I ran across this survival kit accesory in Extrema Ratio’s stand at IWA which attaches to the Selvans Ontos and Moros sheaths.
Contents include:
whistle, pocket chain saw, water purifying tabs, compass, copper wire, fireball flint and striker, LED micro light, 2.5 m lanyard, and sharpener
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AFNS) —
LC-130 Hercules aircraft will have a smoother takeoff from Antarctica and Greenland thanks to the 109th Maintenance Squadron.
Propulsion specialists with the 109th assembled the first Air National Guard-built T56 3.5 turbo engine. The 3.5 modification is part of an Air Force initiative to update C-130 aircraft.
The 109th’s engine is the first to be assembled in-unit by Airmen.
This 3.5 engine is the finishing piece to modernizing the 109th’s legacy fleet into a more powerful and eco-friendly force.
Operating the Defense Department’s only ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft, the 109th MXS deploys annually to the austere environments of Greenland and Antarctica in support of the National Science Foundation.
Occasionally, the aircraft have trouble taking off from icy surfaces of these areas of operation due to heavy cargo loads or friction lock under the skis.
Traditionally, jet-assisted takeoff bottles are used to create extra thrust to get the aircraft off the snow or ice and into the air. JATO production, however, officially stopped in 1991.
Maj. Jim Roth, 109th MXS commander, explained the increasing challenges using JATO.
“They are depleting, and every time we use them, we have to shoot eight off at a time, and it begins to present a real logistical concern when it comes to the decreasing supply,” Roth said.
The new T56-8-15A 3.5 engines, combined with the LC-130H’s NP2000 eight-bladed propellers, are the answer to beginning to shift away from JATO bottles.
“The updated features allow the aircraft to create the same thrust as JATO bottles but at lower operating temperatures, making them more eco-friendly,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Candido, a propulsion specialist with the 109th. “We’re looking at an efficiency of about 20 percent more fuel efficiency compared to the 3.0 engine.”
The aircraft will also be able to carry heavier cargo loads to remote polar regions.
“We are the only heavy airlift able to reach these remote polar camps. These new engines allow for greater range and capacity. We’re advancing the Arctic Strategy that much more,” Roth said. “It’s the expertise and abilities of 109th Airmen like Jason Candido that drive us forward.”
Candido, who has been at the 109th for more than 10 years, was one of the Airmen who assembled the new engine.
“This is the exact same engine that we’ve been using for years. Just the internals are different,” Candido said. “The updated engine uses different types of metal in the turbine and compressor that have better heat retention, giving us the same power at lower temperatures.”
Assembling the 3.5 engine is a two-person job that took approximately a month to complete, he said.
“This is exactly what the National Guard is all about. It’s about retaining key talent and having an experienced workforce. Bringing that to the table allows us to do this stuff,” Roth said.
“For me, there’s a lot of pride in putting this engine together,” Candido said. “A lot of people just look at the engine, but I look at my work. It’s like art.”
The improved engines will also cut down on frequent maintenance and inspection.
When the LC-130Hs finished the transition from four to eight-bladed propellers in 2018, Candido said there was a noticeable difference in maintenance time.
“Whenever we had a seal leak in Antarctica, you couldn’t replace that one blade. You had to do the entire process to put a brand new one back on,” Candido said.
The eight-bladed propellers, however, are designed for a simpler fix in the event of a seal leak.
“We went from having an engine with a day-and-a-half downtime to maybe two hours, and then it’s flying again,” Candido said.
The 109th propulsion shop has the approval to assemble the rest of the 3.5 engines, some in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Members from the 109th MXS will attend a conference at the end of March to discuss a timeline to outfit all LC-130Hs with the 3.5 engines.
“We are plowing ahead with our own builds to help supplement the force. We are building ours quickly, so we’re ready to go as soon as possible,” Roth said.
By SSgt Madison Daquelente, 109th Air Wing Public Affairs
MSR Distribution announced that Christopher Thomas has joined their team as Buyer. Christopher has several years’ experience in the defense industry specializing in retail and distribution channels. He is a recent transplant from the Mid-West and now call Las Vegas home.
Says Christopher: “In my experience, I have grown to understand that this market is more than just competitive. My philosophy is to do my best to treat our vendors with the respect I expect as a customer …. I buy with care and manage each brand we bring on as if they were my own.”
Ross Botha, General Manager at MSR, told us: “We are very excited to have Christopher onboard, extensive experience in retail and distribution spheres makes him an asset; not only to MSR, but to our vendors and employees too. He understands the product lines and what it takes to get those into the hands of our customers.”
MSR Distribution is a wholesale distributor that sells hard-to-find and highly sought-after products to licensed retailers and specific qualified entities. Every year, countless dealers trust MSR Distribution to help them grow their businesses by providing great products with reliable margins. Chris will form an integral part of forging sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships with vendors. He will play a critical role in developing the MSR vendor experience and sculpting future relationships with them.
TROY, AL, March 30, 2022 — Kimber Mfg., Inc. donated 200 handguns and 20 rifles to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces of Ukraine, to bolster their capabilities in this time of conflict.
Throughout this conflict, the Ukrainian people have inspired the world with their courage and determination, which inspired the Kimber team to find a way to help. Kimber answered by providing 200 R7 Mako 9mm subcompact pistols with 800 extra 13-round magazines, 10 Advanced Tactical rifles in .308 Win., and 10 bolt-action rifles in .308 Win. Each rifle contains 2 magazines and a matched replacement firing pin assembly.
