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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
May 16, 2012 - 4:45:44 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
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| Dave Hallaran (left), Curtis Debord (middle), both with U.S. Ordnance, McCarran, Nev., and Josh Chansley, from U.S. Machine Gun Armory, Park City, Utah, prep .50 caliber rounds prior to weapons demonstrations at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Center May 26. More than 700 demonstrators and weapons industry members turned out for the event to prospect possible future use of weapons, as well as see what the competition was offering. (Photo by Michael Maddox, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs) |
CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER - A small army moved in as attendees of the National Defense Industrial Association's International (NDIA) Infantry & Joint Service Small Arms Symposium & Exhibition filled four ranges on Camp Atterbury May 27 to send a wide variety of rounds downrange during the weapons demonstration portion of the three-day event.
The symposium provides a forum where small arms community members from across the globe come together for technical paper presentations, informational speakers, and exhibits of the hardware used by current and future defense organizations.
As soon as range safeties gave the go ahead, exhibition attendees were treated to firing any kind of weapon they could imagine including handguns, rifles, machineguns, grenade and rocket launchers. While it was exciting for visitors to try out all of the weapons, Department of Defense personnel in attendance were also prospecting to see if there may be use for some of the weapon technologies in the nation's future arsenal.
The smell of gun powder and the excitement of participants filled the range as more than 700 demonstrators, DoD program managers and weapons industry professionals took the time not only to see, but to fire competitor's weapons as the culminating event from their symposium that took place May 24 through 26.
Camp Atterbury provided a great venue for the live fires, said Sal Fanelli, USMC Infantry Weapons Engineer from Quantico, Va., and firepower session chairman for the NDIA's annual small arms convention.
"Once a year, the National Defense Industrial Association has an annual small arms convention. One of the key features of this is that we demonstrate current or new technology in weapons systems," said Fanelli. "We invite all kinds of people, so you've got Army, Navy Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard officials represented here, plus current manufacturers of weapons systems for DoD and new start businesses.
"This also allows DoD program managers to come out and see how the industry is responding to their needs," added Fanelli.
He said places that offer what Camp Atterbury can are few and far between.
"What I look for every year is a range complex where we can have this type of venue," he said. "There are commercial ranges but they only allow small stuff. There are very, very few ranges in the U.S. where we can go and shoot everything from handguns through grenade launchers, tracers and HE (high explosive) ammunition.
"If you can't show these things on a range, it really doesn't get your point across. This range complex is just awesome to do that because you have a vast array of targets, and companies get to show exactly how their equipment works," he added.
Fanelli said the Indiana National Guard's willingness to accommodate the symposium has been top-notch.
"The range folks stepped up and helped us secure the ranges. Atterbury's installation support came online and set up everything - got us range support, RSOs (range safety officers) and have taken care of all of the communication efforts," he said. "The security folks have been great at helping us get through and pre-assigning security clearances for people to just roll right in."
Carrie Olsen, with the U.S. Army Small Arms Branch at Fort Benning, Ga., said the event gives her organization a chance to see what vendors can offer the DoD and if they can accommodate new war-fighting requirements.
"We came out to see what all of the vendors are developing, see what the capabilities they are coming out with," she said. "I've been looking at calibers, suppressors, enablers, just anything that we can incorporate into future (planning) documents to give our war fighters betters capabilities in battle."
Olsen said there was a lot of interesting technology being demonstrated at the live-fire.
"We're working on some suppressor requirements, some handgun requirements, and things that are working their way though Department of the Army staffing right now. We have definitely incorporated capabilities from past symposiums into our new documents from things that we have seen out here in the past," she said. "We come out here and see what the industry is able to provide and what they are looking to do in the next couple of years and this definitely gets incorporated."
"There is definitely a lot out here to see and take in," Olsen said.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| More than 700 demonstrators and weapons industry members turned out for the National Defense Industrial Association's International Infantry & Joint Service Small Arms Symposium & Exhibition's weapon demonstration at Camp Atterbury May 26 to prospect possible future capabilities of weapons, as well as see what the competition was offering. (Photo by Michael Maddox, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs) |
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| Chris McMurray, with ATK Armaments Systems, Radford, Va., feels the power of a M3D .50 caliber machinegun while under the watchful eye of Kyle Fagin, from Contract Fabrication and Design International in Princeton, Tx., May 27 at Camp Atterbury during the weapons demonstration held during the National Defense Industrial Association's International Infantry & Joint Service Small Arms Symposium & Exhibition. More than 700 demonstrators and weapons industry members turned out for the event to prospect possible future use of weapons. (Photo by Michael Maddox, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs) |
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| S.G. Chung, Defence and Security Group Technologies, Lørenskog, Norway, tries out a .50 caliber machinegun with the assistance of Dave Hallaran, U.S. Ordnance, McCarran, Nev., May 27 at Camp Atterbury during the weapons demonstration that was part of the three-day symposium. The day provided demonstrators and weapons industry members an opportunity to display and see what new weapons technologies are available. (Photo by Michael Maddox, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs) |
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| Lt. Col. (Retired) Jim Taylor, with ATK Armaments Systems, Radford, Va., sites his target while trying out a LaRue Tactical 10.5 inch sub-machine gun as Freddie Blish, LaRue Tactical, Austin, Tx., "spots" for him. The weapons demonstration, held at Camp Atterbury May 27, was one portion of the National Defense Industrial Association's International Infantry & Joint Service Small Arms Symposium & Exhibition. (Photo by Michael Maddox, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs) |
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| Weapons manufacturers and members of the weapons industry took part in live-fire weapons demonstrations at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center May 27 as a part of the recent National Defense Industrial Association's International Infantry & Joint Service Small Arms Symposium & Exhibition. The event allowed symposium attendees to get a hands-on experience with some of the weapons technology displayed as a part of the three-day event. (Photo by Michael Maddox, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs) |
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| Carrie Olsen, U.S. Army Small Arms Branch at Fort Benning, Ga., uses a handheld remote to fire a 7.62 Externally Powered Gun during the weapons demonstration held at Camp Atterbury May 27 as part of a three-day event held by the National Defense Industrial Association. (Photo by Michael Maddox, Camp Atterbury Public Affairs) |
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