An Uncensored History of DARPA

[Scuba591]

video

Something the speaker said about the AR 15 struck me. ARPA, later DARPA rushed the AR15 to assist the South Vietnamese fighters due to the smaller stature of the Vietnamese people not being able to handle the weight and size of other weapons..
Thoughts???

 

[Mij]

First thoughts,……



Second thoughts. What’s the standard weapons load out weight M-1 carbine vs. M16. Now compare ammo count, ammo effectiveness, accuracy. Availability, ease of training.

The USOD, (United States Olive Drab) was already looking for a jungle compatible rifle well before 60’s.

JMO, Stoner was the right guy at the right time.

Sorry, I didn’t click the link. This may not have a thing to do with your link. If not, disregard my words.

 

[Scuba591]

I agree that Stoner was the right guy at the right time. The link is to a YouTube video of a lecture I found interesting.

 

[DepTaylor]

I was really hoping this was going to be an XM-3 post.

 

[MrSmitty]

Annie Jacobsons books are fascinating, and well researched, and written...as to if they are true......I'd like to think so..I need to read all of them

 

[manifest destiny]

video

Something the speaker said about the AR 15 struck me. ARPA, later DARPA rushed the AR15 to assist the South Vietnamese fighters due to the smaller stature of the Vietnamese people not being able to handle the weight and size of other weapons..
Thoughts???

I clicked the link and noticed it was 45mins. and then of course, Google.... I haven't watched yet. Having said that, I've read a fair bit about (D)arpa and other research, experiments and measurements they are associated with, much of which sounds like something between needless and frightening. My next thought was to the weight and size of long arms. When I look at and/or hold mil issued weapons like the M1Gerand, Mauser, Mosin, etc. it is really, really incredible to consider the enormity of the weapon; in and out of ditches, over fences, crawling, wow! Those guns are big and heavy compared to modern AR's. Props to the men that did carry them on my behalf (even if I was yet unborn). I intend to watch the vid when time allows, the Google issue not withstanding. Thanks for sharing the vid.

 

[actaeon277]

They tended to be built "bigger" because troops break things.
And they were often used as clubs. Less and less over time.

But design criteria will not automatically "keep up with the times".
What has "worked in the past", is "good enough".
New design criteria will be looked on with suspicion.
And often, that suspicion is justified. The battlefield is littered with "new ideas" that didn't pan out.
Of course, the battlefield is also littered with "proven concepts".
But there is a certain inertia.


For instance, a subject that I was intimately familiar with, submarine nuclear power plants.
Adm. Rickover is about the ONLY reason that the entire nuclear industry (civilian AND military) even came into being.
He pushed, pulled, yelled, and whatever it took.
People hated him. He wasn't a nice guy.
A nice guy wouldn't have got it done.
Because the Navy DID NOT WANT nuke subs at the time.
It was expensive,and a waste of resources. Just build more diesel/electrics.
Heck, subs in general were considered to be assassin type weapons. Not used by "gentlemen".
Even the manufacturers HATED Rickover. He held them to the grindstone.
Cost overrun.. nope, this is what you agreed to.
Running over on time to deliver.. nope, you better get back on track.
Manufacturers lobbied Congress so hard, that he was "retired".
Basically, unproven allegations were made against him.
Manufacturers, including General Electric, hated him.
Many of the Navy brass hated him.

Here is what went on about his retirement.

Hyman G. Rickover - Forced Retirement

And, I will allow that maybe he had become a dinosaur, keeping the Navy from progressing.
But I also know, that because of him, we HAD that Navy.

And I also remember, when the nuke boats were new, people were having problems. Carbon Dioxide problems. Headaches. Ability to think. Etc.
When these problems were brought up to BuShips (later replace by NavShips) the Bureau was content. Their present equipment was "adequate". And even if it wasn't, nothing could be done.
The problem was, their equipment was "adequate" for ships that went underwater for A DAY or so.
When they surfaced, they "ventilated" using the diesel to draw fresh air through the ship, BEFORE being used by the diesel and then exhausted out.
Now, subs were under water for WEEKS and MONTHS at a time.
So, Adm. Rickover determined it was a THREAT TO REACTOR SAFETY, because his operators would be less than optimal.
And he TOOK OVER the problem. New instruments, and new atmosphere control equipment was developed and then equipped.
Well, when things got better, BuShips didn't like being shown up. And this wasn't the first time. They fought over nuke ships.
And so, as more and more enemies piled up, and more of his friends retired... he was forced to leave.
In 1986, while a young actaeon was learning the ways of dancing with the fire, Adm. Rickover passed away.


So, every advancement has to be fought over.
And the people that lose the fight, well they don't go away.
Some of them convert, realizing they were wrong.
Some of them hold a grudge.
Eventually, that new technology becomes the old way.
And then the fight happens again, the circle of life of weapon systems.

 

[Scuba591]

Thanks for the read on Rickover. My grandfather was in subs... never had a chance to speak with him though.

 

[Creedmoor]

My dads brother was a first gen nuke bubblehead. USS Stimpson, we went to the commisioning, my uncle was on the Gold crew as a Nuclear Engineer.
He went and spent the rest of his working years as a Nuclear Engineer with Bechtel Corp.

 

[88E30M50]

My dads brother was a first gen nuke bubblehead. USS Stimpson, we went to the commisioning, my uncle was on the Gold crew as a Nuclear Engineer.
He went and spent the rest of his working years as a Nuclear Engineer with Bechtel Corp.

That's a company name that's near and dear to our family. My father worked for Bechtel until the day he died at 70 years old. He was in supplier quality for their nuke plant construction.

 

[Creedmoor]

That's a company name that's near and dear to our family. My father worked for Bechtel until the day he died at 70 years old. He was in supplier quality for their nuke plant construction.

Great Corporation to work for, my Uncle got throat cancer in his early 60's.
Bechtel didn't put him on short or long term disability, they paid him his normal payroll and bennies to stay at home until it killed him almost 5 years later. He worked out of the Frederick and Gaithersburg, Md offices.