This modular system is similar to the Dutch load carriage system we profiled during Enforce Tac 19.
Archive for the ‘International’ Category
HENSOLDT and THEON Receive OCCAR Contract for 20.000 Night Vision Goggles
Tuesday, July 5th, 2022Bonn, 5 July 2022 – The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) signed a contract amendment to an existing contract for binocular night vision goggles on behalf of Belgium and Germany with a Consortium consisting of HENSOLDT Optronics and THEON SENSORS. The contract amendment worth a mid-three-digit million amount activates the existing option of the supply of an additional 20.000 MIKRON Night Vision Goggles to the German Armed Forces while at the same time the delivery schedule shall be accelerated. The follow-up contract will be executed by the newly founded joint venture HENSOLDT Theon Night Vision.
The contract amendment furthermore covers various enhancements of MIKRON and changes to the system configuration as a result of the Operational Testing and Acceptance phase which was successfully passed by the end of February 2022.
At the signing of the contract in Bonn with Andreas Hülle, Head of the Optronics & Land Solutions Division and Managing Director of HENSOLDT Optronics, and Christian Hadjiminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS, the Director of OCCAR-EA Matteo Bisceglia stated: “The additional 20.000 Night Vision Googles (NVG) supply to the German Armed Forces proves the success and perspective of OCCAR’s program through the new joint venture company HENSOLDT Theon NightVision”.
Andreas Hülle said: “HENSOLDT and THEON have already worked together successfully in the past. Here, two European companies are working together in an exemplary way to equip the Belgian and German armed forces with state-of-the-art night vision equipment. This order is directly related to our growth strategy. Russia’s war against Ukraine shows how important networked high-performance sensor technology and optical systems are for equipping our armed forces in line with the times.”
Christian Hadjiminas, CEO of THEON SENSORS, added: “This new large contract amendment is a culmination of the successful cooperation between HENSOLDT Optronics and THEON SENSORS that opens doors for synergies and co-operation in other areas within Europe. The present growth is not only beneficial for the countries and companies involved, but also is strengthening the European industrial position in the worldwide context.”
The type of night vision goggles selected is the MIKRON, a Binocular Night Vision Google (BNVG) with two 16 mm residual light amplifier tubes and integrated infrared illuminator. They can be worn by the soldier either on the helmet or by means of a headgear system. The two monoculars can be folded away separately. MIKRON is powered by a single AA battery but can also be operated with an external battery pack should a longer operating time be required.
The accelerated delivery schedule of the enhanced MIKRON shall start with first deliveries this month, while the total current contractual quantity of 29.550 NVGs is planned to be concluded in the 3rd quarter of 2024. The increase in night vision capability for both programme participating states is critical in providing advanced equipment for their dismounted, airmobile and air assault soldiers as well as drivers of military vehicles.
Happy 4th To Shooters in the UK – Seekins Precision Now Available
Monday, July 4th, 2022SSD sponsor Edgar Brothers made this announcement today. Americans, arming the British.
We’re VERY excited about this!!
Happy 4th July!
Edgar Brothers is honoured to announce that we have agreed a partnership to distribute Seekins Precision in the UK.
Since being founded in Idaho 18 years ago, Seekins Precision has become the industry standard for precision, accuracy and quality. Offering an array of rifles whose accuracy, reliability, and durability has not just set them apart from the field, but has put them firmly on top of it! bit.ly/SeekinsPrecisionUK
Check back over the next few days as we reveal more details…
HX to the Rescue! Rheinmetall Donates Two Robust, High-Mobility Trucks to German Federal Agency for Technical Relief THW
Wednesday, June 29th, 2022Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV) has donated two high-mobility HX 4×4 vehicles to THW-Bundesvereinigung e.V., Germany’s Federal Agency for Technical Relief. Official handover of the keys took place on 22 June 2022 at the Rheinmetall stand at Interschutz 2022 in Hannover, the world’s leading trade fair for first responder technology.
The two new HX vehicles were meticulously customized in cooperation with MEILLER-Kipper company of Munich and special truck maker Freytag Karosseriebau to meet the needs of the civil protection and disaster relief organization Technisches Hilfswerk (THW). Thanks to their robust design, high mobility and 1.5-metre wading capability, the trucks are tailor-made for tough terrain and flood zones. A round roof hatch gives the crew an excellent 360-degree view as well as providing an additional means of entering and exiting the vehicle. These HX vehicles lend themselves to a wide variety of transport tasks and can also pull trailers of the kind used by THW. One of the two donated vehicles will be deployed at the local THW chapter in Dülmen in North Rhine-Westphalia, the other in Limburg in Hesse.
The disastrous 2021 flood in the Ahr valley prompted Rheinmetall MAN to donate the trucks. The MEILLER Kipper company supported the project by donating the three-side tippers, which were then installed by Freytag Karosseriebau. To get relief supplies into the disaster zone and deliver donations directly to the areas affected, Rheinmetall’s joint venture partner MAN lent the disaster relief workers several all-terrain-capable RMMV trucks.
The Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles HX family are among the most widely used trucks for armed forces and security services as well as other government agencies. Over 15,000 are now in service worldwide. A family of military off-the-shelf vehicles, HX trucks are systematically designed for maximum robustness, mobility, ergonomics, and modularity – all unique selling points. These vehicles have proved to be highly effective in disaster relief and aid operations, including in the Ahr valley in 2021, during bushfires in Australia, and floods in New Zealand.
Rheinmetall was exhibiting at Interschutz for the first time. Widely considered to be the world’s leading trade fair for firefighters, rescue services, disaster relief, civil defence and security, the event is held every five years. This year it took place in Hannover from 20 to 25 June. Among the systems on show were the SX-GTLF triple combination pumper from the plant fire brigade in Unterlüß, an HX 77 with a CSM Excavator build-on, and an HX60 three-side tipper.
Lindnerhof-Taktik Sets Wednesday, 29 June, for Launch of Its New MX Multi-Purpose Pouch Series
Tuesday, June 28th, 2022LENGGRIES, GERMANY (27 June 2022)—Fresh off the successful rollout of its second- generation plate carrier LT042/2, tactical gear-maker Lindnerhof-Taktik will later this week launch its newest must-have accessory—the MX Multi-Purpose Pouches, a trio of highly versatile yet lightweight add-on pockets designed to help users of the brand’s plate carriers more easily and effectively complete their missions.
The series consists of the MX174 Multi Hanger Pouch, the MX053 Multi-Pouch Horizontal, and the MX054 Multi-Pouch Vertical. All three will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, 29 June, at the Lindnerhof online store.
Lindnerhof is known for its value-added products, and this newest lineup is no exception: the three MX Multi-Purpose Pouches come with an array of classic features but also some that are distinctly on the cutting edge, Lindnerhof CEO Jakob Kolbeck assured.
A key feature shared by the three new pouches is their interior multi-modular design. Inside each pouch is a Velcro® lining that permits easy attachment of Lindnerhof specialised organising panels. Kolbeck said he recommends users add the LT128 Panel Kit which, he explained, “includes everything you need to transform your plain pouch into a well-organised, secure holder of extra ammunition, medical supplies, radio equipment, writing implements— whatever you need your pouch to be, this kit gives you the ability to get it mission-ready.”
The MX Multi-Purpose Pouches—made from Lindnerhof’s innovative MX multiaxial laminate material—are exceptionally light in weight. They also are distinctively slim and feature a reversed integrated two-way zipper. “The reversed zipper mechanism is designed to keep dust and dirt out of the pouches without sacrificing the user’s ability to easily and swiftly access their contents,” Kolbeck said. “The idea for this sensible mechanism came from our customers—it was through our practice of continuously eliciting user feedback that we learned of their need for a solution to the problem of dust and dirt affecting the sensitive optics and technologies they so often carry around with them on missions.”
Kolbeck noted that the two-way reversed zipper system’s fast-access attribute is facilitated by a drawstring positioned at the top-middle of each pouch. “As they say: if it’s multipurpose, it’s also got to be multi-opening,” Kolbeck mused. “To open these pouches in a hurry, all that a user needs to do is pull the drawstring. Or, if not in a rush, then the user has the option to use the zipper.”
For loadout, the MX174 Multi Hanger Pouch attaches to any Lindnerhof Plate Carrier underneath the front or back plate compartment. “Normally, the space beneath the front plate is never used for anything, but the MX174 perfectly fills out this empty space while also keeping the loadout slim and free for additional gear,” said Kolbeck. “The MX174 Multi Hanger Pouch also comes with integrated elastic cords at the bottom to permit the stowing of tourniquets for quick access. And there is Velcro® at the front of the hanger pouch so that users can affix their unit patches.”
Both the MX053 Multi-Pouch Horizontal and the MX054 Multi-Pouch Vertical can be attached by classical MOLLE fixation. Additionally, the MX053 and MX054 include conventional hunting/outdoors industry-type slots for looping them directly onto a belt.
“The MX053 and MX054 have identical features; the only difference is their orientation—the former aligns horizontally, and the latter aligns vertically,” said Kolbeck. “As with the MX174, these two pouches have exterior attachment points for carrying tourniquets and lights or for compressing the pouch if necessary. They also let users attach unit patches at the front.”
The MX Multi-Purpose Pouches go on sale 29 June 2022 and will be available in four colours: Coyote, Stone Grey, German 5fb Flecktarn camouflage, and MultiCam® (with Black expected to be added by year’s end).
For more information about the MX Multi-Purpose Pouches and other Lindnerhof-Taktik products, please visit the company’s web shop at www.hqg.de.
PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP: Crossfire Australia Announces Partnership with Qore Performance, Inc. to Distribute the IceAge Ecosystem in Australia and New Zealand
Tuesday, June 28th, 2022Braidwood, NSW Australia: Crossfire Australia, inventors of the revolutionary DG16 Frame Set and Qore Performance, Inc., have teamed up to bring the Qore Performance IceAge Ecosystem of cutting-edge thermoregulation and human performance solutions to the Australian and New Zealand markets.
