They are wide and strong. They can dodge bombs and bullets. They carry soldiers and weapons. They help save lives. They are light tactical vehicles. The U.S. military used trucks and jeeps before moving on to Humvees. Then came the Oshkosh L-ATV. This book tells readers all about how light tactical vehicles have evolved over the years.

Over the last 30 years, the 'technical' or armed pick-up truck has become arguably the most ubiquitous military land vehicle of modern warfare. Harking back to the armed Jeeps and Chevrolet trucks of the SAS and Long Range Desert Group in North Africa in World War II, the world's first insurgent technicals were those of the Sahrawi People's Liberation Army in Algeria in the late 1970s, followed by the Chadian use of technical in the so-called Toyota War against Libya. Since then, technicals have seen use in Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, as well as being used by Western and Russian Special Forces. Fully illustrated with commissioned artwork and providing rigorous analysis, this is the first history of how this deceptively simple fighting vehicle has been used and developed in conflicts worldwide.

Congress recently requested a study of the U.S. ground combat and tactical wheeled vehicle fleets. The authors reveal risks in the technologies required to close capability gaps, the business processes used by the U.S. Department of Defense in managing vehicle production and modification initiatives, and the modeling and simulation process supporting research, development, and acquisition, making recommendations for mitigating these risks.

Lightweighting is a concept well known to structural designers and engineers in all applications areas, from laptops to bicycles to automobiles to buildings and airplanes. Reducing the weight of structures can provide many advantages, including increased energy efficiency, better design, improved usability, and better coupling with new, multifunctional features. While lightweighting is a challenge in commercial structures, the special demands of military vehicles for survivability, maneuverability and transportability significantly stress the already complex process. Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft assesses the current state of lightweighting implementation in land, sea, and air vehicles and recommends ways to improve the use of lightweight materials and solutions. This book considers both lightweight materials and lightweight design; the availability of lightweight materials from domestic manufacturers; and the performance of lightweight materials and their manufacturing technologies. It also considers the "trade space"-that is, the effect that use of lightweight materials or technologies can have on the performance and function of all vehicle systems and components. This book also discusses manufacturing capabilities and affordable manufacturing technology to facilitate lightweighting. Application of Lightweighting Technology to Military Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft will be of interest to the military, manufacturers and designers of military equipment, and decision makers.

On Sept. 8, 1982, Pres. Ronald Reagan signed into law the DoD Authorization Act which included what has come to be known as the Nunn-McCurdy (NM) Act. The NM Act requires DoD to report to Congress whenever a major defense acquisition program experiences cost overruns that exceed certain thresholds. Contents of this report: (1) Intro.; (2) Background: What is a NM Breach?: NM Thresholds; NM Timelines; Conseq. of a Critical NM Breach; Effectiveness of the NM Act: NM as a Reporting Mechanism; NM as a Mechanism for Controlling Cost Growth; (3) Issues for Congress: NM as a Reporting and Mgmt. Tool; Shortening the NM Timeline; Managing Admin. Breaches; Applying NM-Type Reporting Requirements to O&S Costs. Illus.

“Tackles the ever-changing, twenty-first-century space industry and what privately funded projects like Elon Musk’s SpaceX mean for the future of space travel.” —Foreign Policy Creating a seismic shift in today’s space industry, private sector companies including Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin are building a dizzying array of new spacecraft and rockets, not just for government use, but for any paying customer. At the heart of this space revolution are spaceports, the center and literal launching pads of spaceflight. Spaceports cost hundreds of millions of dollars, face extreme competition, and host operations that do not tolerate failures—which can often be fatal. Aerospace journalist Joe Pappalardo has witnessed space rocket launches around the world, from the jungle of French Guiana to the coastline of California. In his comprehensive work Spaceport Earth, Pappalardo describes the rise of private companies and how they are reshaping the way the world is using space for industry and science. Spaceport Earth is a travelogue through modern space history as it is being made, offering space enthusiasts, futurists, and technology buffs a close perspective of rockets and launch sites, and chronicling the stories of industrial titans, engineers, government officials, billionaires, schemers, and politicians who are redefining what it means for humans to be a spacefaring species. “Private companies and rich people like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have taken over the exploration of space. Pappalardo explores this new sort of spacefaring at the outer reaches of business and technology.” —The New York Times “For anyone obsessed with how spaceflight grew into what it is today, this book is a must-have.” —Popular Mechanics

From fighter jets to cargo trucks, vehicles help the US military accomplish its many missions around the globe. This title examines a wide variety of these vehicles, exploring how they work and how they are used. Features include a glossary, additional resources, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Encyclopedias is an imprint of Abdo Reference, a division of ABDO.

Over the past two decades of conflict, women have served with valor and continue to serve on combat aircraft, naval vessels, and in support of ground combat operations. The expansion of roles for women in the Armed Forces has evolved since the early days of the military when women were restricted by law and policy from serving in certain occupations and units. Women have not been precluded by law from serving in any military unit or occupational specialty since 1993 when Congress repealed the remaining prohibitions on women serving on combatant aircraft and vessels. However, Department of Defense (DOD) policies have prevented women from being assigned to units below brigade level where the unit's primary mission was to engage directly in ground combat. This policy barred women from serving in infantry, artillery, armor, combat engineers, and special operations units of battalion size or smaller. On January 24, 2013, then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta rescinded the rule that restricted women from serving in combat units and directed the military departments and services to review their occupational standards and assignment policies and to make recommendations for opening all combat roles to women no later than January 1, 2016. On December 3, 2015, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter ordered the military to open all combat jobs to women with no exceptions. This most recent policy change followed extensive studies that were completed by the military departments and by the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) on issues such as unit cohesion, women's health, equipment, facilities modifications, propensity to serve, and international experiences with women in combat. These studies also included a review and validation of gender-neutral occupational standards for combat roles where such standards existed. On March 10, 2016, Secretary Carter announced that the Services' and SOCOM's implementation plans for the integration of women into direct ground combat roles were approved. Some concerns about the implementation of the new policy remain, including the recruitment, assignment, and career management of women into the new roles, and the impact of integration on unit readiness. Congress has oversight authority in these matters, and may also consider issues such as equal opportunity, equal responsibility (such as selective service registration), and the overall manpower needs of the military.

FM 21-11 1943: Basic field manual, first aid for soldiers.(OBSOLETE) "The purpose of this manual is to teach the soldier what he can do for himself or a fellow soldier if injury or sickness occurs when no medical officer or Medical Department soldier is nearby. Information is also given concerning the use of certain supplies which are for the purpose of helping to keep well. This field manual addresses wounds, fractures/dislocations/ sprains, common emergencies and health measures, effects of severe cold and heat, measures for use in the jungle/tropics and in aircraft and tank injuries, transportation of sick and injured, war gases, and description and uses of first-aid kits and packets.

Arranged thematically by chapter, Special Forces Land Vehicles provides a complete guide to the jeeps, trucks, armored cars, light AFVs, and motorcycles used by Special Forces units around the world. The book includes: the Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV) first used during the Gulf War of 1991 by the US Navy SEALs; the ACMAT VT4 cross-country tactical military vehicle deployed by the French Foreign Legion throughout the world; the heavily armed Interim Fast Attack Vehicle (IFAV) beloved of the US Marines' recon units; and the Kawasaki KLR 250-D8 high-performance motorcycle, air-dropped to provide light reconnaissance capabilities for US Rangers in Afghanistan. Illustrated with 100 photographs, Special Forces Land Vehicles is a dynamic guide to both the standard and specialist vehicles deployed by Special Forces soldiers over the last 20 years.