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Archive for the ‘LE’ Category

SureFire WristLight

Sunday, September 16th, 2012

SureFire has released some additional info on the model 2211 WristLight that we first mentioned during SHOT Show.

It’s a very specialized piece of kit and I just don’t see everyone using one of these. Some folks are going to love it, particularly those that can’t use mounted weapon lights. However, the activation won’t be nearly as convenient as a weapon mounted light.

As you can see, it will be charged via a USB port at the rear of the light. You’ll also see that the light is angled. This is so it will shine forward when you are holding a weapon and not reflect back at you off of the back of the hand.

It’s a very cool capability but I have a feeling that it’s going to find it’s real niche in a different application than paired with a pistol. What that is, at this point I don’t know, but once they’re out there users will come up with all kinds of applications.

www.surefire.com/illumination/wristlights

Posted in LE, Lights | 22 Comments »

U.S. Department of Justice Body Armor Challenge: How Long Does Body Armor Really Last?

Sunday, September 16th, 2012

During Friday’s Safety Datapalooza at the White House, the Department of Justice announced the Body Armor Challenge which hopes to find a technical solution to provide tools to determine the integrity of soft body armor.

While manufacturer data is a good starting point, it does not take into account environmental and operational factors that may impact the useful lifespan of a vest. They are interested in helping a user determine at what point a vest no longer offers acceptable ballistic performance. Ultimately, this information will help user and manufacturer alike.

“The Office of Justice Programs is committed to exploring all avenues to expand its research initiatives. The Body Armor Challenge is a unique opportunity to further support the health and well-being of our public service officers by strengthening the reliability of their body armor,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary.

According to the DoJ this is a multi-phase Challenge. Submission dates are from September 14, 2012 to December 14, 2012. Winners will be announced on March 15, 2013. Competitors are encouraged to think creatively about how open data, data sharing, and crowdsourcing of data can play a role in the development, operation, and ongoing improvement of the solution. Winners of the Body Armor Challenge may have the opportunity to showcase their ideas to stakeholders participating in the Administration’s Materials Genome Initiative, which speeds the discovery, delivery and manufacturing of new materials.

Visit nij.gov/funding/2012/body-armor-challenge for complete rules and information.

Tags: Department of Justice
Posted in Armor, LE | 1 Comment »

ARA Robotics Solutions – Nighthawk Mini UAV

Wednesday, September 12th, 2012

SSD would like to thank Weapon Outfitters LLC for sharing this report on the Nighthawk UAV with us from the recent NTOA conference in Seattle.

In the last ten years, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology has grown exponentially as technology has taken a leap forward to meet the needs of service men and women in the war on terror.

Information lag used to span days and minutes, as well as down organizational hierarchies… but modern technology has increasingly shortened the lag of gathering of information to delivering that information to the folks on the ground.

The ARA Robotics Solutions Nighthawk is an extremely intuitive and user friendly mini UAV that can support operations at the lowest levels: no need to call up to command to ask for assistance to see what’s right beyond the hill with the Nighthawk.

One of the first things you notice about the the Nighthawk Mini UAV is its impressive, all carbon fiber construction. The fuselage, wings, and “cargo bay” which stores the optical and optional thermal camera are all made of carbon fiber. Known for its lightweight and durability, carbon fiber is an ideal material for this application, and handling the demo Nighthawk, it was clear ARA was quite skilled with this sometimes finicky medium. Impressively, the carbon fiber wings of the Nighthawk are easily wrapped around the fuselage for storage and quick deployment, and can also be easily installed or removed with just two pins, and the payload selection.

A complete system with two Nighthawks, control units, support materials, carry pack for field use, and hard case for transport is estimated to be around $125K. Each Nighthawk is estimated to cost around $25 to $35K depending on imaging payload, as the thermal imaging unit is worth $12K by itself! Adding to the cost are the live video and data transmission hardware, as well as the $6K for a COTS autopilot system. Though a $6K autopilot may seem expensive, as anyone with RC airplane experience will tell you, crashing is very, very easy and can be very expensive considering the electronic payloads the Nighthawk is designed to carry.

