be used to remove rust, lead, copper, plastic and carbon on everything from small handguns to 16-inch guns. It does this quickly with a natural-base chemical that is faster, more effective and safer than water-based formulas or petroleum-based solvents.

Kettles said his product also has cold-weather applications because “Gunzilla turns into light grease,” as the mercury dips below 28 degrees Fahrenheit.

Gunzilla contains no hazardous chemicals and doesn’t require special labeling for shipping or storage, which is another reason why Marines around the world could see this innovative and eco-friendly cleaner in their standard issue soon.

Marines Add New Resource to Digital Classroom Curriculum

The Marine Corps College of Continuing Education develops the professional competence of Marine, other service, international and civilian students by formulating and implementing professional military education and training through distance learning. It accomplishes this mission via a worldwide network of satellite campuses, learning resource centers and MarineNet.

The MarineNet system takes into account the mobility of Marines and provides users the ability to continue their training and access to educational programs regardless of their location.

“Every Marine, active or Reserve, has a MarineNet account,” said Steve A. Brown, director of Customer Outreach for the Marine Corps College of Continuing Education. “It takes about two minutes to activate an account. All the accounts are already assigned if you are in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System [DEERS] database.”

Brown also said Marines benefit from the fact that many MarineNet courses offer self-education bonus promotion points (composite/cutting score). Additionally, noncommissioned and commissioned officers benefit from MarineNet training manager account access, which provides the unit training manager immediate data on electronic course enrollments, status and completion, as well as electronic test results.

According to the Web site, MarineNet acts as an instant, digital gateway to libraries of exciting and challenging online courses from any PC, allowing Marines and other service personnel to complete their required and annual training without ever having to step into a classroom.

“Another great thing about MarineNet access is that … it allows personnel from other services to access a MarineNet account without any waivers and begin training electronically as long as they’re in the DEERS database,” said Brown.

The newly released Range Safety Officer Course has further expanded MarineNet’s curriculum by providing students with the knowledge they need to properly operate a military range.

“What we found throughout the Marine Corps was that a lot of the Marines weren’t getting all the information they needed to understand what their responsibility was [as a] range officer in charge/range safety officer. A lot of the installations did a really good job of teaching installation-specific things but weren’t really teaching them outright what they should do as an OIC/RSO,” said Carlos N. Hathcock III, USMC senior ground range safety officer.

“What we’ve tried to do is create an institutional answer to the certification and training, which trains the young officer, staff noncommissioned officer or NCO what their responsibilities are when they are actually running a range.”

Completion of the new course provides a certification that enables the servicemember to operate as a range safety officer or range OIC.

“We all learn at different speeds and through different methods,” said Brown. “This program is a fully interactive multimedia instruction that gives students the ability to learn at their own pace. The interactivity of the program is part of what makes it unique.”

For more information, or to enroll in online courses, visit www.marinenet.usmc.mil.

Nothing “Sheepish” About Fire-Safe Fabrics

After a recent announcement prohibiting leathernecks from wearing certain polyester and nylon clothing on forward operating bases and camps in Iraq, Marine Corps Systems Command’s Infantry Combat Equipment (ICE) section and commercial manufacturers have taken the initiative to develop flame-resistant, high performance apparel for deployed troops at risk of fire danger.

Recently released MARADMIN 252/06 describes MARCORSYSCOM’s newest ICE program, which addresses the Marines’ need for protection against burn injuries associated with improvised explosive devices and other similar devices. This program, called Flame Resistant Organizational Gear (FROG), is currently in the research and development phase and is targeted at identifying “items that can be worn with the Marine Corps combat utility uniform (MCCUU) to eliminate or reduce the severity of flame induced burn injuries.”

When exposed to extreme heat and flames, clothing containing some synthetic materials, like polyester, will melt and can fuse to the skin. This essentially creates a second skin and can lead to horrific, disfiguring burns, said Navy Captain Lynn E. Welling, First Marine Logistics Group head surgeon, in an American Sheep Industry (ASI) interview.

