A U.S. NAVY SEALS' SECRET WEAPON: ELITE DOG TEAM

The U.S. Navy SEALs who carried out the successful mission in Pakistan used high-tech helicopters, weaponry and masterful skills to kill Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, according to released details of the operation.

Members of the U.S. Navy military special forces, however, have yet another formidable weapon in their already impressive arsenal: an elite dog team that can parachute or rappel into action at a moment's notice.

It remains unclear if any members of the U.S. Navy SEALs' elite dog team participated in the raid of bin Laden's compound, but over the past several months, many of these dogs have been outfitted with "canine tactical assault vests" and other equipment, according to media reports.

Marines Declare AH-1Z Cobra Operational

The Marine Corps' newest attack helicopter, the AH-1Z Cobra, achieved Initial Operating Capability ahead of schedule in February.

"Getting the AH-1Z to IOC has been a huge achievement for the entire team," said Col. Harry Hewson, program manager for U.S. Marine Corps Light and Attack Helicopters. "Now we get to put the Zulu in the hands of the Marines and prove that it is indeed the most capable marinized attack helicopter in the world."

As part of the H-1 Upgrades Program, the AH-1Z replaces the currently fielded AH-1W. The AH-1Z will serve a primary role in assault support, offensive air support and air reconnaissance. Cobras will play a supporting role in anti-air warfare, electronic warfare, and control of aircraft and missiles.

The new Cobras feature 10,000 flight-hour airframes, a new four-bladed rotor system with semi-automatic blade fold of the new composite rotor blades, new performance matched transmissions, a new four-bladed tail rotor and drive system, upgraded landing gear, and pylon structural modifications. The Cobra also incorporates modernized, fully integrated cockpits/avionics that will reduce operator work load while improving situational awarenessand safety.

P-3 trainer completes US Navy final fleet evaluation

PATUXENT RIVER (BNS): The P-3 Aircrew Tactical Team Trainer (PACT 3) has completed its fleet evaluation to showcase the capabilities of its training system, which emulates a tactical aircrew station, at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida.

The crew has completed the final four demonstrations to ensure that all performance requirements required by the US Navy are met, according to NAVAIR.

The demos Members of the Naval Aviation Training Systems programme office (PMA-205), along with representatives from the fleet, looked on as the Patrol Squadron THIRTY (VP-30) fleet project team tested the device using various anti-submarine warfare (ASW) scenarios.

Aircraft Launch Bulletins Move into Digital Age with Cutting Edge Calculator

Flight crews responsible for launching aircraft from the decks of carriers are transitioning into the computer age, with the aid of an Office of Naval Research (ONR) TechSolutions effort to move paper tables onto handheld devices.

The Catapult Capacity Selector Valve (CSV) Calculator, which is being developed at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Lakehurst, NJ with New Jersey-based contractor Specialty Systems, could eventually eliminate the need for paper-bound launch bulletins. The device underwent final test and evaluation at the end of January aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Eleven members of the Truman's flight deck crew recently underwent three days oftraining with the Catapult CSV Calculator.

The capacity selector valve is used to set the energy level needed for a launch on an aircraft carrier. Calculations are based on aircraft type, weight and wind speed, among other variables.