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SatComms for Soldiers
Relevance Score: 4.374 2009-07-26 20:37:18
Have been out with British forces in the area of Sangin in northern Helmand Province. This area appears to be turning into the main effort of the current fight in Afghanistan, but this is unclear to me at the moment. I do know that air assets are heavy. During our mission yesterday, a B-1 could be seen overhead, though it was miles high. On the ground, this place is loaded with IEDs and there were many firefights during yesterday’s mission. My section of eight soldiers did not fire a single round; we did not come into direct contact, though bullets sometimes zipped overhead. Nearly all missions are conducted on foot and the soldiers like it that way. I am with the British battalion called 2 Rifles. The last mission I did with 2 Rifles was in Iraq, and they killed maybe 26-27 JAM members during that fight. Yesterday they only killed two Taliban (Predator actually made the shot), but the mission was well run, and morale here is very high. Everybody is ready to roll again and missions are near continuous. I’ll ask British commanders to let me stay, though that might not be necessary because there are so few helicopters. More likely I am stuck here. FOB Jackson is probably going to be my Hotel California, but that’s all good because these are great soldiers, in the thick of it, and I want to stay. More broadly speaking, our forces are spread to the high winds across desolate stretches of Afghanistan, sometimes in tiny “bases” with as few as a half-dozen soldiers. Last December, I spent some time with a group of such soldiers in Zabul Province, but hardly wrote a word about them, yet. They were deep in wild country and it took two days for us to drive out to a paved road. Those soldiers had no access to Internet, and said that on one occasion they didn’t even get mail for three months. Until December, I used a satellite antenna called a “Regional BGAN” (R-BGAN) HNS-9101 to transmit dispatches from remote areas. These small, portable systems are expensive; during a fifteen-day period last year, I spent almost exactly $5,000. (Prices based on bandwidth usage.) During late 2008, when I saw the group of a half-dozen American soldiers, out there in the boondocks, two days from a road and once going three months without mail, I told Mrs. Frankie Mayo, who runs Operation AC. Frankie and Operation AC had sent loads of gear to Iraq, including air conditioners and generators. When I told Frankie about the isolated soldiers, she got to work with Hughes to send R-BGANs to Afghanistan. Lucky for me, with the old R-BGAN no longer usable, Hughes, through Frankie, shipped a newer model, the Hughes 9201 BGAN Inmarsat Terminal. Many of this year’s dispatches will come through the 9201. Without such a terminal, large numbers of Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors will be without regular communications for much or most of their time in Afghanistan. The infrastructure is Spartan to non-existent. Life here is tougher than it was in Iraq, and the fighting will be tougher still. Yes, there are the gigantic bases-as in Iraq-where everything is available, but little of the war is being fought from the larger bases. Extended battlefield journalism from Afghanistan is relatively non-existent. Broadly speaking, folks at home will not know how their loved ones are doing unless they can communicate directly. To learn more about the effort to send satellite communications gear to troops downrange, please see Operation AC.
British helicopters for Afghanistan 'not fit for use': report
Relevance Score: 3.976 2009-08-05 11:59:14
British military helicopters set to be deployed to Afghanistan were not properly equipped to fly combat missions, a newspaper said Tuesday, fuelling a row over adequate resources for troops. The helicopters were not fitted with special armour, leaving them vulnerable to attack by Taliban extremists while transporting troops, the Daily Telegraph newspaper said, citing unnamed Royal Air Force sources. The Ministry of Defence rejected the report, saying the six aircraft set to be deployed by the end of the year were "fit for operational use." "Our Merlin Mk3 helicopters have ballistic protection as standard, and are being fitted with a range of modifications to make them fit for operational use," a spokesman said. The newspaper said pilots wanted the helicopters fitted with Kevlar armour, which would cost about 100,000 pounds (117,000 euros, 169,000 dollars) for each aircraft, to protect them from bullets and rocket-propelled grenades. Claims of a shortage of helicopters have been at the centre of a political row over adequate equipment for the armed forces amid a surge in the British death toll in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been forced to defend the government's strategy in Afghanistan amid ongoing questions about Britain's involvement in the conflict. British forces have suffered their highest casualty rate since the US-led invasion of the country in late 2001. Twenty-two soldiers were killed in July fighting Taliban insurgents in southern Helmand province, as British troops waged the attack phase of an offensive, beating back the extremists ahead of elections on August 20. The row has been deepened by a legal battle by the government to cut the compensation awarded to two injured soldiers. A British soldier also faced court-martial Monday for refusing to return to Afghanistan as the armed forces minister insisted that the fight against the Taliban was improving Afghan lives.
