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Archive for July, 2011

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Army Camouflage Improvement Effort Looks To Be On Track

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Yesterday, the Army released a pre-solicitation called simply, “Camouflage Fabric.”

The contents are simple. Notice, the “pattern will be provided” provision. This and the three different patterns on NY/CO with a fourth on 500D Cordura indicate that the pattern down-select is moving right along and the Army is preparing for the next testing phase.

LI 001, 1000 yds of camouflage pattern A (TBD)printed on 50/50 nylon/cotton fabric that meets visual and Infrared. Pattern will be provided., 1000, YD;
LI 002, 1000 yds of camouflage pattern B (TBD)printed on 50/50 nylon/cotton fabric that meets visual and Infrared. Pattern will be provided., 1000, YD;
LI 003, 1000 yds of camouflage pattern C (TBD)printed on 50/50 nylon/cotton fabric that meets visual and Infrared. Pattern will be provided., 1000, YD;
LI 004, 1000 yds of camouflage pattern D (TBD)printed on 500 Denier Nylon Cordura fabric that meets visual and Infrared. Pattern will be provided., 1000, YD;

Unfortunately, this is a “Reverse Auction.” Great for known commodities, not so great for new developments. Printing new camo patterns is in the realm of new developments. No one has probably printed these patterns before and it will take some time to get them to render properly. It becomes even more difficult when there is more than one substrate. Different fabrics absorb inks differently. I foresee a lot of developmental work to get these patterns right, so that they will get a fair shake during the testing phase. I hope no one loses their shorts on this one.

Posted in Camo, Contracts | 7 Comments »

Grip Force Adapter

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

Grey Group has just announced that they are carrying the Grip Force Adapter from Grip Force Products. Offered in Black or FDE, models are available for Gen 1,2,3 Glocks as well as Gen 4 Glocks. Mating with the backstrap of the Glock, it eliminates the drawbacks associated with permanent modifications to your factory pistol.

As you can see, the FDE does a pretty good job of matching Glock’s “Green” color. It looks promising, and Grey Group doesn’t sell junk, so I think I’ll try one out.

stores.greygrouptraining.com

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Posted in weapons | 2 Comments »

New Dutch Camo and Uniform?

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

According to several internet postings, the accompanying pictures is reportedly of a new camouflage pattern and uniform for the Dutch Army.

Unveiled at a recent Army shooting competition, the garrison and field variants are reportedly to see fielding beginning in 2014 as an extension of the Soldier Modernization Program (in Dutch, VOSS for the English Improved Operational Soldier System). It is anticipated that this variant, intended for woodland and urban environments, will not see any further alteration. The pattern is of the so-called fractal design, which uses patterns within patterns. Additionally, there is an arid pattern under development. As you can see, the Soldiers are in front of a TenCate sign. According to reporting, the uniforms are made from TenCate’s Defender-M fabric, which is the same fabric story as the Army’s FR ACU and USMC’s FROG.

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Posted in Camo, Clothing, Foreign, FR | 8 Comments »

Sewn On Patches – The Rest of the Story

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011

It’s been a month since the SMA announced changes to the wear policy of the ACU. By now Soldiers have begun to have their BOS and Name tapes as well as skill badges sewn on their ACUs. For much of the Army, BDUs are either a distant memory or something they have heard about but never worn. Putting the camouflage pattern aside, the ACU is a pretty good uniform overall. Somehow, they forgot how to properly construct a crotch, but other than that it is an improvement on the BDU. The concept of attaching patches with Velcro was inspired by SOF but made sense for two reasons. First, the uniform could be sanitized for combat use and second, it would save the Soldier money. It’s not cheap to purchase all of those patches and have them sewn on to the uniform.

Now, Soldiers have gotten what they asked for. We have heard reports of sewing costs ranging from $20 to $79. Naturally, this depends on the number of ‘scare’ badges a Soldier has. Still, this is a bit expensive and rivals the cost of a completely new uniform. It seems that long gone are the days of $1 per patch.

The real question in all of this is; how long before we begin to hear the complaints from the field about these new costs associated with maintaining the ACU?

Posted in ACU | 18 Comments »

USAF Updates OCP Fielding

Monday, July 11th, 2011


Photo: SrA Sandra Welch

Last Friday, the US Air Force released an article on the fielding of Army OCIE in OCP (MultiCam) for deploying Airmen. Referred to as JET (joint expeditionary tasking) Airmen, more than 180 of them assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Teams and other taskings are wearing the OEF Camouflage Pattern (OCP).

Interestingly, the article refers to the OCP FR ACU as the, “Joint Service Solution Uniform.” This is a first for us. While PEO Soldier regularly speaks of looking for Joint Service Solutions, even they haven’t placed that monicker on OCP lest they derail their ongoing search for a new family of camouflage patterns.

We’ve written about this plan before. Unfortunately, the Air Force still hasn’t gotten their facts right on the difference between the Army’s OCP OCIE and their own, internally developed Airman Battle System – Ground (ABS-G). For example, the article claims, “The uniform gives Airmen unique benefits and features that the Airman Battle System-Ground and Airman Battle Uniform cannot deliver.” Sure, the ABU is such a failure, the Air Force has already changed the design of the coat once and is getting ready to field an entirely new fabric story for the uniform, but the ABS-G is very popular with Combat Airmen. It’s really just the Digital Tigerstripe pattern that is the problem. So, we’ll chalk this claim up to visual camouflage.

