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AFSOC Proves HAVOC SPEAR Precise and Effective

October 1st, 2026

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. —  

Air Force Special Operations Command announced its small cruise missile, the AGM-190A Havoc Spear, has been evaluated in a test configuration and successfully meets requirements to become an available weapons system for broader real-world use across a variety of special operations and conventional aircraft.

Havoc Spear is a mission-adaptable, modular-design small cruise missile that can be rapidly produced at relatively low cost. During a combat evaluation in the spring of 2026, the new missile’s capabilities proved to be accurate and effective when employed from an AFSOC platform in a test configuration, meeting AFSOC’s requirement for a small cruise missile.

“Havoc Spear’s range and capabilities expands standoff options, giving commanders a versatile tool to neutralize threats without putting platforms or personnel in immediate danger,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Conley, AFSOC commander. “It’s also not lost on us the value of being able to test a new weapon system in combat – and prove its success on the battlefield early on in the process.”

AFSOC partnered with U.S. Africa Command to conduct the combat evaluation within the Combatant Command’s area of responsibility.

“We work every day to disrupt the networks that have made Africa the epicenter of global terrorism,” said U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, AFRICOM commander. “These successful operational assessments prove we will continue to bring the unique capabilities only the U.S. can provide in order to defend U.S. interests alongside our partners.”

Working with industry partners, U.S. Special Operations Command spearheaded the acquisition of Havoc Spear on behalf of AFSOC using a cooperative research & development agreement to leverage the rapid, iterative weapon-development system. CRADA allows users to move faster than standard acquisition timelines to field innovative capabilities like Havoc Spear to the warfighter.

“To outpace our adversaries, we can’t rely on traditional acquisition pipelines,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Johnston, AFSOC director of strategic plans, programs and requirements. “AFSOC is eager to explore more agile, lesser-known pathways to modernization to deepen industry partnerships, leverage calculated risks, and rapidly deliver capabilities to our warfighters.”

Havoc Spear’s capability will enhance lethality, create dilemmas for adversaries, and reinforce AFSOC’s commitment to maintain a decisive advantage against emerging threats across all domains. AFSOC continues to adapt, maintaining its steadfast commitment to providing exquisite support to ensure the joint force, special operations forces, and Department of the Air Force can conduct uncontested global operations.

Via Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Munitions, SOF | Comments Off on AFSOC Proves HAVOC SPEAR Precise and Effective

New Rabbit Rounds Multi-projectile Ammunition from Franklin Armory Creates More Sporting Fun for America’s Favorite Gun

September 30th, 2026

MINDEN, Nev. – September 30, 2026 – Franklin Armory, one of America’s leading manufacturers of innovative firearms, accessories—and now ammunition—today announced Rabbit Rounds™, a new multiple-projectile cartridge designed to more effectively harvest smaller game with the ubiquitous AR-style Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR).

Franklin Armory’s patent-pending Rabbit Rounds feature four spin-stabilized projectiles, encased in a multi-piece, self-discarding sabot. Rabbit Rounds are available in 5.56x45mm for use with AR-pattern firearms chambered in .223 Remington, .223 Wylde, and 5.56 NATO. The company plans to bring Rabbit Rounds in additional popular hunting calibers to market soon.

Rabbit Rounds provide coyote, wild pig and other medium-sized game hunters with an alternative to more cleanly harvest smaller game with non-expanding, shotgun-like pellets. Each 45-grain Rabbit Round projectile assembly provides more than double the typical shotshell speed and power, achieving 3,150 feet-per-second muzzle velocity and 992 ft-lbs. of energy from a 16-inch AR-15 rifled barrel. The imparted spin-stabilization on Rabbit Round’s four hard-hitting lead projectiles maintain an effective pattern beyond 40 yards, increasing hit probability on fast-moving targets over single projectile ammunition.

“Rabbit Rounds allow your AR to fire super-velocity, spin-stabilized shot,” said Franklin Armory President Jay Jacobson. “This ammunition greatly expands the sporting capabilities of .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO firearms.”

Rabbit Rounds are available directly from Franklin Armory and through certified dealers. For testing and evaluation of Rabbit Rounds, please email media@franklinarmory.com.

Posted in Ammo, Press Release | No Comments »

General Dynamics Mission Systems Selected to Deliver Next-Generation Terrain Shaping Capability for the US Army

September 30th, 2026

Autonomously emplaced Versatile Networked Obstacle Munitions (VNOM) system restores counter-mobility capability

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – General Dynamics Mission Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has been selected by the U.S. Army Project Manager Close Combat Systems to develop and demonstrate the Versatile Networked Obstacle Munitions (VNOM) System, addressing a critical counter-mobility capability for the Army.

