Lockheed Martin

A SF Soldier Dead, Two Marines, One Sailor Under Investigation

The news keeps getting worse and worse out of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), as yet another Special Operations soldier, retired Green Beret and contractor Rick Rodriguez was killed in Iraq, not in combat. But by the hands of our own troops. Two senior NCOs (Gunnery Sergeants) from the Marines and a Navy Corpsman are under investigation in the incident.

This latest black eye for SOCOM occurred on New Year’s Eve in Erbil, Iraq, which is the center of the Kurdish territory after a dispute in the post gym. The Marines and Navy troops are assigned to Erbil as advisors from a Marine SOF unit operating in Northern Iraq working with the Kurds and Iraqi forces in the area.

Rodriguez, a 20-year retired Green Beret was working as a contractor for Lockheed-Martin and supposedly was beaten by the men and left unconscious. He was airlifted to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany where he was taken off life support on January 4th after his wife and children flew from Ft. Bragg, NC and agreed to that.

Rodriguez was a very well-known and respected member of the Special Forces community and was always known as a peacemaker rather than a troublemaker or a hothead. His most recent posts on Facebook would also point to that as well. He would frequently post pictures from his workouts as a place of refuge and for his peace of mind. One recent post had this: “This makes sense to me. This right here. This place. This sanctuary. This quiets the thoughts. Calms the nerves. In here I feel like my old self,” he wrote in his Facebook post.

Lockheed Martin released a statement where they said that the company “was saddened to learn of the loss of one of our employees, who was fatally injured while supporting Special Operations Forces within the Operation Inherent Resolve area of operations in a noncombat-related incident.”

They added, “We are supporting the Naval Criminal Investigation Service as they conduct an investigation into the circumstances of his death. Our thoughts are with his family and friends, and we are committed to supporting them during this difficult time.”

The Navy’s NCIS would only confirm that this latest incident was under investigation but declined to give any details. MARSOC gave the typical no-informational statement, saying, “MARSOC is providing all requested support to investigators as they look into this incident,” MARSOC spokesman Maj. Nick Mannweiler said. However, the Marines and the Navy Corpsman were not being detained and are still on duty in Iraq.

There have been multiple sources reporting that “there were a lot of witnesses.

This investigation is the latest of several ugly incidents stemming from deadly misconduct among the U.S. Special Operations community. Back in November, two Navy SEALs and two Marines were charged with murdering Army SSG Logan Melgar, who was strangled in his apartment in Mali in 2017. The SEALs and Marines in that case also were charged with involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, hazing, and burglary. If convicted, they could face life imprisonment or potentially the death penalty.

In two other cases, a Navy SEAL and an Army Green Beret are under investigation for murders of ISIS or Taliban combatants. Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward R. Gallagher, 39, has been charged with premeditated murder and other offenses in connection with the fatal stabbing of a teenage Islamic State prisoner under his control in Iraq in 2017, as well as with the shooting of unarmed Iraqi civilians.

Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn after he allegedly told the CIA interviewers while applying for a job at the agency, that he had killed a Taliban bomb maker in 2010. The Army Criminal Investigation Command investigated, ending with Golsteyn receiving an official reprimand and having his Silver Star and Special Forces tab revoked.

The case was later reopened after Golsteyn appeared on Fox News in 2016 and claimed he killed the man due to a concern that he would target Afghans who were assisting U.S. troops.

This was after the Commander of SOCOM General Tony Thomas issued a command internal review after several cases of the command running amuck with severe cases of misconduct and an aura of entitlement that is permeating the force.

“Left unchecked, an eroded values system threatens to erode the trust of our fellow comrades, our senior leaders, and ultimately the American people,” GeneralThomas wrote.

“A survey of allegations of misconduct across our formations over the last year indicate the USSOCOM faces a deeper challenge of a disordered view of the Team and the Individual in our SOF Culture.”

“No component or command has escaped this trend and all of us will feel the disproportionate and negative impacts of these incidents on our missions and people,” Thomas wrote.

And it hasn’t just been U.S. troops as elements of the Australian Special Operations Forces have been under investigation for murder as well as other war crimes.

