The XM1100 Scorpion doesn’t look like much. In fact, it resembles a miniature moisture farm from the planet Tattooine. But this is one chunk of metal the bad guys won’t want to cross. The 145-pound networked munitions system provides 30 days of security, surveillance & screening – and can easily take out tanks and vehicles that cross its path. It has acoustic, seismic and active IR monitors that can be used as part of a coordinated attack. It has an effective situational awareness of 400m diameter – roughly the size of your favorite football stadium and much of the accompanying…
Browsing: Gear
Some serious jingle has been dropped in the past week to beef the Army’s vehicle fleet, and soldiers are sure to like what they see. Oshkosh Defense is the big winner, with the following contracts: $413 million to produce a much-needed 1,800 medium tactical vehicles for Army National Guard by March 12, 2013. $255 million for 250 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle ambulances. We highlighted this vehicle in our AUSA coverage. This is a HUGE plus for combat medical care. They will roll out by May 31, 2012. $34 million for 78 M1076 palletized load systemtrailers and 78 M1075A1…
NASA let down legions of breath-holders who were convinced an alien roll-out would happen on Thursday. But do not be disappointed. The Army has unveiled a document thought by many to be a mythical concoction, or at least one that would remain hidden deep in the bowels of the Puzzle Palace, never to be seen by mere mortals. But now we know it does exist: The Ground Combat Vehicle’s Request for Proposal. All kidding aside, there were no surprises contained in the RfP, though the long wait and recent fiscal fallout made some question whether it would come to pass.…
The Pentagon says the defense budget must grow roughly 3 percent above inflation each year to sustain the military at current levels. As a result of the nation’s fiscal fallout, military spending will grow only 1.8 percent in 2012, and 1 percent in following years. That means the Pentagon must cut tens of billions from its budget to make up the difference. How will this happen? Let’s first consider Iraq, where there are some interesting numbers floating around as that nation beefs up its military in the wake of U.S. troops departing.
Because nothing ruins a day quite like a piece of shrapnel firing into your groin, a British company has created Kevlar boxers to protect troops from improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan. Called Blast Boxers, the black and yellow shorts have Kevlar sewn in to protect a soldier’s genitals and femoral artery. Sold for $86, BCB International unveiled the Blast Boxers at the Association of the U.S. Army’s convention in Washington D.C. last week. Soldiers rarely wear the groin protector that hangs down from their body armor, saying it provides little protection. However, BCB International is betting that soldiers…
