TYR Tactical

Archive for the ‘Industry’ Category

Light Hybrid Vehicles in the Portfolio: Rheinmetall Acquires Dutch Startup REEQ

Monday, March 18th, 2024

Rheinmetall has acquired the Dutch startup REEQ, thereby expanding its vehicle portfolio to include innovative light hybrid vehicles. At the beginning of March 2024, the technology group’s Dutch subsidiary Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V., which is part of the Vehicle Systems Division, acquired 100% of the shares in the Dutch start-up REEQ. Rheinmetall is thus expanding its portfolio of lightweight tactical vehicles and also taking the step towards hybrid technology with a fully electric drivetrain in a military vehicle. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

With its vehicles, REEQ has developed a new generation of mobility that combines tactical transport with a mobile energy source (microgrid) and is fully prepared for autonomy. The technology was developed and is produced in the Netherlands.

Currently, REEQ’s vehicle portfolio consists of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), a side-by-side buggy and a quad, all three with exactly the same fully electric drive train. Through the acquisition of REEQ, Rheinmetall is able to serve the Dutch and European market in the field of light tactical mobility, both manned and unmanned, in combination with a microgrid solution. Rheinmetall’s industrial strength and the innovative power of a start-up complement each other. Within the Rheinmetall Group, REEQ retains its status as a start-up in the field of development. The further development and series production of these vehicles will also take place in the Netherlands.

With this acquisition Rheinmetall is responding to the many calls from Dutch politicians and defense leaders to contribute with industrial strength and specialization to the operational user and strengthening of the defense industry. With the development and production from the Netherlands, the strategic autonomy and the Dutch position in the field of military electrification and autonomy in the international defense industry has also been strengthened.

Located in the city of Ede, Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. is part of the Vehicle Systems Division and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH. Rheinmetall AG is one of the world’s leading technology enterprises.

REEQ is a Dutch start-up and has been in existence since 2018. In that year REEQ carried out a first innovation project regarding electromobility in the military sector on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Defence. In later years, REEQ has developed further in this field of experience.

Dave Roberts Joins B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. as Creative Director of Marketing

Monday, March 18th, 2024

March 15, 2024 (Redmond, WA) B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc, a leading provider of Advanced Photonics, is proud to announce that Mr. Dave Roberts has joined the team as the Creative Director of Marketing.

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the B.E. Meyers & Co. team,” said Mr. Roberts. “I am enthusiastic about contributing to the company’s marketing efforts for its world-class Advanced Photonics products and consider myself fortunate to be a part of such an outstanding organization.”

Mr. Roberts has acquired extensive experience in marketing and design over the last 30 years, the last 16 of which have been in the firearms and defense industry. Most recently, Mr. Roberts was the VP of Marketing and Business Development for Zev Technologies. As the new head of Marketing, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as well as expertise in marketing strategy and brand development to B.E. Meyers & Co.

Mr. Roberts was born and raised in the UK, settled in California upon his arrival to the US, and later moved to Washington state where he currently lives with his wife and two children. Dave proudly became a US citizen in 2017.

bemeyers.com

MSR Announces Free API Plugin

Thursday, March 14th, 2024

MSR Distribution is proud to announce a new FREE WordPress plugin for retailers. With our plugin, you get full access to our inventory, electronic order submission to your MSR Distribution account, and an FFL picker for customers to choose an FFL for firearm shipments.

MSR Distribution has already seen an increase in of up to 65% in business for shops that have added our API.

With MSR Distribution’s unique inventory lineup we are seeing dealers attract new customers. For example, MSR Distribution has an exclusive with MarColMar products. MarColMar’s 5.56 Cetme is a historical piece that has gained popularity in the past 24 months. With our new plugin, dealers are now featuring this hot product on their homepage at no extra cost!

How can our API and WordPress Plugin help you?

• Our inventory is your inventory! Add thousands of products to your online shop.

• Sell firearms and accessories to local and nationwide customers through dropship.

• List your own store inventory as well.

