Tactical Research has introduced the Khyber, a hybrid mountain boot that is designed for scrambling up and down rocky faces. In fact, the Ibex outsole from Vibram is exclusive to the Khyber. Already available in Desert Tan, MultiCam versions will be ready by August.
Jones Tactical builds a variety of stock and custom Berry Compliant load carrying solutions. Examples of their products include a variety of belt options many of which feature the Cobra buckle from AustriAlpin. The 2″ FatZombie is a two piece belt system featuring inner and outer belts and is available in Black, OD, Foliage, and Coyote. Military Morons did an excellent review of the belt last year so if you are interested check it out. In fact, the entire Jones Tactical line is worth your investigation.
Down East has opened their web store and offer not only two variants of the popular 1606 MOLLE frame but also complete pack systems as well as suspension components in Coyote, Black, and MultiCam. Down East recently released a new variant of the 1606 frame that is compatible with the ALICE pack which has really increased its versatility. Unfortunately, the store does not yet have the 1609 Open Perimeter frame which is used in the new Army Medium Rucksack but we hope they will offer it soon.
For some reason, FNH USA felt compelled to release a statement regarding SOCOM’s disclosure to Military.com that they are not going to purchase any more Mk16 SCARs. We read their press release and immediately the “Did they just do that?” look came over everyone’s face. It smells of desperation. Perhaps they should have taken the first sentence a little more to heart.
“(McLean, Va.) FNH USA is cautious in releasing any information due to the nature of the pledge to our customers.
We can, however, reiterate that the MK 16 (5.56mm variant), MK 17 (7.62mm variant) and the MK 13 Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module (40mm), which make up the SCAR family of weapons, have each met, and in our opinion exceeded, all of the USSOCOM program requirements. It is also a matter of record that the SCAR has been proven to be superior to existing legacy assault rifles after numerous Department of Defense tests in both lab and field environments.
FNH USA believes the fact that the SCAR program recently passed Milestone C and was determined to be operationally effective / operationally suitable (OE/OS) for fielding, highlights the tremendous capability the weapons system offers deployed special operators.
FNH USA believes the issue is not whether the SCAR, and specifically the MK 16 variant, is the superior weapon system available today …it has already been proven to be just that. The issue is whether or not the requirement for a 5.56mm replacement outweighs the numerous other requirements competing for the customers’ limited budget. That is a question that will only be determined by the customer.
While we know that the MK 17, to include the “common receiver” and corresponding 5.56mm conversion kit is an option, other Services and SOF components will have the ability to procure the MK 16 stand-alone rifle under the contract if it better meets their mission requirements.
In conclusion, the management and employees of FN are proud to provide this generation of special operators their first, entirely new assault rifle that meets and, in our opinion, exceeds the demands of today’s battlefield.”
www.fnhusa.com
We introduced 782 Gear’s Smokin Line during this year’s SHOT Show and as you may recall, they have taken product concepts that many of us grew up with and applied a modern material and construction story. Additionally, they didn’t just hit the market with one or two garments available in limited numbers. Rather, they have manufactured complete runs of base, mid, and outer layers and they offer FR options for many of these products. 782 Gear has also designed contact gloves, balaclavas, and beanies to complement their clothing. We have reviewed the line and can say that attention to detail is the standard. The mix of high tech fabrics with performance driven designs really impresses us. Take for example, the field jacket inspired softshell parka pictured above. It’s really more than a softshell as it also also incorporates hardshell technology, mixing fabrics for different effects based on location on the body.
One mid layer we want to point out is the APECS liner designed specifically to interface with the APECS parka issued to the Marines, Navy, and Air Force.
In addition to the clothing they also offer a blanket that is quite similar to the issue poncho liner except that there is an FR version. The blanket even has a hooded brother called the kloke (seen above). Also, they have introduced water resistant duffels made from PVC and ballistic nylon. We’ve shown you just a couple of products but everything is like that. It’s fresh and new and worth checking out. Colors options include Black, Coyote, Foliage Green, and MultiCam (including the head and hand wear) and several of the clothing items are reversible.
782 Gear can be found at their three distributors Source One Distributors, GSS, and Grey Group Training.
In a recent article in the Daily Mail, the British Army revealed details of the latest iteration of their Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST) Program.
The photo shows (in reverse order) three British Soldiers outfitted in legacy Desert DPM, the new Multi Terrain Pattern and helmet and armor ensemble entering service and, also the latest iteration of the FIST equipment with L129 sharpshooter rifle. Interestingly, the FIST helmet closely resembles work being done by Revision Eyewear who recently acquired the Headborne Systems Division of Pacific Safety Products.
SureFire, LLC is releasing a limited-edition flashlight/pen gift set to celebrate their 30th anniversary. This collector set features an E1B Backup® flashlight and a SureFire™ Pen—both finished with a special hard anodized black-red-gray camouflage representing SureFire’s colors—and will be limited to a production run of 1,800 units. The flashlight and pen in each set will be engraved with matching serial numbers and housed in an attractive wooden case with a commemorative plate featuring SureFire’s 30th Anniversary logo. A letter of authenticity from founder and president Dr. John Matthews will also be included.
“We wanted to do something special to commemorate this historic milestone,†said Derek McDonald, SureFire’s VP of Marketing. “Offering these two products, in this unique color scheme as limited-edition gift sets, gives our customers the opportunity to own a piece of that history.â€
Like previous special offerings from SureFire, such as the limited-edition, all-titanium Titan flashlight, these collector gift sets are expected to sell out quickly. The set retails for $590 and will be available for purchase directly from SureFire on a first-come-first-served basis.
For more information, visit www.surefire.com.
This story would probably have gone under the wire if it wasn’t for an intrepid war correspondent who was recently in Afghanistan. Some of you may have heard about the recent fuel farm fire at Leatherneck. Well, what wasn’t widely reported was that the fire reached the Marine’s SMU and burned it to the ground with the whole RCT’s worth of gear in there. All classes of supply were affected, though it was mostly equipment. In particular, they were wiped out of eyepro.
What you probably don’t know is that once Revision Eyewear and Smith Optics heard about the accident from that diligent reporter, they immediately stepped up to the plate to make sure that our Marines had adequate eyepro and donated enough sets to outfit the entire shortfall. Heavy hitter Revision filled the majority of the 250 set loss with Sawfly kits worth about $25,000 and relative newcomer to the tactical market Smith gave the assist with 25 sets of Aegis eyeshield kits worth about $2500.
Revision’s James Radigan commented on the project, “I’m former Navy and have family and friends who are serving so along with Revision’s deep dedication to the military, I’ve got a lot of heart for Marines and for what they do.” Mike Torres of Smith added, “We didn’t hesitate, once we heard that Marines were without adequate numbers of eyewear, we put together a package to give them the best we have available.”
According to the correspondent, the eyewear arrived about 3 weeks later and the Marines were stoked to have clean, scratch free ballistic eyewear. The environment is so abrasive that eyewear requires regular replacement.
A big salute to both Revision as well as Smith from SSD! When you are looking for quality eyepro remember those companies that step up to the plate and support the troops.
