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Archive for the ‘Press Release’ Category

LMT Defense and SWISSLOXX AG Secure Significant Swiss Armed Forces Small Arms Contract

Tuesday, February 25th, 2025

Eldridge, Iowa – February 23, 2025 – LMT Defense, in partnership with SWISSLOXX AG, is proud to announce the award of a significant contract to supply small arms to the Swiss Armed Forces. The contract, for rifles in various calibers, will primarily focus on the 5.56 x 45 NATO caliber, type classified as the Sturmgewehr 25. This prestigious award underscores both companies’ dedication to delivering precision, reliability, and innovation to one of the world’s most demanding military organizations.

Meeting the Swiss Standard of Excellence

The Swiss Armed Forces are renowned for their rigorous procurement processes, reflecting the nation’s unwavering commitment to quality and precision. LMT Defense and SWISSLOXX AG were selected based on the exceptional performance, durability, and accuracy of their proposed small arms, a testament to the companies’ shared commitment to exceeding the highest defense requirements.

Innovation and Performance in Every Detail

LMT Defense and SWISSLOXX AG continually push the boundaries of small arms technology. Their weapons are:

Engineered for Precision: Optimized components ensure consistent accuracy and performance.

Built for Durability: Proven to withstand harsh conditions and rigorous testing.

Designed for Reliability: Innovative features minimize malfunction risks and maximize mission readiness.

A Partnership for the Future of Defense

“We are honored to support the Swiss Armed Forces with our advanced small arms solutions,” said Karl Lewis, President of LMT Defense. “This contract reflects our commitment to quality and innovation and strengthens our successful partnership with SWISSLOXX AG.”

NEXTORCH TA22 Tri-Mode Tactical Penlight

Tuesday, February 25th, 2025

Cleveland, TN – (February 14th, 2025) – NEXTORCH North America, the primary U.S. distributor of global manufacturer NEXTORCH Industries, is proud to announce the new TA22 Tri-Mode Tactical Penlight. This high-performance tool combines cutting-edge technology with practical features; making it a must-have for tactical professionals, first responders, and outdoor enthusiasts.

The TA22 is a professional-grade tactical penlight delivering unmatched power in a compact platform. This penlight sets a new benchmark with 850 lumens of tactical illumination; making it an ideal self-defense light for law enforcement professionals and civilians alike. This tactical penlight is built with a silent activation switch for stealth operation and a nano-ceramic glass breaker tips for emergency needs. It is powered by a USB-C rechargeable battery with an integrated battery status indicator on the light for reliable field performance. Designed for single-handed operation, this self-defense penlight excels in both tactical and everyday carry situations.

The NEXTORCH TA22 redefines tactical penlights with its compact design and high-performance capabilities. It’s 850 lumens of output brightness ensures you can illuminate large areas and identify objects clearly. With its innovative circuit technology, the TA22 provides a beam distance of up to 95 meters in high mode, offering enhanced visibility and safety in low-light conditions. The patented one-step-strobe feature enables quick access to strobe for emergency situations. This function is accessible with a simple full press on the tactical mode setting, ensuring immediate response when needed. The TA22 features a multi-mode design with three selectable settings: LOCK, DUTY, and TAC. The tail switch operation in TAC mode allows for a half press for momentary high and a full press for the one-step-strobe. The DUTY mode offers a half press for momentary on, full press for constant high, and subsequent half presses to toggle between brightness levels (high, medium, low). The LOCK mode prevents accidental activation, making it ideal for storage or transport.

Crafted from durable A6061-T6 aluminum alloy, the TA22 is lightweight yet robust. It has passed ANSI 6.5 ft. drop tests and is IPX8 waterproof submergible up to 6.5 feet. The nano-ceramic strike bezel adds functionality for emergency glass breaking and self-defense. Additionally, the anti-rolling design ensures the flashlight stays in place when placed on uneven surfaces. The TA22 is equipped with a USB-C rechargeable 10880 Li-ion battery for long-lasting power and up to 500 charge cycles.