Photo: Facebook

Boeing/Sikorsky SB-1 Defiant, A Possible Replacement for the Blackhawk

The Army is looking to replace their fleets of the aging UH-60 Blackhawk vertical lift helicopters and wants their replacements, with an eye toward possible conflict with Russian or Chinese forces to be bigger, faster and much more maneuverable.

The Army is calling this new development the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRRA) and it is designed to go faster, over longer distances and maneuver in tight spaces against much more advanced Russian or Chinese air defense systems than what our troops are currently encountering.

This will be an added area of concern for future Special Operations troops who will be tasked with flying into much more dangerous territory behind the enemy’s main line of defenses.

Boeing and Sikorsky (owned by Lockheed-Martin) have joined forces to develop the SB-1 DEFIANT for the next generation of military forces. The SB-1 is supposed to answer the Army’s need for a new attack/assault helicopter, as well as the Marine Corps long-range transportation, infiltration and resupply missions.

Boeing has stated that the commonality between the attack and assault aircraft developed at 85 percent which will reduce life-cycle costs and development. The Defiant utilizes “two coaxial rotors on top that rotate in opposite directions, the extra lift from each rotor’s advancing blade balances out the diminished lift from the opposite side’s retreating blade to eliminate retreating blade stall.”

To provide the forward thrust for flight, in the aft of the aircraft, Boeing has mounted a pusher propeller, allowing the aircraft to fly nearly twice as fast and twice as far as today’s UH-60 helicopter. This system allows much greater maneuverability and agility including hover, low-speed flight, and high-speed flight.

The Defiant has retractable landing gear, reducing drag hence higher top speeds with greater fuel efficiency, increasing aircraft’s range. The twin-rotor system minimizes rotor downwash as troops embark/disembark, and Boeing is also claiming a “dramatically reduced acoustic signature”, something that the tilt-rotor aircraft don’t do well. When transporting the Defiant, the top rotors can be folded back, allowing it to be stored and transported easily on current Air Force transport platforms.

In the assault configuration, the Defiant has a crew of four and a cabin equipped for up to 12 combat-loaded troops or eight medevac litters.

The co-axial blades have already been used on Boeing’s X-2 helicopter. However, it is the rotor blades that was the slow-up in development, which the SB-1 is nearly a full year behind Bell’s VB-280 aircraft.

The rotor blades have to be extremely rigid to withstand to handle the vibration. The Army had asked Boeing to conduct a new manufacturing process called automated fiber placement. That took a while to master, and if the Army decides to buy the SB-1, this will drive the cost lower and increase the speed and efficiency of the production.

It is a vastly different design than the Bell VB-280 which features the tilt-rotor design that they’ve used on their V-22 Raptor aircraft that are currently in use with the Marines and Air Force Special Operations troops.

The Boeing design with the dual coaxial rotors makes it much more agile and maneuverable at low speeds and in tight spaces, where the vast majority of aircraft accident crashes and shoot-downs occur. The theory is, (the tests have still not been validated by the Army), is that with the propulsor in the rear, the pilot can maneuver easily close to the ground without tilting the entire aircraft as they are forced to do with traditional vertical lift helicopters.

The tilt-rotor type like the V-22 was designed to fly long distances with excellent fuel efficiency, not be as agile. However, Bell has stated that the scaled-down version that they are trying to sell the Army handles like a race car.

The Bell VB-280 flies at a top speed of 280 knots (hence the 280 name) or about 322 miles per hour. The SB-1 flies at about 250 knots or 288 miles per hour, slower by a bit for sure. The current UH-60 has a top speed of about 183 miles per hour.

