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Jennifer Biegel Returns as CEO/President of CMC Triggers, San Tan Tactical, and SOUSA Optics – Ushering in a New Era of Innovation and Growth

Monday, July 7th, 2025

Fort Worth, TX – CMC Triggers is proud to announce the return of Jennifer Biegel as Chief Executive Officer and President of CMC Triggers, San Tan Tactical, and SOUSA Optics. With a powerful blend of legacy, leadership, and vision, Jennifer’s return marks a bold new chapter for this growing family of firearm and optics brands.

Jennifer began her career in the family business in 2010, playing a pivotal role in transforming CMC Triggers into one of the industry’s most respected and elite trigger manufacturers. Under her leadership, the company experienced rapid growth, expanded its product lines, and became a household name among competitive shooters, military professionals, and firearm enthusiasts.

During her tenure, the company strategically acquired San Tan Tactical, a precision firearms manufacturer known for its superior craftsmanship and innovation, and SOUSA Optics, a rising optics brand committed to performance and durability. These acquisitions expanded the company’s portfolio and positioned the group to deliver a complete firearms solution—from trigger to rifle to glass.

In 2021, Jennifer stepped away from the family business to launch a firearms industry consulting firm and successfully opened her first retail gun store in Phoenix, Arizona. Her hands-on experience as both a strategic advisor and retail operator further deepened her industry expertise and customer insight.

“I’m incredibly excited to be back,” said Jennifer Biegel. “This is more than a business—it’s my legacy and my passion. I’m committed to pushing innovation, empowering our teams, and delivering products that exceed the expectations of today’s shooters. With CMC Triggers, San Tan Tactical, and SOUSA Optics under one roof, we’re uniquely positioned to lead the industry.”

Under Jennifer’s leadership, the companies are poised for expansion into new markets, deeper customer engagement, and continued excellence in quality, service, and performance.

About CMC Triggers

Based in Texas, CMC Triggers is an industry leader in drop-in trigger systems for AR-platform rifles and handguns. Known for exceptional reliability and precision, CMC Triggers is trusted by law enforcement, military, and civilian shooters nationwide.

About San Tan Tactical

San Tan Tactical is a manufacturer of precision-machined firearms and components, proudly made in the USA. Known for innovation, durability, and exceptional design, San Tan Tactical serves both professional and recreational shooters with American-made excellence.

About SOUSA Optics

SOUSA Optics is a forward-thinking optics brand offering rugged, high-performance scopes and sights for hunters, competitive shooters, and defense professionals. Built to perform in the harshest environments, SOUSA stands for strength, clarity, and trust.

Contacts:

info@cmctriggers.com

www.cmctriggers.com

www.santantactical.com

www.sousaoptics.com

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MARTE – Main ARmoured Tank of Europe

Thursday, July 3rd, 2025

Key Facts:

MARTE ARGE leading a consortium of 51 entities from 11 EU Member States plus Norway

MARTE project awarded by European Commission with a grant of approximately €20 Mio. from the European Defence Fund (EDF)

Comprehensive Consortium to design the next generation, future Main Battle Tank system

Grant Agreement signed and Kick-Off-Meeting conducted: Project successfully launched

The European defense sector takes a significant step forward with the launch of the Project MARTE (acronym for Main ARmoured Tank of Europe), a cutting-edge and highly promising initiative designed to strengthen Europe’s technological autonomy by addressing the crucial asset of a Main Battle Tank (MBT) System.

Coordinated and led by MARTE ARGE GbR, a joint venture company between KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co.KG and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, the MARTE project brings together complementary industrial partners including leading, large entities as well as MidCaps, research institutions and innovative Small and Medium Enitities (SMEs). The ambitious proposal prepared and submitted to the European Commission has been awarded with a Grant from the European Defence Fund of approximately €20 Mio. In addition to the funding granted by the European Commission, the MARTE consortium receives strong support from in total 11 Ministries of Defense (MoDs) as potential future customers. Led by the German MoD, the MoDs from the following Member States are contributing: Belgium, Spain, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania and Sweden. At a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty, this initiative expresses the desire for greater strategic autonomy in defense and security matters and thus MARTE represents a strategic investment in Europe’s defense capabilities.