Technical specifications:

– Maximum output: 850 lumens

– Beam distance: 312 feet

– Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion (included)

– Battery Status indicator, Nano-ceramic bezel

– Runtime: Up to 15 hours

– Dimensions: 5.8” L x .62” W x .56 dia.

– Weight: 1.4 oz. (without battery)

MSRP: $69.99

To learn more about the complete product offerings from NEXTORCH, please visit www.nextorch.com and follow them on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram.

Mehler Protection Introduces the HYVE: A Versatile Waistcoat with Integrated Plate Carrier

Tuesday, February 25th, 2025

FULDA, GERMANY (24.02.2025)

Mehler Protection proudly unveils the Hybrid Waistcoat (HYVE), a cutting-edge personal protection solution designed to meet the dynamic needs of law enforcement and security personnel. Combining a tailored waistcoatwith a fully compatible plate carrier, the HYVE provides an adaptable and efficient approach to tactical protection.

This innovative system seamlessly integrates a soft ballistic waistcoat with a detachable plate carrier, enabling users to independently enhance their level of protection based on situational demands. With its thoughtful design, the HYVE allows for quick adjustments during critical operations without compromising functionality or mobility.

The waistcoat offers personalised protection through a custom fit, ensuring maximum comfort and ease ofmovement for individual users. The detachable plate carrier, designed to accommodate ballistic plates at thefront and back, is a one-size-fits-all solution that can be shared among team members, making it a resource-efficient option. Importantly, the plate carrier can be added or removed in seconds, even under high-pressure conditions, without the need to adjust or remove the waistcoat itself.

Pockets and equipment remain accessible in their original positions throughout operations, ensuring uninterrupted usability. This intuitive and ergonomic design allows personnel to respond effectively in both standard and high-risk scenarios, enhancing their operational readiness and confidence.

The HYVE reflects Mehler Protection’s commitment to delivering advanced, flexible, and practical solutions for those working in demanding environments. It sets a new benchmark in modern tactical equipment, combining efficiency with user-centric design to address the uniquechallenges of today’s operational landscapes.

For more details about the HYVE and Mehler Protection’s advanced protective solutions, please visit here.

Blue Force Gear Earns Great Place To Work Certification

Tuesday, February 25th, 2025

POOLER, GA. – Blue Force Gear, Inc., the world leader in load carriage equipment, announces their recent achievement as a Great Place To Work certified company. This prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Blue Force Gear. The certification reflects Blue Force Gear’s success in creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and engaged in the company’s mission to provide innovative gear solutions.

Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.

“Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,” says Sarah Lewis-Kulin, the Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work. She emphasizes that Certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture. “By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Blue Force Gear stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.”

“This certification is a testament to our team’s dedication and the strong culture we’ve built together,” said Ashley Burnsed, President of Blue Force Gear. “Our employees are the foundation of our success, and we’re proud to have created a workplace where innovation thrives, and people genuinely enjoy coming to work each day.”

According to Great Place To Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.

BLUE FORCE GEAR IS HIRING!

Looking to grow your career at a company that puts its people first? Visit the BFG careers page at: www.blueforcegear.com/careers

UK Special Forces To Renew Contract With Colt Canada

Monday, February 24th, 2025

The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced its intention to award contract Colt Canada with a contract for the supply of C8 rifle spares and accessories, according to a tender notice published on 19 February 2025.  The contract will run for an initial two-year period, with options to extend for a further three years.  The contract covers essential components for the C8 rifle platform, a widely used firearm among UK specialist military units.

According to the MoD, the contract will “provide C8 Rifle Spares and Accessories for a period of 2 years with 3 option years”, ensuring continued support and maintenance of these critical weapons.  The contract is expected to run from 8 August 2025 to 7 August 2027, with potential extensions based on operational requirements.  The MoD has confirmed that the contract will be awarded without prior publication of a competitive tender, citing technical reasons under Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations (DSPCR) 2011. The justification states:

“It is considered that the award of the contract without prior publication of a contract notice in the UK e-notification service (as required by the relevant legislation) is lawful in accordance with Regulation 16(1)(a)(ii) of the DSPCR 2011 for technical reasons.”

