Written by / Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Unmanned Cargo Aircraft
The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory has a requirement to procure the services of a contractor(s) that can successfully demonstrate a cargo unmanned aircraft system capable of operation in deployed remote locations by February 2010 or sooner.
Under the request, a single air vehicle must be able to deliver 10,000 pounds of cargo in a 24-hour period (threshold), 20,000 pounds of cargo in a 24-hour period (objective) to a round-trip distance of 150 nautical miles and hover in ground effect/hover out of ground effect at 12,000-foot density altitude (DA) but fly at 15,000-foot DA with a full cargo load. The smallest element in a cargo package shall be equivalent to at least a standard wood pallet (48 x 40-inch stack approximately 67 inches) of cubic volume and at least 750 pounds (threshold), 1,000 pounds (objective).
The following system capabilities are desired:
Operate autonomously, beyond line of sight (BLOS)
Capable of command and control with remote terminal control capability at a site BLOS from the original launch site
Terminal control cargo delivery accuracy within 10 meters (objective)
Cargo lift operation of at least 750 pounds (threshold) 1,000 pounds (objective) at a 12,000 foot DA
In-stride multiple drop capability
150 nautical mile round-trip range for FOB to FOB employment
Ability to launch from an FOB or unimproved road
Integrate with existing airspace control agencies at deployed locations
Command and control radio frequencies (RF) must be compatible with deployed location RF spectrum requirements
Contractor will be required to operate and maintain the system
Marines shall be able to interface with the system regarding airspace integration and logistics packaging, loading and unloading
Capable of material retrograde from the FOB (objective)
Operate in all weather conditions, comparable to Marine Corps manned aircraft
Operate at night with overt and covert lighting
Maintain 70 knots indicated airspeed with a full cargo load (objective)
Capable of en-route reprogramming to alter the delivery point(s) (objective).
Terminal control cargo delivery accuracy within 10 meters (objective)
Cargo lift operation of at least 750 pounds (threshold) 1,000 pounds (objective) at a 12,000 foot DA
In-stride multiple drop capability
150 nautical mile round-trip range for FOB to FOB employment
Ability to launch from an FOB or unimproved road
Integrate with existing airspace control agencies at deployed locations
Command and control radio frequencies (RF) must be compatible with deployed location RF spectrum requirements
Contractor will be required to operate and maintain the system
Marines shall be able to interface with the system regarding airspace integration and logistics packaging, loading and unloading
Capable of material retrograde from the FOB (objective)
Operate in all weather conditions, comparable to Marine Corps manned aircraft
Operate at night with overt and covert lighting
Maintain 70 knots indicated airspeed with a full cargo load (objective)
Capable of en-route reprogramming to alter the delivery point(s) (objective).
Logistics Modernization
CSC recently announced the successful go live of the second phase of the U.S. Army’s Logistics Modernization Program (LMP) for the Army Materiel Command (AMC). Phase two implementation increases the system user base from 3,500 to more than 8,500. The LMP is one of the world’s largest, fully integrated supply chain, maintenance, repair and overhaul planning and execution solution.
The LMP stands at the center of the Army’s business transformation initiatives and delivers real-time situational awareness and decisionmaking capabilities. With the LMP, the Army is able to supply and provide service to warfighters more quickly and cost effectively.
“The LMP reduces the logistics footprint needed to sustain the warfighter and improves supply chain effectiveness throughout the Army,” said James W. Sheaffer, president of CSC’s North American Public Sector line of business. “With the LMP, the Army has increased asset visibility, enhanced data accuracy and integrity, improved reporting and integrated financial management capabilities that enable supply planners and leadership to make strategic decisions about logistics operations in real time.”
The LMP stands at the center of the Army’s business transformation initiatives and delivers real-time situational awareness and decisionmaking capabilities. With the LMP, the Army is able to supply and provide service to warfighters more quickly and cost effectively.
“The LMP reduces the logistics footprint needed to sustain the warfighter and improves supply chain effectiveness throughout the Army,” said James W. Sheaffer, president of CSC’s North American Public Sector line of business. “With the LMP, the Army has increased asset visibility, enhanced data accuracy and integrity, improved reporting and integrated financial management capabilities that enable supply planners and leadership to make strategic decisions about logistics operations in real time.”
Reach Truck
The RR 5700 by Crown Engineering is a new and technologically advanced reach truck intended to deliver greater material handling productivity, efficiency and safety.