• Orders with MSR products automatically submitted to your MSR account.

• Your customer order is updated with tracking information when shipped.

• Full control over retail pricing. Use a store wide markup percentage, and/or manage prices on a per product basis.

“Adding MSR’s plugin to an e-commerce site is a low risk way for dealers to increase their revenue. It just makes good business sense”, says Chris Thomas, MSR’s General Manager.

To sign up for MSR’s API please contact your representative or email us at ffl@msrdistribution.com. Our representatives will gladly walk you through the process!

 

Alcon Celebrates 15 Years of Dedicated Defence Braking Success

Wednesday, March 13th, 2024

Alcon Components Ltd, the highly acclaimed UK-based brake and clutch company, is celebrating the key milestone of 15 years since supplying their first fully designed for Defence caliper. The company has deep roots in the highest echelons of motorsport and performance automotive that have been extended, over time, to include multiple other specialist sectors. As well as a considerable 25(+) years in defence and
security, Alcon has also effectively diversified into aerospace ground support, agriculture, mining, emergency services, leisure off-road, light commercial, off-highway and electric vehicles.

Having been supplying heavy duty brake kits for armoured vehicles to companies such as Jankel and Jaguar Land Rover since the 1990’s, the very first bespoke Alcon defence project was an iron caliper solution for Ricardo started in August 2008. Alcon were asked to provide prototype calipers for a modified RWMIK Land Rover that was going to be demonstrated to the UK MoD that October. Alcon designed, manufactured, and
tested a six-piston aluminium billet caliper within six weeks that was used on the demonstrator vehicle. They received an order for production components in November 2008, which allowed the company to tool up for their first production iron caliper, delivered in early 2009.

This project was shortly followed by an order from Supacat to improve the Jackal braking system that had become overmatched by the addition of heavy armour systems, to meet increasing threats in Afghanistan. This project included iron calipers, braking discs, and friction pads. The iron caliper range is now firmly embedded into the Alcon offering across multiple applications, alongside their aluminium high performance and motorsport ranges.

Alcon’s journey into the defence and security sector has been split across three different strategic approaches: off-the-shelf kits for companies armouring SUVs; bespoke braking solutions for OEMs; and the
supply of braking solutions to established axle manufacturers who sell into defence and the off-highway vehicle markets (amongst others). Across all three areas, Alcon’s defence and security business has grown 500% in the last 2 0 years and their specialist vehicle division now delivers around 20% of Alcon’s total annual revenue, on average.

Since the first bespoke Defence project was delivered in 2008, Alcon’s defence and security customer base has grown steadily to include over 15 defence vehicle OEM’s with bespoke Alcon braking solutions including BAE, QinetiQ, Patria and Supacat. On the kit side, Alcon has sold off-the-shelf kits to over 50 armouring companies including JLR, Babcock, Jankel, UTAC and many others, for vehicles including Toyota, Ford,
General Motors, Jeep, Lexus, Land Rover, Mercedes, Nissan, Chrysler (Dodge/RAM) and Skoda. Axle customers have included AxleTech, BASE, SISU and PRM Newage with the heaviest single caliper having been designed for AxleTech (now Cummins) weighing 27kg each. Vehicle weights range from 1,500kg to 60,000kg and applications range from heavily armoured tracked vehicles to lightweight side-by-side ATVs plus, everything in between.

Jonathan Edwards, Group Sales Director at Alcon said: “Working in defence and security makes us
exceedingly proud as we know that the improvements in performance and safety that our braking systems deliver, help to save the lives of those operating in dangerous and harsh environments with militaries and NGO’s. In the last 25(+) years, we’ve worked with over 80 different defence and security customers and in that time, we’ve manufactured and delivered tens of thousands of brake components for this sector.

The transition from aluminium to iron calipers in 2008 was a pivotal move for us as it has since opened up wide-ranging opportunities in specialist areas other than defence”. He added: “We’ve absolutely proven ourselves to be the place to come to for bespoke or off-the-shelf braking solutions that increase performance, reduce weight, improve safety, and reduce through-life costs. Today’s celebration of success is a proud moment for me and for the entire team. I thank all our defence and security customers for trusting in us and we look forward to continuing to deliver our ongoing growth plans in this important marketplace”.

