Word at the rumor mill has been that the Army is putting suppressors on all M4. Some were excited with the news. Some were upset at the extra cleaning these require. Others questioned whether such an investment suggested the service isn’t serious about buying a new carbine. As it turns out, the mill was churning in vain. Col. Doug Tamilio, project manager for soldier weapons, tells Army Times the service is not buying suppressors for all M4s. Such talk was likely drawn from a Navy Crane Center solicitation or from 10,000 flash hiders purchased by Rapid Equipping Force for use…
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Engineers are working on a color-changing paint that indicates whether ammunition has been stored at extreme temperatures. Such temperatures can compromise performance and pose a safety risk for the soldier. Thermal indicating paint works like a mood ring – the longer the ammo has been in an extreme environment, the greater the color changes. Thermochromic polymers, which change the wavelength of light when exposed to different temperatures, are the key. “We have formulas that change color within the designated temperature ranges, but our biggest challenge is maintaining long-term stability of a coating,” James Zunino, project officer/materials engineer of the…
Artillery’s cool factor just shot higher than a 155mm Excalibur on steroids. The Army is fielding three illumination rounds that let soldiers see at night while the enemy remains in the dark. This is because the rounds produce infrared light that is invisible to the eye but visible through NVGs. These rounds also illuminate twice as much area as traditional illumination, according to a press release issued this morning. The cost of these artillery rounds is at or slightly higher than existing illumination rounds. Better still, the infrared technology has been honed down for use in 40mm weapons such as…
