Category Archives: modern military conflict

Running tomorrow’s rifle with yesterday’s optics

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Military small arms acquisition programs are always funny. More so if there is a “package” of accessories and goodies that go with it.

The most persistent problem lately seems to have been jumping the gun on over-ambitious optics systems on combat rifles and carbines.

We’ve already talked about the “M7 Surrogate Fire Control Program” on the Army’s 250,000 Next Generation Squad Weapons in rifle (M7), carbine (XM8), and LMG (M250) variants, which have eschewed the apparently not-ready-for-primetime Vortex M1157 Fire Control System for commercial off-the-shelf optics and lasers from EoTech and B.E. Meyers.

Similarly, in Germany, the new HK G95 program— the Bundeswehr’s dirty mustard-toned (“ekelhaftgelb“) HK416A8 rifle– is supposed to use the Leonardo-supplied Elcan Specter DR 1-4x as the companion day optic of record.

This bad boy, seen in two different colorways and with and without caps:

However, very specific changes and tweaks to the version of the Specter wanted by the Bundeswehr mean that just about every one I have seen has been wearing a very chunky Hensoldt RSA-S reflex sight atop a ZO 4x30i fixed-power optic with an IR pointer module.

Thus:

And as seen with these troops of Panzerpionierbataillon 701 in a video posted last week:

If it seems kind of a throwback, that optics combo was adopted a decade ago for the circa 2016 IdZ-ES (Infanterist der Zukunft – Erweitertes System) future soldier program for use with the G36, the rifle the G95 is replacing.

Cue the rimshot. Everyone laughs.

Meanwhile, the EOTech OGL-C is now civilian-legal and non-restricted.

Marines using Drone Rounds in FATS/ISMT system trainers

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The InVeris FATS (Firearms Training Simulator) and later ISMT (Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer) systems have been used by the military going back to the 1980s. Besides giving some (virtual) trigger time in a safe indoor environment, the latter is key for bases with extreme summer or winter climates; they allow for real-time feedback and the use of more exotic scenarios than can be staged on a flat range.

Plus, they are fun. I’ve had a blast on them in the past.

U.S. Marines with 1st Battalion, 25th Marines, forward deployed with 4th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division as part of the Unit Deployment Program, fire an M249 Squad Automatic Rifle light machine gun while conducting an Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Apr. 29, 2026. The training is a computer-based, 3D interactive simulator used to train Marines in marksmanship, tactical decision-making, and weapons handling without the use of live ammunition, while also being able to replicate various combat and range scenarios. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. John Simpson)

Well, in a great case of “train as you fight,” the Marines have just bought 400,000 5.56 NATO L Variant counter-UAS cartridges from Drone Round Defense, with another million on the schedule for FY27. The Marines already field the real thing downrange for use in M4s and M27s.

From the press release:

That fielding timeline created an immediate training requirement. Counter-UAS engagements demand a different skill set than conventional marksmanship, including target lead on fast-moving aerial threats at close range. Live rounds issued to units are intended for operational use, not familiarization.

As part of the Marine Corps’ Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainer (ISMT) Tech Refresh, InVeris will introduce a new counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) training capability. This enhancement will enable Marines across the force the ability to engage with aerial drone threats with their individual weapon in a simulated environment. By integrating C-UAS training with the M27 IAR simulator and fielding it across more than 200 ISMT systems, Marines will be able to repeatedly practice detecting, tracking, deciding when to engage, and engaging aerial threats. Because the capability is built on InVeris’ existing COTS platform, additional scenarios, threats, and courses of fire will continually be developed as the UAS threat and Marine Corps tactics, techniques, and procedures evolve.

“The round was built so a Marine could use the rifle already in their hands, and the training has to work the same way, on the simulators already in the building. Getting the virtual capability out at the same time as the ammunition means a Marine can practice the engagement before the moment they need it.” said Kirk Fernandez, co-founder and CEO of Drone Round.

“This partnership reflects the innovation the Marine Corps needs — taking the training infrastructure they already trust and readying it for Counter-UAS defense. InVeris is proud that our platform allows us to build this capability into the ISMT Tech Refresh rather than standing up something entirely new. This is what it means to grow with our customer’s mission,” said Clyde Tuggle, CEO of InVeris.

The Marine Corps has been building counter-drone proficiency into general-purpose forces through 2026. The service introduced its first counter-small unmanned aerial system lanes during Service Level Training Exercise 4-26 in July at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, with Marines engaging aerial targets using organic small arms alongside non-kinetic electronic warfare techniques. Soldiers with the U.S. Army XVIII Airborne Corps have trained with Drone Round ammunition since April 2026.