MARTE aims to conduct study and design activities to create a future MBT-System, that adequately meets current and future threats, and the harmonized needs of the European Member States involved. By integrating innovative and disruptive technologies a resilient defense system is to be designed, tailored to the evolving challenges of modern warfare and considering lessons learned from current conflicts.

To achieve this ambitious goal, a consortium composed of 51 legal entities from 12 European Countries (11 Member States plus Norway) has agreed to contribute their respective expertise and gained experiences in the best possible way. MARTE is fostering technological innovation and leveraging cross-border collaboration.

In its role as coordinator, MARTE ARGE takes over the project coordination and manages the project with support of the consulting company Erdyn and a core team of five top-tier defense companies: KNDS Deutschland GmbH & Co.KG and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (both Germany), Leonardo SPA (Italy), Indra Sistemas SA (Spain) and SAAB AB (Sweden).

Building on their pertinent and significant know-how and know-why in the field of Main Battle Tanks, each of them manages one of the five technical Work Packages in which the project’s scope has been clustered – with all further companies (see depiction below) contributing with their relevant technical knowledge.

With MARTE ARGE and the European Commission signing the Grant Agreement, the MARTE project started on 01st of December 2024 officially. By conducting the Kick-Off Meeting on 5th and 6th of December 2024 in Stockholm, MARTE ARGE as project coordinator brought together both key stakeholders as well as all consortium partners and launched the project with great success.

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Whiskey 7 // New Ownership, Same Mission

Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

La Familia,

Telling the story of Whiskey 7.

It’s officially under new ownership—but not new hands.

For those who’ve been with us for a while, I’m not a brand-new face, but you may not know me. And that was by design. My name is Riley, I’ve been quietly working behind the scenes across the tactical space—building gear, leading production, and designing for companies you’ve likely come to trust:

Free State Gear — where I was the only employee.

Bald Bros — where I served as manager.

And most recently, Whiskey 7 — where I served as Production Manager.

I’ve lived the grind, the late nights, the trial-and-error, the stitched fingers, and the problem-solving that turns good ideas into gear that lasts. Over time, my role grew— because I gave everything I had to the craft. That same mindset brought me here.

So what’s changing? Nothing important. And everything that matters.

The same mission remains: gear that’s functional, durable, and made for those who don’t just talk tactics—they live them. But you’ll also see a new life—fresh designs, deeper community engagement, and a commitment to honoring the legacy while forging something entirely our own.

This isn’t a rebrand. It’s a continuation. And the best is yet to come.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for trusting Whiskey 7.

Our dedicated production team is here with us and they are instrumental in what drives us forward as well.

Now let’s carry on mission.

— Riley

Owner, Whiskey 7

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Chemring Group PLC: Acquisition of Landguard Systems

Monday, June 30th, 2025

Chemring is pleased to announce the conditional acquisition of Landguard Nexus Limited (“Landguard”) and its wholly owned subsidiaries Landguard Systems Inc and Landguard Systems Limited (collectively the “Landguard Group”) (the “Acquisition”). The Acquisition creates further opportunities for Chemring to enhance the growth of its Roke business.

Acquisition overview

Landguard, based in Fareham, Hampshire, designs, manufactures, and supports, software defined radio (“SDR”) systems and associated security products that enable defence, government, and law enforcement customers to protect crucial operational assets. These specialist systems include high performance tracking products operating across satellite communications, cellular networks and other radio frequency technologies, as well as SDR transceivers which provide flexible and reprogrammable radio capabilities incorporating the latest interoperability standards.

Landguard’s operational agility, and unique technologies, enables it to satisfy customer requirements across the complete product lifecycle of design, manufacturing, and after-sales operational support. The acquisition brings thirty specialist engineers to Roke in addition to a suite of market leading products, unique intellectual property and a range of complementary customer relationships. The current owner-managers of Landguard are expected to remain with Chemring following completion of the Acquisition.

The consideration of up to £20m will be satisfied by a £14m cash payment on completion, funded from Chemring’s existing bank facilities, and cash earnouts totalling up to £6m subject to certain performance targets. In the year ended 31 January 2025, Landguard’s turnover was c.£7m. The acquisition is expected to be marginally earnings enhancing in the year ending 31 October 2026.

Completion of the transaction is subject to approval under the UK National Investment and Security Act.

