June 2024 | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for June, 2024

Silencer Central Sponsors DSC Foundation Annual Gala Dinner and Fundraiser

Sunday, June 23rd, 2024

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – June 21, 2024 – Silencer Central, America’s largest silencer dealer, is proud to announce its role as the presenting sponsor for the upcoming Dallas Safari Club (DSC) Foundation annual Gala dinner and fundraiser. The event will take place on June 22, 2024, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, offering a night of celebration and support for DSC’s mission to ensure the conservation of wildlife.

Presented by Silencer Central, the event aims to reaffirm the shared passion and commitment to conservation while providing a platform to share captivating stories from member hunts. Attendees will have the opportunity to support the remarkable work of the DSC Foundation and its dedication to preserving wildlife and habitats for future generations.

The evening consists of two distinguished guest speakers: Robbie Kroger, Executive Director of Blood Origins, and Hans “Scruff” Vermaak, a renowned professional hunter. Their expertise and experiences will highlight the importance of responsible hunting and its impact on conservation efforts.

“We’re honored to once again stand alongside an amazing group of hunters and conservationists at this year’s DSCF Gala,” said Brandon Maddox, CEO of Silencer Central. “As the presenting sponsor, we hope to show attendees our continued support for hunting and conservation and how Silencer Central works to fulfill their initiative.”

The event will also feature live and silent auctions, offering attendees the chance to bid on exclusive items and experiences. Additionally, a variety of raffle packages will be available.

Beyond financial support, Silencer Central recognizes the significance of educating communities about the benefits of suppressors. By providing suppressors for fundraising purposes, Silencer Central aims to dispel misconceptions and foster a better understanding of the role suppressors play in enhancing firearm safety and protecting hunters and shooting enthusiasts.

The DSC Foundation annual Gala promises to be an unforgettable evening, uniting individuals who share a deep appreciation for wildlife conservation. Silencer Central is proud to continue supporting conservation and hunting safety.

With a legacy spanning over 18 years, Silencer Central emerged as a pioneer, offering customers a streamlined process for legally obtaining firearm sound suppressors. Today, this industry-leading company plays a vital role in the firearms industry, tirelessly advocating for silencer owners across the nation.

Posted in Industry, Press Release, Suppressors | Comments Off on Silencer Central Sponsors DSC Foundation Annual Gala Dinner and Fundraiser

CSAF Allvin Adds Details, Articulates His ‘Nonstop’ Commitment to ‘Reoptimize’

Sunday, June 23rd, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

Adding detail and context to an ambitious effort for “reoptimizing” the Air Force, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said in separate appearances June 13 and 14 that changing the way the Total Force trains, plans, modernizes, and is equipped must succeed for the Air Force to meet emerging challenges from China and other competitors.

Speaking first at an Air & Space Warfighters in Action session June 13, Allvin said the Air Force has made real and tangible progress instituting elements of a broad strategy announced in February to evolve how the Air Force develops people, generates readiness, projects power, and develops integrated capabilities.

Allvin pointed out, for example, progress in reinstituting warrant officers to help fill and keep personnel with in-demand skills such as cyber and information technology. That effort, he said, is well underway, with the warrant officer selection board scheduled to convene this month and the announcement of selects tentatively scheduled for late July.

The service started soliciting applications from April 25 to May 31 for Airmen aspiring to become the inaugural cohort of warrant officers in information technology and cyber careers.

He also provided an unambiguous rationale for the undertaking and why Air Force leaders insist on pushing it forward with urgency.

“We are finding that it is more difficult to retain the cyber talent that we spend a lot of time investing in, and that is going to be so critical to us going forward,” Allvin said at AFA. “We believe this is going to be a good path to ensure that we have the talent for today and tomorrow in a very cyber-heavy force that we’re going to need.”

Separate efforts to assemble, train, and deploy so-called “Air Task Forces” are moving briskly. These units will work and train together throughout the AFFORGENcycle to deploy as Units of Action in fiscal year 2026. The introduction of ATFs marks a significant milestone in the journey toward modernization and readiness, laying the groundwork to ensure the Air Force maintains a competitive advantage over the pacing challenge, he said.