British helicopters for Afghanistan 'not fit for use': report
Relevance Score: 3.961 2009-08-05 11:59:14
British military helicopters set to be deployed to Afghanistan were not properly equipped to fly combat missions, a newspaper said Tuesday, fuelling a row over adequate resources for troops. The helicopters were not fitted with special armour, leaving them vulnerable to attack by Taliban extremists while transporting troops, the Daily Telegraph newspaper said, citing unnamed Royal Air Force sources. The Ministry of Defence rejected the report, saying the six aircraft set to be deployed by the end of the year were "fit for operational use." "Our Merlin Mk3 helicopters have ballistic protection as standard, and are being fitted with a range of modifications to make them fit for operational use," a spokesman said. The newspaper said pilots wanted the helicopters fitted with Kevlar armour, which would cost about 100,000 pounds (117,000 euros, 169,000 dollars) for each aircraft, to protect them from bullets and rocket-propelled grenades. Claims of a shortage of helicopters have been at the centre of a political row over adequate equipment for the armed forces amid a surge in the British death toll in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been forced to defend the government's strategy in Afghanistan amid ongoing questions about Britain's involvement in the conflict. British forces have suffered their highest casualty rate since the US-led invasion of the country in late 2001. Twenty-two soldiers were killed in July fighting Taliban insurgents in southern Helmand province, as British troops waged the attack phase of an offensive, beating back the extremists ahead of elections on August 20. The row has been deepened by a legal battle by the government to cut the compensation awarded to two injured soldiers. A British soldier also faced court-martial Monday for refusing to return to Afghanistan as the armed forces minister insisted that the fight against the Taliban was improving Afghan lives.
US soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq offered Internet service
Relevance Score: 3.931 2010-02-07 13:11:40
Soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are being offered an Internet service primarily aimed at companies in Asia. The new service offers high-speed Internet access with out the need for phone lines, cable or dial-up modem. TS2 Satellite Technologies company is using satellites to power their Internet service. For soldiers deployed to the war zones this service can allow for communications back home. Many of the soldiers arrive in Afghanistan and Iraq with their own lap top hoping to stay in contact with loved ones. The troops can connect with the service when they are in their barracks. Not everyone though in the service is just using the Internet to stay close with family some are using it to blog and stay in touch with their business associates in the US. Having that connect with family and those at home have upped the morale of the troops.
Killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan.
Relevance Score: 3.929 2009-07-07 00:18:34
AFGHANISTAN: Insurgent attacks killed three British soldiers during the weekend in the southern Afghanistan region where thousands of U.S. Marines pushed forward with the American troops biggest anti-Taliban campaign since the hard-line Islamist regime was toppled. Roadside bombs killed two of the soldiers and a rocket-propelled grenade killed another one. IRAQ: Enemies attacked police patrols in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Sunday, killing a police officer with a grenade and injuring 14 people in a car bomb blast, authorities informed. Separately, bombs in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, killed one civilian and injured 14, police said. PAKISTAN: Pakistani fighter jets targeted suspected Taliban hideouts in a tribal region near Afghanistan on Sunday, killing as many as six people, intelligence officials informed. Elsewhere in the northwest, two bomb explosions killed two people and wounded 15 more in Upper Dir district at the edge of Swat Valley where Pakistan army informes it is wrapping up a two-month-old offensive against Taliban militants.
