Today’s Friday Focus we are announcing the popular FirstSpear Wind Cheater is now available in size 3X and back by popular demand is the “No Bubbles No Troubles” t-shirt that was originally debuted as a giveaway at ADS Warrior East in the FS booth. Grab this limited run shirt while supplies last!
www.first-spear.com/technical-apparel/no-bubbles-no-troubles
Palmetto State Armory has announced a new AK pistol product release. The AK-V 9mm with triangle side-folding brace and hammer-forged parts is based on the Vitayaz-Sn Russian submachine gun.
All are:
-Rated for 9mm +P+ ammunition and reportedly perform well suppressed.
-Using a Nitride 4150 barrel with 1/10 in. twist, threaded 1/2×28 for use with common 9mm muzzle devices and suppressors.
-Shipping with a U9 35 round patterned magazine (which will work in CZ Scorpion 9mm firearms) where allowed by law.
All feature:
-Forged trunnion, bolt, and bolt carrier.
-Picatinny railed hinged dust cover, designed to co-witness common low mount red dot optics with the front and rear sight(s). The dust cover is flared to prevent the safety selector from riding above the dust cover.
-PSA AK Picatinny stock adapter to replace the M4 stock adapter found in other PSA AK pistol models, allowing use of the left-side folding brace.
-PSA design utilizing the Palmetto State Armory U9 35 round magazine, and also features last round bolt hold open. The PSA AK-V will accept CZ brand scorpion magazines.
This is not as likely to cause ptyalism as LAV’s SOF-AK, but it’s still interesting.
PSA (a part of JJE Capital) advises these firearms are currently available for Pre-Order only and are expected to ship within 6-9 weeks of purchase. PSA is online at palmettostatearmory.com. Learn more about Palmetto State Armory on Breach-Bang-Clear. Connect with PSA Instagram, @palmettostatearmoryofficial.
Further details, with links to each model, below.
1 | PSA AK-V 9mm Red Wood Triangle Side-Folding Pistol
Although based on the Vitayaz-SN Russian submachine gun, the AK-V (side-folding) 9mm pistol features several modern improvements. It’s a blowback-operated system to ensure smooth cycling, features forged front trunnion, bolt, and bolt carrier, and utilizes both the PSA U9 35-round magazine (with last round bolt hold-open). The PSA AK-V will accept CZ brand Scorpion magazines.
-Single stage, single hook trigger
-Red wood upper and lower receiver
-Red wood AK grip
Additional AK-V 9mm Red Wood Pistol specs:
Forged Front Trunnion
Forged Bolt/Carrier
Stamped 1mm Steel Receiver
10.5” Nitrided 4150 Steel Barrel
9x19mm
1 in 10″ Twist
2 Port “Tanker Style” Muzzle Brake
Picatinny Top Railed, Hinged Dust Cover
Fixed Rear Sight
Enhanced Extended Safety Selector
Fire Control Group: Single Stage, Single Hook
Red Wood AK Grip
Red Wood Upper/Lower Handguard
PSA AK Picatinny Stock Adapter with Triangle Side Folding Brace
2 | PSA AK-V 9mm MOE/ALG Railed Triangle Side Folding Pistol
Also based on the Vitayaz-SN Russian submachine gun but built with a more modern aesthetic, the AK-V MOE/ALG utilizes an ALG AKT Enhanced Trigger with Lightning Bow and a 2-port tanker style muzzle brake. It has an enhanced aluminum M-LOK upper/lower handguard with top pic-rail an a Magpul AK polymer grip.
The weapon ships with a U9 35 round patterned magazine (which will work in CZ Scorpion 9mm firearms) where allowed by law.
Additional AK-V 9mm MOE/ALG Specs:
Forged Front Trunnion
Forged Bolt/Carrier
Stamped 1mm Steel Receiver
10.5” Nitrided 4150 Steel Barrel
9x19mm
1 in 10″ Twist
2 Port “Tanker Style” Muzzle Brake
Picatinny Top Railed, Hinged Dust Cover
Fixed Rear Sight
Enhanced Extended Safety Selector
Fire Control Group: ALG AKT Enhanced Trigger With Lightning Bow
Magpul AK Polymer Grip, Black
Enhanced Aluminum M-Lok Upper/Lower Handguard with Picatinny Top Rail
PSA AK Picatinny Stock Adapter With Triangle Side Folding Brace
3 | PSA AK-V 9mm MOE
Like its brothers described above, the AK-V 9mm MOE follows in the footsteps of new PSA AK-47 GF3 models. It also forged front trunnion and bolt/carrier.
