Army rifle shooters on target at 50th Interservice Championship

Staff Sgt. Joel Micholick, U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, fires his service rifle during the 50th Interservice Rifle Championship July 26, 2011. Micholick set a new match record in the 1,000 yard aggregate with the service rifle, a record that had been standing since 1984.

 

Hi resolution photo

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Army News Service, Aug. 1, 2011) -- Soldiers from the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit's Service Rifle platoon dominated their fellow servicemembers at the 50th Interservice Rifle Championships, July 17-26, proving once again that the premier marksmen in the military serve in the Army.

Despite the determination of the other services to dethrone the defending champions, the Soldiers displayed their superior skills at the annual meeting of the military's best rifle shooters, winning 18 out of 19 team and individual matches.
The USAMU won the coveted 10-man Interservice Rifle team championship match.
Team shooters included Sgt. 1st Class Lance Dement, Sgt. 1st Class Grant Singley, Staff Sgt. Tyrel Cooper, Staff Sgt. Brandon Green, Staff Sgt. Joel Micholick, Staff Sgt. Daniel Peters, Sgt. Sherri Jo Gallagher, Spc. Kevin Trickett, Spc. Augustus Dunfey, and Spc. Amanda Elsenboss.
The team's coaches included Sgt. 1st Class Emil Praslick and Staff Sgt. Walter Craig, while Staff Sgt. Scott Grant Staff and Sgt. Nathan Verbickas were team captains. Cooper was the high individual shooter during the match with a score of 496-21x.

USAMU teams swept all team matches, including the Marine Corps Combat Development Command Commanding General Match, the Infantry Trophy Team Match, and the Interservice 1,000 yard Team Match.
Two USAMU Soldiers stood out individually at the championship. Cooper won his first overall championship after posting the high aggregate score for individual matches. He won the Navy match, Army match, the 1,000 yard match rifle, and the match rifle individual long-range championship to go along with his overall championship. He also won the Lt. Col. C.A. Reynolds Memorial Trophy for high score in the 10-man team match.
"This means a lot to me," Cooper said, who returned in April from an Afghanistan deployment. "It's my eighth year on the team and my first win. You've got a lot of guys here who have won it two or three times -- it's not easy."

The longest standing record at the match was broken by Micholick. He set a new match record in the 1,000 yard long range match with a service rifle, and also eclipsed a record that has stood since 1984 by scoring a new high in the long-range aggregate with the service rifle after scoring a 397-12x.
"Staff Sergeant Micholick did not simply break a record, he crushed the longest standing record in the history of the Interservice Rifle Championships, which stood for nearly thirty years and in perhaps the most difficult match -- the 1,000-yard long range -- with a service weapon," said Lt. Col. Daniel Hodne, commander, USAMU. "I could not think of a more fitting time for one of our Soldiers to establish this new record than at the 50th iteration of this Interservice Rifle Championship."

The Excellence-in-Competition Match was won by Staff Sgt. Armando Ayala.
Green, Verbickas, Trickett and Gallagher also won individual matches. Gallagher was crowned high woman shooter.
With the overall win, the USAMU swept all individual and team championships in Interservice competition for 2011, the second consecutive year they have done so.
The competition dates back to 1960, when the value of an interservice marksmanship competition was recognized in a memorandum of understanding by the chiefs of each service. The event highlights the professional capacity and versatility of military servicemembers. 

 

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Anniston Army Depot converts Army’s M2s

Samuel Burnham, an Anniston Army Depot small arms repairer, overhauls an M2 machine gun, converting it to the new M2A1 variant.

ANNISTON ARMY DEPOT, Ala., Aug. 5, 2011 -- Anniston Army Depot is converting the Army’s inventory of M2 Flexible machine guns to a new variant, providing a constant stream of work for the installation’s Small Arms Repair Facility.

The variant, M2A1, has a fixed headspace, or distance between the face of the bolt and the base of the cartridge case, and timing, the weapon’s adjustment that allows firing when the recoil is in the correct position.
“In the past, every time a Soldier changed the barrel on the M2, the timing and headspace had to be changed as well. If that wasn’t done properly, the weapon could blow up,” said Sherry Young, a maintenance management specialist with the depot’s Directorate of Production Management, adding the fixed headspace and timing eliminates this risk to Soldiers.