AARDVARK Tactical’s PROJECT7 Armor Updates XPV, Expands Production

Monday, March 11th, 2024

La Verne, CA: PROJECT7 Armor is pleased to announce new additions to the in-demand Xternal Patrol Vest (XPV) product line as well as the company’s production process. Effective immediately, the XPV is available in a new Uniform style carrier as well as two new colorways, navy blue and tan 499. In addition to the expanded XPV product options, PROJECT7 (P7) is increasing production capacity for all products. Both updates are driven by increased demand for PROJECT7’s industry-leading tactical armor systems.

The XPV launched in the spring of 2023 and since then, has been in demand by law enforcement and firefighters. The platform was designed to reimagine how police officers, detectives, K-9 handlers, firefighters, and paramedics are armored. The new uniform carrier and two new color options come in response to customer demand and bring the total number of color options to seven.

This product update aligns with the XPV’s intended goal to provide customizable solutions for individual officers. The vest offers the benefits of a four-panel, tactical vest shape in a patrol-compatible vest that has multiple configurations to fit specific use cases. The XPV can be worn with its external carrier and ballistics alone or, for missions that require concealment or when wearing a Class A uniform, the optional internal concealable carrier and ballistic panels can be worn under a uniform or street clothes.

One of the XPV’s most revolutionary features is the four-panel design. While traditional patrol vests utilize a two-panel construction (front and rear), the XPV’s four-piece design (front, rear, and two cummerbunds) supports better sizing and greater coverage without sacrificing comfort. This improves mobility and wearability over traditional two-panel designs while also providing better coverage. Unlike other vests on the market, the XPV adapts to officers over time, offering a continuous fit over the service life of the vest regardless of officers’ weight fluctuation or changes to body composition.

In addition to the updated XPV product options, PROJECT7 is also expanding its production capacity across its product lines. This is in response to a near 100% growth in PROJECT7 sales year-over-year. With the culmination of years of research, development, consultation, and testing, PROJECT7 has grown to offer a wide variety of platforms, helmets, and ballistic shields – aimed at providing the right solution for every user and threat.

Speaking about the development of PROJECT7, founder Jon Becker said, “We are extremely excited to expand the XPV product line and grow our manufacturing capability. When we started PROJECT7, it was our dream to build the absolute best possible armor system in direct cooperation with our end users. The rapid adoption we have seen, combined with our clients’ love for the brand has made that dream a reality and we are profoundly grateful for all the support. An end user entrusting their safety to PROJECT7 is the highest possible compliment we can receive.”

To learn more about the XPV, visit https://shop.aardvarktactical.com/pages/project-7-armor-xpv To learn more about all of PROJECT7’s products, visit www.project7armor.com

Blast From The Past – Scorpion

Monday, March 11th, 2024

Here’s an image of the tag in the original Scorpion uniforms by Crye Associates, now known as Crye Precision. I wish they’d do a T-shirt.

GeoCue Welcomes The LiDAR Pros to Its Distribution Network

Sunday, March 10th, 2024

The New Partnership Expands LiDAR Coverage Throughout the Western United States

Huntsville, Alabama – GeoCue, a leading provider of drone LiDAR mapping hardware and software, is pleased to announce the addition of The LiDAR Pros (TLP) to its growing distribution network. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, The LiDAR Pros will serve as a key distributor covering Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Southern California, and Western Arizona providing TrueView 3D Imaging Sensors, fully integrated LiDAR systems from Microdrones, and LP360 LiDAR Processing Software.

The LiDAR Pros, a startup powered by Sundance Media Group (SMG), brings over 50 years of industry expertise to the table. Specializing in NDAA-compliant UAS products and offering a “white glove” experience with LiDAR and photogrammetry workflows, The LiDAR Pros caters to clients in the Departments of Transportation, AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction), and public safety organizations seeking precision measurement aerial technologies.

