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Kraken Technology Group to Display K3 SCOUT at SOF Week 2025

Monday, May 5th, 2025

Friday 02 May 2025, Hampshire, UK – Kraken Technology Group will make its US debut at SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida, where it will showcase its signature uncrewed naval platform, the K3 SCOUT. With full production manufacturing already underway in two UK facilities, Kraken is now delivering batch production runs to NATO countries, spearheading a shift towards modular, rapidly scalable maritime capabilities built for today’s complex naval environments.

Kraken will be on display with AV at Level 3: Stand 621, showcasing a full-scale modular payload integrated with AV’s Titan C-UASTM and HaloNav GPS-denied navigation solution. The full K3 SCOUT capability will also be on display at the docks outside the Tampa Convention Centre, with high-performance demonstrations taking place each day, Tuesday, May 6 through Thursday, May 8, at Noon EDT. This demonstration will highlight the K3 SCOUT’s interchangeable payload bay, featuring both a manual pilot module for crewed missions and the integration of AV’s HaloSwarm AI-enabled swarm logic technology for uncrewed operations.

Since its establishment in 2020, Kraken has grown to over 100 employees and will launch four more international facilities in the next 12 months. The company’s rapid expansion is due to Kraken’s high-speed, autonomous systems offering an agile alternative capable of undertaking persistent missions at scale. By delivering affordable, versatile platforms that extend the reach and resilience of naval forces, Kraken is redefining what is possible in littoral and open-sea operations and establishing itself as a key solution in the next chapter of maritime defence.

Posted in Maritime, Press Release, SOF Week | No Comments »

NAVAIR IZLID Ultra Airborne Kit Initial Fielding Deliverables Complete

Monday, May 5th, 2025

MAY 1, 2025 (Redmond, WA) – B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc., a Defense Technology Manufacturer specializing in advanced photonic solutions and Laser Aiming Devices for military, law enforcement, consumer, and aerospace applications worldwide,has completed their contract with Naval Air Systems Command (PMA-242, NAVAIR). Under this contract, the company deliveredtheir IZLID® Ultra Airborne Kits (NSN: 5860-01-697-2989) as the new standard infrared laser aiming and illumination system for USN and USMC aviation fleet weapons platforms in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The congressionally funded $7 million contract for new aviation infrared laser aiming devices (AILAD) supports the GAU-17 (M134), GAU-21 (M3M), M240D, and other weapons across equipped rotary wing, tilt rotor,and other aircraft platforms. B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. supported NAVAIR in partnership with ADS, Inc., a Tailored Logistics Support (TLS) provider in the fall of 2024.

NAVAIR, the managing logistics and support entity for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy aviation fleet, has determined that its currently fielded Infrared Laser Aiming Devices have exceeded their service life. These Infrared Laser Aiming Devices are critical tools that support Aerial Gunnery, Targeting, Obstacle/Hazard Identification, and help facilitate Air-to-Ground Integration missions.

The IZLID Ultra, Airborne Kit, (NSN: 5860-01-697-2989) is suited for greater visibility by ground elements as well as providing greater target identification at increased ranges. This allows USN and USMC aviation assets to identify and target battlefield threats across the full spectrum of operations and a range of environmental conditions. Additionally, the increased power allowed for improvements in laser aiming capability when paired with crew-served weapons that emit a high photonic barrier, allowing the operator to maintain visibility of their reference laser on target.

This agreement generated a significant impact to production and manufacturing capabilities of B.E. Meyers & Co., Inc. and 41 other suppliers across the nation. Providing hundreds of US job opportunities and technological advancements that support national security.

Features and Specifications
The IZLID® Ultra Airborne Kit is based on a the IZLID® Ultra high-power infrared laser device most notably used in air-to-ground integration roles, with up to 1-Watt of near infrared power for on target marking and for long-range communication while using night vision devices. Powered by (2) CR123 batteries, the IZLID Ultra Airborne Kit has low-power, high-power, and pulse settings and can be configured as either a pointer or narrow divergence illuminator dependent on end-user requirements. This system can be mounted to any MILSTD-1913 rail and comes with two remote activation options.

The IZLID® Ultra series of laser systems, like all B.E. Meyers & Co. products, are proudly Made in the USA.  This system is currently in production available for sale to MIL/GOV entities in the US and internationally and is ITAR-controlled.

For more information on the IZLID® Ultra Airborne Kit (NSN: 5860-01-697-2989) and other innovative laser solutions from B.E. Meyers & Co., please visit bemeyers.com or email sales@bemeyers.com.

Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, Lights, Navy, Press Release | No Comments »

Viasat Unveils MOJO Mini Next as Latest Advanced Technology for Tactical Military Communications and Situational Awareness

Monday, May 5th, 2025

Company expands MOJO product family with its most compact tactical gateway to integrate disparate air, sea and land communications into a single view

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 5, 2025 – Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global leader in satellite communications, today announced the introduction of the Move Out/Jump Off (MOJO) Mini Next, the latest in Viasat’s family of expeditionary tactical gateways. The MOJO Mini Next was designed to deliver a compact and ruggedized Link 16 Tactical Data Link situational awareness capability for at-the-pause or on-the-move applications across environments.

With increasing demand for rapidly deployable and SWaP (size, weight and power)-optimized tactical solutions, Viasat’s MOJO Mini Next provides a cost-effective alternative to larger, infrastructure-heavy, gateway solutions supporting expeditionary, on-the-move communications. Developed under Viasat’s Defense and Advanced Technologies segment, the MOJO Mini Next is a line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond line of sight (BLOS) system, offering increased mobile and tactical capabilities to centralize communications of expeditionary data and intelligence into a common operating picture (COP). This enables heightened situational awareness for command and control (C2), targeting, and real-time decisions that support mission operations and reduce the risk of fratricide.

“As military operations integrate new technologies and applications to support global missions, Viasat is helping connect those technologies to enable seamless, reliable and resilient information sharing to improve situational awareness,” said David Schmolke, Vice President of Mission Connections and Cybersecurity, Viasat Government.

The MOJO Mini Next provides customers with real-time air/ground situational awareness and network functions on the go, and connects into customers’ existing system architecture. Ideal for SWaP constrained applications, including small vehicles and boats, the system can be rapidly set up and deployed by one person in minutes and the low-SWaP design eliminates the logistical needs and cost of transporting, installing and maintaining traditional gateway infrastructure. This next-generation tactical gateway offers the interoperability and modularity to support different mission applications using different waveforms.

Schmolke continued, “MOJO Mini Next can integrate disparate intelligence sources into a common operating picture that enhances customers’ real-time decision-making and C2 in a small, ruggedized form factor for greater flexibility. We collaborate with government customers to really understand the tactical mission requirements and the MOJO Mini Next is another example of how Viasat evolves its solutions to meet changing needs.”

The MOJO Mini Next was developed based on user feedback to respond to dynamic operational demands. Designed to work with the KOR-24A Small Tactical Terminal, this innovative tactical solution will enable rapid network convergence across Link 16, Tactical Digital Information Link J (TADIL-J), and Very High Frequency/Ultra High Frequency (VHF/UHF) networking in a compact package. Using an external host computer, operators can select their own applications and external displays to best suit their situational awareness needs.

Visit Viasat’s website to learn more about Viasat’s Expeditionary Tactical Gateways and the MOJO product family, and see how the MOJO Mini Next can support tactical operations.

Posted in Comms, Press Release, SOF Week | No Comments »

Adventure Tactical Announces IR Sensor Upgrade for Its VIP Light and Trilobyte Beacon Products at SOF Week 2025

Monday, May 5th, 2025

Adventure Tactical, the defence arm of Adventure Lights Inc, is a premier manufacturer of durable safety and signalling beacons for use where positive visual ID is vital, in the most extreme of environments. Adventure Tactical has announced an upgrade to their IR sensor for the next generation of VIP light™ and Trilobyte® beacon products which significantly increases the range of detection and early warning for their users. This announcement coincides with SOF Week 2025, where you can find out more about this and their wide range of complementary products, by visiting their booth (Level 3, Booth #255) at the Tampa Convention Centre, from the 6th-8th May 2025.

Adventure Tactical has been designing and manufacturing highly durable, easy to use and often bespoke safety lights and signalling beacons for the US military, NATO, global security forces and extreme adventurers for over 30 years. Renowned for their excellent quality and robust multi-use designs, and packed with innovative technologies such as Mockingbird®, AutoSync™ and self-healing mesh networks for S.M.A.R.T. Beacons®, they are the provider of choice for special forces, regular combat troops and homeland security teams, globally. Adventure Tactical has strategic partnerships in place with Galvion and Robotics Centre. With customer needs and end user requirements at the heart of their ethos, Adventure Tactical identified a need for users to have increased protection from a wider array of Laser Range Finder and IR detection devices that have become far more prevalent, when facing an asymmetric threat.