During conversion, parts of the weapon that controlled the headspace and timing will be replaced with upgrades. Each weapon will also be overhauled by small arms repairers.
The biggest benefit in the change will be time given to the Soldiers who carry it.
“It only takes 30 seconds to change out the barrel on the M2A1 and you’re back in business. The M2 Flex version could take three to five minutes, depending upon your situation,” said Jeff Bonner, weapons division chief.
Bonner said this is the first major change to the M2 weapon system since the machine gun was fielded in the 1930s.

This fiscal year, the Small Arms Repair Facility expects to overhaul 1,700 M2 machine guns. An additional 3,600 are planned for fiscal year 2012 and the program is slated to continue for several more years.
“This is a lot of good work for the small arms facility,” said Bonner. “This work is going to last for several years.”
Approval for the conversion program included a pilot overhaul and conversion in February and March. In June, the first of the 1,700 weapons for fiscal year 11 were inducted.
Shortly after those weapons began the overhaul and conversion process, the shop instituted a lean event to standardize work procedures and improve the flow of work.

“The improvements employees are making will be compatible with the new building as well,” said Bonner, referring to the 83,385-square-foot Small Arms Repair Facility being constructed on the west side of the depot.
Plans are for small arms to move into their new building later this year.
“When we move into the new building, we will be able to pick everything up and the process flow will work the same in the new facility,” he said.
As part of the lean process, employees are finding the most efficient way to serialize certain parts. Several components on the M2A1 will have to be marked with serial numbers tying them to a particular weapon. 

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Fire Scout in Afghanistan

Fire Scout continues to prove its ability to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and provide real-time data to troops in Afghanistan. Operating in the harshest weather conditions, the system has flown more than 600 hours since May.

"Our goal was to fly 300 hours per month and we are exceeding that," said Capt. Patrick Smith, Fire Scout program manager. "We are on track to fly almost 400 hours by the end of July which is exceptional. The feedback we are getting from our users is very positive. They continue to tell us that the Fire Scout is an absolute success and it is a critical asset for our troops in the field."

CAA MAGW3 polymer magazine

MAGW3 polymer magazine with 3 windows to show remaining rounds.

• High impact polymer 30 round .223 magazine 
• Non-tilting follower
• Corrosion resistant stainless steel spring
• Light weight and rustproof

Fits: .223/5.6
Measurements: Weight(lb): .35 lbs

New to the AR market is the innovative Three Window Magazine by CAA for weapons that accept standard AR/M16 magazines. The three built-in windows allow an operator to see how many rounds remain in the mag, and it facilitates timely magazine changes. Simply glancing down at the back of the magazine from your cheekweld shows the approximate number of rounds remaining.

When the magazine is full, you will see the brass round casings in the top and middle windows. The orange follower will appear in the bottom window. indicating a full magazine of 30 rounds. As rounds are fired, you can glance at the middle window. When the middle window is empty, only 19 rounds remain in the magazine. Then you should notice the top window. When the top window is empty, only 11 rounds remain, indicating only one-third of the rounds remain in the magazine.

U.S. Army orders 10,000 additional Trijicon TA31RCO-M150 ACOG units.

Trijicon, Inc., global provider of innovative Brilliant Aiming Solutions™ for hunters, shooters, military and law enforcement personnel, is pleased to announce that the U.S. Army has commissioned an additional 10,000 TA31RCO-M150 Rifle Combat Optics to fill its TACOM IDIQ contract. The Army-designated TA31RCO-M150 is known by many simply as the 4×32 ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight®.)

“The M150 is a battle-proven weapon sight that our soldiers on the ground have come to trust. That the U.S. Army has called for 10,000 more units only validates this fact.” said Bill Taggart, Trijicon Director of Military and Law Enforcement Division. “Trijicon is proud that it can help in the effort to protect our great nation at home and on battlefields overseas.”

The Trijicon ACOG is a compact telescopic sight with a tritium-illuminated reticle for use in low light or at night. It also utilizes the Bindon Aiming Concept (BAC) by way of a bright daytime reticle that uses advanced fiber optics to collect ambient light. In this way, ACOG combines precise, distant marksmanship with close-in aiming speed. Every feature of its mechanical and optical design was chosen for a single purpose: to provide increased hit potential in all lighting conditions.

The fixed 4-power M150 sight differs from ACOG units supplied to the U.S. Marine Corps in that its external windage and elevation adjusters allow the unit to be fully waterproof to an astounding 11 meters, even without its turret caps in place. This proven durability is one reason why the ACOG was awarded the Army’s demanding M150 contract.

