FNH
The new Special Forces combat assault rifle (SCAR) meant to replace a hodgepodge of weapons currently used by U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is undergoing its field assessment phase, the last step before full-production and battlefield deployment.
Available as the MK-16 or MK-17, (accepting 5.65 and 7.62 NATO ammunition respectively) the SCAR is a highly modular system designed to adapt easily to future upgrades and new ammunition. The weapon, produced by the Belgian company Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FN), with replace the Colt M4, long a source of bitter gripes throughout the SF community due to its lack of punch and high jam rate (PDF).
Featuring a short stroke gas piston system, its ambidextrous layout, telescoping, folding butt stock and adjustable cheek piece aim to please even the fussiest of commandos.
But it was the interchangeable, chrome-lined, steel barrels, the switching-out of which can, in minutes, effectively shrink the SCAR from carbine length to submachine gun, that most impressed Special Forces operators interviewed by Military.com on the firing line in Northern Virginia recently.
"That's the best part of this weapon," one soldier told Military.com. "When we deploy, we usually go with just our M4s. But if we're on an operation where we need an overwatch or we're observing at a distance, the M4 doesn't do us much good until it's too late."
Both the Mk-16 and Mk-17 accept barrels measuring from 10 inches for close-quarters assault work to 18-inch sniper units.
SOCOM has ordered about 18,000 SCAR variants for its troops, including a limited run of about 1,200 rifles already in production, FN USA told Military.com.
(Credit:
AeroVironment)
The U.S. Special Operations Command is going green with its purchase of a hydrogen-fueled robo-plane that can loiter in the stratosphere for up to five days at a time.
The high-altitude long endurance (HALE) Global Observer will cost $57 million for the first drone, with two more in the pipeline for an additional $108 million. The drone, or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), is powered by a hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine designed and built by AeroVironment, which has already successfully tested a scaled down model during a five-day stretch in an altitude chamber above a simulated 65,000 feet.
The UAS's role will be to provide communications relay and remote sensing, including HDTV video and third-generation mobile voice, video and data using off-the-shelf technology, according to the manufacturer. The unit is expected to be deployed in two years, contingent on continued government funding.
The Global Observer, with its "persistent, global, stratospheric loitering capability" (PDF), will mean one more "eye in the sky" over Godforsakenstan, but applications are not limited to defense. Homeland security, storm tracking, weather monitoring, wildfire detection, mapping, environmental monitoring and crop management (got to keep an eye on those poppies) are some of the other potential applications.
If you see this bird hovering outside your window, you may be in trouble.
(Credit:
Boeing)
The Boeing A160T Hummingbird, the latest in unmanned chopper stealth and endurance, is under serious consideration by the U.S. Special Operations Command. Possible missions would include direct action, precision resupply and hairy extractions from behind enemy lines.
Remote-controlled helicopters are nothing new, as Boeing is quick to point out. This one is based on an old Robinson R22, which is still used as a trainer and to round up cattle. The main feature that makes the A160T unique is that it uses a rigid rotor to improve performance. The system automatically adjusts rotor revolutions to compensate for different altitudes, weight and cruise speeds.
The goal is to go higher and farther, hover longer and do it more quietly. Boeing expects this thing to do 140 knots, carry a 1,000-pound payload for 20 hours at a time and reach altitudes up to 30,000 feet.
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