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USSOCOM Seeks Maritime Backpack Suite

Tuesday, July 16th, 2019

Last week, Program Manager Special Operations Forces which is located at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Soldier Center at Natick, MA, issued a sources sought notice for a Maritime Backpack Suite.

For the purpose of this RFI, a Maritime Backpack Suite consists of:
Backpack, Large 1
Backpack, Small 1
Pouch, Man-pack Radio 1
Pouch, Gas Mask 1
Pouch, MK48/Med Kit 1
Rucksack Liner, Roll Top, Large 1
Waterproof Duffel Bag 1
Mesh Bag 1
Backpack Frame 1
Yolk / Stability System 1
Waist Belt 1
Backpack Repair Kit 1

This table depicts desired attributes.

They also want the colors to be consistent with current Body Armor Load Carriage Systems (MultiCam, solid gray/green). The suite must also be compatible with the CRYE JPC & AVS and Eagle MMAC 2012 as well legacy load carriage systems (LCS) as well as all individual airborne equipment items and rigging procedures utilizing Single Point Release Harness, SOF Harness, and parachutist drop bag.

Interested vendors have until Jul 29, 2019 at 4:00 pm Eastern to respond. For full details, visit www.fbo.gov.

Posted in Contracts, Maritime, Packs, SOF | 1 Comment »

Team Wendy Releases Next Generation Carbon Helmet

Monday, July 8th, 2019

Canadian Department of National Defence Selects EXFIL® Carbon in Recent Tender

Cleveland-based Team Wendy® announced the release of key updates to its EXFIL® Carbon helmet today, including an enhanced Zorbium® foam liner system and updated sizing options. These updates allowed the helmet to fulfill the necessary requirements sought by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) in its tendering process, and Team Wendy won the contract with the department.

The Canadian DND will issue the EXFIL Carbon helmet over a five-year period to operators including the DND Naval Boarding Parties and other units within DND, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police tactical teams and other provincial and municipal teams. The tender was secured by 911 Supply, an authorized Team Wendy dealer in Canada.

“Given our vast experience in the design and development of helmet systems, we understand how critical the liner system is to maximize impact performance while maintaining comfort, allowing the operator to wear the helmet for long periods of time without notice,” said Jose Rizo-Patron, CEO of Team Wendy. “We were excited to revisit the EXFIL Carbon’s liner offerings to improve comfort and ease of installation while increasing its protection. We’re thrilled that this updated offering was preferred by the Canadian DND and are honored to help protect our neighbors and allies to the north.”

The following improvements will be incorporated in all EXFIL Carbons sold moving forward:

• A newly designed Zorbium foam liner that exceeds ACH Blunt Impact requirements per AR/PD10-02, 16 Dec 13, transmitting less than half the required G force across multiple impacts in all environmental conditions. Replacing the helmet’s previous liner options, the system comes standard with three impact liner pieces and eight adjustable comfort pads for optimal fit and comfort.

• An additional shell size option provides a broader fit range and increased comfort.

• A full mohawk Velcro® patch along the crown of the helmet, similar to that on the EXFIL Ballistic and EXFIL Ballistic SL, allows the user more room to mount accessories.

In addition to exceeding ACH Blunt Impact requirements, the EXFIL Carbon also exceeds the shock absorption requirements of BS EN 1385:2012 (whitewater).

The bump helmet is offered in three colors (black, coyote brown and MultiCam®) and two sizes for ease of procurement: size one (M/L) and size two (XL). The recent improvements made to the helmet will not affect its price; it continues to retail at $585.87.

The EXFIL Carbon is available for purchase on TeamWendy.com and through authorized Team Wendy dealers. Agencies in Canada interested in purchasing this helmet can contact 911 Supply for options on approved ordering channels.

Tags: Team Wendy
Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, Helmets, Press Release | 2 Comments »

US Army Seeks Direct View Optics for M4 Carbines

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019

The US Army has issued a Prototype Project Opportunity Notice (PPON) for a Direct View Optic. This is a Mid-Tier Acquisition effort to quickly identify, test and procure a 1-6x variable power optic for use with the M4A1 Carbine.

The DVO will be capable of variable power magnification with minimum magnification of 1.0x with no rounding and maximum magnification greater than or equal to 6.0 power.

Rationale: Variable power magnification optics combine the capabilities of the non-magnified optic’s ability to engage close quarter targets with a fixed-magnification optic’s ability to detect, recognize, identify, and precisely engage targets at extended ranges. This allows the Soldier to have both critical capabilities without the limitations of either non magnified or fixed magnification optics.