As one of three contractors selected for award, General Dynamics Mission Systems self-funded the VNOM development from concept to demonstrated prototype prior to award. The system autonomously emplaces mixed-modal effectors combining air, side and bottom attack modes into a coordinated obstacle, removing Soldiers from the contested zone entirely. The contract accelerates development of a next-generation, terrain-shaping system of systems, with the prototype effort structured to evaluate readiness, effectiveness and suitability for future development, production and fielding.

“VNOM is not a concept paper. It is a demonstrated, Soldier-informed system that General Dynamics Mission Systems self-funded and built on years of integration experience with Combat Engineer units,” said Todd Hack, vice president of Advanced Electronic Systems at General Dynamics Mission Systems. “We are proud to deliver a solution that keeps Soldiers out of harm’s way while providing the counter-mobility superiority our forces need.”

“This effort and these three contractors will take advantage of emerging technology to rapidly provide our warfighters with a next-generation obstacle capability that is both adaptable and responsive to dynamic operational environments. By integrating advanced technologies into a cohesive system of systems, we will enable U.S. and U.K. commanders to shape the battlefield with greater precision and at significantly reduced risk to personnel,” said Col. Vince Morris, Program Manager Close Combat Systems.

General Dynamics Mission Systems leads a team including AeroVironment, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, Swarmbotics AI, Corvid, SARA and Harkind.

General Dynamics Mission Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), provides mission-critical solutions to the challenges facing our defense, intelligence and cybersecurity customers across all domains. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, General Dynamics Mission Systems employs approximately 12,000 people worldwide. For more information about the General Dynamics Mission Systems broad portfolio of capabilities, visit gdmissionsystems.com.

Posted in Army, Contracts, Press Release | No Comments »

American Rheinmetall to Produce and Upgrade MK93 Enhanced Softmounts Under New ADS Order

September 30th, 2026

American Rheinmetall’s Maine production facility will manufacture and upgrade thousands of MK93 enhanced softmount systems under a new order supporting U.S. Army requirements through defense contractor ADS Inc and the Defense Logistics Agency. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026 and continue through October 2027.

The order includes production of 3,104 new MK93 enhanced softmount systems as well as upgrades to 245 previously delivered mounts, bringing all systems to the current configuration. The total order value is $20.7M (€ 18.05M).

The MK93 enhanced softmount provides a stable, durable, and mission-ready mounting solution for crew?served weapon systems. Its design supports reliability, configuration commonality, and long?term sustainment, ensuring U.S. forces have equipment aligned with modern operational requirements. The program underscores American Rheinmetall’s ongoing commitment to U.S. defense customers through domestic manufacturing and sustainment capabilities.

This order also reflects the strong engagement and support from Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who continues to champion defense manufacturing initiatives in Maine. Her collaboration helps reinforce the importance of sustaining critical industrial capabilities that directly contribute to U.S. force readiness. “American Rheinmetall’s skilled employees in Biddeford are continuing our state’s tradition of manufacturing high-quality, reliable equipment for America’s service members, and I am proud to support their important work,” said Senator Susan Collins. “The Army’s purchase of more than 3,000 weapon mounting systems is welcome news for the York County economy and demonstrates the critical role Maine workers play in our national defense.”

“This award reflects the confidence our U.S. defense customers place in American Rheinmetall to deliver reliable, mission-ready solutions that support the operational needs of U.S. forces,” said Michael Thibault, Director of Business Development, American Rheinmetall. “Our Maine facility takes great pride in producing and upgrading these systems, ensuring they are ready for the demands of today’s missions.”

The order strengthens American Rheinmetall’s role within the U.S. defense industrial base and aligns with broader industry priorities including modernization, standardization, and domestic production. Additional follow?on orders are anticipated, with specifics to be confirmed at a later date.

American Rheinmetall continues to support U.S. defense programs with U.S.-produced weapon system components and sustainment solutions. The MK93 enhanced softmount is also available for commercial sale to eligible customers, subject to applicable regulations and export controls.

About Rheinmetall in the U.S.