Designed with user friendliness in mind, the Nighthawk’s COTS autopilot system that eliminates the need for users to have anything other than a basic understanding of flight. Users just have to launch the unit, and can then control the unit by plotting coordinates on a map, or controlling the Nighthawk with a video game-like interface. With programmed automatic landing, map based “point and click” navigation, failsafe responses to loss of communication or GPS, and other traditionally vexing problems for novice pilots, the autopilot system truly takes out all the hard work from controlling what amounts to a miniature aircraft.

For a guy in the field who jobs and hobbies have nothing to do with RC aircraft piloting, the well designed and complete system offered by ARA Systems looks to be a useful tool for safe reconnaissance.

The Nighthawk has been purchased and fielded extensively by the military, but suffers from FAA regulation in domestic operations by police departments. Though rules have loosened somewhat in the last few weeks, there is still a byzantine layer of red tape which must be navigated by law enforcement agencies to use this unit stateside. Some larger departments are using this system though, so don’t hesitate to give it a shot!

Quick Facts

-Each Nighthawk UAV weighs roughly 2 pounds
-Extensive carbon fiber use for strength and weight
-Modular design allowing for easy reconfiguration, repair, and storage
-10 KM range
-60 minute run time in Lithium Polymer Batteries
-18-30 knots cruise speed
-Built in autopilot system for easy navigation and/or piloting
-Live relay of day time and/or thermal optic capability

-Roy

Weapon Outfitters LLC
www.weaponoutfitters.com
www.facebook.com/weaponoutfitters

Tags: ARA Robotics Solutions, Weapon Outfitters
Posted in LE, Recce, Robotics | Comments Off on ARA Robotics Solutions – Nighthawk Mini UAV

SOTECH Debuts New Law Enforcement Line at NTOA Conference

Sunday, September 9th, 2012

Looking at all of the gear from patrol bags to plate carriers, SOTECH has innovated a new line of law enforcement nylon products. We are not calling it tactical or SWAT because the system incorporates elements that can be used by patrol officers to active shooter responders to MACTAC to SWAT. SOTECH designers took the position that law enforcement ideas were taken into military designs during the GWOT, and now those ideas have been refined in the military and SOTECH is applying them back into law enforcement in this line. First SOTECH developed a series of tactical products for elite units in LAPD and LASD. Then they combined them into a modular system mounted in a large backpack/trunk bag and removable as military style go bags. This is a major departure from duffel bags that officers lug out from the locker room to their squad cars. The back pack is also sized to strap to a wheel cart. Once in the trunk, modules such as the Mission Go Bag can be dropped on the passenger seat. Customers can purchase a couple applicable pieces for their mission, or they can purchase then entire set. The main pack is designed to carry standard gear like jackets and gas masks plus the packs pictured. The kit is modeled from SOTECH’s mission pack system which is the basis of the Special Forces Medic’s SOF MES set. Check it out at NTOA on Sunday and Monday in Seattle. Items will be released at www.SOTECHTactical.com over the next month.

Tags: NTOA, S.O.Tech
Posted in Industry, LE | Comments Off on SOTECH Debuts New Law Enforcement Line at NTOA Conference

Beslan School Hostage Crisis

Sunday, September 2nd, 2012

Eight years ago today Muslim Chechen separatists occupied School Number One (SNO) in the town of Beslan, North Ossetia which is an autonomous republic in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. They took over 1,100 faculty, students and their parents hostage demanding that the Russians leave Chechnya. After three days of negotiations, during which hostages and terrorists alike died, Russian paramilitary forces retook the school. Unfortunately, 377 were killed during the operation.