Opportunity and rationale

The Acquisition creates further opportunities for Chemring to enhance and accelerate growth of its Roke business whilst driving strong operational synergies. The combination of Roke’s Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities (“CEMA”) pedigree and Landguard’s modular, high-performance technologies creates a unique UK Sovereign portfolio of Defence, National Security and Law Enforcement products and capabilities that can be immediately shared with Roke’s existing Defence and National Security customers and also used to enhance its significant (>£300 million) international sales pipeline.

Michael Ord, Chief Executive of Chemring, commented:

“The acquisition of Landguard further enhances Roke’s significant operational capabilities and is further evidence of Chemring delivering its strategy of delivering growth through a combination of organic investment and bolt-on acquisitions in high-priority defence and national security markets.”

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Sierra Bullets Celebrates Sponsored Shooters’ Success in 2025 Hodgdon Punisher Positional

Sunday, June 29th, 2025

SEDALIA, M.O. – June 26, 2025 – Sierra Bullets congratulates Levi Wilson and Ryan Adams on their outstanding performances in the 2025 Hodgdon Punisher Positional, held June 21 at Severance Training Center in Conway Springs, Kansas. Competing against a group of 106 shooters in this one-day Precision Rifle Series (PRS) match, Sierra-sponsored shooters Levi Wilson and Ryan Adams both placed in the top five of the open division.

Levi Wilson secured third place, and Ryan Adams secured fifth place. Both shooters showcased exceptional marksmanship and consistency throughout a challenging match. The 2025 Hodgdon Punisher Positional featured 20 meticulously designed stages, where shooters had to navigate both man-made barricades and natural terrain. The positional-style match included targets ranging from 350 to 940 yards, most falling within the 800-yard mark, testing precision under varied conditions.

“Sierra Bullets is incredibly proud of Levi and Ryan for securing spots in the top five at the Hodgdon Punisher Positional” said Sierra Bullets’ VP of Marketing and Business Development Andrew Sparks. “It was an intense competition that demanded outstanding skill and precision, and they truly rose to the challenge. We’re grateful to work with such a talented group of athletes and look forward to what’s ahead.”

As both Wilson and Adams continue to distinguish themselves as standouts in the PRS community, their commitment to excellence sets Sierra-sponsored shooters apart as leaders in the sport. Both shooters competed with Sierra’s 6mm 110 grain HPBT/CN MatchKing, demonstrating the bullet’s precision and reliability in competition. Their performances at the 2025 Hodgdon Punisher Positional are a strong demonstration of Sierra Bullets’ focus, delivering unmatched accuracy and consistency in the most demanding precision shooting environments.

Shooters sponsored by Sierra Bullets compete at the highest level with Sierra’s Match/Targetproduct line. Winning takes dedication and determination, which is the heart and soul that goes into every Sierra bullet. To shoot the bullets used by top athletes around the world, shop Sierra Match/Target bullets. Sierra Bullets looks forward to continuing its support of these talented athletes and is excited to see what the future holds for them in upcoming competitions.

For more information on the latest new products and offerings from Sierra Bullets, visit www.sierrabullets.com.

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Chemring – Norwegian Feasibility Study moves to Second Stage

Saturday, June 28th, 2025

Chemring’s 2025 interim results announcement, published on 3 June, provided an update on the joint feasibility study between the Norwegian Government and Chemring Nobel, Chemring’s Norwegian subsidiary. This study, which commenced in October 2024, was initiated to assess the feasibility of an additional new production facility to significantly increase the production of military explosives, which are crucial to multiple NATO missile and munitions systems.

The first phase of this co-funded feasibility study investigated the geographic location, infrastructure requirements and environmental considerations of building a new production facility.

Chemring is pleased to announce that the Norwegian Government has confirmed that the study will now progress to its second phase. This concept selection phase will determine the size of the facility, along with the commercial arrangements, and is expected to be finalised next year.

Michael Ord, Chief Executive of Chemring, commented:

“We are delighted that the Norwegian Government has confirmed that this important study will continue to the next phase. This decision is a further indicator of the critical need to rapidly increase capacity across the European defence industrial base.