The L Variant separates into five projectiles after firing to increase the probability of a hit against small drones. It is effective out to 100 meters, requires no modification to standard 5.56mm NATO weapons, and is full-auto and suppressor-capable. Drone Round has also developed L and K Variants in 7.62x51mm.

A sip of fuel sometimes means more than a sip of fuel

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A boat with no crew recently pulled in behind a Navy ship off Virginia and filled its tank, repeating the evolution over 100 times, ultimately transferring about 400 gallons of fuel.

NAWCWD’s Blue Water Instrumentation team ran Sealartec’s robotic refueling rig– dubbed the Towable Capture and Connection Device (TCCD)– a refueling sled/cradle towed behind the training support vessel USNS Vindicator (TSV 5).

An operator steered the MARTAC’s 38-foot T38 Devil Ray unmanned surface vessel into it. Fuel flowed, and the boat pulled away.

The T38 unmanned surface vessel, left, approaches a towable capture and connection device, center, towed by USNS Vindicator (TSV 5), right, during an Aug. 11 refueling demonstration off Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Blue Water Instrumentation program led the demonstration, part of an effort to keep unmanned vessels on station longer during long-range weapons testing. (Courtesy photo)

The T38 unmanned surface vessel, right, closes on a towable capture and connection device, left, under tow during an Aug. 11 refueling demonstration off Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Blue Water Instrumentation program led the demonstration, part of an effort to keep unmanned vessels on station longer during long-range weapons testing. (Courtesy photo)

A refueling probe on the T38 unmanned surface vessel, left, prepares to mate with a towable capture and connection device, right, during an Aug. 11 refueling demonstration off Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia. Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Blue Water Instrumentation program led the demonstration, part of an effort to keep unmanned vessels on station longer during long-range weapons testing. (Courtesy photo)

If you did something like this 25 years ago, it would seem like magic.

Today, it is almost anticlimactic.

The next step will be drones refueling drones, keeping autonomous fleets quietly underway for years at a time. No headlines about ships at sea for 250 days…because there won’t be a crew to complain.

You can expect more of the same on a much larger scale moving forward. Everywhere.

Can we talk ESBs?

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The Navy just received the final ship in the six-hull Expeditionary Sea Base program, transferring in the delivery ceremony of the 106,664-ton (not a misprint) USNS (future USS) Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8) last week.

No other fleet in the world has anything that even comes close, not to mention having a half-dozen of them…

Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8)

A peek into the hangar opening at the front of the huge topside aviation deck. You can store (at least) four CH-53s in there.

That metacentric height, tho…

While big deck commissioned (USS) ‘phibs like LHDs/LHAs, and LPDs get all the attention, the ESB, basically a converted Alaska-class oil tanker, has largely slid under the radar, and it should get more love.

Initially called the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) and the MLP Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB), over the past decade, five other huge sister ESBs have been delivered: USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), USS John L. Canley (ESB 6), and USNS (future USS) Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7).

Commanded by a Navy O-6 with a permanently embarked 250-member military crew and accommodations for up to another 298 transient personnel, these gigantic NASSCO-built platforms run as big as an aircraft carrier and can rightfully be considered a large LPH with a four-spot flight deck for MV-22s/CH-53s, a mission deck, a hangar, an ordnance storage magazine, and underway replenishment facilities.

They are designed around four core capabilities: aviation facilities, berthing, equipment staging support, and command and control assets. The ship is perfect for missions such as counter-piracy, maritime security, airborne minesweeping, and humanitarian and disaster relief, all with an emphasis on rotor-wing aircraft.

I mean, look at this 52,000-square-foot flight deck. For reference, it is the third-largest in the Navy’s inventory, just behind LHA/LHDs and CVNs. The giant hangar is forward towards the bow, so no elevators are needed. But you can imagine that deck as a great base for UAVs.

The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) sails in the Atlantic Ocean, Oct. 17, 2020. Photo by: Sgt. Megan Roses | VIRIN: 201017-M-JH926-303

Plus, underneath the flight deck, the ESBs have a 25,000-square-foot mission deck used for storing heavy equipment, vehicle staging, and small boats.

Yes, they are slow (just 15 knots, max), but the Navy has mitigated that low speed by forward-deploying these ships overseas (ESB 3 is in CENTCOM, ESB 4 is at FDNF Souda Bay, ESB 5 and ESB 6 are at FDNF Saipan, etc.).

However, they are criminally under-armed with just 12 .50 cal stations, but are supposed to be used in low-threat situations and, in theory, could always be escorted by a DDG or two when not.

They should probably at least get a proper weapon fit more akin to an LHA/CVN (two RAM launchers, two CIWS, two Sea Sparrow launchers, four Mk 38s/Mk 46s plus the sensors and fire control to use them as well as soft kills such as Nukla, SLQ-32B, etc.) for which they have the space to spare for sure but will add a bit of cost and require some more rates to keep running.