Terrorists have have conducted this sort of action more than once in various parts of the world. Even the recent mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado is a portent of things to come. Citizens and Law Enforcement alike should be vigilant. For citizens, if it doesn’t look right, avoid the situation. For LE and first responders, it is imperative to practice. Even rock drills and command post exercises to work out command and control as well as communications issues is critical. Learn critical skills. Be prepared to transition from regular duties to dealing with single and multiple active shooters. Get the proper equipment and know how to use it.

I recommend all read up on this operation and study both the actions of the terrorists as well as those of Government forces.

Tags: Beslan
Posted in LE | 6 Comments »

Connecticut SWAT Challenge

Thursday, August 23rd, 2012

The Connecticut SWAT Challenge has developed a reputation as the premier tactical law enforcement event in the Northeastern United States. In fact, participants come from as far afield in the US as California and internationally from Brazil. Maybe it’s the beautiful scenic setting, but my bets on the fact that they’ve put together one hell of a venue for training, interaction, and competition. Lots of shooting, feats of strength and using good judgement. That’s what it’s all about.

Since 2005, the Connecticut SWAT Challenge has grown from 16 teams to a field of 28 this year, all vying to negotiate three days of competition. In fact, for the participants, this is a top-off event, showcasing the prior year’s worth of training. Lt. Jeremy Clark, West Hartford CT and Director CT SWAT Challenge explained, “NFL Players don’t just show up on a Sunday and play. They don’t just employ one method of training. They watch tape, they lift weights, and they run and run plays. In the same way competition is only one tool for the SWAT Officer.” But he went on to explain that it isn’t a be-all-end-all either but rather, an element of training, “If all that you do is train for contests you are missing tools. If all that you do is bringing in professional trainers you are missing tools. The same can be said for running force on force. You need to work with all of the tools available to react with decisive action in a stressful and chaotic environment. Do you want to realize that you are unskilled in a particular method or piece of equipment in a real life bad situation? The CT SWAT Challenge offers a team the opportunity to discover these deficiencies in a safe environment and work towards correcting those deficiencies.”

Lt. Brad Connor, Warwick, RI SWAT echoed this sentiment stating, “This is an event that we plan for months in advance. The training that we do in preparation for the CT Challenge complements our existing training regimen. Nothing can completely prepare a team for the unexpected events that will occur in an actual call out. In our opinion the dynamic and unpredictable events of the CT SWAT Challenge are the next best thing to real missions and the lessons learned from them.”

The need for events like this is quite evident. With 115 companies participating in the associated vendor show, even they have seen the impact this week has on the readiness of the organizations they support. David Walsh, FNG Velocity Systems and Mayflower Research and Consulting commented to SSD, “We now face a global battlefield. The military and intelligence communities have evolved significantly since the start of the war. Local, state, and federal law enforcement is, and will continue to follow the changing threats. Events like the CT SWAT Challenge offers industry the opportunity to engage SWAT law enforcement officers and incorporate that input into the design and development of products. There is little time between the training evolutions and the feedback. At this time the challenges are fresh and the solutions present themselves more clearly.”

Interestingly, PTLM Mike Long, from Cranston, RI pointed out, that as an observer, he attended the event to learn from both participant and vendor alike, “I came down this week to witness the combination of equipment vendors and actual end users. This is the culmination of years of training in a job where performance goes largely unrewarded. It’s great to see teams recognized for their performance under pressure and on demand.”

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event and others like it, this video is a good overview.

www.ctswatchallenge.com

Photos courtesy: Velocity Systems, Inc.

Tags: Connecticut SWAT Challenge
Posted in LE | 10 Comments »

Shellback Banshee PC Approved by LAPD

Thursday, August 23rd, 2012

Shellback Tactical’s Banshee PC (Black) is now officially approved by the LAPD. It was added late last week to the Official LAPD Approved gear list and is now officially approved by the Los Angeles Police Department for individual purchase. According to the program coordinator at the LAPD, the upcoming New Banshee QD Hybrid is also considered approved as part of the Banshee Family along with the accessory products.