Adventure Tactical has been leading the way in integrating Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) and early warning detection systems into their light and beacon products for over 15 years. Their products have been proven operationally with US, European, Scandinavian and Middle East customers and are in use with 24 NATO countries. The IR sensor upgrade announced today, combined with other technologies, ensures that the next generation of VIP light™ and Trilobyte® beacon products offer the widest possible range of early warning and detection capabilities. This upgrade helps to protect those operating in the most extreme of environments by increasing their survivability, enhancing command and control and delivering real-time situational awareness.

Tim Ford, Founder and President of Adventure Tactical said: “Our mission is to deliver an extreme product for extreme situations and central to our ethos is to meet our customers’ unique demands.

This IR sensor upgrade is a perfect example of that ethos in action. Front line troops identified an emerging risk when facing an asymmetric enemy threat that we have responded to by delivering an increased range of detection capability to enhance the users early warning and ability to respond.

This enhancement, combined with all our existing innovative technologies and design quality, ensures we offer a cost-effective but superior product compared to alternatives. We are very excited to announce this significant upgrade to our long-standing VIP light™ and Trilobyte® beacon products at SOF Week, and we will be incorporating this enhanced capability into our other products as soon as possible.” Tim added, “Our products are designed and manufactured in Canada, Europe and the US. Therefore, we are able to offer export license and tariff free access to our full range of products.”

Posted in International, Lights, Press Release, SOF Week | No Comments »

Gentex Corporation Launches the Next Generation Ops-Core FAST SF Helmet System: Setting a New Standard in Lightweight Ballistic Performance

Monday, May 5th, 2025

CARBONDALE, PA, May 5, 2025 – Gentex Corporation announced at SOF Week in Tampa, FL the public release of its next-generation Ops-Core® FAST® SF Helmet System. A global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, Gentex first introduced the FAST SF helmet in 2017, setting the standard for lightweight, comfort, stability, and protection. Adopted as the USSOCOM FTHS helmet system, it quickly became the choice of top-tier customers worldwide. This latest version establishes a new benchmark for lightweight ballistic protection, delivering exceptional performance and enhanced comfort for the most elite SOF and LE forces.

The new FAST SF Helmet System incorporates majoradvancements through three innovative sub-systems:

• Lighter System Weight: This system achieves the same ballistic performance as the legacy FAST SF helmet systemwhile reducing system weight by 10-15% (depending on size). The new ballistic shell boasts a thinner, lighter design for enhanced wearability. The reduced weight has users questioning the need for a separate bump helmet.

• Universal LockDownTM Liner System: A universal suspension solution backward compatible with all FAST Helmet Systems that enhances comfort, airflow, and stability for heavy VAS and NVG setups. Featuring LockDown Fit Shims and a Cable Occ-Dial® with a conformal nape pad, this liner ensures a secure, customizable fit for any head shape, eliminating interference with communications headbands and delivering unmatched performance in the most demanding conditions.

• Versatile Head-Loc® Flex Retention System: Featuring a convertible chin cup design, the Head-Loc Flex retention system can be worn over or under the chin, offering unprecedented user flexibility. Optimized buckles and sliders improve usability and eliminate the need for mask extenders in most cases. The patented Ops-Core Head-Loc sliders continue to offer market leading one handed adjustment.

“These advancements represent a significant step forward in functionality and comfort for the end user,” said Peter Harbeck, SOF Segment Director at Gentex Corporation. “The FAST SF Helmet System delivers the protection our customers expect while addressing critical needs for weight reduction, fit, and adaptability. With its new liner system, the helmet provides a tailored, secure fit that conforms to the user’s head shape, enhancing stability and long-term wearability in demanding environments.”

Designed with the end-user at its core, the next-generation FAST SF Helmet System represents a significant step forward in headborne protection. This lighter, more comfortable, and ultimately more effective solution underscores Gentex’s ongoing commitment to providing cutting-edge protection for those that demand the absolute best. With the new FAST SF Helmet System, Gentex builds on its position as the exclusive provider of USSOCOM’s FTHS helmet system, delivering unmatchedperformance, uncompromising protection, and a proven track record that elite forces rely on when failure is not an option.