The Government intends to award up to four independent fixed amount Other Transactional Agreements for DVO prototyping, with the goal of delivering 15 Direct View Optic (DVO) Systems with operator manual, MIL-STD-1913 rail compatible mounting hardware, battery, and cleaning items per awardee to be delivered within 30 calendar days after OTA award date. The Government intends to evaluate and award, based on a trade-off process, up to four fixed amount, stand-alone OTAs.

Based on the results of the prototype testing and updated proposals, the Government intends to conduct an evaluation of successfully completed prototype OTAs and, select one prototype OTA awardee for award of a follow-on production Agreement or contract for a known quantity of 50 DVOs. Although, the Army currently has no requirements beyond the known quantity of 50 DVO systems, the maximum quantity of the follow-on Agreement or contact may be up to 120,000 DVO Systems. The follow-on production Agreement or contract will be for five years and will have Line Item Number (LIN) Range Pricing.

Based on source selection, the Army plans to purchase up to 120,000 optics for use by its close combat forces as well as some room in the contract for other agencies interested in purchasing them as well.

Close Combat Forces are those are most likely to conduct direct combat with the enemy and include Infantry, Cavalry Scouts, and Combat Engineers as well as those who provide them embedded support, such as Combat Medics.

Due to the DVO magnification, one potential threat is that an incoming laser could be magnified to essentially make a safe laser unsafe. Every production contract DVO will be equipped with a Laser Filter Unit (LFU) to mitigate this threat. The LFU is an objective lens end mounted filter produced to a Government specification. Other than that, and the mount requirement, the PPON leaves everything pretty open, allowing the Army to evaluate a wide variety of scopes.

Although the Army is focused on procuring a Next Generation Automatic Rifle and Carbine for these Forces, it will take several years to select these weapons and field them. The DVO will be placed quickly into service to enhance the Soldier’s ability to detect, recognize, identify, and accurately engage targets at extended ranges. The want to increase not only lethality but selectivity as well.

This isn’t the first time the Army has procured a 1-6x Optic. Last year, they selected the SIG Optics TANGO6T for use with the Squad Designated Marksman Rifle variant of H&K’s G28 in 7.62mm NATO. However, there are a lot of great optics on the market. With the Army being pretty open to looking at different options, this could very well come down to production capacity.

Closing date for this PPON is Aug 05, 2019 at 5:00 pm Eastern.

For full details, visit www.fbo.gov.

Posted in Contracts, Optics, PEO-Soldier | 7 Comments »

Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. Awarded Lightweight Body Armor Insert Contract by the United States Marine Corps Systems Command

Tuesday, June 25th, 2019

POMPANO BEACH, Fla., June 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. has been awarded a $215.9 million USD body armor contract by the United States Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM). The Marine Corps Low Intensity Threat Environment (LITE) body armor insert is a new small arms protective insert that is designed to improve the survivability and mobility of Marines by maximizing ballistic protection at a reduced weight.

“We are honored to be selected by the United State Marine Corps to provide this new lightweight body armor solution. Reducing Marine burden by providing innovative and lightweight armor solutions along with our high quality manufacturing capabilities is our expertise.” said Brian Kopan, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology. “Whether we are designing armor systems for vehicles or individual protection equipment, our mission is always focused on saving the life of those that protect us.”

For over 43 years, Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. has been the industry’s leading innovator of advanced products and designs engineered to maximize ballistic protection. The Company has shipped millions of body armor solutions to America’s service men and women, law enforcement professionals, corrections officers, Federal agents, and other key national and international customers. Point Blank will be exhibiting the full range of armor systems at this year’s AUSA Annual Meeting and Symposium in Washington, D.C. 14-16 October 2019.

www.pointblankenterprises.com

Posted in Armor, Contracts, MARCORSYSCOM, Press Release, USMC | Comments Off on Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. Awarded Lightweight Body Armor Insert Contract by the United States Marine Corps Systems Command

US Marine Corps Adoption of M18 Underscores Success of SIG SAUER Modular Handgun System Program

Monday, June 17th, 2019

NEWINGTON, N.H., (June 17, 2019) –SIG SAUER, Inc. is honored to announce that the United States Marine Corps (USMC) is set to adopt the M18, the compact variant of the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun System (MHS), as their official duty pistol.