Boeing, in their own press release, made a case for the Defiant with the following criteria:

X2 Rotor System: A rigid, co-axial rotor system with pusher propulsor that provides improved mission objective capability, reduced wear on parts and systems, increased reliability and lower total lifecycle costs
Maneuverability and Agility: Improved agility and flight control augmentation allow tight assault formations with close proximity landings to deliver embarked troops as a cohesive unit and minimize exposure to hostile threats
Speed and Range: Twice the speed and distance of today’s conventional helicopters while increasing the overall maneuverability and agility needed for the US Military’s various missions
Survivability: Propulsor thrust coupled with large angular rates and precision attitude control enable the SB>1 DEFIANT™ to rapidly and precisely displace the aircraft position or flight path in response to threats or evolving tactical environments
Lethality: Rapid and precise acquisition of targets and prolonged engagement windows
Deployability: When folded for shipboard stowage, the SB>1 DEFIANT™ fits the footprint of a folded AH-1

The Defiant, if chosen by the Army will be a common sight for Special Operations troops in the future, and it is believed its lifespan will reach into the 2030s and possibly beyond.

Boeing has produced a video on what it will look like in the future:

Photos: Boeing

Perfecting an Exoskeleton for SOF Needs To Happen Now

Today’s military is much more technology-based than in previous eras but while the high-tech gadgets make the soldier’s job easier and much more lethal on today’s battlefield, it also weighs them down more than ever before.

The price of having the technology at their fingertips is that, while all of that gear works and is vital, but it also has to be carried and all of it adds up. Eventually, normally many years later after toting the gear a pack animal used to carry, those long humps under a heavy rucksack will take their toll.

It is common for Special Operations troops to have a very high preponderance of knee, back and shoulder woes after a career in the military. In our day, we used to joke about carrying over 100-lbs of ‘Lightweight’ gear. And it is only going to get worse down the road considering how much more they have to carry now.

Operators today carry more weight into combat than any army in history. Think about that for a moment and the long-term ramifications for the health of the force. Take a look back in history and it plays out.

The Roman Legions did have pack animals, but only one for every eight Legionnaires. So, the average light infantryman carried about 60-100lbs of gear plus his arms. They were expected to complete 20 Roman miles (29.62 km or 18.405 modern miles) with 20.5 kg in five summer hours, which was known as “the regular step” during the march.

During the Revolutionary War, both the Redcoats and Rebels carried about 60 pounds of gear with them on the march. That remained the same during the Civil War. Although the soldiers wore the thick woolen uniforms which made their marching in the summer an exercise in itself.

But during the 20th century that would change. During World War II, the normal infantryman for the United States carried about 82 pounds of gear into battle. If that man was a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifleman) gunner, it would jump to 99 pounds.

During the Falklands War between the Brits and the Argentinians in the early 1980s, British infantrymen were frequently toting rucksacks in excess of over 120-lbs over long distances. During the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, a Marine officer, Aaron Ferencik wrote about his troops at one time carrying nearly 200-pounds. Think he’s exaggerating? Think again.

Which is why the military needs to perfect and begin to field the new exoskeletons that are currently being tested by the U.S. Army’s Natick Labs. We’re not talking about a ‘pie-in-the-sky’ TALOS Iron Man suit which isn’t even close to being ready for testing. That is probably at least a generation away.

No, the one being tested, right now is the very workable version by Lockheed-Martin is called the ‘Onyx’ and it is a computer-controlled exoskeleton that counteracts overstress on the lower back and legs and increases mobility and load-carrying capability. It boosts leg capacity for physically demanding tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling or squatting, or lifting, dragging, carrying, or climbing with heavy loads.

We wrote about this system about 18 months ago after seeing it at SOFIC (Special Operations Command’s Industry Conference) and speaking with the techs involved with the project in Tampa. The Onyx is designed to enable SOF operators the ability to carry heavy loads for long distances without using up their own energy, especially when climbing steep inclines, such as troops are doing on a daily basis in Afghanistan. Operators can climb 60-degree gradients without a loss of energy from a human standpoint, the idea is they want to maximize the metabolic efficiency of the operator.

Onyx uses the FORTIS Knee Stress Release Device (K-SRD). The K-SRD system is a computer-controlled exoskeleton that counteracts overstress on the lower back and legs and increases mobility and load-carrying capability. It boosts leg capacity for physically demanding tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling or squatting, or lifting, dragging, carrying, or climbing with heavy loads.

Sensors on the exoskeleton report the soldier’s speed, direction, and angle of movement to an onboard computer that drives electro-mechanical actuators at the knees. The exoskeleton delivers the right torque at the right time to assist knee flex and extension. FORTIS K-SRD ultimately reduces the energy needed to cross terrain, squat or kneel. These benefits are most noticeable when ascending or descending stairs or navigating inclined surfaces.

