I got a chance to check out the new GhostStrike series from Gerber during my visit earlier today. Look for details soon.
Archive for 2014
Sneak Peek – Gerber GhostStrike Series
Thursday, July 3rd, 2014TNVC – Independence Day Promotion
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
TNVC is holding an Independence Day promotion. They are offering their most popular NVG, the TNV/PVS-14 (L3 OMNI VIII) at a discounted price. The promotion covers the Black housing, basic kit only.
tnvc.com/shop/tnvpvs-14-l3-gen3-omni-viii
Leupold & Stevens, Inc., Announces Marketing Department Promotions
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014Consumer Product Services Team also Created to Serve Existing and Future Customers
BEAVERTON, Ore. — Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is pleased to announce several staff promotions within their Global Marketing department.
“These changes acknowledge the significant accomplishments of some key individuals on our marketing team. We are incredibly fortunate to have so many world-class marketing and brand experts in-house at Leupold & Stevens” said Rob Morrison, Vice President of Global Marketing.
Mike Slack has been promoted to the position of Brand Creative Director. Slack has played key roles in the leadership of marketing, communications and advertising throughout his 33 years of service at Leupold & Stevens. In his new role, he will be focused on leading all creative development, fostering key strategic industry partnerships and management of the overall brand experience at our US manufacturing facility in Beaverton, Oregon.
Pat Mundy has been promoted to the position of Director of Brand Communications. Mundy has been with Leupold & Stevens more than 10 years and has played a key leadership role in brand management, merchandising, marketing, communications and public relations. His new role will be focused on providing leadership in the areas of advertising, digital/web communications, show sponsorships, celebrity endorsements, media and industry relations, merchandising and marketing services.
Shane Meisel and Steve Krajczynski have been named Managers within the Marketing department with Meisel leading Trade Marketing programs and Krajczynski leading Consumer Marketing programs. Both were previously in Brand Management roles at the company and will report to Pat Mundy as part of the Brand Communications team. Prior to joining Leupold & Stevens in 2011, Meisel worked in various product and brand management positions at JELD-WEN Windows and Doors and The Stanley Works. Krajczynski joined the company in 2014 after spending nine years working for the Craft Brew Alliance marketing leading beer brands including Widmer Brothers and Kona Brewing.
Finally, a new team, Consumer Product Services, is being added to the Marketing department and will focus on the consumer-facing aspects of the business. The areas that will be consolidated within the new Consumer Product Services team are Technical Services, Product Services, the Leupold Custom Shop and Product Training. The Consumer Services group will be led by Tim O’Connor as Manager of Consumer Services. O’Connor has worked at Leupold & Stevens for almost 15 years and is considered an expert in optical products and solutions.
Slack, Mundy and O’Connor will all report to Morrison and make up the Global Marketing Leadership Team.
“Under Rob’s leadership, with support from Mike, Pat, Tim and their teams, we are positioning ourselves for aggressive future growth” said Bruce Pettet, President and CEO of Leupold & Stevens. “Their unique talents will allow us to build on our already strong bonds with consumers and craft programs that will drive our brand for years to come.”
DARPA’s FLASH Program Leverages Persistant Close Air Support Development To Aid Hotshot Firefighters
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
The Defense Advanced research Project Agency funds a wide variety of tech development programs but rarely does the capability developed for one end up changing the lives of a completely different profession. This is the case when capabilities identified during the Persistent Close Air Support program were used for the Fire Line Advanced Situational Awareness for Handhelds (FLASH) program to aid firefighters.
FLASH utilizes tablet computers, aircraft-mounted sensors and radios to link everything together. It is designed to identify the location of every firefighter and firefighting aircraft in expansive fire zones. The system overlays multiple streams of information visually via a tablet to each firefighter and the fire command post onto a digital map.
The results of a recent 3-day exercise were promising. Much like on a modern battlefield, firefighters on the ground and controllers in a command post in Prescott, Arizona as well as observers in Virginia had access to the same information. It increased situational awareness and personnel accountability. Both are critical to successful firefighting. In fact, the exercise took place not far from where 19 firefighters from the Prescott Fire Department’s Granite Mountain Hot Shots unit gave their lives just one year ago on June 30, 2013, battling the Yarnell Hill wildfire.