“The Marine Corps announcement to put the M18 in service with the Marines is a very exciting development for SIG SAUER, and a true testament to the success of the MHS program,” began Ron Cohen, President & CEO, SIG SAUER, Inc. “The Marine’s procurement of the M18 brings the adoption of our Modular Handgun System full circle, as this means, beginning in 2020, either the M17 or the M18 will be officially in service with every branch of the U.S. Military.”

The M18 is a 9mm, striker-fired pistol featuring a coyote-tan PVD coated stainless steel slide with black controls. The pistol is equipped with SIGLITE front night sights and removable night sight rear plate, and manual safety.

Recently, the M18 successfully completed a MHS Material Reliability Test that consisted of firing three M18 pistols to 12,000 rounds each for a total of 36,000 rounds in accordance with the MHS requirements. Comparatively, the U.S. Army’s legacy pistol was only tested to 5,000 rounds making the test duration for the M18 pistol 2.4 times greater than that of the legacy pistol. In this testing, the M18 experienced zero stoppages despite being allowed up to twelve stoppages. Additionally, the M18 passed a parts interchange test, and met stringent accuracy and dispersion requirements.

“The success of the MHS program is the direct result of the indisputable performance and superior quality of the M17 and M18 pistols, and the commitment and dedication of the men and women of SIG SAUER to those that serve in the defense of freedom,” continued Cohen. “We are very proud, and humbled, to have earned the trust of every branch of the U.S. Military through their acceptance of the MHS program and adoption of the M17 and M18 pistols.”

Currently, the M17 and M18 are in service with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The USMC will begin their acquisition of the M18 pistol in 2020.

Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, Press Release, USMC, weapons | 40 Comments »

US Army Ground Robots to Integrate Persistent Systems Network

Thursday, June 13th, 2019

Wave Relay® MANET to serve as communication network on QinetiQ robot for CRS(I) program of record

For Immediate Release

NEW YORK, New York. – June 12, 2019 – Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”) announced today that it will be supplying its Wave Relay® mobile ad hoc networking technology to the QinetiQ North America (“QNA”) team chosen for the U.S. Army’s Common Robotic System-Individual (CRS(I)) program of record.

CRS(I) is a backpackable robot, less than 25 pounds, that dismount users can carry with sensor suites for viewing and detecting threats, providing greater situational awareness in the field.

In March, QNA won the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, valued at up to $164 million. And the company has already begun placing Low Rate Initial Production orders for Persistent’s Wave Relay®-enabling Embedded Module, which will be fitted into each new ground robot.

“We’re excited to, once again, deliver the Wave Relay® MANET to the U.S. Army and help lead the drive towards networking the battlefield,” said Leslie Hulser, Director of Programs for Persistent. “We are also very proud of our partnership with QinetiQ and congratulate them on this award.”

QNA was one of the first members of the Wave Relay® Ecosystem, an industry alliance of unmanned system and sensor companies putting their platforms on a common Wave Relay network—with the ultimate goal of giving the warfighter easy access to every unmanned vehicle, sensor and camera.

The Persistent Systems Embedded Module form-factor is QNA’s MANET radio of choice for CRS(I), providing secure, long-range data communication for the small ground robots.

For information on the Wave Relay® Ecosystem, visit www.persistentsystems.com/ecosystem

Posted in Comms, Contracts, Press Release, Robotics | Comments Off on US Army Ground Robots to Integrate Persistent Systems Network

US Army Seeks New Cold Weather Glove System

Wednesday, June 12th, 2019

Earlier today, Product Manager for Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment (PdM-SCIE), issued a pre-solicitation to Industry, announcing their intent to procure, on a full and open basis, a new modular and scalable hand wear protection system for extreme cold weather operating environments. Expect the actual Request for Proposal (RFP) for an Indefinite Delivery / Indefinite Quantity Contract to be released on or about 1 July 2019, with proposals due 30 days after RFP release. The proposal solicitation number is W911QY-19-R-0026.

For the past few years, the US Army has issued an interim Army Glove System, manufactured by Outdoor Research and based on protective handwear used by Special Operations Forces. This new Cold Weather Glove System will replace it along with other legacy cold weather handwear.

The new CWGS must meet the following requirements:

1) Environmental Protection in the temperature ranges of 40oF to -40oF Threshold (T), 40oF to -60oF or below Objective (O).

2) The CWGS shall provide flame resistance and not melt or drip when exposed to heat or flame at the next to skin level (O).