The Army is testing it with grunts from the 10th Mountain Division. When we met with the good folks at L-M last year, they told us about some operators from an Army Tier 1 unit that had already put it thru its paces, carry heavy weight, navigating small narrow streets, climbing up and down hills, even crawling thru a tunnel. One operator after just a few minutes of training leaped with all of his gear on to a table.

Both the Russians and the Chinese are experimenting with testing out their own exoskeletons. The Chinese version looks much like the Lockheed-Martin one does….imagine that?

The ‘Onyx’ isn’t bulky or too cumbersome and allows the operator the freedom of movement where he can be as agile and nimble as without it. It will, however, allow the operator to do his job without all of the weight he’s carrying be subjected to his own joints.

Not only will this save the operators’ bodies now and to be fresher during ongoing missions, but they will suffer fewer long-term injuries. That may not be visible today, but 10-15 years down the road? Most definitely.

After rucking three times during the past week, I can feel the aches and pains creeping back in my own knees and back. And I don’t wish that on anyone today…well maybe our enemies…DOL

Photos; Lockheed-Martin

Chinese Military Working on Exoskeleton For Special Operations Forces

The Chinese military unveiled its second-generation military exoskeleton, a body brace designed to help infantry or Special Operations members carry some 100 pounds of weapons, supplies, and ammunition. Norinco, China’s state-owned manufacturer of armored vehicles and heavy ground munitions is the builder of the exoskeleton.

Compared to a previous Norinco exoskeleton, which came out in 2015, this second generation has a better battery, more robust hydraulic and pneumatic actuators, and a streamlined harness.
The new version is also lighter, which will likely reduce strain felt by the exoskeleton’s wearer, making it a better choice for troops in mountainous terrain. (Hence all the press photos that look like REI ads.) These refinements in weight, ergonomics, and power supply could also boost the second-generation exoskeleton’s coefficiency ratio. Basically: the higher the ratio, the less physical effort is needed to wear it.
A ratio of 5:1 means that the wearer’s body only needs to exert the effort it takes to carry 10 pounds in order to carry 50 pounds. The company’s also claiming that the reduced weight increases battery performance, which would make sense. Norinco’s first-generation exoskeleton had a top speed of 2.8 miles per hour, for 12 miles. They say this new version improves on that, but doesn’t say by how much.
Norinco isn’t the only Chinese exoskeleton builder. Last month, the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation’s (CSIC) 707th Institute showed off its own powered exoskeleton to senior Chinese military officers. CSIC is marketing theirs as ideal for the shipyard, where people are expected to carry huge loads. In addition, Chinese military engineers at EEAE have developed the L-70 exoskeleton, which we saw first in 2014 and again in 2016. Before that, the Nanjing Military Region’s General Hospital built an exoskeleton that helped its wearer lift up to 80 pounds.

The new exoskeleton is built very similarly to the one developed by Lockheed Martin for U.S. Special Operations troops that SOFREP profiled after the SOFIC conference last May. The write up on the American version can be found here:

This type of exoskeleton is a workable solution for SOF troops carrying a heavy load of equipment into battle. Not to be confused with the “pie-in-the-sky” TALOS system, the Iron Man suit is many years from having a working system, these can be used now.

To read the entire article from Popular Science, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Special Operations Forces, Active and Retired, to Benefit from Exoskeleton Tech

One of the more interesting meetings SOFREP had this past week at the SOFIC conference was with Lockheed Martin. SOFIC 2017 for those who don’t already know is the Special Operations Command’s industry conference where the best of the best in terms of arms and equipment try to sell their latest gear to the military, specifically the Special Operations Forces. While most people think of Lockheed as being involved only in the aerospace industry, one of their more intriguing concepts is coming to life that will greatly benefit SOF troops both in the field and after retirement.

Lockheed is working on a very doable project that deals with an exoskeleton that will greatly enable special operators the ability to carry heavy loads for long distances without using up their own energy, especially when climbing steep inclines. Operators can climb 60-degree gradients without a loss of energy from a human standpoint or as the company said, they want to maximize the metabolic efficiency of the operator.