Not only does the FLASH technology increase the safety for firefighters but it also helped them find fires more quickly. But that advantage doesn’t stop there. They also ran a separate but related demonstration of search and rescue for an injured hiker. Triangulating from the person’s 911 call, the FLASH-equipped team found the person within 15 minutes. Normally, this can take hours or even days.
According to DARPA, several performers participated and made the demonstration and training possible:
-Persistent Systems LLC developed the tactical radio
-Juggernaut Defense developed the case for the tablet, radio/tablet cabling and vest to hold the equipment
-AvWatch provided the aircraft with mounted sensors for the training
-The Digital Precision Strike Suite team from Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake, California, provided the FLASH software and integrated the various systems
In fact, the Prescott Fire Department continues to use the equipment and DARPA is developing training materials.
Thanks to Juggernaut Defense for the heads up and the photos!
BCM Announces ‘American Gunfighter’
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
July 2, 2014 – BCM is proud to announce the premiere of a new series of short films titled American Gunfighter. Each episode of American Gunfighter will feature a different instructor from the BCM Gunfighter program and talk one-on-one with them about how they got to where they are and what drives them do what they do.
Paul Buffoni, President and Founder of BCM and BravoCompanyUSA.com said of the production, “BCM is privileged to partner with the top instructors of weapons manipulation and tactics in the industry today. Men with decades of field experience, both collectively and individually, who have chosen to make it their mission in life to pass on what they have learned so that the next generation going into harm’s way can benefit from their knowledge. It is my honor to create a platform for these men to have their voices heard.”
Produced by Paul Buffoni, Travis Haley and Jon Chang, the series was conceived of and directed by Jon Chang, author of the graphic novel series Black Powder \\ Red Earth, who had this to say about the production, “Working with the BCM crew has been a life changing experience. It’s rare that you get an opportunity to work with people who have so much history and skill. Through these short documentary pieces, we are offering a glimpse into who these men are and why.”
Paul adds, “It is our hope at BCM that today’s warfighters, law enforcement officers and responsible civilians will discover more about these instructors and enroll in their training programs, learning first-hand from the experiences and sacrifices these men share.”
The first episode is available online now at http://www.bravocompanymfg.com/american_gunfighter/
5.11 Tactical – Taclite M-65 Jacket
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
5.11 Tactical has really stepped up their game and when I see something I think is interesting, I’m going to point it out. This is one of those items. They’ve developed their own take on the venerable M65 field jacket, dubbed the Taclite M-65. The Taclite M-65 is made from 6.14oz Poly/Cotton RipStop fabric with DWR treatment which provides stain, fade, and water resistance. A slim inner liner makes it easy for the M-65 to function as a layer in a broad range of climates. Dual hidden document chest pouches offer secure storage, and a left side strip of Velcro loop functions as a nametape holder.
The Taclite M-65 comes in Black, TDU Khaki, and Tundra.
www.511tactical.com/taclite-m65-jacket
New Zealand Defence Force Receives Government Approval To Replace AUG
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
New Zealand Defence Minister Jonathan Colemon announced that the New Zealand Defence Force has received government approval to replace the Steyr AUG currently in service with up to 8800 new rifles.
A competitive tender will be conducted to purchase an off-the-shelf replacement. The NZDM is currently seeking a rifle capable of being optimized for a variety of situations, one that offers consistency in fire from close quarters to out to 500m in daylight conditions, half that in low light. According to a 2011 Ministry of Defence report, operations in Afghanistan showed that the AUG was ineffective at ranges greater than 200m, and it was difficult to accurately identify adversaries.
The NZDF has already introduced new light machine guns, combat shotguns, and marksman rifles into service. Future projects would consider replacements for the current pistols, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers.
Hat tip: www.janes.com/article/39552/new-zealand-govt-approves-steyr-replacement-programme
You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up – Mount Rushmore
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2014
For this edition of ‘You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up’, we share a picture of a KCRF patch taken in front of Mt. Rushmore, in South Dakota.
