PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. - Three Picatinny organizations displayed some of their many products during the 2009 Association of the United States Army annual meeting and exposition in Washington, D.C., Oct. 5 - 7.
The Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, Program Executive Office for Ammunition and Project Manager Soldier Weapons showcased their technological wares to military brass, government contractors and other government employees during the annual event.
"It's important for ARDEC to exhibit at the show in order to promote our capabilities and programs. Participation also allows ARDEC to see what other work is being conducted in relevant fields, and develop contacts and opportunities with other Army and government organizations, industry and academia," said Brad Drake, an ARDEC computer engineer and team lead for America's Army - Picatinny, who showcased an ARDEC Unmanned Ground Vehicle simulator in the Army Materiel Command booth.
Drake and fellow engineer Tim McCormack set up the UGV virtual simulator to demonstrate how it feels to operate a UGV.
They had the opportunity to share their work with high-ranking officials, including Gen. Anne E. Dunwoody, the AMC commanding general, who tested the UGV simulator.
"It was gratifying to see her take a genuine interest in what we are doing to support the warfighter," Drake said of Dunwoody. "She was interested in the work ARDEC is doing to weaponize UGVs, as well as the work our team is doing in the areas of gaming and visualization."
Drake also added that, on a personal level, having a chance to meet the first female four-star general of the Army will be something he'll always remember from his career at ARDEC.
PEO Ammunition employees also participated in the exposition as part of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology display.
Because of their relevance and current use in the ongoing operations within Iraq and Afghanistan, PEO Ammunition showcased the Self-Protection Adaptive Roller Kit, known as SPARK, and the Excalibur 155mm GPS-guided precision artillery round.
SPARK consists of a set of rollers that attaches to the front of tactical vehicles to provide contact with the ground, causing IEDs to detonate under the rollers instead of the underneath the vehicle. There have been more than 115 IED strikes in which this equipment is credited with saving Soldier's lives.
Excalibur is a fin-stabilized and canard-controlled precision guided 155mm artillery projectile. Currently in use in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Excalibur is utilized in situations where precision is required in order to minimize collateral damage.
In addition, PEO Ammunition featured the Precision Guidance Kit, or PGK, a GPS-guided fuze package, which will be incorporated into existing 155mm artillery rounds. Control surfaces on the PGK maneuver the projectile to the intended target, greatly enhancing the accuracy of conventional artillery ammunition.
In addition, the PM Soldier Weapons' display contained various current and future weapon small-arms weapon systems. PM-SW also exhibited an interactive CROWS unit, according to the Program Executive Office Soldier Twitter site. (Mark Whitby with the Project Manager for Joint Services contributed to this article.)
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