The Rheinmetall family of U.S. companies includes American Rheinmetall in Auburn Hills, MI (HQ); Biddeford, ME; Lansing, MI; Lapeer, MI; Plymouth, MI; St. Marys, OH; and Vienna, VA, as well as American Rheinmetall Munitions in Camden, AR; Texarkana, TX (Expal USA); Vienna, VA (HQ); and Windham, ME.

www.rheinmetall-us.com 

Posted in Admin, Contracts, Press Release, Weapon Accessories | No Comments »

Ikonick Energetics Opens State-of-the-Art Primer Manufacturing Facility

September 30th, 2026

New South Florida campus projected to manufacture approximately 1 billion primers annually and create more than 200 jobs.

Stuart, Fla. (September 2026) – Ikonick Energetics today officially opened its new primer manufacturing facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in South Florida, marking a milestone for domestic ammunition component production. The invitation-only event, held from 10 a.m. to noon, drew guests who included industry leaders, government officials, and community stakeholders for a first look at one of only a handful of facilities of its kind operating in the United States. The ribbon-cutting ceremony included a complimentary brunch, a tour of the new primer facility, as well as a tour of the Ikonick USA ammunition facility. Keynote speakers included Peter Belk, Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Readiness; J. Alex Kelly, Florida Secretary of Commerce; Erich Pratt, SVP, Gun Owners of America; and ceremony host Barry Skolnick, owner, Ikonick USA/Ikonick Energetics/Ikonick Motors.

The campus represents a significant capital investment in South Florida’s manufacturing sector. At full production capacity, the facility is designed to produce approximately 1 billion primers per year, supplying a critical component used in commercial and law enforcement ammunition. With only a small number of comparable facilities operating nationwide, Ikonick Energetics’ new plant strengthens the domestic supply chain for energetics manufacturing.

The project is expected to create more than 200 new jobs in South Florida, spanning manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, and administrative roles. Ikonick Energetics has stated that hiring is ongoing, with positions open to qualified candidates in the region.

“Today marks the realization of years of hard work, strategic investment, and an unwavering commitment to American manufacturing,” said Nelson Levy, CEO of Ikonick Energetics. “This facility is more than a production site; it’s a statement that world-class energetics manufacturing can and does happen right here in South Florida. We are proud to bring hundreds of good-paying jobs to this community and to play a meaningful role in securing the nation’s ammunition supply chain.”

With its expanded manufacturing footprint, Ikonick Energetics intends to scale production in phases as demand warrants. Its ammunition facility, Ikonick USA, continues to operate near the new primer plant and will benefit from the tighter vertical integration the new facility provides.

For more information on Ikonick USA, visit ikonickusa.com.

Posted in Ammo, Industry, Manufacturing, Press Release | No Comments »

MAG Exchange Industry Night (ANG & ARC) October 26-27 in Tuscon

September 30th, 2026

We are just under a month out from this year’s MAG Exchange Industry Night held in convention with the ANG & ARC WEPTAC Conference, October 26-27 in Tuscon, Arizona.

Although MAG Exchange is open to the public, the target audience is ANG and AFRES ground combatants (PJ, TACP, SR, CCT, Security Forces), the event welcomes anyone in the DoW or federal law enforcement arena.

Posted in AFSW, Tradeshow | No Comments »

SIG SAUER – LTAW

September 30th, 2026

During last week’s SIG NEXT event in New Hampshire they announced the launch of the LTAW, a modernized version of the famous Low Visibility Assault Weapon first introduced well over a decade ago for use by Special Operations Forces.

LTAW is a bit of a play on the original name, but also denotes that it is based on the newer MCX LT platform.

Features:

  • Kate Moss Stock
  • Two-stage match duo trigger
  • Gen 1 MCX grip
  • SD hand guard with integrated heat shield
  • SQX 300 inconel printed suppressor
  • Arisaka barricade stop, hand stop, QD sling mount and light mount
  • ROMEO4T-PRO comes with the 2 stamp variant

* Despite the SIG FOXTROT light in the photos, it is not part of the package.

A couple of updates to the design:

  • ATA rail is now MLOK compatible
  • LT upper and lower with lightening cuts

The LTAW is a joy to shoot, particularly with 300 BLK subsonic ammunition. Recoil and sound are negligible. It’s compact as well at 7 lbs with a 6.75″ barrel and an overall length of 33″ and just 22.3″ with the stock folded.

One of the original features you’ll enjoy is the markings on the hand guard for sub and supersonic ammo settings of the gas regulator.

The LTAW will be offered in three versions:

  • Pistol (fitted with “training tube” for aesthetics)
  • SBR (fitted with “training tube” for aesthetics)

Access to these different models may adapt based on possible upcoming changes to the National Firearms Act

The LTAW variants will be available for order by the end of this year, initially as RSR exclusives for the first year, so be sure to get with your favorite dealer.