“We have an advancing threat the likes of which we haven’t seen for decades,” Allvin said at AFA. He went on to say, “a key piece of reoptimization is taking all our Airmen and developing them with a common understanding of that threat … That’s central to being ‘Mission Ready Airmen’.”

In addition to understanding the threat, Mission Ready Airmen comprehend the service’s unique and inherent capabilities to defend against the threat.

“If we believe that the future of national defense and the joint force is going to require some of the attributes that exist in our air and space forces, then we have a requirement to not only be able to participate in the joint force, we need to be leading it. The character of war is privileging the things that airpower has been doing for a long time.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin

In a media session June 14 at the Pentagon, Allvin expounded on his comments from the day prior and discussed the need to be “One Air Force.”

“We are taking an Air Force that has been somewhat fragmented due to the strategic environment over the years and really better aligning it and coming back to be one Air Force with one force design, one unit of action type, and one Airmen development concept,” he told a group of reporters.

Near the end of the hour-long session with reporters, Allvin articulated his long-term commitment to the reoptimization effort and better integrating the force.

“I got about a little less than three and a half years left [as Chief of Staff] … and this [reoptimization] is what I am going to be about. It will be nonstop. That I can promise you,” Allvin said.

By TSgt Nicholas G. Koetz

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Profession of Arms | Comments Off on CSAF Allvin Adds Details, Articulates His ‘Nonstop’ Commitment to ‘Reoptimize’

CTOMS – Vector Operator Urban Egress

Saturday, June 22nd, 2024

Operations in multistory buildings can pose the risk of a barricaded or obstructed exit. Historically there have been circumstances of ambushes on teams where all avenues of exit from the building are blocked and the building was detonated before the team was able to safely escape. It’s also feasible that escape from high to lower floors could be obstructed by fire, structural collapse, escaping crowds, or any number of other variables. While these occurrences are typically rare, survival can be at stake. The VECTOR Kit was designed to be so small, lightweight, and unobtrusive, that you would not even know you are carrying it. Yet it provides a critical egress capability from an urban elevated position that would otherwise be dangerous or impossible to conduct.

The kit allows rapid anchorage of the rope into wood frame, cinder, plaster, etc. construction. The stock 20m rope should allow egress from up to the fifth floor depending on floor heights and interior depth of the anchor. Longer lengths may be possible for special circumstances. The descent control device will provide a controlled descent with up to a 265 lbs. working load.

ctomsinc.com/products/vector-urban-egress-kit

Posted in Advertiser, Guest Post, Mountaineering | No Comments »

True Velocity, FN America Announce Global Manufacturing Partnership On Lightweight Medium Machine Gun

Saturday, June 22nd, 2024

FN AMERICA’S MACHINE GUN MANUFACTURING PROWESS BOLSTERS TRUE VELOCITY’S INNOVATIVE WEAPON SOLUTION TO BRIDGE BATTLEFIELD PERFORMANCE GAP

GARLAND, Texas, June 18, 2024 — Texas-based ammunition and weapon system manufacturer TV Ammo, Inc. (“True Velocity”) and FN America, LLC (“FN America”), a global leader in the development and manufacture of military small arms, have announced a strategic licensing and manufacturing partnership for the production of True Velocity’s .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun for U.S. and Allied military units.

The partnership positions FN America as a primary manufacturer of True Velocity’s .338 Norma machine gun, a recoil-mitigated weapon system designed to provide warfighters with range and terminal performance similar to that of the century-old .50-caliber M2 machine gun in a lightweight, functional profile comparable to that of the ubiquitous M240 machine gun also manufactured by FN America.

“True Velocity’s .338 machine gun will change the battlefield for our warfighters. We are thrilled that FN will join with us so we can equip U.S. and Allied militaries with this combat advantage,” said True Velocity President and Chief Intellectual Property Officer Craig Etchegoyen. “It very quickly became clear that FN is a world-renowned, reliable, and respected manufacturer of innovative machine guns, and we’re excited for them to join our mission.”