“Teaming up with Crossfire Australia to distribute our IceAge Ecosystem advances our vision for Building A Superhuman Future to Southern Hemisphere climates which are a particularly good fit for our thermoregulation environmental inoculation capabilities,” says Justin Li, Qore Performance Co-Founder and CEO, “by unlocking the incredible power of IcePlate Curve, IceVents, and IceCase for outdoor enthusiasts, safety professionals, military personnel, and firefighters. The physiological boost provided by IcePlate Curve in particular is unmatched. This is the next frontier in human performance and we couldn’t be happier to team up with Crossfire Australia to bring our innovations to the people of Australia and New Zealand.”
Glenn Nelson, COO of Crossfire Australia felt that a quotation from John F. Kennedy was most appropriate to describe the new relationship with Qore Performance: “Partnership is not a posture but a process-a continuous process that grows stronger each year as we devote ourselves to common tasks.”
Crossfire Australia is a full-line distributor for Qore Performance: Military, Safety/Devices, SPORT (Snow Physical fitness Outdoor Recreation Travel), and Aviation.
137th Combat Training Flight Hosts First Female JTAC Student
Tuesday, June 28th, 2022WILL ROGERS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Okla. —
The 137th Combat Training Flight (CTF) hosted its first female student in the joint terminal attack controller qualification course (JTAC QC).
The course, held March 21-April 22, 2022, in Oklahoma City, included two NATO students, an Estonian tactical air control party specialist and a German Air Liaison Officer, who was the first female participant in the 137th CTF JTAC QC.
“I enjoy the spectrum of coalition students we get through here because each one is a very different dynamic for instruction. Some are already trained, and for others it’s their first time passing a 9-line,” said Tech. Sgt. Justin Davis, 137th CTF instructor. “Our students essentially get seven or more full mission profiles in our simulator and three full mission profiles with live contract close air support (CAS) during our field week.”
Students go through three phases within the course over five weeks: two weeks of academics, two weeks simulator testing command and control skills in the Advanced Joint Terminal Attack Controller Training System (AAJTS), and field training that consists of daytime and nighttime calls for fire on a training range with contracted CAS aircraft.
“The contract CAS piece makes a big difference in training because it doesn’t have the same flight time restrictions as working with military aircraft,” said Davis. “Students have triple the time, in addition to in-depth instruction in the simulator where we can start and stop scenarios to adjust as needed. All that being said, I don’t know that there’s any one thing in particular that we’re doing right, but I know it’s the combination of things we’re doing right that initially brought NATO coalition partners here and why they continue to send students.”
The 137th CTF is one of two schoolhouses in the U.S. able to qualify JTACs and is one of three in the U.S. Air Force. Since 2016, the 137th CTF has hosted students from every U.S. military branch and a dozen NATO partner nations. It is unique as a schoolhouse for its manning ratio between instructors and students. Other class sizes can reach up to two dozen students with only a handful of instructors, whereas the 137th CTF class size allows for nearly a one-to-one ratio that provides time for more personalized and in-depth instruction.
“Several of our international students come here already qualified as JTACs and use our course as a stepping stone to become instructors back home,” said Maj. Jeffrey Hansen, 137th CTF director of operations. “Our instructors are also better for having our coalition partners, especially those already JTAC qualified, as students because their feedback allows us to expand on our training and improve how we teach. Plus, the relationships we have built with international students have been leveraged into continuation training, such as with Estonia through the State Partnership Program.”
Once graduated from the course, military members have a Department of Defense certification to go into a deployed environment and conduct CAS, which is the ability to provide joint fire close air support to ground forces, with any available U.S. or NATO asset.
“When it comes to military doctrine, especially on the NATO side, it remains vague because you have to incorporate 30 countries,” Hansen noted. “CAS is different because anywhere you go in the world, we all share a language, forming an intense bond. The diversity of our classes and the bonds we form with all of the students who have come through demonstrates firsthand that our shared language forges a connection that transcends any differences between branch of service or nation of service.”
By TSgt Brigette Waltermire
137th Special Operations Wing
Agilite is Expanding its Dealer Program & Opens European Subsidiary
Monday, June 27th, 2022
From humble roots in Israel, Agilite is now an internationally recognised brand with an impressive supply chain now including warehousing its products inside the EU in addition to the USA & Israel.
“The establishment of Agilite Systems Europe and warehousing our products within the EU will allow our European dealers and customers to be supplied faster and much more easily,” said Natalya Polishchuk, Agilite’s Supply Chain Manager.
Agilite is also opening up it’s dealer program to many more countries-See the video below or hit the link below to apply to be an Authorised Agilite Dealer:
Apply to be an Authorised Agilite Dealer here: agilitedealers.com/collections/become-an-agilite-dealer