Additional AK-V 9mm MOE Specs include:
Forged Front Trunnion
Forged Bolt/Carrier
Stamped 1mm Steel Receiver
10.5” Nitrided 4150 Steel Barrel
9x19mm
1 in 10″ Twist
2 Port “Tanker Style” Muzzle Brake
Picatinny Top Railed, Hinged Dust Cover
Fixed Rear Sight
Enhanced Extended Safety Selector
Fire Control Group: Single Stage, Single Hook
Magpul AK Polymer Grip, Black
Magpul AK Polymer Handguard, Black
M4 Stock Adapter with Triangle Side Folding Brace
Please join us in welcoming champion shooter, Daniel Horner, to the TYR Tactical® family as our newest Brand Ambassador.
“I’m thrilled to be an ambassador of TYR Tactical because I’ve had the opportunity to use their equipment for several years and it has never let me down,” said Daniel. “The quality is the best in the world, as are the people who work there.”
Daniel is undoubtedly the best multi-gun shooter in the world. Over his 20 years of competitive shooting, Daniel has accumulated hundreds of wins under his belt. During his 13 years at the prestigious United States Army Marksmanship Unit, he dominated the multi-gun circuit and won several of the most elite team sniper matches is the United States. After leaving active duty, Daniel is excited to continue his unrivaled performance in the shooting sports.
Daniel’s competitive edge and skills cross over to all types of shooting. He has taken the lessons learned from competitive shooting and has used them to prepare soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen for combat.
When Daniel isn’t shooting, instructing, or assisting with product development, he enjoys duck hunting with his best boy, a black Labrador retriever, named Zeus. Daniel lives in South Georgia with his wife, step-daughter, and four dogs. “I look forward to bringing the TYR Tactical brand even more visibility; I use Tyr Tactical products just about every day either hunting, training, or competing,” said Daniel.
This is the thirty third installment of ‘Max Talk Monday’ which shares select episodes from a series of instructional videos. Max Velocity Tactical (MVT) has established a reputation on the leading edge of tactical live fire and force on force training. MVT is dedicated to developing and training tactical excellence at the individual and team level.
The Tactical Reload is an important weapon manipulation for combat. This video explains the method, context, tactical considerations, and options when it comes to the Tactical Reload. Solid weapon manipulation skills are important in a tactical context, allowing you to focus on situational awareness, rather than being sucked into trying to keep your rifle running.
Do not confuse tactical cool-guy shooting with real tactical context. Train to win the fight!
This is the fourth installment of ‘Max Talk Monday’ which shares select episodes from a series of instructional videos. Max Velocity Tactical (MVT) has established a reputation on the leading edge of tactical live fire and force on force training. MVT is dedicated to developing and training tactical excellence at the individual and team level.
Max is a tactical trainer and author, a lifelong professional soldier with extensive military experience. He served with British Special Operations Forces, both enlisted and as a commissioned officer; a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Max served on numerous operational deployments, and also served as a recruit instructor. Max spent five years serving as a paramilitary contractor in both Iraq and Afghanistan; the latter two years working for the British Government in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Website: Max Velocity Tactical
YouTube: Max Velocity Tactical
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
The Marine Corps’ Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is officially ready to deploy and support missions of the naval expeditionary force-in-readiness worldwide.
Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Combat Development and Integration declared the JLTV program—part of the Light Tactical Vehicle portfolio at Program Executive Officer Land Systems—reached initial operational capability, or IOC, on Aug. 2, nearly a year ahead of schedule.
Photo by Cpl Juan Bustos
“Congratulations to the combined JLTV Team for acting with a sense of urgency and reaching IOC early,” said Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts. “Changing the speed in which we deliver, combined with coming in under cost and meeting all performance requirements, is a fine example of increasing Marine Corps capabilities at the speed of relevance which enables our Marines to compete and win on the modern battlefield.”
The JLTV, a program led by the Army, will fully replace the Corps’ aging High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle fleet. The JLTV family of vehicles comes in different variants with multiple mission package configurations, all providing protected, sustained, networked mobility that balances payload, performance and protection across the full range of military operations.
Photo by Cpl Matthew Kirk
“The warfighting capabilities the JLTV provides our Marines far exceed the capabilities offered by its predecessor,” said PEO Land Systems John Garner. “I’m proud of what our team, in collaboration with the Army, has accomplished. Their commitment to supporting the warfighter delivered an exceptional vehicle, ahead of schedule, that Marines will use to dominate on the battlefield now and well into the future.”
Several elements need to be met before a program can declare IOC of a system, which encompasses more than delivery of the system itself. The program office also had to ensure all the operators were fully trained and maintenance tools and spare parts packages were ready.
