SOCOM might still be seeking a new Low Visibility Body Armor Vest but you can buy Beez Combat System’s version right now. The BCS B (BALCS) LBAV low profile carrier accepts BALCS cut soft armor inserts and SAPI plates and the front and back external plate pockets allow easy access. The LBAV is perfect for use with a chest rig or ops where concealment is paramount. The Berry Compliant carriers are available in MultiCam, Coyote, Ranger Green, UCP, and Black.
They really did it this time. No more of that temporary protection crap. Point Blank Solutions filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Federal District Court in Wilmington Delaware on Wednesday citing the same reasons they asked for temporary protection last month. According to recently filed documents, they list assets of $63.9 million and debt of $68.5 million as of Feb. 28 so no word on the impact of the $20 million of Debtor-in-Possession (“DIPâ€) financing they had arranged for in April. A sizable portion of the debt is said to be tied to their former CEO so it has been difficult to find a buyer to get them back on track.
Troops in Afghanistan have begun to receive the new Soldier Plate Carrier System and many are beginning to realize its greatest shortcoming; the lack of a cummerbund. Interestingly, every other design assessed by PEO-Soldier during last year’s search for a plate carrier sported a cummerbund which helps support the weight of the vest as well as side plates when they are worn, provides additional space for modular equipment, and holds soft armor inserts. While the SPCS provides a minimalist option to our fighting forces, a more modular approach can easily be fielded with the addition of a removable cummerbund. There is no need to permanently modify the vest already in service or remove it even temporarily from service for additional sewing. Such a self-help mod improves the scalability of the system and affords the commander more options in adapting his troops’ protection level to the threat.
Based on such a requirement, enters Mayflower with the perfect solution. Their Cummerbund Adapter Kit converts any plate carrier with PALS webbing on front and back into a hard plate carrier with front flap. It features PALS webbing as well as elastic and accepts 6×6 or 6×8 plate pockets. What’s more, the cummerbund accommodates up to 48″ circumference. It is easily applied to any plate carrier lacking an integral cummerbund and requires no permanent alteration to the carrier. It is quickly attached and removed via PALS webbing.
For a better idea of how the adapter works, take a look at this in depth video.
Offered in a variety of colors including MultiCam and UCP, the Berry compliant Cummerbund Adapter Kit from Mayflower Research and Consulting is available from Grey Group Training.
In order to support the switch to MultiCam for troops in Operation Enduring Freedom, the Army plans on purchasing an additional 26,800 Soldier Plate Carrier Systems in MultiCam to supplement the initial purchase of SPCS in UCP. PEO-Soldier has confirmed that they issued a sole source contract for 6,800 SPCS on May 5th and plan to issue an open solicitation for the remaining 20,000 in FY11. The Army is in the process of purchasing the Technical Data Package for the SPCS from designer KDH. The First Unit Equipped for the MultiCam SPCS will be in August. The First Unit Equipped with the SPCS in UCP was the 10th Mountain in January of this year.
Pacific Safety Products Inc. announced today that it has received an offer from Revision Eyewear Inc. to purchase all the issued and outstanding shares of PSP at a price of Cdn $0.18 per share in an all-cash transaction. The purchase price represents a premium of 50% over the weighted average trading price of PSP’s common shares on the TSX-V for the 30 trading days prior to March 4, 2010. The sale still requires the approval of PSP’s shareholders.
Revision is a private company with corporate headquarters in Montreal and operational headquarters in Essex Junction, Vermont, USA which develops and delivers purpose-built eye protection solutions for military and tactical clients worldwide.
What makes this so significant is that PSP is an armor manufacturer and this move signals Revision’s desire to move into new areas of the personal protection market.
Armor manufacturer Point Blank, a Delaware Corporation based in Florida, announced yesterday that it has filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 reorganization. The Company also announced that it has reached an agreement for up to $20 million of Debtor-in-Possession (“DIP”) financing, pending bankruptcy court approval. The DIP is a loan to help with the restructuring. At the end of Wednesday trading, the company’s stock had fallen to .05 per share.
The company blames the need to file for bankruptcy on “continued expenses associated with legacy issues from former management, and the lack of financing available to the Company given the state of the credit markets.” Those “legacy issues” are that the former CEO David Brooks is under indictment for fraud and the company itself has been under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as the subject of a shareholder lawsuit. All told, this costs Point Blank about $600,000 a month on legal fees.
But let’s face it, they grew rapidly to accommodate OTV and IOTV contracts and then they didn’t sustain the same level of work. It happens. Other companies are dealing with issues in their own ways as well. Maybe they can find a small business shill to get them some work under the proposed IOTV Class Waiver.
First off, what is a class waiver? What you need to know is that it is a determination made between DoD and the Small Business Administration to make a change to what types of businesses may provide goods or services to the government. In this case they are considering a Waiver of the Nonmanufacturer Rule, allowing small businesses who do not manufacture the IOTV to bid on providing them. Normally, a business has to manufacture 51% or more of an item to be the prime contractor on a project and they can then sub the remainder out to other businesses. This normal way of doing business is perfectly acceptable and assists a small business to take on a project larger than what they have the infrastructure to support.
However, I am a bit concerned about the precedence such a waiver might make. What I mean by this is that a decision to allow non-manufacturers to bid on providing goods as a small business could facilitate a win by a company consisting of just one person, with virtually no overhead, teamed with a large company who does all of the work. The preponderance of businesses in America are small businesses and this would essentially undermine the small business set aside. If it looks like it works here, what is to stop them from applying it more liberally? Small businesses are the backbone of the tactical industry and are the fountainhead from which much of the innovation springs. They must be compensated for their hard work and dedication to the military through the awarding of contracts.
If the concern of the federal government is that no small businesses are manufacturing the IOTV this could be remedied by awarding more companies contracts. As it is, the most recent round of awards took a long time and caused upheaval in the armor industry while companies kept workers on staff in anticipation of an award that never came. Award more contracts to both large and small businesses, and large companies won’t need to lobby to alter a system that works. Note to Contracting Officers; there is more than one company in the armor business. Spread the wealth.
Here is the notice on FedBizOps. I encourage businesses who would be affected by such a decision to contact the POC and provide feedback.
Today SOCOM updated the solicitation for the LVBAV carrier adding the patterns for the armor called for. Last week they posted several Q&A which clarified that they are seeking a commercial product and that they are not asking for any soft armor. The updates can be found here.
