thedrifter
01-18-07, 10:20 AM
Weapons, equipment show draw Camp Pendleton Marines
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON ---- Those were no ordinary consumers examining all manner of military weapons and equipment arranged in long rows at the 15th annual Marine West Military Exposition at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday.
The junior Marines who turned out for the event, which concludes today, made clear to many of the 180 vendors that a well-chosen protective vest or even a humble pair of sunglasses can be the difference between life and death during battle. Some of the equipment is already being used by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, some is only weeks away from full-scale production and other items are still in the testing phase.
Camp Pendleton officials said the expo is an opportunity for enlisted Marines, who bear the brunt of combat, to inspect military hardware for their own use or to let vendors know how it might be improved.
"They're pretty canny buyers. They can detect the faults and flaws of equipment that doesn't work well,'' Maj. Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, commander of all seven West Coast Marine bases, said in an interview after the expo's opening ceremony.
Seemingly routine details can suddenly acquire enormous importance during battle. One member of a tank crew examined a protective vest made by ProTec Composite Technologies, a vendor from Dublin, Ohio, and pronounced its bulk a "hindrance" for someone trying to escape from the turret of a flaming tank.
"You cannot get in and out of a turret with all this," he told Mark Fiedler, director of program and security for Protec.
Across the aisle, another Marine tried on a pair of battery-powered goggles that alternate between light and dark shading without changing lenses.
"That's impressive. What's the battery life?" he asked Mike Turner, western regional director for Eye Safety Systems Inc. of Sun Valley, Idaho.
One junior Marine who asked not to be named said most enlisted men and women are much more interested in small, simple items they can easily carry with them than some of the flashier high-tech devices on display.
"Weight is a big issue," he said.
While many of the weapons and equipment were modest enough that a Marine could choose to pay for them out of his own pocket, others clearly required lobbying up the chain of command to make a purchase.
John Owens of Ibis Tek, a Pennsylvania-based firm, showed off a Humvee bearing a long list of add-on equipment manufactured by his company. One of the more visible features was a clear shield made from steel and transparent armor. The shield is designed to protect the gunner while allowing him to keep his head up in his perch atop the vehicle, Owens said. An Ibis Tek military products catalog lists the price for the gun shield at $2,485 each.
"As delivered, the gunner has to keep his head down in a Humvee. Now he can stay in place and be aware," Owens said.
James Bracken, the show coordinator, said he expected 3,000 to 3,500 people to attend the expo over two days. Bracken said the 180 vendors at the show represents a 15 or 20 percent increase over last year. He and several other Marine officials said the expo attracts more vendors every year.
"Our problem is, where do you put them? We have a waiting list every year," Bracken said.
Several high-ranking Marine officers said a quickening pace of technological advances has been evident from the exhibits over the last five years.
"The war has provided the impetus for rapid change that didn't exist five years ago," said Col. James B. Seaton III, commander of Camp Pendleton.
Lehnert said there is still plenty of room for improvement in vehicles and other items used by the Marines.
"We'd like to see more equipment being fielded that has more fuel economy and lower mean times between failures," he said.
-- Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com.
Ellie
By: JOE BECK - Staff Writer
CAMP PENDLETON ---- Those were no ordinary consumers examining all manner of military weapons and equipment arranged in long rows at the 15th annual Marine West Military Exposition at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday.
The junior Marines who turned out for the event, which concludes today, made clear to many of the 180 vendors that a well-chosen protective vest or even a humble pair of sunglasses can be the difference between life and death during battle. Some of the equipment is already being used by American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, some is only weeks away from full-scale production and other items are still in the testing phase.
Camp Pendleton officials said the expo is an opportunity for enlisted Marines, who bear the brunt of combat, to inspect military hardware for their own use or to let vendors know how it might be improved.
"They're pretty canny buyers. They can detect the faults and flaws of equipment that doesn't work well,'' Maj. Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, commander of all seven West Coast Marine bases, said in an interview after the expo's opening ceremony.
Seemingly routine details can suddenly acquire enormous importance during battle. One member of a tank crew examined a protective vest made by ProTec Composite Technologies, a vendor from Dublin, Ohio, and pronounced its bulk a "hindrance" for someone trying to escape from the turret of a flaming tank.
"You cannot get in and out of a turret with all this," he told Mark Fiedler, director of program and security for Protec.
Across the aisle, another Marine tried on a pair of battery-powered goggles that alternate between light and dark shading without changing lenses.
"That's impressive. What's the battery life?" he asked Mike Turner, western regional director for Eye Safety Systems Inc. of Sun Valley, Idaho.
One junior Marine who asked not to be named said most enlisted men and women are much more interested in small, simple items they can easily carry with them than some of the flashier high-tech devices on display.
"Weight is a big issue," he said.
While many of the weapons and equipment were modest enough that a Marine could choose to pay for them out of his own pocket, others clearly required lobbying up the chain of command to make a purchase.
John Owens of Ibis Tek, a Pennsylvania-based firm, showed off a Humvee bearing a long list of add-on equipment manufactured by his company. One of the more visible features was a clear shield made from steel and transparent armor. The shield is designed to protect the gunner while allowing him to keep his head up in his perch atop the vehicle, Owens said. An Ibis Tek military products catalog lists the price for the gun shield at $2,485 each.
"As delivered, the gunner has to keep his head down in a Humvee. Now he can stay in place and be aware," Owens said.
James Bracken, the show coordinator, said he expected 3,000 to 3,500 people to attend the expo over two days. Bracken said the 180 vendors at the show represents a 15 or 20 percent increase over last year. He and several other Marine officials said the expo attracts more vendors every year.
"Our problem is, where do you put them? We have a waiting list every year," Bracken said.
Several high-ranking Marine officers said a quickening pace of technological advances has been evident from the exhibits over the last five years.
"The war has provided the impetus for rapid change that didn't exist five years ago," said Col. James B. Seaton III, commander of Camp Pendleton.
Lehnert said there is still plenty of room for improvement in vehicles and other items used by the Marines.
"We'd like to see more equipment being fielded that has more fuel economy and lower mean times between failures," he said.
-- Contact staff writer Joe Beck at (760) 740-3516 or jbeck@nctimes.com.
Ellie