3) Hand Dexterity to allow the Soldier to write clearly, easily adjust or use radios and other equipment (optics) with small knobs or levers in temperatures 40oF to 14oF (T), 40oF to -20oF (O). Gloves must not restrict the ability to place the trigger finger cleanly inside the trigger guard at 40oF to -20oF (T), 40oF to -60oF or below (O) of individual issued or crew served weapon systems.

4) Capacitive Touch that is compatible with capacitive touchscreens or resistive screens in temperatures 40oF to 14oF (T), 40oF to -40oF (O).

5) Made of materials that contain no health hazards or Toxic Industrial Chemicals/Toxic Industrial Materials (TICs/TIMs) Threshold=Objective (T=O).

6) Don & Doff of any component of the CWGS in less than 8 seconds.

7) A camouflage pattern or solid color “over-white” capability to potentially replace the current Army over-white mitten shells (NSN 8415-01-481-3434).

8) Back of the hand comfort fabric that is a flexible pile-like fabric, which remains soft in cold conditions and shall not generate electrical static charge when rubbed. The comfort fabric will not freeze with ice and readily shed frost when shaken, and will not ignite, melt or drip in proximity to open flame. The comfort fabric shall contribute to the insulation of the cold weather glove system to protect against cold conditions and be dimensionally stable to laundering.

9) System durability for a minimum of 270 (T), 365 (O) days of operational use, in the systems intended environments/conditions without weakening of inner and outer components or separation of any parts of the CWGS.

10) Suspension & adjustability feature at the wrist that is capable of being adjusted using the free hand wearing the other glove and the capability to secure the hand wear within close proximity to the hands after removal (T=O).

11) Constructed of quick-drying materials to allow for drying time within 4 hours (T), 1 hour (O) under standard lab conditions in a heated environment.

12) Provide a slip-free grip palm and fingers, while affording sensitivity during delicate tasks in the temperature range 40oF to 14oF (T), secure grip for tools and weapons during extreme weather conditions in the temperature range 14oF to -20oF (O).

13) Compatible with all equipment and items issued to the Soldier as individual equipment or PPE (T=O).

14) Accommodate unisex hand sizes XX-Small, X-Small, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large and XX-Large.

15) Resistance to water, wind, petroleum, oils, lubricants, and detergents at a level equal to existing cold weather gloves.

16) Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) rate of greater than 7.0 grams/hour (T), greater than 10.0 grams/hour (O).

Based on drafts of these requirements, industry has developed quite a few new handwear concepts. Regardless of what the Army procured, we will all benefit from the development that has gone into this effort through new product offerings.

Posted in Contracts, Handwear | 6 Comments »

Cubic Awarded Contract to Develop Small Form Factor Radio for US Air Force

Tuesday, June 11th, 2019

Cubic Mission Solutions to deliver and demonstrate low-risk solution for Data Link Enterprise small form factor radio capability

SAN DIEGO – June 10, 2019 – Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB) today announced its Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS) business division was awarded a delivery order from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) for the development and demonstration of a Small Form Factor (SFF) Radio prototype for the Data Link Enterprise (DLE). The system is composed of one ground and one air component for improved communications capability, providing ground-to-air and air-to-ground real-time communications.

Cubic’s state-of-the-art solution is a lightweight, airborne and ground radio system delivering SFF capability in the most compact tactical radio prototype. In addition to a number of standard waveforms, Cubic’s system will demonstrate an internally developed, protected waveform known as “Boomslang.”

“We are very pleased to have been competitively selected by the USAF to develop and demonstrate our cutting-edge small form factor radio solution for the DLE,” said Mike Twyman, president, Cubic Mission Solutions. “Our system design is based on proven and mature technologies which we have implemented for a number of successful Department of Defense programs. We look forward to leveraging our expertise to provide the lowest risk and most capable solution for the DLE.”

Cubic’s SFF technical approach focuses on an architecture maximizing functionality and performance while minimizing the system’s size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) for both the ground and airborne systems. Cubic’s offering is modular, scalable and affordable with plug and play, open standard interfaces meeting Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) requirements.

“With decades of experience in developing systems for airborne and ground platforms, we are able to deliver a cost-effective solution, leveraging enhanced off-the-shelf technologies to build a prototype that will be ready for fielding in future follow on efforts,” said James Parys, program director, Cubic Mission Solutions.

Posted in Air Force, Comms, Concepts, Contracts, Design, Digitization, Press Release | Comments Off on Cubic Awarded Contract to Develop Small Form Factor Radio for US Air Force