“Burns can kill you and they’re horribly disfiguring. If you’re throwing [a melted synthetic material] on top of a burn, basically you have a bad burn with a bunch of plastic melting into your skin,” said Welling. “In Iraq, hidden explosives [which trigger fires] are the No. 1 killer of servicemembers.”

According to Daniel Fitzgerald, ICE program manager, the armor that Marines wear over their uniforms is as important, if not more important, than their base layer.

“The Interceptor system [an outer tactical vest with small arms protective plate inserts or SAPI plates] has been proven in lab tests to protect Marines. If you look at [lab test] videos, flame damage doesn’t penetrate the armor,” said Fitzgerald. “The key is the outer garment.”

Preliminary tests confirm Fitzgerald’s assertion and indicate that the burn and melt hazard from synthetic undergarments is low in areas covered by a ballistic vest.

ICE section officials have been testing the next-generation Interceptor system, the Modular Tactical Vest, but are closely guarding specifics about the prototype vest’s design.

“Basically, the vest is going to address a few issues that we have received via the Marine Corps Center for Lessons Learned,” said Fitzgerald. “It will have better supportability, better load-carrying capabilities, integration of the side SAPI carriers and an integrated communication-gear wiring system.”

Fitzgerald also said the vest will have a new load-bearing weight distribution set-up, effectively reducing strain on the back, and quick release points so Marines can immediately remove the vest in water or casualty situations.

“We have 98 Marines right now in North Carolina doing marches, going through combat town and shooting in the vest,” said Fitzgerald. “Marines are going to start seeing the next-generation personal ballistic protection out there soon.”

ICE researchers are working to incrementally create more effective, safer gear. While the current MCCUU and vest inherently provide a certain degree of fire protection, John Hernandez, FROG project officer, said Marines can further enhance their safety by tucking in their blouses, blousing their boots and buttoning up their collars.

Hernandez and his team are currently testing base-layer improvements like flame-resistant balaclavas and neck gaiters, and already have released 60,000 fire-resistant combat gloves to Marines in the field.

Fitzgerald said the next challenge is developing a self-extinguishing outer layer of protection that’s light enough for Marines to operate in effectively “every time they go outside the wire.”

“We know that Nomex® works in the flight community … but it’s too hot, does not breathe well and lacks durability. It is very difficult to operate in extreme temperatures wearing Nomex,” said Fitzgerald. “We have to give Marines something comfortable that they’re going to want to wear.”

According to ASI, sheep may be the solution. Wool is a natural, high-performance fiber and an unparalleled replacement to synthetic garments. The innate characteristics of wool provide the superior protection required by troops in the field. Wool naturally resists flames, and it also provides comfort because, by design, wool absorbs moisture from the Marine’s body. Wool products are far different and diverse from the heavy sweaters of yesteryear. With better processing technology, fiber blending and the use of proper wool types, today’s wool fabrics can be as light as lace or tough, fire-retardant fabrics.

The ASI Association’s Wool Council, along with select partners, has been proactive in developing high-tech wool products that offer protection and comfort to military personnel. An enzyme-treated wool fabric is already being worn by soldiers and airmen, and a wear test with the Marine Corps is pending on a wool/Nomex blend. These fabrics are fire-retardant and comfortable, as well as cost-effective.

“We are excited about the new products we have developed to protect our soldiers when exposed to fire dangers and to keep them ready for action,” said Rita Kourlis Samuelson, director of wool marketing for ASI. “Due to the advancements in textiles, the Wool Council has developed washable wool underwear that meet military criteria, durable socks which wick away moisture and fire-retardant fabrics.”

Language Game Provides Cultural Know-How to Deployed Troops

Units throughout the Marine Corps and Army are now using DARPA’s Tactical Language and Culture Training Systems (TLCTS) PC game-based tutors. “Tactical Iraqi” and “Tactical Pashto” are designed to provide a working knowledge of culture, gestures and mission-oriented vocabulary for warfighters.