“IOC is more than just saying that the schoolhouses and an infantry battalion all have their trucks,” said Eugene Morin, product manager for JLTV at PEO Land Systems. “All of the tools and parts required to support the system need to be in place, the units must have had received sufficient training and each unit commander needs to declare that he is combat-ready.”
For the JLTV, this means the program office had to fully field battle-ready vehicles to the Marine Corps schoolhouses—School of Infantry East at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; School of Infantry West at Camp Pendleton, California; The Basic School at Quantico, Virginia; and the Motor Transport Maintenance Instruction Course at Camp Johnson, North Carolina—and to an infantry battalion at II Marine Expeditionary Force. The program office started delivering vehicles to the schoolhouses earlier this year and started delivering vehicles to the infantry battalion last month.
Photo by Sgt Timothy R. Smithers
On Aug. 2, Lt. Col. Neil Berry, the commanding officer for 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, notified Morin and his team of the unit’s combat readiness with the JLTV. On Aug. 5, The Director, Ground Combat Element Division at CD&I notified PM LTV of its IOC achievement. The JLTV is scheduled to start fielding to I MEF and III MEF before the end of September.
According to LTV Program Manager Andrew Rodgers, during the post-acquisition Milestone C rebaseline of the JLTV schedule in January 2016, IOC was projected to occur by June 2020.
Rodgers says that detailed program scheduling, planning and, most importantly, teamwork with stakeholders across the enterprise enabled the program office to deliver the vehicles and reach IOC ahead of schedule.
“It was definitely a team effort, and we built up a really great team,” said Rodgers. “In terms of leadership, our product managers’—both Gene Morin and his predecessor, Dave Bias—detailed focus and ability to track cost, schedule and performance was key. Neal Justis, our deputy program manager, has significant prior military experience working for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, so having him on board knowing how to work the Pentagon network was a huge force multiplier.”
Rodgers is quick to note that, although the team has reached IOC, this is really only the beginning of the JLTV’s future legacy.
“We are really at the starting line right now. Our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will see JLTVs in the DOD,” said Rodgers. “We’ll easily still have these assets somewhere in the DOD in the year 2100. Welcome to the start of many generations of JLTVs.”
By Ashley Calingo, PEO Land Systems Public Affairs | Marine Corps Systems Command
CAMP WILLIAMS, Utah —
The Utah National Guard’s 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) will held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly built Staff Sgt. Aaron Rhett Butler Special Forces Readiness Center, at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 9, 2019 at Camp Williams.
This state-of-the-art building has been in the works for the past 10 years, and broke ground for construction on Oct. 17, 2017. It has been built by Jacobsen Construction of Salt Lake City, at a cost of $39 million. The more than 140,000-square-foot facility will serve as the administrative building, classroom building and main training and operations space for the 19th Special Forces Group Headquarters and 1st Battalion, 19th SFG (A). The project will not officially be completed until the end of September.
The building is dedicated to Staff Sgt. Aaron R. Butler who was killed in action on Aug. 16, 2017, while engaging with the enemy in Afghanistan. The loss of Butler reminds us that the focus of the 19th SFG (A) is to provide quality training to each service member, in preparation to defend the U.S. and free the oppressed in far reaches of the world.
The 19th SFG (A) is growing to become one of the largest major commands in Utah. The 19th SFG (A) originally constituted in the Utah National Guard on May 1, 1960 and enjoys a long and successful history as one of only two National Guard Special Forces Groups in the nation. Its unique mission, capabilities and unit cohesiveness have been demonstrated may times around the globe. From its earliest exercises in the Republic of Korea to the continuing War on Terrorism, the Soldiers of the 19th SFG (A) continue to be a relevant asset to international defense initiatives while also being leaders in their respective local communities.
The armory employs approximately 120 full-time personnel and hosts more than 600 Soldiers every month for training.
MAJ D.J. Gibb, the Utah National Guard PAI initially prepared this report as a media advisory.
If you have been diving for a while now, you have undoubtedly come across the SCUBAPRO Twin Jet Open Heel Split Fins. They bear a unique patented split fin propeller technology, which provides maximum propulsion with minimal effort underwater. With those main features, they can enhance your dives while avoiding cramped leg muscles and strained ankles.
The revolutionary patented design of the SCUBAPRO Twin Jet Open Heel Split Fins was inspired by the dynamic propulsion of the humpback whale. The blades unique shape and angle provide symmetrical power to help you create a smoother, more stable kicks without wearing you out or causing drag. At the same time, it allows you to move more quickly and effortlessly while swimming at great depths, despite the long blade length—all without sacrificing control.
