PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — In a focused effort to enhance field-level readiness, the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center successfully concluded a three-day Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) Field Level Maintenance New Equipment Training (FLMNET) event from June 23-25, successfully certifying nine maintainers while equipping them with the critical skills required to support CROWS systems within their assigned units.
The early summer iteration drew participants from a diverse array of units, including G Company, 250th Brigade Support Battalion (BSB); the 812th Military Police Company; the 407th Army Support Command (ASC); Project Manager Soldier Lethality (PM SL); and Project Manager Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (PM ARC).
The CROWS is a remote-controlled system compatible with four major crew-serve weapons to include the M2 .50 caliber machine gun, Mk 19 grenade launcher, M240B machine gun, and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.
It was developed to keep gunners safe within the vehicle while engaging enemy targets.
As a remote system mounted on different types of Army vehicles, CROWS allows an operator to fire a weapon while remaining protected inside. Using an array of optics, a viewing screen and motorized gimbals and controls, the operator can effectively select and engage targets.
Led by a dedicated instructor team consisting of John Mulhern, Michael Fol, Bryan Miller, and Robert Rhodes, the rigorous curriculum covered a wide spectrum of essential maintenance tasks.
"The DEVCOM Armaments Center New Equipment Training and Media Production Branch provides the face of the emerging technologies created at Picatinny Arsenal, to our warfighters all over the world,” said Joseph Carr, Supervisory Training Instructor.
Over the course of the event, Soldiers and personnel received in-depth instruction and hands-on experience in navigating and executing maintenance menu procedures, Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) replacements, operation of the CROWS Diagnostic Kit (CDK), system software installation, and purging operations.
By hosting units from various geographic locations at a single, centralized training hub at Picatinny Arsenal, the Armaments Center demonstrated an efficient model for capability building. The local training event proved highly effective in delivering standardized CROWS FLMNET while drastically reducing overall travel costs and minimizing the lead time traditionally required to schedule unit-level training.
The nine newly trained maintainers will return to their formations fully capable of accomplishing all associated CROWS maintenance tasks, ensuring heightened lethality and operational readiness across multiple commands.
| Date Taken: |
09.04.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
09.04.2026 08:04 |
| Story ID: |
573979 |
| Location: |
PICATINNY ARSENAL, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: |
41 |
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0 |
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