“Tactical Iraqi” comes as a single CD that can be played on any PC that has video and sound capabilities. A built-in vocabulary and culture tutor listens to students’ responses and applies speech-recognition technology to assess their progress. The program delivers up to 100 hours of training in three modes, which students can shift from as necessary. In one mode, a student’s character navigates in response to commands or directions spoken in Iraqi-dialect Arabic. Another part of the game includes listening modes as well, where the student moves an on-screen character in response to commands that the system delivers in Iraqi.

Finally, there is a mission environment, much like a first-person shooter, where instead of shooting, a student must talk his way through difficult situations and encounters with other characters, all in Iraqi.

One hundred copies of “Tactical Iraqi” have been set up in five Learning Resource Centers in Iraq, and more than 600 copies of the software have been requested by other Marine and Army units worldwide.

New Lightweight Desert Jackets “Rock the Casbah” With Heavy Metal

For those who don’t know, Iraq’s thermostat really has only four temperature settings: sweltering mornings, sweltering days, sweltering evenings and frigid nights. Marine Corps Systems Command’s Infantry Combat Equipment (ICE) team has come up with a solution for the latter in the form of the combat desert jacket (CDJ). This lightweight, wind-resistant, water-repellent jacket is intended for multiseason use in desert environments and as a potential component of the Mountain Cold Weather clothing system (see Leatherneck, April 2006, pg. 52).

The CDJ recently won high marks with the Seventh Marine Regiment, including 3d Battalion, Fourth Marines, during field evaluations and is slated for full production as a standard issue item for deploying “devil dogs.”

“We crunched the data from all the results we received from [field evaluations], and this was the jacket Marines selected,” said Lou Curcio, ICE clothing team leader.

Curcio added that although the CDJ will provide protection against wind, blowing sand, light rain and even light snow, it isn’t meant to replace the All Purpose Environmental Clothing System (APECS) (commonly known as Gore-Tex) jackets currently being fielded.

One component Marines will find in the CDJ that they won’t in their old Gore-Tex is an ingenious anti-microbial lining material developed by Noble Biomaterials. X-STATIC® fabric features special interwoven silver fibers, which eliminate bacteria, regulate temperature and provide anti-odor protection.

Specifically developed for the conditions facing servicemembers in Afghanistan and Iraq, more than 100,000 X-STATIC T-shirts are now being utilized by Marines, Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs. Five million pairs of X-STATIC combat boot socks also have been issued to Marines and soldiers.

Will Marines start seeing the CDJ with its innovative lining in their units any time soon?

“We’ll start fielding [the CDJ] in November,” said Curcio.

Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.

Copyright 2008 Leatherneck. All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of Military.com.

About Leatherneck

For all who have earned and worn the eagle, globe, and anchor, the Marine Corps Association is the professional organization for all Marines -- active duty, Reserve, retired, and Marine veterans. The MCA understands and identifies with the sacrifices made and the services rendered as a Marine to this great country. We strive to keep our members informed of developments and future plans, while emphasizing the rich history of the Marine Corps and keeping everyone abreast of current operations.

CMC has determined that Leatherneck magazine and the Marine Corps Gazette are mission essential to help promote professional growth and distribute troop information [Letter of instruction 1560 / MRV / 30SEPT04.] These two great publications foster the spirit and traditions of our Corps. Search the magazine archives back to their very first issue. Demonstrate your commitment to the Marine Corps and join the professional association for all Marines today. Join, subscribe or give-a-gift of 2 or more years and receive an exclusive MCA Mission Essential Coin FREE with your paid membership/subscription. Offer valid through 30 June 2005. (Please reference key code NIMCOM05). Semper Fidelis!

Leatherneck Article Archives
Discussion Boards

What's Hot