The article goes on this same vein, “OCPs have a more advanced camouflage pattern that blends in with the Afghan terrain, making our Airmen safer and more effective on the battlefield,” said Lt. Col. Shawna McGowan, the Air Force future programs branch chief. “The material is also flame resistant, lighter weight than the ABS-G or ABU, and contains a pre-applied bug repellant.”

Not completely true. The fabric used in the ABS-G’s field uniform component is the same as used in the Army’s A2CU and is lighter and more breathable than that used in the FR ACU. However, it is not quite as durable, nor does it contain permethrin to keep the bugs at bay. However, the ABS-G is a total system that incorporates FR insulation layers. This is something that the Army’s currently fielded solution does not provide. Fielding the Army’s Gen III ECWCS in lieu of a complete ABS-G developed under the FIRESAFE program puts Airmen at danger of flame threats. The alternative is to issue Fire Resistant Environmental Ensemble (FREE) to each deploying Airmen.

As you can see in the photo above, the Air Force chose to go their own path in regards to insignia and use “spice brown” colored name and service tapes as well as enlisted ranks rather than the Army’s black lettering. Looks good.

Overall, we are pleased with the direction the Air Force is heading. But, a lot of time and money was spent developing a unique Air Force solution for Airmen. Air Force personnel, ask for a MultiCam version of the ABS-G. The Airman Battle Shirt is already available from producer Massif in OCP. There is no reason for the Air Force to abandon the currently issued FR cold and inclement weather clothing developed under ABS-G. Finally, don’t forget to just ask for a new, useful camouflage pattern for both home station and deployed environments. Maybe it should be MultiCam and maybe it should be something else, but regardless, it shouldn’t be the current Digital Tigerstripe.

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Posted in Air Force, Clothing, FR, Multicam, PEO-Soldier | 13 Comments »

Haley Strategic Partners Giveaway

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Our friends at Haley Strategic Partners are sponsoring a series of awesome giveaways this week. Each day, for 4 days, they will post a new graphic to their Facebook page like the thumbnail we have placed at the beginning of this article. The full-size versions are yours to download. But it gets better. “Tag” yourself on the photo and you have a chance to win a random drawing for a daily prize of a weapon accessory. Today’s giveaway is a BCM Gunfighter Charging Handle. There will be three more this week; one per day. Here is a direct link to the post: www.facebook.com Be sure to “tag” yourself in the comments. This contest ends tomorrow with 3 more to follow.

In the end, everyone is a winner. No matter what, you get a free, cool graphic and one lucky winner per day wins a weapon accessory. Obviously, due to the prize content, restrictions apply so make sure you read the fine print at their www.facebook.com page. We will announce the winners here to echo HSP’s announcement on Facebook.

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Posted in Contest, Morale, weapons | Comments Off on Haley Strategic Partners Giveaway

TAS PT Mat

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Tactical Assault Systems has just released their PT Mat. Available in 2 sizes (LARGE- 72″ X 24″, SMALL- 48″ X 24″), it comes in Black or Coyote. This 100% PVC mat is 1/4″ thick and has loads of uses in addition to its intended use for physical fitness training. It also includes elastic bands to keep the mat rolled.

www.extremeoutfitters.us

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Posted in Shelter, Sustainment, Training | 2 Comments »

FirstSpear Unveils New Product Line at Warrior Expo

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Today, FirstSpear, a warfighter tactical equipment designer and manufacturer, has announced its line of 60 Enhanced Load Carriage Solutions and Personal Protective Equipment products. This debut line is the first complete portfolio of the company’s spectrum of Warfighter equipment, and is expected to be received with great customer interest.

FirstSpear designs are produced with direct input from the end user and by developers who take into account specific mission needs, resulting in innovative, capability-driven products. The FirstSpear production facility is located in Fenton, MO, and this new venture has lead to the creation of 50 local skilled manufacturing jobs with plans to continue this growth in the near term.

FirstSpear’s commitment to delivering solutions based on the user’s needs is demonstrated by the careful selection of materials and a deep understanding of the unique mission needs of American Warfighters. Like all items in the line, plate carrier platforms such as the Beat Up are lightweight and functional, reflecting input from professional users. Each technology is the result of over 30 years of product development experience by the FirstSpear Design Team and represents the next generation in mission-ready gear.

“By considering the entire system as a whole, we have designed a suite of products that work great alone, but together allow the user to achieve remarkable scalability, modularity and weight reduction,” said Jonathan Laplume, FirstSpear Vice President of Strategy. “With each new product release, FirstSpear will seek the input of the professional user to continue raising the bar in equipment comfort, accessibility and durability.”

“When we started this organization, we made a commitment to deliver the next generation in Personal Protective Equipment,” said Scott Carver, Founder and President of FirstSpear. “This launch is only the beginning. FirstSpear directly supports those who defend this country and we will continue on this path of innovation for years to come.”

We don’t publish press releases word-for-word often, but this one did a great job of telling the story. What follows are a few of our comments.

Be sure to visit FirstSpear at Warrior Expo July 14th and 15th in Virgina Beach, Virginia. ADS, Inc. is the exclusive distributor of FirstSpear products to the US Military. Visit www.adsinc.com/first-spear for more information about FirstSpear products available through ADS, Inc.

Don’t forget, both the Exigent Circumstances Pack at Triad Tactical as well as the Short Incursion Chest Rig at SKD Tactical are already available at a healthy discount until the 15th of July.

Separate softcopy catalogs for Government and consumers will be released very soon. We have seen both and there is some exciting stuff coming your way.

www.first-spear.com

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Posted in ADS, Industry | Comments Off on FirstSpear Unveils New Product Line at Warrior Expo

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