“This decision is further evidence of Chemring delivering its strategy of delivering growth through a combination of organic investment and bolt-on acquisitions in high-priority defence and national security markets.”

www.chemring.com

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GA-ASI Announces Investment in Dutch Technology Innovator Arceon

Friday, June 27th, 2025

Selection Follows Successful Pitch During Blue Magic Netherlands Event

SAN DIEGO – 26 June 2025 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announces an investment in another Dutch business, Arceon, following the inaugural Blue Magic Netherlands (BMN) event held in November 2024. GA-ASI is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems and related mission systems.

GA-ASI selected Arceon following a compelling pitch they made during the BMN event and after detailed business and technology discussions with GA-ASI and GA’s affiliates, General Atomics Energy and General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems. Arceon joins Emergent Swarm Solutions and Saluqi Motors as companies receiving investment from GA-ASI following the BMN event.

Arceon is revolutionizing high-performance ceramic composites through their innovative, fast, scalable, and cost-effective melt infiltration process. Their cutting-edge Carbeon carbon-ceramic components — engineered for applications such as nozzles, nozzle extensions, leading edges, nose caps, and airframes — are tailored to meet the increasing and rigorous demands of the space and defense sectors.

“We are honored to collaborate with General Atomics in advancing hypersonic development. This milestone marks our official entry into the U.S. defense sector, presenting an extraordinary opportunity to demonstrate our technology on a global stage. We look forward, with great anticipation, to the journey ahead,” said Rahul Shirke, founder and CEO of Arceon B.V.

“We’re excited to be working with Arceon,” said Brad Lunn, managing director for GA-ASI. “Their technology could have a broad range of applications for GA, from high-temperature engine exhaust materials to hypersonics and fusion containment.”

At the Blue Magic investment and innovation conference in the Netherlands last November, GA-ASI and its partners heard pitches from innovative Dutch companies about the important technologies they are developing. The event was organized collaboratively between GA-ASI, the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Brainport Development in Eindhoven, and Brabant Development Agency (BOM). GA-ASI is delivering eight MQ-9A aircraft to the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF).

GA-ASI is continuing to work with the Dutch government and Dutch industry in supporting the growth of technology innovation in the Netherlands and anticipates holding its second BMN event in Eindhoven later this year. The company hosted its first Blue Magic event in 2019 in Belgium, with subsequent events held in 2020, 2021, and 2023.

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Supacat Asia Pacific Signs a New Strategic Alliance Agreement with ISTEC Services Limited

Thursday, June 26th, 2025

Supacat Asia Pacific, a leading provider of specialist defence vehicles and support solutions has just signed a new strategic alliance agreement with ISTEC Services Limited, a British company with 36 years of operationally proven experience in the design, manufacture, supply and support of complex weapon integration solutions for military platforms, to collectively enhance regional defence and security solutions.

Supacat Asia Pacific welcome ISTEC to Supacat Asia Pacific Global Partners which is a partnership that leverages the strengths of the global supply chain and enables more comprehensive solutions to be offered to better serve regional customers. This strategic alliance brings together Supacat Asia Pacific’s proven expertise in high-mobility defence platforms and ISTEC Services’ specialised technical capabilities with weapon mounting solutions for military use across land, sea and air platforms, thus creating a powerful combination to enhance capability for military, law enforcement and security organisations throughout the region.

ISTEC has over 20 years of expertise providing Supacat UK with weapon mount solutions across the Jackal fleet supporting Urgent Operational Requirements for the UK Ministry of Defence. This strategic alliance ensures that Supacat Asia Pacific can also leverage ISTEC’s expertise to collectively deliver superior integrated defence solutions, whilst expanding their combined technical capabilities and market reach in a competitive defence sector.

Anne Quelch Director of ISTEC Services, added: “We are excited to form a strategic alliance with Supacat Asia Pacific and join their Global Partners, whose reputation for innovation and quality aligns perfectly with our commitment to excellence. This collaboration will enable us to deliver enhanced value to our customers while expanding our service capabilities.”

Bruce Tait Managing Director of Supacat Asia Pacific commented: “ISTEC Services represents a significant step forward in our regional strategy. This partnership is in addition to our existing mount suppliers which we will continue to support. It provides additional comprehensive offering to the customers across all environments, by combining our strengths, we can offer our customers more comprehensive solutions and superior support throughout the Asia Pacific region.”

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