A lightweight machine gun solution chambered for the .338 Norma cartridge has been a focal point of requirements emerging from the U.S. Department of Defense and Allied militaries in recent years. In March 2024, the United States Department of Defense selected True Velocity’s .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun for continued evaluation in a military program aimed at fielding a weapon system that would bridge the performance gap between the .50-caliber M2 machine gun and the M240 machine gun chambered for 7.62x51mm NATO. The combination of True Velocity’s recoil-mitigated .338 Norma Lightweight Medium Machine Gun and its advanced, lightweight composite-cased ammunition provides a turn-key combat solution capable of enhanced controllability, maximized maneuverability, and extreme precision at extended range.

“FN America is extremely excited to partner with True Velocity on this effort to deliver the next medium machine gun to the U.S. military,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC. “Both companies share that drive and desire to innovate and deliver game-changing technology to the warfighter. This has produced a really great team environment on this effort.”

Incorporating proprietary “impulse-averaging recoil mitigation” technology, True Velocity’s .338 Norma machine gun delivers a 300-grain projectile with enhanced range and precision, while optimizing controllability and maintaining a profile similar to that of the M240 belt-fed machine gun, which is chambered for the smaller, less energetic 7.62x51mm cartridge.

“True Velocity’s lightweight medium machine gun submission is the product of more than a decade of continued innovation and rigorous evaluation,” said True Velocity Senior Executive Vice President of Sales Kevin Sims. “This weapon system delivers unprecedented tactical and operational capabilities to our American warfighters. The sooner we bring it to the battlefield, the better.”

Posted in Industry, Press Release, weapons | No Comments »

Air Force Special Operations Command Demonstrates Ability to Support Joint Force Readiness and Resilience Through Real-Time Onboard Data Collection

Saturday, June 22nd, 2024

AFSOC Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Air Force Special Operations Command gathered members of Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology, and Logis tics, AFSOC Staff, Cyber Mission Defense Teams (MDTs), and maintenance personnel here to demonstrate its latest capability to collect and analyze onboard data from an operational MC-130 aircraft, detect cybersecurity and maintenance anomalies in real-time, and stream data and anomalies into a Department of Defense cloud environment. This demonstrated AFSOC’s ability to support joint force readiness and resilience through real-time onboard data collection, detection, and alerting capabilities from the tactical edge.

The demonstration utilized commercial off the shelf observability platform which collected and analyzed aircraft data as it was generated during flight, revealing a set of simulated operational and cybersecurity anomalies which were streamed to the MDT ground station. Once received, the MDT streamed the alerts and corresponding data into a joint cloud instance in real-time for further analysis, enabling cybersecurity, maintenance, and intelligence analysis use across the joint force.

“To evolve and outpace the adversary, AFSOC must embrace change that will enable technical overmatch during high-end conflict and long-term strategic competition. Gaining real-time or near real-time observability into operational aircraft gives us the ability to develop countermeasures to overcome enemy cyber-attacks, generate force readiness, and improve mission capable rates,” said Col Alfredo Corbett, AFSOC Director, Cyber & C4 Systems.

AFSOC currently leverages equipment to gain observability into the onboard operational technology generated by the MC-130 aircraft. Hardware captures, analyzes, detects, and alerts on anomalies at the edge, enabling real-time maintenance and cybersecurity monitoring, insights and intelligence, and the ability to build and deploy new detections. By integrating the alerts and data into the DoD cloud environment, AFSOC demonstrates its ability to support DoD modernization efforts, enabling it to improve the readiness, survivability, and lethality of vehicles fleet wide.

Posted in Air Force, Cyber, Guest Post, SOF | Comments Off on Air Force Special Operations Command Demonstrates Ability to Support Joint Force Readiness and Resilience Through Real-Time Onboard Data Collection

Schiebel Opens Facility in France

Friday, June 21st, 2024

Vienna, 20 June 2024 – The Schiebel Group is strengthening its European footprint by establishing Schiebel Aéronaval SAS in Toulon, France.

The CAMCOPTER® S-100 has been in service with the French Ministry of Armed Forces since 2012. In order to more closely support this successful partnership and meet the operational requirements of the Armed Forces in case of major engagements, Schiebel has established a company in France, situated close to its customer, in Toulon. The new Schiebel entity will provide localised support for the French Navy’s fleet of S-100 within the framework of a 5-year contract DMAé (Direction de la Maintenance Aéronautique) awarded to Schiebel at the end of 2023.