Posted in Advertiser, weapons | No Comments »

xTechHumanoid Winners Advance Military Exploration of Emerging Humanoid Capabilities

September 30th, 2026

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army named five companies as winners of the xTechHumanoid competition on September 11, 2026, capping an effort to assess how emerging commercial humanoid technologies could contribute to future military operations.

As the Army looks to robotics and autonomy to reduce Soldier exposure to dangerous and physically demanding tasks, preserve combat power, and give commanders more options, humanoid systems represent a growing area of exploration. That work extends across the Joint Force through the Humanoid Community of Collaboration (HCoC), established in December 2023, to advance the technical development and operational integration of humanoid capabilities.

In partnership with HCoC, Army FUZE xTech launched xTechHumanoid to identify promising commercial approaches and establish a technical baseline for an emerging capability area. The competition offered Army and Joint Force stakeholders a direct look at the maturity of technologies being developed across the commercial humanoid robotics market.

Soldier observes field evaluation of Alex, a humanoid robotic system developed by the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition during xTechHumanoid finals
“Humanoid robots are part of a broader autonomy push to increase the depth and breadth of robotic platforms and components industry can provide for a range of missions,” said U.S. Army Chief Technology Officer Dr. Alex Miller. “We are identifying the problems, mission needs, and opportunities to enable our formations with the right mix of tools. xTech is our method of surveying the industry landscape and fast-tracking promising technology rather than falling victim to years-long studies.”

The competition drew 103 white paper submissions spanning baseline humanoid forms and advanced subsystem technologies. Ten companies advanced as finalists, with nine ultimately demonstrating their technologies September 9–10 at Marine Corps Base Quantico before military leaders, technical experts, and evaluators.

Following the demonstrations, the Army selected five xTechHumanoid winners:

  • ACEs Group, LLC – an integrated power system designed to address energy needs across humanoid robotic systems with scalable energy storage technologies for applications ranging from larger operational infrastructure to individual robot batteries
  • Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition – Alex, a humanoid robot featuring impact-resilient actuators, ballistic protection, and hybrid autonomy combining artificial intelligence and human control for complex and dangerous missions
  • Hydroplane Ltd. – a lightweight, compact mobile power-generation systems designed to provide long-duration power in contested logistics environments
  • RAS Labs, Inc. – highly sensitive fingertip tactile sensors designed to enable robotic systems to detect force, object form, slip, and other physical interactions
  • Velocity Explorations – software that builds on the company’s command-and-control technology to translate trusted information and command intent into discrete actions for humanoid robotic systems

xTechHumanoid winners gather with Army FUZE xTech and HCoC leadership following the awards ceremony
For participating companies, xTechHumanoid created a direct connection between commercial technology development and operational demand, providing opportunities to challenge their solutions, sharpen their understanding of mission needs, and better identify where their capabilities could deliver military value.

“The xTech competition is really an interesting and unique one because it allows you to pressure test your technology in a field exercise paradigm,” said Alec Leesberg, president and co-founder of Velocity Explorations.

RAS Labs, Inc. pitching its tactile sensor technology to competition evaluators and experts
“Do it,” said Dr. Anita Sengupta, founder and CEO of Hydroplane Limited. “Competing against other companies makes you better, connects you to a network of people across the military and industry, and ultimately allows you to develop a product for a real customer.”

Hydroplane Limited demonstrating its mobile power generation technology
With the competition complete, xTechHumanoid provides the Army and Joint Force a clearer picture of both the progress commercial industry has made in humanoid robotics and the technical challenges that remain, helping inform where continued development and experimentation can deliver the greatest value to the warfighter. HCoC is already building on those insights through its next lines of effort, including work to address power and energy constraints that could shape the operational employment of humanoid and other robotic systems.

About the Army FUZE xTech Program 

The Army FUZE xTech Program is the Army’s premier tool for scouting and accelerating dual-use technologies that directly enhance Soldier readiness and mission success. Through dynamic prize competitions like xTech|Search, xTech identifies breakthrough solutions and opens doors for nontraditional companies to engage with and deliver capabilities to the Army. Since its launch in 2018, xTech has awarded over $3 million in non-dilutive cash prizes across 5+ competitions – fueling innovation pipelines and delivering transformative technologies that matter on the battlefield.

Learn more at the Army PIT website: pit.army.mil/pathway/xtech

By Eleanor Kent, Army FUZE

Posted in Army, Contracts, Guest Post, Robotics | No Comments »

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