Smiths Machine » Defense

CROWS II Is Saving Lives in Afghanistan

Editor — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:55:30 +0000

As the increased U.S. troop commitment to Afghanistan begins to take hold and President Barrack Obama takes up the issue of whether more troops will be deployed, only one thing is certain. The CROWS II weapon system is saving lives in the fight against insurgents, particularly in the south and east of the country.

CROWS II, the gunner-operated weapons system that provides stabilization and, thus, allows targets to be engaged from inside a moving vehicle, is giving troops an edge against a range of threats.

In an article in U.S. Department of Defense News, Army Master Seargeant David Fyock is reported as saying CROWS II “will save lives, with the soldier being able to operate the weapon while staying in the vehicle.”

Smiths Machine LLC is proud, along with its customer Kongsberg, to contribute toward heightened troop safety in Afghanistan and wherever American forces are called upon.

For more information on Smiths Machine or our work on CROWS II, please contact us.

Air Force Appreciates Safety Afforded by CROWS II

Editor — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:56:05 +0000

An article on BNET describes how even the Air Force, not normally associated with ground-based missions, has come to appreciate the safety offered by the CROWS II weapons system (Common Remote Operated Weapon Station).

As it turns out, the Air Force has taken CROWS-equipped vehicles on more than 25 combat missions, according to the article.

Smiths Machine LLC is pleased to play an important role in the manufacture of the weapon station that is saving American lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

From Alabama to Afghanistan

Editor — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:02:45 +0000

When U.S. Marines and Army troops fan out across Afghanistan’s Helmand Province this summer, the 75 employees of Smiths Machine of Cottondale, Alabama will be there with them.

Though none of the highly skilled workers in this high-tech company will be in southern Afghanistan in person, their craftsmanship will be keeping American troops safer.

Because, if you’re going to eradicate the poppy crop, and thereby deprive the Taliban of their primary source of funding, there will be times when it’s better to do so from inside the relative safety of a Stryker vehicle. And that’s where Smiths Machine comes in.

Smiths Machine manufactures key mechanical parts that allow the gunner on a Stryker to operate the remote controlled .50 caliber machine gun on the weapons system known as CROWS II (Common Remotely Operated Weapon System).

Vice president Tim Smith explains what that means in practical terms: “Our ultimate customer is probably a Specialist in the Army, or perhaps a Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps who is 7,500 miles away from home and counting on our manufacturing skills to get him back safely. When you think about it that way, it puts an entirely new perspective on the goal of zero defects.”

But then quality and customer satisfaction have been hallmarks of Smiths Machine since Tim’s father Woody founded the company in a garage in 1974.

Woody says, “From the first day, our philosophy was to do whatever it takes to get the job done right.”

If you’re patrolling a 550-mile border with Pakistan, that’s good to know.