The MoD argues that Colt Canada Corporation is the only supplier capable of fulfilling this requirement, due to its “significant niche expertise, technical ‘know-how’ and acquired specific experience to source quality spares and manage the supply chain / delivery process.”

The Colt Canada C8 is designated as the L119A1/A2 in British service, is primarily used by the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) and certain specialised units which include:

Special Air Service

Special Boat Service

Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR)

Special Forces Support Group (SFSG)

Pathfinder Platoon (16 Air Assault Brigade)

43 Commando Royal Marines

Royal Military Police Close Protection Unit

The Colt Canada L119/A2 gained fame through media coverage of the rapid tactical response conducted by SAS operator Christian Craighead during the 2019 Al Shabab terror attack in Nairobi Kenya.   Craighead worked with local Kenyan forces to engage Al Shabab terrorists and rescue hostages being held in the DusitD2 hotel complex, earning him the nickname ‘Obi Wan Nairobi’ and reinforcing the solid reputation of Colt Canada’s C8 as being the carbine of choice for some of the world’s most prestigious Tier 1 SOF units.

HENSOLDT is Developing the ODAEON Optical Detection System for the Bundeswehr

Monday, February 24th, 2025

Innovative capability demonstrator protects combat vehicles by automatically detecting enemy optics.

Oberkochen, Germany, 17. February 2025 – Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT has been awarded a contract by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to develop an innovative capability demonstrator for optical detection. The product, called ODAEON, is designed to revolutionise the capability for automated reconnaissance of enemy optical systems on the battlefield and will be developed in cooperation with BAAINBw.

The design phase of the project has already begun, after the first customer acceptance (concept review) was successfully completed in December 2024. The contract, which runs until the end of 2026, is worth 17.6 million euros.

The aim of the development is a demonstrator at technology readiness level six (TRL6), which is to be tested by BAAINBw from 2026. The innovative solution enables real-time detection, reporting and display of optical reconnaissance systems, such as enemy drones and optical target acquisition systems, to the crew. This represents a decisive time advantage.

ODAEON is based on the proven technology of the MUSS Jammer Head 2 (MJ2). The next step in the development of this advanced technology will be to enable the detection and analysis of enemy optics. Further protective functions, such as jamming and dazzling, can be added in subsequent development stages. Jamming interferes with electro-optical systems by means of targeted interference signals, while dazzling oversaturates optical systems such as cameras and target acquisition devices with strong light pulses. Both methods increase the protection of vehicles by effectively impairing enemy reconnaissance and target acquisition.

Multi-sensor approach: integration into existing systems

As a multi-sensor system, the series version of ODAEON will feature interfaces to existing systems and further sensory means to reduce possible false alarms. In a further step, the fusion of ODAEON and MUSS technologies is planned to ensure comprehensive protection. HENSOLDT is thus pursuing the strategic goal of consistently combining reconnaissance, situational awareness and self-protection in order to offer the user highly integrated systems with the corresponding added value.

“With ODAEON, we are responding to a central requirement of modern battlefields: The ability to detect threats from enemy optical systems at an early stage and to protect combat vehicle crews in real time using automated warning systems,” explains Dr. Oliver Rudow, Head of the “Survivability” product line at HENSOLDT. “This is a further step in equipping our armed forces with innovative technologies that not only increase their effectiveness but also improve their safety.”

UNITY Tactical Expands AXON Line with Three-Button Switch

Monday, February 24th, 2025

AXON™ XL brings dedicated visible laser override capability

UNITY™ Tactical, a designer of components that integrate tactical systems and optimize the human factor, unveiled the third product in its line of AXON™ switches – the three-button AXON XL – at Enforce Tac 2025.

