Unleashed Tactical Equipment unveiled the ARC at last week’s GPEC trade show in Germany. The name says it all, Absorb, Reflect, Control and that is exactly what it is designed to do; keep good emanations in and bad emanations out. The material can be configured in any number of ways including shelters.
ARC is available in the US exclusively through Tidewater Tactical.
If you are a radio operator you will take one look at this baby and say to yourself, “ah-ha, I can see what they did there.” Blackheart International’s new SATCOM antenna offers three four deployment options in one antenna. It comes with a sturdy, compact tripod base making it the steadiest mini SATCOM tripod available, a magnetic-mount base which is ideal for mounting atop stationary vehicles or on surfaces too small to permit the use of a tripod, and an AR-15 pistol grip for quick satellite acquisition. Additionally, a ground spike is stowed inside the magnetic mount base, giving it one more method of deployment. Finally, the antenna comes with a specially designed holster so the antenna can be worn by the operator and swiftly deployed.
Weighing only 1.1 pounds, the dual quad radials collapse and fold alongside the collapsible boom to fit into a water-resistant MOLLE compatible carrying pouch. The antenna is treated to a dull black anodized finish to reduce glare and protect the metal against weatherization. The antenna is also available in Tan by special order.
Blackheart International will be exhibiting the new antenna along with numerous other products at SpecOps Warfighter Expo West held this week at Fort Lewis, Washington.
The Foretrex 401 is a lightweight (3.1 oz with batteries!), wrist mounted GPS receiver that has become very popular with troops down range. The 401 can often be seen strapped to a weapon’s stock so that the shooter can conduct a GPS check by simply rolling his carbine toward his face. In addition to GPS, the device also integrates an electronic compass (yes, mounting it to a rifle affects it) as well as a barometric sensor which comes in quite handy while operating in mountainous terrain. The Foretrex 401 also runs the free Jumpmaster Software package designed to assist parachutists to compute release points. Data for this as well as other applications is easily updated via a USB cable. As an added bonus, you can share waypoint and track data wirelessly with other 401s. It is powered by readily available by 2 AAA batteries which provide up to 17 hours of use.
The best place we have found to purchase Garmin products is Strohman Enterprises. In fact, they have a special on the Foretrex 401 for $159. Owned by Lt Col USMC (Ret) Joseph Strohman, the company supplies Garmin and Aimpoint products to LE & Military organizations as well as individual personnel. Joe and his crew are well versed in all of the products and can answer customer’s questions about anything from mounting solutions to loading map data for the AOR.
Right on the heals of releasing the iPad, Apple announced today that they will be releasing a new version of the iPhone operating system in June. As so many SSD followers rely on the iPhone for their mobile communications requirements, we thought it would be a good idea to update our readers.
Our favorite gizmo blog, Gizmodo has some excellent coverage. Here are some of the highlights.
The biggest improvement looks to be multi-tasking.
New mail app with support for multiple exchange servers, etc.
App folders and the max number of apps shoots from 180 to 2160.
Bluetooth keyboards!
Now the bad news. Users of the original 3G will not be able to fully upgrade to the new OS.
V-lite has added the revolutionary Manta Strobe to their website and it will be available beginning in April.
I caught up with owner Don Medine at SHOT Show in Vegas and he said that the MAST (Modular Antenna System – Tactical) Antenna Relocation Kit I wrote about a year ago continues to sell like hot cakes. I still love that thing.
There are plenty of resources on the new website so be sure to stop by.
It’s been almost a year to the day since we introduced you to V-lite. At this year’s SHOT Show they introduced the Manta Strobe. A lot of work has gone into this piece of equipment. It velcros to the helmet and the chassis is smooth without any sharp edges to catch on equipment, obstacles, or shroud lines. Additionally, the base is slightly curved to follow the profile of the helmet. What’s more, it’s about half the size of an MS-2000. It is both a visible Green light and IR strobe and does not require a filter. Rather, by simultaneously depressing both side buttons the output is changed. Finally, the on/off switch features vibrating feedback to let you know it is on.
We got quite a few requests asking for a better photo of The Manta so here you go.
To order visit VliteUSA.com.
Somehow this baby slipped below our RADAR but it is definitely worth taking a look at if you are fortunate enough to be issued the Harris AN/PRC-117G but are saddled with the issue bag. It is designed to be worn with the removable shoulder straps or attached directly to the back of armor or load bearing vest with the integrated PALS compatible attachment system. Additionally, the body features PALS webbing so that radio accessories can be attached to the bag.
The PRC-117G Assault Bag is available in Black, Coyote, Ranger Green, UCP, and MultiCam from Mayflower.
