Leatherneck Magazine

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An additional six development STOVL F-35s are now in production across the worldwide F- 35 supply chain. In 2007, long-lead procurement funds for the first six production STOVL aircraft were authorized, with the first Marine Corps training jets planned for a 2011 delivery.

Lockheed Martin Corporation

Marines Divorce Humvee For Younger, Faster More Maneuverable Model

The race is on to build the next generation of lightweight vehicles to replace the military’s current fleet of humvees. It is hard to believe that the M998 High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles have been around since 1985.

Pentagon planners say it’s time for a faster, more maneuverable line of combat vehicles that could be used for long-range surveillance or as mobile command centers. They’ve also stipulated that the vehicles must have advanced weapons systems, night-vision capabilities and diesel-electric hybrid engines that run nearly silent, when necessary. Throw in some electronic jamming devices and sophisticated communications equipment, and you may have a contract.

The Marines caused a stir with contractors in December 2007 when they said the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs), currently navigating the dangerous roads of Iraq, are too heavy for future rapid response missions around the globe. The Marines’ expeditionary and amphibious missions require lighter vehicles capable of driving through water and being airlifted easily into combat zones. The Corps reduced its request from 3,700 MRAP vehicles to 2,300.

Although the Army has not indicated that it will reduce the number of vehicles it intends to procure, it is reassessing its MRAP requirements. The Army still places emphasis on blast-proof armor, but it also is leaning toward a lighter version.

Trading Markets.Com reports that contractors who can provide such vehicles stand to make $20 billion in contracts over the next decade. Those vying for contracts are Oshkosh Truck Corporation, partnered with Northrop Grumman Corp.; Boeing Company with Textron Inc.; General Dynamics, partnered with Force Protection Inc.; and Lockheed Martin Corp. partnered with Armor Holdings Inc. Prototypes are due out about 27 months after the contracts are awarded.

Compiled from media reports and contractor news releases

A GPS for Each Marine Will Take the Guesswork Out of Dropping In

Every Marine knows the first principle of Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong will. While it is nothing new for Marines to parachute out of perfectly good aircraft, even veteran jumpers will admit that hitting the drop zone through overcast skies or during a night drop can become somewhat hairy. ParaNav shaves some of the guesswork and need for rabbits’ feet.

ParaNav is a GPS-based system, with an integrated head-up display, that can be worn by the parachutist. Reconnaissance and special operations Marines soon may be equipped with what amounts to their

own Garmin to guide them as they glide their canopies to a designated landing zone.

This is the first Kevlar helmet-mounted navigation system specifically designed to accurately direct the parachutist to the proper landing coordinates. Getting dropped off the ramp of a KC-130 a little too far from the designated LZ won’t be a problem. The system shows the Marine where he is and where he needs to maneuver his chute to allow him to hit the ground with tactical accuracy, or divert to alternate sites.

Inside the mounted pod, a lightweight battery makes the GPS connection and displays an integrated bird’s-eye, full-color view designed specifically for Marines harnessed in the chute and entering enemy airspace uninvited. The ParaNav system includes an 802.11 WiFi interface ( wireless technology) for the currently fielded Joint Precision Airdrop System, and additional custom circuitry allows for calculations in the event of a failure to lock onto GPS.

The Marines have selected Rockwell Collins of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to make 3,000 of these day or night systems, but there’s no program listing recommended restaurants and hotels.

Leatherneck

It certainly looks unusual, but Marines parachuting into hostile or unknown territory will appreciate this helmet. ParaNav is a personal flight management system with an integrated head-up display that allows accurate navigation capabilities via GPS while guiding the parachute to any drop zone or alternate drop zone.

COURTES Y OF ROCKWELL COLLINS

It Is a Rescue Sling That Can Pull Just About Anybody Out of a Tight Spot

What does a Marine under fire do when he yells “Corpsman up!” and there’s no answer and the old fireman’s carry is dangerously impractical? What if the corpsman is already taking care of another Marine, or the corpsman is injured or wounded and needs to be moved from a hostile zone?