Don’t confuse the Lockheed version of the exoskeleton with the TALOS “Iron Man” suit that is many years away from seeing a practical application in the field. TALOS is going to be a fully armored suit that must be constructed to the operator’s specific dimensions. And currently, it weighs 600 pounds. Lockheed’s exoskeleton, the FORTIS Knee Stress Release Device (K-SRD) much lighter, and only covers from the hips down.

Lockheed says the K-SRD system is a computer-controlled exoskeleton that counteracts overstress on the lower back and legs and increases mobility and load-carrying capability. It boosts leg capacity for physically demanding tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling or squatting, or lifting, dragging, carrying, or climbing with heavy loads.

Sensors on the exoskeleton report the soldier’s speed, direction, and angle of movement to an onboard computer that drives electro-mechanical actuators at the knees. The exoskeleton delivers the right torque at the right time to assist knee flex and extension. FORTIS K-SRD ultimately reduces the energy needed to cross terrain, squat or kneel. These benefits are most noticeable when ascending or descending stairs or navigating inclined surfaces.

Versions of the exoskeleton are also available for industrial workers and first responders who have to perform strenuous tasks in difficult environments

It is easily adaptable to any operator and allows a much more robust, nimble, and flexible system. The company is already in the testing phase and had some Tier 1 operators running thru a sewer system with this equipment. As the company rep was talking to the commander of the Tier 1 outfit, an operator had tried it on and within five minutes was doing plyometrics. He completed a standing jump from the floor to the top of a table, similar to a CrossFit box jump. He reportedly turned to his commander and said, “I want one of these.”

The company has pushed its testing out to other deployable units and has 70 pieces in a testing phase with an Army unit as well as with the Tier 1 unit. But perhaps the best news to come out of this was the application for the veteran. Lockheed’s rep told SOFREP that their vision is to have their exoskeleton carry the Warfighter into retirement. He said that with the number of operators that either lose limbs in combat or lose the use of them, the exoskeleton will be their way of leading productive lives and being self-sufficient.

Lockheed’s rep explained that like many ex-operators, he too suffers from debilitating knee pain. He wanted to test the suit himself. At his home, he strapped it on and leaped from the top of his stairs on the second level of his house down to the landing on the first level without any discomfort or problem. As SOFREP’s Derek Gannon said at the conference, “This is the Six-Million Dollar Man for us older guys.”

The power pack for the exoskeleton is easily replaceable and each battery pack lasts six to eight hours. It is much more energy efficient. For comparison, the TALOS has 12 motorcycle size batteries and lasts only an hour as currently configured.

It will be tested very soon in airborne operations and SOFREP’s Derek Gannon will get the tour of the facility very soon in the coming weeks and will get the opportunity to put the K-SRD thru its paces and you’ll be able to read about it on SOFREP. It is a much more manageable system than the TALOS. It isn’t nearly as cumbersome and is already in the testing phase. Between the operators and conventional troops putting the system thru the testing cycles, it shouldn’t be long for Lockheed to have any kinks worked out and having a prototype ready for testing in the field.

So, what is in store for the operators of today and future operators of tomorrow? They should have a very workable system for the troops to use in operations where they’re going to be required to carry a lot of weight while carrying heavier loads. Working in mountainous terrain going up and down steep inclines will mean less wear and tear on the soldiers’ joints and they will arrive fresher than ever before.

And looking at the photos of the system that the soldiers are testing now, the equipment isn’t bulky and allows the operator to be as nimble and agile moving thru tight quarters was without it. And if, as many operators will at some point in their career, get injured, the K-SRD will be available for veterans to help them keep their mobility even after their careers in the military are long over. That was perhaps the best-selling point of all.

Lockheed Martin is building a piece of equipment that will allow the humans operating it to do so without being subjected to undue physical stress and the threat of long-term injury. And if an operator does suffer a lower body injury, this equipment will help them cope with the outside world.

And Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the veterans after their service ties in perfectly with SOF Truth #1: Humans are more important than hardware.