This new order is in addition to existing 43,000 M150s already ordered through TACOM IDIQ contract, as well as the original IDIQ contract from the U.S. Army for 135,000 M150 units, placed in 2007.

Source: Trijicon

Photo of the Month July 2011

BMP1 rounds - 73mm

NEW from Madbull: Stark Equipment SE-3 Vertical Foregrip Grip

The SE-3 Vertical Foregrip has been designed to enhance weapon control, reinforce accurate shooting form and support multiple hand positions.
The SE-3 attaches easily and securely to tactical rail systems. The SE-3 is fully ambidextrous with a flared base, providing a secure grip which accommodates all hand sizes.

FEATURES
- The SE-3 is also available with a switch pocket for weapon mounted accessories
- Textured surfaces for a reliable grip
- Resistant to weather extremes, chemical exposure and abuse
- Includes a Grip Plug for storage inside the grip
- Standard Colors: Available in Black, Earth and Green

See all colors and additional info:
http://tinyurl.com/3npwdne

Army preparing to produce JLTVs

ARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, July 27, 2011) -- After refining requirements during a two-year Technology Development phase for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Army developers are poised to conduct a full and open competition geared toward formal production, service officials said.
The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV, will be a next-generation light vehicle designed to bring Soldiers an unprecedented blend of protection, payload and performance, said Tim Goddette, director of Sustainment Systems.

The Technology Development, or TD, phase for JLTV development, completed this past May, successfully demonstrated the vehicle's ability to meet a wide range of requirements, including fortified improvised explosive device, or IED, protections designed to withstand blast attacks, off-road mobility, variable ride height suspension, exportable power and essential command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or C4ISR, capabilities, Goddette said.
The 27-month phase included prototype vehicles from three teams of vendors: BAE-Navistar, Lockheed-BAE and General Tactical Vehicles (General Dynamics and AM General).
"The purpose of the TD phase was geared toward refining the requirements in order to demonstrate the JLTV's ability to meet the designated capability gaps," Goddette said. "The program has succeeded in identifying and proving out those areas of needed development -- and now the Army is analyzing what trade-offs might be required in order to best pursue an acquisition strategy that both lowers costs and delivers this needed capability to Soldiers."
The competitive prototyping and extensive testing pursued during the TD phase was designed to match technological capability with the vehicle's requirements and lower risk for an anticipated production phase, Goddette said.

"We demonstrated that every one of the requirements was achievable," Goddette explained. "We've learned that some trade-offs are necessary to pursue an overall strategy that best synchronizes requirements, resources, mature technologies and a cost-reducing acquisition strategy."
"We demonstrated not only that the requirements were achievable, but we gained valuable insight into the cost of each capability and effect that one capability might have on another. We've learned that some trade-offs are necessary to pursue an overall strategy that best synchronizes requirements, resources, mature technologies and a cost-reducing acquisition strategy," Goddette said.
Operating in today's more budget-constrained fiscal environment, Army developers are working on an approach to JLTV procurement that harnesses the best available technologies while minimizing costs and achieving efficiency in the process, he said.
One such approach includes the possibility of buying less add-on armor, known as B-kits, for the vehicles because not every JLTV will need the added protection and new, lightweight materials may likely become available in the future, Goddette said.

Due to its enhanced technological capabilities, the JLTV will be able to perform a wide range of missions and perform many roles Humvees are currently unable to do, Goddette said. At the same time, the Army has embarked upon a competitive Humvee recap program aimed at improving the survivability of the existing vehicle that is already in the Army inventory.
"The JLTV and Humvee-recap program are designed to complement one another as part of an integrated Light Tactical Vehicle strategy designed to best prepare our force for a range of anticipated future contingencies," Goddette said. "These two competitive efforts are also synchronized with one another to invest a limited amount of resources up front enabling a 'try before we buy' approach and capitalize on the vast experience our industry partners have gained over that past five years."
With its off-road ability, blast-protections and on-board electronics, the JLTV will bring a new set of capabilities to the Army and Marines.

There are two different variants or categories of JLTV:

-- Combat Tactical Vehicle is a four-person general purpose vehicle with a curb weight of 13,000 pounds and the ability to carry 3,500 pounds of payload and 3,500 pounds of add-on armor.

-- Combat Support vehicle is a two-passenger utility vehicle with a short cab/open bed for hauling equipment or putting on shelters. 

 

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Hellenic Army Heckler & Koch - HK11

Hellenic Army HK11 slideshow

MG3 Slideshow

MG3 various photos