UK troops to get new body armour
Relevance Score: 3.590 2009-07-09 11:29:57
The British armed forces are to get new body armour and helmets this autumn. More than 10,000 enhanced Mark 7 helmets and the new Osprey Assault body armour have been ordered. The MoD says the new body armour has "all the stopping power of the kit it is replacing, but is lighter, closer fitting and easier to move in". It is hoped the new lighter Osprey Assault will go some way to answering soldiers complaints about heavy or ill fitting armour. The new armour and helmet were unveiled at the MoD's DVD 2009 event at the Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire. The new helmet will eventually replace the existing Mark. It comes with a new four-point harness to keep the helmet more stable when night vision equipment is fitted to it. It also has a new gap above the eye to compensate for the helmet tilting forward when a soldier goes into the prone position before firing, and there are plans to fit it with mounting brackets. While the ballistic protection of the Osprey Assault is the same as its predecessor, the Osprey, the MoD says the overall fit has been tailored to the needs of dismounted troops, particularly those in Afghanistan. British forces in Iraq were predominantly vehicle based, but in Afghanistan the terrain and conditions means that foot patrols are far more common. Quentin Davies MP, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, discusses the new Osprey Assault body armour. Speaking at the launch of the kit, the MoD's chief of defence materiel, General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, said Osprey was a "proven world class system" and the new body armour order would ensure troops would "get the best kit for the job they are doing". "Troops will be issued with a new ballistic plate that is much thinner, reducing their bulk and burden and improving their endurance," he said. Current Army directives state that all soldiers must wear the latest Osprey body armour and Mark 6 Alpha helmets in any combat situation. However, there have been a number of deaths due to troops either removing kit or wearing inappropriate gear.
Iraq orders probe into 'useless' bomb detectors
Relevance Score: 3.168 2010-01-25 11:50:19
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered an investigation into a device used to detect bombs at checkpoints, after the devices were banned from export in Britain and labelled useless by United States forces. The ADE651 device, known as the 'magic wand', uses a series of interchangeable credit card size paper cards said to be able to detect explosives such as C4 and TNT, as well as other weapons. Last week Britain banned the export of the device after tests showed it was not suitable for bomb detection. It is manufactured by British-based company ATSC, and was reputedly sold for between $18,000 and $66,000 per unit. Last week British police arrested ATSC director Jim McCormick, 53, on suspicion of fraud by misrepresentation. He was bailed pending further investigation.
Set up and maintain a robust satellite hub at the Qatar base
Relevance Score: 2.779 2009-12-28 17:10:42
Sgt. Jeffrey Yauch, from Plover, Wis., adheres to the old Army conviction: leave it better than you found it. During a one-year deployment, the 1st Cavalry Division soldier wrote detailed technical standard operation procedures for tactical satellite hubs employing the military's latest communications technology. Yauch's painstaking labors led to an unprecedented 99-percent satellite reliability rate, according to signal reports at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar. Tactical environment uptimes typically range between 90 and 95 percent, according to Chief Warrant Officer Scott Gray, 1st Cavalry Division Special Troops Battalion network technician chief. "Our team set a new standard for maintaining a tactical satellite hub," said Gray, who then commended the entire unit for supporting communication requirements for over 230,000 combat patrols in Iraq this year. The 1st Cavalry Division, a rapidly deployable armored division based at Fort Hood, Texas, assumed duties as the Multi-National Division - Baghdad headquarters in January. While the main body moved into Iraq, Yauch and 18 other Soldiers formed a tactical satellite hub at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, located on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The team of Soldiers inherited a critical mission: set up and maintain a robust satellite hub at the Qatar base. Warfighters throughout Iraq would depend on their signal integrity for a variety of audiovisual services, such as telecommunications, video teleconferences and network access. Unfortunately, specific instructions about fielding the Army's most recent equipment didn't exist. Yauch resolved to fix that discrepancy, as the Soldiers went to work. The tactical satellite document has been disseminated throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.
