At AUSA, Winchester touted their new 12 ga shells for counter-drone use.
Utilizing Tungsten #9 shot, they achieve 100+ yard engagements with proper choke.
Archive for the ‘AUSA’ Category
AUSA 26 – Winchester Drone Defense Ammunition
Wednesday, October 21st, 2026AUSA 26 – Whippet Unmanned Ground Vehicle
Wednesday, October 21st, 2026The US Army currently has a ratio of about one aircraft for every 39 ground vehicles. I believe that is a good analogue to what we should expect in the future regarding unmanned systems. So if you think drones are everywhere, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
AUSA had a wide variety of new UGVs including the Whippet UGV from Outrider USA.
Weighing 400 lbs it boasts a 400 lbs payload. The four-wheel, silent electric UGV has a top speed of 35 mph and a 60 mile radius. Whippet is a modular system with payload swaps in 20 minutes by crews in the field and exports 10 kW of power for payloads.
AUSA 26 – Improved Army Temperate Weather Boot
Tuesday, October 20th, 2026GORE-TEX Brand is one of those companies that has a direct impact on the Soldier every day.
During AUSA they showed off the commercially available McRae Terassault T2 GTX which they propose for adoption Army-wide as the Improved Army Temperate Weather Boot.
Built on the redesigned Army Hot Weather Boot, it adds a waterproof / breathable membrane, extending its use in place of the Army Temperate Weather Boot. Meeting those specifications, it’s almost 40% lighter and 25% more breathable than the current Army Temperate Weather Boot.
AUSA 26 – High-Cut NG-IHPS Helmet Is Coming
Tuesday, October 20th, 2026
I stopped by the Gentex booth and they were exhibiting a high cut version of the Next Gen Integrated Head Protection System helmet issued by the US Army.
Apparently, during last month’s Maneuver Conference at Fort Benning, the Army announced plans to move forward with a high cut design after years of demand from the field.
This image depicts the latest equipment for the US Infantryman, including the new helmet. No word yet on when they will begin to be seen in the field.
In the meantime, don’t forget there is a version of the ARC Rail (seen mounted to NG-IHPS) available now to adapt your current issue helmet with more functional rails.
shop.gentexcorp.com/ihps-arc-rails-kit
AUSA 26 – Defendtex
Monday, October 19th, 2026Defendtex remains one of my favorite companies thanks to their constant innovation. No matter where I see them, they’ve lasted got something new.
For AUSA they had the latest version of their Dispenser for the Drone 155 which can act as a mothership for the the Drone40 with a variety of payloads including Kinetic, EW, ISR, Laser designator, and Smoke/Flash.
AUSA 26 – Colt Optics LP5X-P Laser Aiming Device
Monday, October 19th, 2026Officially launched back in mid-Summer, the LP5X-P Laser Aiming Device is based on the Brolis Defense model of the same name which is used by several NATO countries.
Four co-aligned lasers do the work of an entire aiming suite: a visible green pointer, an IR pointer, an IR illuminator with electronically adjustable beam divergence, and a VCSEL IR flood illuminator. Because every emitter is co-aligned, a single zero puts them all on the same point of impact and the aiming lasers sit directly over the bore line to keep offset to a minimum.
The US LP5X-P pushes a 26 mW visible laser for cutting through extreme bright conditions, with a modified divergence adjustment sized for gloved-hand manipulation. An adjustable flip-up mechanical back-up iron sight, an IP68-rated polymer housing, and a single CR123 battery round out a unit that mounts low-profile on any MIL-STD-1913 / STANAG 4694 Picatinny rail.
AUSA 26 – Next Generation Hot Weather Combat Uniform by GORE-TEX Brand
Monday, October 19th, 2026GORE-TEX Brand gave us an excellent surprise, woven fabric technology to improve the performance of hot weather uniforms. Although this example is cut like a IHWCU, rumor has it the Army plans to develop a specific uniform for Hot / Wet climate operations and this fabric by GORE-TEX Labs seems like it would be worth a look.
Fabric Features:
- 10%-15% lighter than traditional blends while maintaining equivalent mechanical strength and superior durability
- Picks up less water and dries 2x faster
- Maintains exceptional colorfastness through repeated wear and washing
- No Melt – No Drip
In this chart, you can see how it compares to the current IHWCU fabric which suffers from colorfast and durability issues.
Learn more here.
AUSA 26 – SIG SAUER Advanced Concepts Demonstrates SPINE
Monday, October 19th, 2026SIG’s newest business unit has introduced SPINE the Smart Payload Interface for Next-Gen Equipment.
It’s a patented, modular quick-attachment architecture for small Unmanned Aerial Systems offering integrated power (up to 300 a) and data. It can be mounted top or bottom of a drone and used for sensors, effectors, and future capabilities.
They’ve done their homework. This new connector is better than the traditional arrowhead design and clips in as well as featuring tension and pressure lock. The cam lock draws out any vibration and it holds tight even in a crash. Additionally, with this design, weapon recoil is not an issue.