Mission First Tactical (MFT) donated holsters for the R7 Mako pistols and Tactical Rifle Cases. In addition, MFT also donated 3,300 AR-15 magazines and 1,000 AR-10 magazines.
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. (Leupold) donated 20 Mark 4 LR/T 3.5-10×40 rifle scopes, which were paired and installed on each of the 20 Kimber rifles.
“The people of Ukraine are enduring tremendous hardships and are in need of support from around the world,” said Leslie Edelman, Kimber owner and CEO. “Kimber is honored to play a part in providing this much-needed assistance with the donation of these firearms and accessories. Our hearts and prayers go out to the courageous people who will be using them to defend their freedom and nation.”
GASTONIA, N.C. – April 4, 2022 – Premier Body Armor’s partnership brings unprecedented thermal regulation technology to several armor products. Eclipsys is available in multiple configurations for a wide variety of uses. Eclipsys™ thermal-regulating properties is revolutionizing the body armor industry and Premier Body Armor offers several popular setups.
The full lineup debuted earlier this year at SHOT, and multiple product lines sold out fast. Integration options for Premier Body Armor’s STRATIS rifle rated plates, Every Day Armor T-Shirt, soft armor vests and more are in stock or currently being re-stocked for quick delivery.
The full lineup debuted earlier this year at SHOT, and multiple product lines are currently sold out. The fact that it can be incorporated into any system, is affordable and the performance is unparalleled (reducing heat up to 200%) means options for plates and everyday shirt armor are awaiting re-stocking.
“We haven’t even seen warmer temperatures yet, and people are already seeing how game-changing this really is—especially those who wear armor every day,” said Alex Stewart, President of Premier Body Armor. “Body Armor is very insulative, and until now, there were no thermal regulating options. Eclipsys changes this in a big way and we’re excited about what we’re seeing.
“We are pleased to be making a difference in the lives of our customers. One recent Law enforcement officer left the following review: ‘I used to take my vest off at the end of the day and my shirt was drenched. Now with this attached to my vest, my undershirt is dry.’ We continue to get regular and positive feedback from other happy customers as well.”
Eclipsys utilizes passive cooling which means there are no batteries or wires to break, replace or worry about when it matters most. It is non-flammable, non-toxic and razor thin at 0.42 mm thick (three sheets of paper). All of these features and qualities put Eclipsys in a league of its own. Premier Body Armor is proud to offer it with some of the company’s most popular and heralded products including the Elite Executive Vest and the Discreet Executive Vest.
More information on Eclipsys is available here and interested parties can request an editorial sample by contacting Tim Brandt at the address below.
Media Contact: Tim Brandt, Murray Road Agency
E-Mail: tim.brandt@murrayroadagency.com
SWANSBORO, N.C. –April 4, 2022 – Whether you are a service member training in the field, forward deployed, a law enforcement officer or training on your own, tourniquet (TQ) pouches are essential items to carry. High Speed Gear® offers TQ pouches so you can access your life-saving equipment rapidly.
As tactical gear companies, both High Speed Gear® and Comp-Tac® Holsters take their mission seriously and that is to be able to provide those who serve our country with gear that they can rely on every day. Taking preventive steps by carrying a TQ can change the outcome of emergencies.
In 2019, the Tourniquet TACO® was designed at High Speed Gear® headquarters to have the adjustability of the TACO®, in a tourniquet pouch form. The design was intended so users can deploy various windlass-style tourniquets quickly for intense pressure scenarios. However, it can be used with or without the pull tab for an open-top pouch, much like the Kydex® Tourniquet TACO®.
Shortly after the Tourniquet TACO® was released, Comp-Tac Holsters™ (a division of High Speed Gear®) released two different Kydex® Tourniquet TACOs®, for those that enjoy the “hard shell” TACO® pouches. These function much like the original Tourniquet TACO®, allowing the use of SAM® XT, C-A-T®, SOF® TT, and SOF® TT Wide tourniquets in just one pouch.
Please click here for more information on these tourniquet pouches.
Starting this November Belgian troops will begin to receive new clothing in the MultiCam camouflage pattern. Uniforms will be in the Crye Precision G4 cut in both men’s and women’s sizing.
Photo from Belgium Directorate of Military Resources
The initial package going out includes the following items from the Crye catalog:
The “Belgian Defence Clothing System” includes everything from the skin out including wool underwear, insulating and shell layers as well as eventually new helmets, armor, and load carriage. There is also a CBRN (Chemical, Bacteriological, Radioactive, Nuclear) equipment element of the program.
In order to address sustainability, any chemical finishes and membranes are avoided where possible. There is also an agreement to collect the currently issued uniforms and process them in an ecological way in order to “give them a second life.”
In addition Crye Precision, two Belgian companies, Sioen Apparel and SEYNTEX make up the SSC Consortium and will supply the program for the next 15 years which currently has a total budget of 410 million euros.
I got a pair of these when Salewa first introduced the Black color. I’ve just bought my third pair on a whim when I saw them in stock at Tidewater Tactical because I was worried they’d stop making them. Much to my relief, I see that Salewa continues to offer this model and color scheme.
You’ll often see me wearing them at trade shows, particulary if it’s wet outside. That’s a pretty good testament to their comfort if I’m willing to walk around all day on concrete in them.
The Wildfire features a GORE-TEX Extended Comfort lining and POMOCA Speed MTN sole which is pretty grippy. Additionally, there is an edging zone at the toe along with lacing down to the toe so you can get by pretty well in a simple climb.