“We aim to provide a seamless experience for our customers, from training to final delivery,” said Douglas Spotted Eagle, head of Marketing/Client Relationships at The LiDAR Pros. “With a focus on NDAA-compliant products, we proudly offer the full Microdrones and GeoCue lineup. Teaming up with Sundance Media Group allows us to provide unparalleled training expertise. Through this collaboration, we will offer a ‘try-before-you-buy’ approach, providing actual paid services and full deliverables. LP360 processing software will serve as the backbone of our offerings, ensuring efficiency and accuracy in our workflow.”

Jennifer Pidgen, Owner, and COO of Sundance Media Group, commented on the strategic importance of the collaboration, saying, “We believe that there’s significant opportunity in the industry right now because not everyone understands LiDAR. Our goal is to address challenges, fears, concerns, and elevate the understanding of LiDAR and the opportunities that aerial data capture can provide.”

Aaron Beach, the Western Representative for GeoCue has worked with Douglas for many years and praises the new approach. “They’ve brought together a team of seasoned experts with extensive backgrounds in the LiDAR industry, many of whom have also excelled in complementary fields,” said Beach. “Their collective experience spans over 80 years across various verticals, allowing The LiDAR Pros to bridge the knowledge gap for their clients, and show them how to leverage LiDAR and photogrammetry to their fullest potential.”

Douglas shared further insight stating, “As industry professionals, we’ve extensively evaluated various LiDAR manufacturers and providers. Our experience has unequivocally shown that no one matches the innovation and excellence brought forth by GeoCue. From hardware to software, GeoCue’s integration sets them apart, offering unparalleled ease of use and quality of deliverables.”

The LiDAR Pros Brady Reisch, whose responsibilities include LP360 processing, AutoCAD outputs, and mission operations has been working directly with end-users for a decade, growing his experience out of his background in architecture and drafting. “I’ve been very happy working with the TrueView 535 on our mid-lift UAS, capturing data that until recently, was very expensive and somewhat complicated to capture. Today, managing LiDAR data in LP360, we’re able to provide an extremely high-quality product with unbelievably fast turnarounds.”

GeoCue’s partnership with The LiDAR Pros emphasizes its commitment to providing high-quality LiDAR solutions to customers across various industries. With The LiDAR Pros’ extensive experience and dedication to client satisfaction, this collaboration will drive innovation and streamline workflows for aerial data capture and analysis.

Saab Starts Construction of New Carl-Gustaf Factory in India

Sunday, March 10th, 2024

Saab has today marked the start of the construction of its new Carl-Gustaf® manufacturing facility in India with a ground breaking ceremony. The factory will be located in the state of Haryana.

After receiving approval of 100% foreign direct investment, Saab has established a new company, Saab FFVO India Pvt Ltd, which will fully own the new manufacturing facility and produce the Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon.

“I am proud to start constructing our first facility outside Sweden for Carl-Gustaf, a product that has a long history with the Indian Armed Forces. We look forward to starting production of our excellent product, now engineered and made in India”, says Görgen Johansson, Senior Vice President and Head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.

“Today is an important milestone for Sweden and India. Saab’s factory will be the first foreign fully-owned defence production facility in India. It is a testament to the strong bilateral relationship between our countries,” says Håkan Jevrell, State Secretary for Foreign Trade, Sweden. 

The facility is being built in the state of Haryana at the MET City at Jhajjar. The state has a strong industrial base of good potential partners and skilled employees.

Saab will partner with Indian suppliers and will fully meet the requirements of “Make in India” for the systems manufactured in the facility. At the new factory, Saab will deploy complex technologies including the latest sighting technology and advanced carbon fibre winding to manufacture Carl-Gustaf M4 for the Indian armed forces, and components which may be included in other users’ systems. 

The Carl-Gustaf system has been in service with the Indian Army since 1976 and is established as the main shoulder launched weapon in the Indian Armed Forces.