Schiebel Aéronaval SAS will house a production and repair facility to conduct the assembly and maintenance of the S-100 systems for the French Navy and other customers. The new Schiebel company will also have a training department to train operators and maintenance technicians.

Furthermore and significantly, the entity is intended to become the main European production and payload integration site for the evolving CAMCOPTER® S-300.

Schiebel Aéronaval SAS embeds itself into the French Aerospace industrial network, works closely with other local French companies and is expected to generate many employment opportunities in the Toulon area.

“We are extremely proud to count France, renowned for its emphasis on strategic autonomy, among the CAMCOPTER® S-100 users. Opening a facility in Toulon not only enables us to serve the French Navy better, but also to be closer to our French industrial partners and benefit from the advantages of the region, including direct access to the sea. We are more than excited about the new opportunities this important step will bring“, said Lubos Sramek, CEO of Schiebel Aéronaval SAS.

Posted in Industry, International, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on Schiebel Opens Facility in France

Wilkie Announces Strategic Partnership with Ocean State Innovations (OSI)

Friday, June 21st, 2024

Lowell, MA – Wilkie Technical Textiles, a global leader in advanced technical textile solutions, is delighted to announce a significant strategic partnership with Ocean State Innovations (OSI). OSI, renowned worldwide for its exceptional textile solutions, quality, and service, will now serve as the primary liaison for a variety of Wilkie America products manufactured in Lowell, MA. Wilkie America has unique capabilities for applying a broad range of polymer coatings onto textile substates for military, medical, workwear, automotive, and heat protection fabrics. Wilkie America draws on the expertise of the wider Wilkie group for spinning, weaving, and finishing of base fabrics.

This collaboration marks a pivotal step in our journey towards growth and progress, leveraging the combined strengths of Wilkie and OSI to enhance our service offerings and deliver superior textile solutions to our valued customers.

Key Benefits of the Partnership:

Enhanced Service and Quality: OSI’s commitment to outstanding quality and service aligns perfectly with Wilkie’s mission to provide locally manufactured advanced textile solutions. This partnership will ensure that our customers continue to receive the highest standards of products and services.

Innovation and Product Development: Wilkie and OSI are mutually dedicated to product innovation and improvement. Drawing on our global knowledge pool and development resources, we look forward to working with existing and new customers to develop the next era of advanced technical textiles.

Primary Liaison for Wilkie America Products: Moving forward, Ocean State Innovations will be the main point of contact for a variety of Wilkie products manufactured in Lowell, MA. This streamlined communication channel is expected to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction.

This partnership exemplifies our shared commitment to pioneering cutting-edge solutions and delivering unparalleled service in the textile industry.

We look forward to a prosperous future together and appreciate your continued support as we embark on this exciting new chapter.

A representative from the OSI team will reach out to you shortly to discuss how this partnership can benefit you. In the interim, should you have any queries or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Bryan Boulis directly at OSI via email at Bryan.Boulis@1947llc.com or by phone at 508-801-3685. Jim Lauer will stay on as President of the Lowell facility and can be contacted at jim.lauer@wilkieamerica.com or by phone at 847-257-2337.

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Blue Force Gear to Attend 2024 NSSF Range-Retailer Business Expo: Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation in Load Carriage

Friday, June 21st, 2024

West Palm Beach, FL – 7/9/2024 – Blue Force Gear (“BFG”), a leading manufacturer of tactical gear for military, law enforcement, and civilian markets, announces its participation in the 2024 NSSF Range-Retailer Business Expo (“RRBE”), taking place July 10th -11th, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

This year marks a significant milestone for BFG – 20 years of dedication to developing and delivering the industry’s most trusted load carriage systems. From the very beginning, BFG has set the standard for performance and durability, earning the respect and loyalty of countless military and law enforcement professionals around the world.

“For two decades, Blue Force Gear has been driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation,” says Ashley Burnsed, CEO. “We take immense pride in serving those who put their lives on the line every day, and we remain committed to providing them with the gear they need to operate at peak efficiency.”

BFG’s commitment extends beyond the battlefield. The company recognizes the importance of supporting the needs of commercial and civilian customers who share a passion for preparedness and functionality. At the expo, BFG will showcase its extensive line of products, including: