Not long until the launch of the first sheath in British Tactical’s re-designed range of Mad Jack sheaths, this one is specifically for the SA80 Bayonet.
Archive for the ‘As Seen On Instagram’ Category
Evolution of Shaw Concepts ARC Placard
Saturday, February 19th, 2022Shaw Concepts shared the evolution of their ARC Placard.
The ARC Placard is nearing the drop of its third iteration and with that we wanted to look back at the previous versions and show you all how it’s progressed. We’ll also try to give more insight to why changes happened and our train of thought. We hope you like this and let us know what you think!
V1: Our first production offering of the ARC Placard was our goal to bridge the gap between traditional MOLLE pouches and placards. The most popular placards on the market all seemed to be double stacks so we chose to avoid that and cater to those who wanted a flat front with the option to build it out further. We also introduced a number of features which have caught on since including the built in bottom Tourniquet sleeve and side elastic bands for pouches and pen style items.
V2: The V2 was our first update where we not only improved the design but add more features that have again become more common place in the industry. Specifically adding Tubes to the sides of the placard so it could directly attach to Tubed cummerbunds as well as using Velcro One Wrap to make the placard buckles adjustable for height and hardware. It also started using advanced materials and was introduced with more magazine options.
V3: This is the latest improvement to the ARC Placard and the most dramatic change in the series. The key new feature is its ability to easily expand to hold more magazines than most others on the market. The V3 uses Shockcord along the sides to make the pouch adjustable to whatever insert is used inside. A number of smaller revisions have been made and more details on the V3 will be coming in the coming days…
Counting Elephants – The Hark-1 Radio
Saturday, January 1st, 2022As Vietnam heated up, the Agency’s need for eyes on the Laotian panhandle increased beyond the support that could be provided by Thai PARU and RTSF advisors. As a result, the CIA was forced to look for other solutions to communicate with its illiterate Lao Theung road watching teams targeting the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
To tackle this problem, the Agency came up with a radio that used pictograms to communicate what a team saw. Crafted from a modified USAF survival unit, the Hark-1 or Hark Box was released early in 1967.
Note the depictions of armor, artillery, AAA, trucks, porters, soldiers, time of day, and direction of travel. The circular button at the center was used to transmit the tally of what was seen moving north and southbound on the trail to an airborne relay station. While the radio doesn’t appear to have a pictogram for elephants, it was given the affection moniker “the Elephant Counter” by Paramilitary Officers involved in the project. To avoid detection, the Hark road watching teams – sometimes numbering up to twenty-four road watchers on a target like the Mu Gia Pass – would be inserted via unmarked “Pony Express” CH-3s very far from their objective.
On the third slide you can see the Hark-1 with antenna deployed in front of Case Officer, Gene Norwinski during a briefing in Savannakhet. The project was wrapped up in 1969 having been overshadowed by a variety of Pentagon projects and new sensors and night vision capabilities like those present on the AC-130.
Written by @Immurement
Savotta Wishes Finland a Happy Independence Day!
Monday, December 6th, 2021Finland’s Savotta posted this to social media and it’s simply awesome. Totally worth a share here.
Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää Suomi!
A large part of our work, and the very existence of our company, is strongly connected to the independence of Finland. Savotta was founded in the 50’s to make gear for the lumber industry, which at the time employed a huge amount of people cutting down trees in the vast woodlands of Finland to pay war reparations to the Soviet Union and to rebuild our nation after the wars.
It didn’t take long for Savotta to start making gear for the Finnish Defence Forces as well. And oh how we have made our share of that stuff over the years. This work continues today, quite actively, and we intend to keep it that way.
Finland’s independence is a lot more than wars and such, but those things are also in reality a big part of it. Without independent Finland Savotta probably wouldn’t exist at all. So thank you all who have done and keep on doing their part to ensure the well-being and sovereignty of our people!
PS: The Finnish M05 snow camouflage suit worn by Matti the Horse here is our own custom piece, not available for public sales unfortunately.
The Velocity Systems SwiftClip Attachment System
Tuesday, November 9th, 2021
The Velocity Systems SwiftClip attachment system allows auxiliary equipment (Chest Rigs, SwiftClip Placards, Med Bags, etc.) to swiftly clip on or off your plate carrier. The system makes it possible to instantly change your kit to fit your operational needs with just a click. The SwiftClip is designed to accept any chest rig or other items with an ITW 1″ male side release buckle. All materials and workmanship are 100% made in the USA.
Graphics – @righteousduke
Halloween Wishes from Ops-Core
Sunday, October 31st, 2021
Ripley: The original action girl. Don’t let ’em forget.
You Never Know Where They’ll Show Up
Sunday, October 31st, 2021
Tattoos of the GWOT – VOL I
Friday, October 29th, 2021
Limited to just 500 copies, Tattoos of the GWOT – VOL I features themed tattoo flash from some great artists and all contained in a binding that resembles the Green GSA books you used in the service.
There are still some copies left, get yours before they’re gone at www.fortherecordbook.net.