Hell, maybe they should get some VLS cells for quad-packed ESSMs (the San Antonio-class LPDs were designed for such a thing but not fitted with them), or strike-length TLAMs.

Now that could get very interesting.

File under ‘No Suprise’ : Navy Shore Based Harpoon System Successful

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It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, as Harpoon entered service in 1977– yes, almost 50 years ago– but the new Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) was validated at its Developmental Test (DT-1) at Point Mugu Sea Range (PMSR) in July 2026, “validating the system’s ability to engage and neutralize maritime threats.”

Boeing Photo via DVIDS 260721-O-HP119-5272

During the event, the Harpoon missile successfully launched from land and engaged the target vessel in near-shore/littoral waters.

It is planned to ship these to Taiwan, which has a $2.3B program to field 100 HCDS launchers and 400 missiles– a pretty good way to keep the local littoral their local littoral.

It should also be noted that the background concept has been extensively validated over the years, with the Royal Danish Navy fielding two 8-missile batteries of Scania 113M/320 truck-mounted quad-packed Harpoons from 1988 to 2003.

The Danish Harpoon setup. Marinens Biblioteks digitale arkiv MAB-16884

Plus, Ukraine received 20 Harpoons in 2022 from donations by Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.S., UK, and Spain for use in ground-based launchers, though little has been seen of them. Like, literally. The Ukrainians conceal them inside cargo containers to avoid the drone ka-boom.

The Danes also loved to heavily camouflage their Harpoons, so you can be sure the Taiwanese will be sure to do the same.

But, why?

So why bother with a land-based trailerable Harpoon when the Marines already have the smaller Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems (NMESIS) ground-based system which carries two Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles?

A Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System launcher deploys into position aboard Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii, Aug. 16, 2021.  (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Maj. Nick Mannweiler, released)

Well, throw weight for one. While the 13-foot/800-pound NSM is a newer and more streamlined missile, it only has a 264-pound warhead, while the 15-foot/1,500-pound Harpoon totes 500 pounds of boom and delivers it with more kinetic energy by virtue of mass and speed.

Yes, NSM has a longer published range of 100nm while the RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II has a published range of 75nm, but keep in mind those are public figures.

Of course, the 8-ton NMESIS with its two missiles is CH-53E/K (hoist) or C-130 (internal) aircraft compatible and built to operate in much more austere environments, ready to pop off an LCU, LSM, or LCAC onto a beach while the HCDS, based on the same HEMTT trailer as the Army’s THAAD, is more of a C-17/industrial-grade roadway kinda thing, as its weight is likely closer to 35 tons.

While HCDS is set to deliver to Taiwan to complement indigenous HF-2 and HF-3 anti-ship launchers, it might not be a bad idea for the USN to invest in a few batteries of these, for a just-in-case type of scenario. Put them in the reserves with two Marine Reserve Artillery Battalions, one staged on the East Coast, the other on the West.

Speaking of Marines and Harpoons, since you came this far, how about these great very recent shots of VMFA-232 “Red Devils” F-18C/Ds out of MCAS Iwakuni conducting an anti-ship exercise, complete with two AGM-84s under the wings along with a pair each of Sidewinders and AMRAAMS for emergency use.

Nice to see the classics.

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, lands on Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan, during a harpoon exercise, Aug. 19, 2026. VMFA-232 stands ready to integrate and seize the strategic advantage to ensure stability in the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Alejandra Vega)

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 232, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, flies off the coast of Japan, Aug, 19, 2026. U.S. Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 conduct aerial refueling operations in support of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232, demonstrating the Marine Corps’ ability to sustain and generate combat airpower. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. David Getz)

The Germans still really love Dragons Teeth

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3 April 1945.

Original Caption: “Dragon teeth on the Siegfried Line presented an obstacle to tanks of U. S. Seventh Army in the Wissembourg area, France. Note teeth extend to mountains which raise a natural barrier.”

Signal Corps Photo 111-SC-203387 Photographer: Sgt. Robert G. Heller.

Fast forward some 80 years, and the line has moved well East but still looks much the same, only a bit less angular and more…NATO.

The Coast Guard is putting its ersatz AOE to good use already

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We covered the story of the civilian-mariner-operated Homeland Security Cutter Ocean (the leased M/V Connor Bordelon) back in June.

A 257-foot/3,285 LT “Ultralight subsea intervention vessel” with a 60-ton AHC crane and a 55-foot helicopter platform, Ocean has the capacity to carry nearly 70,000 gallons of potable water, produce another 3,100 a day, and carry 122,000 gallons of transferable diesel. She also has a massive open deck that can carry a diverse mixture of CEUs, which can carry additional supplies.

Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean moored at U.S. Coast Guard Base Miami Beach, Florida, June 26, 2026. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Reese Hindmarsh)

Well, HSC Ocean is online and recently was used to conduct a replenishment at sea with the 270-foot diesel-powered Bear-class USCGC Forward (WMEC 911) in the Caribbean Sea, a historic first for the service.

Note the CEUs on HSC-Ocean’s deck

Nice to see a MK75 76mm OTO still in U.S. service

Of course, it was stationary in a near-zero sea state, but it was still an all-USCG RAS between two decent-sized non-USN/MSC vessels, which is saying something about how expeditionary warfare could look in the coming years in the West Pac or CENTCOM.

As noted by USCG Atlantic Area:

The HSC-Ocean initiative rapidly deploys leased commercial support vessel capabilities to deliver supplies, equipment, and personnel directly to our cutters underway. By integrating this commercial logistics technology, we keep our high-demand assets on station longer—enhancing our ability to save lives, strengthen border security, and ensure our crews are always ready to respond to maritime crises in the Caribbean and Western Hemisphere.

Navy Greenlights CHAOS maritime strike system

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CoAspire’s CHAOS (Coalition Heterogeneous Affordable Offensive Strike) system, composed of the RAACM-ER cruise missile attached to a booster and a launcher system, is billed as a sort of cheap mini-Tomahawk or JASSM, with a 500-pound warhead, a 900nm(+) range, and a well under $1m cost per round (compared to a $2.6m JASSM or a $4m TLAM).

Further, it can be surfaced or air-launched.

It has the same lineage as the uber-underreported yet combat-proven Zone 5-made AGM-188 Rusty Dagger, which was just used by Ukrainian Mig-29s and Su-27s to strike the Voronezh Semiconductor Devices Plant, which is about 200nm north of the Ukraine border/lines.

Well, it was just announced that PAE Munitions has contracted with CoAspire and Zone 5 to deliver a CHAOS maritime strike system.

A cheap ship-killer.

CoAspire’s CHAOS Surface Launched system. The system is composed of the RAACM-ER cruise missile attached to a booster and a launcher system. (Photo courtesy of CoAspire)

Managed under Program Acquisition Executive Munitions, CHAOS is designed to rapidly build and deliver low-cost, scalable precision strike weapons to allies and partners.

“As adversaries increasingly deploy advanced area denial systems, coalition and allied forces face significant challenges in maintaining credible, modern, and affordable anti-ship capabilities,” said Capt. Sarah Abbott, PMX-201 program manager.

“CHAOS closes this capability gap, by delivering a highly capable, adaptable, and exportable maritime strike solution that overcomes present day obsolescence and supply chain challenges,” she said.

More here.

ADA, the CIWS Way

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Official caption: Army field artillerymen conduct reload training in the Middle East on a counter-air defense Land-based Phalanx Weapon System, which can eliminate threats with its rapid-fire 20 mm Gatling gun, Aug. 12, 2026.

U.S. Army photo 260812-D-A0839-9196

The patch is of the Marion helmets of the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team “Gator Brigade” of the Florida National Guard, whose ADA units are drawn from the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade.

While some 1,000 Mk 16 CIWS mounts have been produced for use afloat around the world in 24 fleets, it is believed that the Army only has between 30 to 45 trailer-mounted LPWS/Centurion C-RAMs in its possession, a number which may be significantly lower with guns given to Ukraine.

Of note, they use specialized self-destructing rounds (M940 MPT-SD or M246) designed to detonate in the air to prevent collateral damage on the ground, and have successfully zapped incoming mortar rounds and rockets in Iraq and Afghanistan going back to May 2005.

Iranian UAVs and cruise missiles are new to the menu.

Do you know the German .45ACP Service Pistol?

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While the huge (37 ounces, unloaded) H&K Mk23 SOCOM freakbeast in .45ACP is well known in the West, at least in video game use, the Bundeswehr’s similar (in concept) P12 flies largely under the radar.

You know, this bad boy:

The beefy Mk23 was a stepping stone for HK to create the USP (Universal Self-loading Pistol), which the Bundeswehr adopted in 9mm in 1994 as the Pistole 8 (P8) to replace the Walther P1– which itself was just an aluminum-framed Walther P-38.

With the Bundeswehr eager to fill a niche for a full-time suppressed pistol with subsonic ammo for commando and sniper support roles, the USP Tactical in .45ACP got the nod for adoption as the P12.

It comes in a tiny bit lighter (32 ounces, unloaded) but confusingly uses a longer standard suppressor (7.7 inches) than the 7.5-inch KAC found on the Mk23!

Meanwhile, the German Landespolizei also uses the 9mm USP Compact as the P10, but that’s a different story.

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