To learn more about the next-generation FAST SF Helmet System, visit shop.gentexcorp.com/introducing-the-fast-sf-next-generation-headborne-system

Posted in Advertiser, Helmets, Press Release, SOF Week | No Comments »

Victory First Assumes Daily Operations of Ares Gear, Expanding Capabilities in Premium Tactical Equipment

Monday, May 5th, 2025

Fredericksburg, Virginia – May 5, 2025 – Victory First, a leader in firearms training, consulting, and product development, is proud to announce that it has officially agreed to assume all day-to-day operations of Ares Gear, the Ohio-based soft goods manufacturer renowned for its flagship product, the Aegis belt. The transfer of operations is set to begin June 1, 2025.

Ares Gear has long been a respected name in the tactical gear industry, known for producing rugged, high-quality belts and accessories tailored for military, law enforcement, and civilian use. The Aegis belt, in particular, has become a trusted staple in the everyday carry and tactical communities for its innovative design, durability, and functionality.

With this transition, Victory First will oversee all aspects of Ares Gear’s operations, including production, logistics, customer service, and product development. The partnership will allow

Ares Gear to maintain its commitment to craftsmanship and reliability, while leveraging Victory First’s industry expertise, expanded infrastructure, and proven leadership in product innovation.

“We’re excited to bring the Ares Gear brand under the Victory First umbrella,” said Matt Jacques, founder of Victory First. “I have known Jake and used Ares Gear products for years.

Our goal is to not only maintain the legacy and quality Ares Gear customers expect, but to enhance operations and product offerings as we move forward.”

“After nearly twenty years in this field, I can count on one hand the number of people I know who I would trust to carry Ares Gear forward with the same emphasis on quality products and the same level of service that we’ve been able to provide our customers,” said Jake Sebens, owner of Ares Gear. “I’m glad to be working even more closely with Victory First and Matt Jacques; there’s not a doubt in my mind that it’s the best choice for our customers and for our future.”

Current and future customers can expect uninterrupted service, with the same high standards of quality and customer support that Ares Gear is known for. Victory First plans to expand on Ares Gear’s product lines and explore new design innovations while continuing to support and grow the existing catalog.

For more information, visit www.victory-first.com and www.aresgear.com

Posted in Industry, Press Release | No Comments »

GA-ASI Statement on USAF CCA Program Updates

Monday, May 5th, 2025

SAN DIEGO – 01 May 2025 – The CCA program represents a groundbreaking new era in combat aviation, and we remain on schedule to test and fly YFQ-42 in the coming months. Over the past three decades, GA-ASI has pioneered more than two dozen different unmanned aircraft types for the U.S. and its allies, including multiple unmanned combat jets flying today, and logged nearly 9 million total flight hours. Our work on YFQ-42 will further expand the field of unmanned aviation, and we remain excited for the future.

We congratulate the Beale AFB community on its selection to support this new era of air dominance, and we look forward to partnering with you as the program progresses. To that end, I’m pleased to announce that GA-ASI will give the Beale community a sneak peek later this summer, with an exhibition of our full-scale YFQ-42 model on display at the Beale Air and Space Expo beginning June 7.

 

David R. Alexander

President

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Posted in Aviation, Industry, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on GA-ASI Statement on USAF CCA Program Updates

EOTECH Partners with ForumPay to offer Cryptocurrency Payments on Website

Sunday, May 4th, 2025

Plymouth, MI (May 2025) – In an effort to enhance the shopping experience with its customers, EOTECH has partnered with ForumPay, a leader in cryptocurrency payment solutions for both online and PoS systems, to seamlessly accept crypto payments on its ecommerce site.

“With the number of crypto consumers expected to reach one billion by the end of 2025, crypto payment acceptance is fast becoming an essential requirement for ecommerce retailers across the globe,” said ForumPay CEO, Josh Tate. “We are excited to be working with EOTECH to provide our next generation payment solution to its customers and further enhance their buying experience.”

Advantages EOTECH customers will recognize are reduced transactional costs compared to typical credit cards, as well as secure, private, and transparent transactions. EOTECH benefits by tapping into a new demographic of consumers who prefer using cryptocurrencies for their purchases, as well as improving the overall purchasing experience of its customers.

“Our goal here is to remove any barriers that customers may have in purchasing our products,” said Jacob Wolfrum, Digital & E-Commerce Manager for EOTECH. “ForumPay offers simple APIs and plugins that easily integrated into our platform providing a simple process, useful dashboard and great customer service.  This was a simple decision that mutually benefits our customers and business.”

The crypto purchasing option is live on the EOTECH website now and can be selected at checkout.  

For more information, please visit www.eotechinc.com

Posted in Advertiser, Industry, Optics, Press Release | No Comments »

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