The program, called Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative, or APMI, emerged out of a request from the field commander in Afghanistan in Feb. 2009. The precision rounds were recently test-fired at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.
"The testing involved a significant amount of firing and safety requirements. The overall reliability of the round is meeting its requirement of greater than 90 percent. The testing, which has been going on since last fall, has gone extremely well," said Bruce Kay, Department of the Army systems coordinator, Mortar Systems. "This provides the commander with immediate response precision indirect- fire capability."
Overall, the Army plans to deliver 5,480 APMI rounds."
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Merchant Vessel Defense Against Pirates
Preemptive Measures Can Prevent Boarding and Hostage Taking
Too often, ship operators fail to take proper anti-piracy security measures, effectively turning their merchant vessels into “Golden Geese” ripe for the taking, writes the author. He goes on to discuss proven methods of hardening commercial ships and training their crews to prevent pirates – whether from Somalia or elsewhere – from boarding vessels and taking crews hostage.
