Saturday, October 30, 2010

Kit Up!

Kit Up!

Wall Buster Uses Water to Crush Concrete

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 10:49 AM PDT

As I was prowling the halls of the massive AUSA show here at the Washington, DC, convention center, I ran across this huge black tube filled seemingly with an office water cooler bottle wrapping in black electric tape.

I asked the guy at the UK-based BCB International booth, Andrew Howell, what this thing was all about and he showed me an intriguing device he says Brit commandos like to use to bust into buildings. (Yes, this is the same company that’s marketing that ballistic Kevlar underwear)

Dubbed the Wall Breaching System or the “kinetic impact system,” it’s essentially an air cannon that shoots just about any material you want a distance of around 800 meters. It’ll throw a water jug against a wall with enough force to break down several layers of concrete blocks. Howell said this is a preferred method to explosives since it’s more predictable and less likely to shower shrapnel on the troopers or the target.

Though the video shows the kinetic impact system being used to breach walls, Howell also showed me examples of other payloads the air cannon is capable of firing, including paint balls, golf ball-like projectiles and long steel darts.

It’s an ingenously simple solution to an everyday problem. It’ll be interesting to see if the system is adopted or adapted by US troops.

Kwikpoint Gets With the Afghanistan Surge

Posted: 29 Oct 2010 08:13 AM PDT

I’ve always been a big fan of Kwikpoint military translation cards– you know, those tear-proof little fold out pamphlets that sport cartoon-like illustrations of bomb-stuffed sheep, Dragunov sniper rifles and tribal distribution maps.

I always carried one when I embedded in Iraq, though I’m not sure what good they would have done if I had gotten lost or separated. But I always felt a little more confident with the guide’s list of common phrases in English and Arabic. Maybe I could talk my way out of a pinch…

Well, the same company that brought you the cartoon guides for Iraq has now spun around and published a series of them for the Afghan theater, with language and culture guides, IED recognition guides and even an evasion and escape guide for Army aviators.

We also spoke with Kwikpoint military and government sales manager Mitch Sherman who said the services are contracting with him to make user manuals that are a lot more pleasant to peruse than the staid black and white books of the past. He showed me a fold out guide showing Marines how to configure their Modular Tactical Vest and one to teach Soldiers how to best wear the Protective Combat Uniform.
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