Satellite Broadband Internet in Iraq and Afghanistan for U.S. Troops
Relevance Score: 2.637 2009-06-28 22:04:20
WARSAW, Poland, Jan. 22 /Reuters/ -- TS2 Satellite Technologies' network in Iraq and Afghanistan has over 15,000 military users of local broadband satellite connections. "We were among the first telecommunications operators in the satellite technology in the territory of Iraq and Afghanistan, and as such we have enjoyed a successful cooperation with the U.S. Army for several years now," says Marcin Frackiewicz, CEO of the TS2 Satellite Technologies. TS2 Satellite Technologies offers two-way high-speed Internet access with no phone lines, no cable and no dial-up modem. It's always on, available virtually anywhere, and affordable. The laptop or Wi-Fi network can receive Internet signal through a special satellite VSAT modem, which was usually set up in a building or tent when deployed. The one VSAT access point provides the following services for soldiers: -- Broadband access to the Internet (WWW, E-mail, FTP etc.) -- Data transfer to many other users simultaneously -- Telephone connections including VoIP, IP phone -- Video-conference connections Advantages of the system: -- Short set-up time -- Fast and easy upgrades -- Possibility of guaranteed CIR -- Transmission in almost all weather conditions The communication among the bases is possible thanks to the simultaneous lease of bands on the Intelsat 10-02, Intelsat 901 and Eutelsat W6 satellites whose coverage enables configuration of connections between any place in Europe, Middle East and Southwest Asia. TS2's satellite military networks are located in Al Taqaddum Air Base, Bahgram AF, Balad Base, Baquba Airfield, Brassfield-Mora, Cob Adder, Cob Speicher, Camp Al Asad Airbase, Camp Bucca Basra City, Camp Buehring, Camp Charlie Basra, Camp Eggers, Camp Fallujah, Camp Grizzly, Camp Korean Village, Camp Liberty, Camp Mejid, Camp Ramadi, Camp Slayer, Camp Stryker, Camp Taji, Camp Victory, Fob Bagram, Fob Brassfield Mora, Fob Delta Al Kut, Fob Diamondback, Fob Falcon, Fob Garryowen, Fob Gardez, Fob Ghazni, Fob Kalagush, Fob Kandahar, Fob Lagman, Fob Mchenry, Fob Marez, Fob Normandy, Fob Rustamiyah, Fob Summerall, Fob Sykes, Fob Salerno, Fob Torkham, Fob Warhorse, Fob Warrior, Herat RTC, Jallahabad Air Base, Kabul Airport, Kabul Camp Eggers, Kandahar Air Base, Lsa Anaconda Balad, Q-West Base Complex and Tallil Ab Lsa Adder. Especially for U.S. Military Personnel, Contracting Officers and DoD Contractors, TS2 delivers satellite equipment to most of all military addresses in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, within maximum of 7 days. Supported military locations in Iraq - http://www.ts2.pl/en/Internet-in-Iraq-for-US-Army-Soldiers Supported military locations in Afghanistan - http://www.ts2.pl/en/Internet-in-Afghanistan-for-US-Army-Soldiers Contact: Piotr Kubiak and Michal Skrok TS2 Satellite Technologies phone +48 22 630 70 70 fax +48 22 630 70 71 http://www.ts2.pl
Documentary highlights success of Land Warrior system
Relevance Score: 2.624 2009-06-09 22:17:32
"Keep Up the Fire," a new documentary produced by the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier, tells the story of the first infantry unit deployed to Iraq with the Land Warrior system. In 2007, the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, deployed to Iraq to help bring peace to a region paralyzed by war. With them, the battalion brought a vital system called Land Warrior, the most advanced piece of infantry technology ever fielded. The Soldiers entered a brutal combat environment, where insurgent attacks numbered in the hundreds each week and American forces faced the mistrust of the people they had been sent to protect. Despite the difficulties they faced, the battalion was remarkably successful during its deployment. Land Warrior, an advanced navigational and network communication system worn by Soldiers was a key to that success. Land Warrior consists of a wiring system, joystick-like control unit, a computing unit, and flip-down monocular eyepiece. In its role as a navigation device, Land Warrior shows a Soldier's location on a tactical map. Similarly-equipped Soldier and vehicle positions are constantly updated within the system, greatly increasing the situational awareness of the dismounted Soldier. “Land Warrior gave me confidence as I planned to coordinate for a blind hit at night for the first time in this area,” said Capt. Brandon Kint, who used Land Warrior with the 4th Bn. As a networking device, Land Warrior enables communication among Soldiers, vehicles, and commanders through one system. Additionally, Land Warrior creates organic networks between equipped units as they move into and out of contact with one another. Digital information can be exchanged between these equipped units and throughout the networks. For instance, Soldiers can place markers on the digital maps called "digital chemlights," which will appear on the map of every other Land Warrior-equipped Soldier within seconds. Originally developed in the early 1990s, Land Warrior was canceled just before the unit was set to deploy. By special request, the system was supported for the duration of the deployment to Iraq. Before and during their deployment, the battalion worked closely with the developers of Land Warrior to make changes to the system, increasing its effectiveness and usability. The success and innovative work with Soldiers led to renewed interest in the program, so much so that a Stryker Brigade Combat Team will take an improved system to Afghanistan this year. “It’s one piece of equipment that we won’t leave the (field operating base) without anymore,” said Master Sgt. (P) Marc Griffith, who deployed with Land Warrior and the 4th Bn. to Iraq.