The platform is engineered for the unique challenges of a narrow-aisle warehouse environment. Key features include an exclusive, patent-pending traction control system, enhanced execution of load-handling functions, and the industry’s fastest lift and travel speeds compared to other reach trucks. According to the company it is the first-ever pantograph reach truck with a traction control system designed to help the truck travel on wet, dusty or sealed floors.
The truck uses Crown’s Access 123 control system to compare the truck’s speed with the number of revolutions per minute the drive tire is turning to determine whether the truck has lost traction. By helping the truck to achieve a controlled stop when traction is lost, the system reduces slipping and sliding. This decreases tire wear, increases efficiency, helps reduce the risk of accidents and product damage, and improves operator confidence in slick conditions, such as refrigerated or freezer applications.
Reach heights are greater than 36 feet with lift capacities of 4,500 pounds. There is a one-touch rack height select available as an add-on that allows operators to stop the forks at a specific rack level with the click of a button.
Temperature Sensitive Freight
CSafe LLC, a provider of technology solutions for the temperature- sensitive airfreight market, recently announced that its AcuTemp RKN received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), making it the first and only active RKN of its kind to obtain approvals from both EASA and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The RKN is designed to reduce the detrimental effects of damaged and compromised goods, which often result from inadequate temperature management in conventional shipping modes. The unit can sustain a consistent user-selected temperature between +4 and +25 degrees Celsius while being exposed to ambient temperatures as extreme as -30 to +49 degrees C. The container has the ability to record payload, temperature, access and power status, and this data is accessible though a convenient USB port.
“Obtaining this EASA approval permits the use of the AcuTemp RKN by more customers throughout the world,” said Brian Kohr, general manager of CSafe LLC. “We are very pleased to be able to provide our customers the ability to ship their temperaturesensitive cargo through all air carriers governed by both the FAA and EASA, thus making the superior technology of the AcuTemp RKN available to companies worldwide,” he added.
More Cranes Please
Military Sealift Fleet Support Command (MSFSC) has a requirement for four ship service cranes for the T-ARS 50 ship class.
The requirement is for telescoping boomtype cranes mounted on a circular pedestal foundation, suitable for marine service on an exposed weather deck and designed to withstand continuous exposure to salt spray, occasional sea water impact, icing conditions and operation in winds of up to 40 knots. Additionally the cranes must be capable of operation in ambient temperatures from -29 degrees Celsius (-20 degrees Fahrenheit) to 52 degrees C (125.6 degrees F). All electronic accessories and controls shall be capable of withstanding extreme solar loads (direct exposure to sun) up to 66 degrees C (150 degrees F).
MRO Software Solution
Aviall Inc., a provider of parts and aftermarket services to the aerospace, defense and marine industries, recently went live with the latest version 8 of the Infospectrum’s infoTRAK software to manage the operational effectiveness of their component repair facility in Dallas, Texas.
InfoTRAK MRO v.8 is a Web-based solution with enterprise deployment option or an on-demand software as a service hosted model. The Rich Internet application has intuitive screens, personalized pages, realtime alerts and events, mobile and wireless devices interfaces as well as a shop-floor touch screen kiosk interface. It is built around service-oriented architecture, which allows clients to deploy only the modules that are needed with an out-of-the-box and straightforward integration with disparate systems.
Joe Lacik, senior vice president, information services at Aviall, said, “The open Web services APIs provided by Infospectrum have helped us augment our existing ERP and financial systems with infoTRAK modules easily.”
Diesel Engine
Capacity of Texas, a leading manufacturer of terminal tractors worldwide, announced today the availability of the Navistar MaxxForce 7 diesel engine in their terminal tractor product line beginning this fall. The Navistar MaxxForce 7 engine utilizes the MaxxForce advanced exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), which provides 2010 emissions compliance using technology proven on the engines since 2007.
The agreement with Navistar to supply the MaxxForce 7, V-8 diesel engine furthers Capacity’s engine offerings (diesel, LP, CNG, LNG and hybrid/electric) and continues their manufacturing tradition by providing the most complete line terminal tractors in the industry.
“We are extremely excited to announce this agreement with Navistar,” said Phillip Ford, president of Capacity of Texas. “The MaxxForce engines will provide our end users an option to use EGR instead of selective catalyst reduction. With the MaxxForce engine, there is no need for additional aftertreatment hardware to maintain, and there are no additional fluids to add ... this will offer our customers a tremendous operating advantage in the field.” ♦