As a diving fin, the SCUBAPRO Twin Jet is made with both an open-heeled and a full-foot version. The Open Heel comes with a broader foot pockets and offers a more customizable fit for those wearing dive boots for use in colder, deeper waters or boots for over the beach operations/ VBSS. Having strapped fins gives you the chance to adjust the fit as your boots start to compress at greater depths when diving.
The fin straps come with quick-connect swivel buckles, which makes donning and doffing easier. You can also change the rubber heel strap out, to take advantage of the optional spring heel straps. The SCUBAPRO Twin Jet open-heeled fins are one of the most comfortable fins on the market.
They come in different Colors and Buoyancy Options. SCUBAPRO has kept different types of divers in mind when they designed the Twin Jet Fins line. You’ll find that the fins come in multiple color options—black, blue, gray, and yellow—but it’s also important to note that the different colors signify differences buoyancy also.
The black fins are the best, for military divers, as they are negatively buoyant and provide a more traditional fining experience with its rigid blades. But if you’re looking for more flexible blades and don’t mind having slightly positively buoyant fins.
Product Features:
• Monprene® Construction
• Patented Split-Fin Propeller Technology
• Extra-Wide Foot Pocket
• Extended Soleplate
• Drag-Reducing Vents
• Quick-Connect Swivel Buckles
• Compatible with Spring Heel Straps
Key Benefits:
• Powerful Propulsion with Minimal Effort
• Smooth and Stable Kicks
• Preserves Energy
• Reduces Drag
• Fits Boots
• Easy Donning and Doffing
• Highly durable and Will Last a Lifetime
One of the only drawbacks for the Twin Jet fins is if you have to push something thru the water besides just you. But add something like pulling a buddy or ruck. Then you might want to go with a stiffer fin like Jet fin’s or SeaWing Nova Gorilla. The Spilt fin’s are one of the most popular used by the military and countless divers around the world.
The legendary toughness of the Navy’s SEAL teams was on display as the general in charge of U.S. Special Operations Command addressed the 57 sailors graduating from SEAL Qualification Training Class 322 in Coronado, Calif.
Socom Commander Army Gen. Richard Clarke opened his Aug. 2 address noting he felt fortunate to be addressing the graduating class.
“I am glad to break the streak as the first U.S. Army officer and the first U.S. Army Ranger to preside over a [SEAL qualification] graduation,” Clarke said.
The class began training 15 months ago with 157 students. The physical and mental challenges the sailors faced whittled down the numbers and polished those who made it through to graduation.
“For each of you preparing to walk across this stage, it is an almost indescribable achievement,” Clarke said.
The new SEALs are a diverse group, hailing from 21 different states, the general said, telling the graduates the only thing they shared when the training began “was a desire to test yourselves, to experience a unique challenge, to be part of something bigger than yourselves and to put the needs of the nation ahead of your own.”
Clarke noted the new SEALs have charged through the surf many times in the past 15 months of training, but the next time they do it, it will be different — it will be as members of operational units.
“Right now, around the globe, Navy SEALs — your teammates — are hard at work,” Clarke said. “SEALs have — and will continue to play — an active and vital role in our national security efforts.”
SEALs continue to quietly and professionally set the conditions for their fellow service members to deter, disrupt and defeat any adversary, the general said. “You can be sure that we will continue to ask our SEALs to accept the most difficult missions,” he said. “This will challenge you in ways you cannot anticipate, and you need to be ready now.”
That these missions will require physical and technical competence is a given. But they will also require the SEALs to demonstrate character, the general told the graduates. “The themes of trust and of teamwork have been a large part of your training,” Clarke said. “Across the [Special Operations Command] enterprise, trust is our currency with the American people. It’s a powerful but fragile credibility that each of us must guard fiercely.”
“The American people trust that you — that we — will take on these challenges,” he added. “That we will not only win, but win with honor [and] with your values intact. Never allow a disordered loyalty to an individual or team to obscure the values, commitment and trust you share with your great Navy service, with Socom and with the nation.”
Clarke said the new SEALs will have lives in their hands, and that how they respond will affect their fellow citizens. Graduating from the SEAL Qualification Course is the first step. “We count your success here as assurance of your courage, your competence and, most of all, your character. I know that all of you are sufficient for the task,” he said.
The next time they have to wade into cold waters, Clarke said, he wants them to “wade into the unknown boldly, and keep your hands steady.”
The new SEALs are now part of this greater team of special operators who “share a common commitment to protect the American people, our prosperity and, most important, our way of life,” Clarke said.
BY JIM GARAMONE, Defense.gov