Developed as part of a SOF requirement, AXON XL brings additional functionality to the industry-leading AXON family. A third button provides users with a dedicated visible laser override capability for the NGAL (LA-23/PEQ) laser. The forward two buttons feature the same tactile differentiation as AXON, while a prominent wall separates the flat (pill-shaped) center pad from the rear (round dome) button.

“We constantly seek to innovate and expand the capability of our product lines,” said Mike Roth, VP of business development for UNITY Tactical. “AXON XL is the direct result of customer feedback, bringing together a technically advanced and ergonomically correct solution in the same or smaller footprint as many two-button switches on the market, giving the end user utmost efficiency in space and capability.”

There are three non-restrictive versions of AXON XL. The angled button on one supports momentary and constant light activation. On the second, the angled button operates in a SYNC capacity, firing both white light and visible laser despite what mode the NGAL is physically set to (vis override). Also operating in SYNC, the angled button on the third version simultaneously fires white light and the laser in the mode the NGAL is physically set to (mode select). The front angled button supports both momentary and constant activation on SYNC variants as well.

The center and rear buttons fire in the same way across all three commercial variants. The center button fires the laser in the mode the NGAL is physically set to (mode select). The rear button fires the visible laser despite what mode the NGAL is physically set to (vis override). Both the center and rear buttons offer momentary-only and laser double-click-for-constant-on control.

AXON XL is only available for UNITY’s LINK™ USB-C System with GASCAP™, and NGAL (LA-23) lasers with versions for other next-generation / visible-override-capable devices available in the future.

At only 3.7 inches (9.4 centimeters) in length, AXON XL is1.03 inches shorter than UNITY’s first-ever two-button TAPS™ switch that launched in 2014 and has since been discontinued.

M1913 Rail Clamps include three pass-throughs for zip ties, with an M-LOK® Mounting Kit sold separately.

AXON XL is available in black and FDE and retails at $349. It is available for purchase now through authorized UNITY dealers, with orders starting to ship on or before March 7, 2025. AXON XL is on display at the UNITY Tactical stand #7-329 at Enforce Tac in Nürnberg, Germany from Feb. 24-26, 2025.

Rheinmetall at the Xponential Europe Trade Fair: Robotics, Drones and Teleoperated Driving in Focus

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

From 18 to 20 February 2025, the Xponential Europe trade fair, which focuses on robotics and unmanned systems, will take place for the first time in Düsseldorf. Rheinmetall is the largest exhibitor, underlining its claim to leadership in this field. Under the motto ‘Leadership in unmanned digital ecosystem and robotics’, the Dax-listed technology company and its subsidiaries MIRA GmbH and Yardstick Robotics are presenting their latest developments in the fields of robotics, drones, unmanned systems and teleoperated driving. 

Rheinmetall is showing a wide range of its unmanned systems for military and law enforcement applications, including:

–    the LUNA NG VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing), a tactical fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial System with vertical take-off and landing capability, reconnaissance equipment (ISR, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) and optional effectors

–    the Fixed Wing Vehicle FV-002, a fixed-wing drone primarily for close-range reconnaissance

–    the Rotary Wing Vehicle RV-002, a rotary wing drone for close-range reconnaissance with a payload capacity of 750 grams

–    the target drone Fixed Wing Vehicle FV-015

–    the walking robot Robotics L.

MIRA GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG, is paving the way for automated mobility with teleoperation. MIRA uses teleoperation to decouple the driver from the vehicle. This makes it possible to control the vehicle remotely from a control panel located anywhere.

Teleoperation of vehicles on public roads requires powerful IT systems. In the ‘POQUASIA – Post-quantum secure generic IoT application’ project, the Rheinmetall Technology Center, with the support of MIRA GmbH, is developing a scalable, real-time-capable and generic Internet of Things (IoT) platform within a cloud environment.

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the potential of cloud-based applications using the example of teleoperation and to test the use of post-quantum cryptography to protect against future cyber threats. This will provide digital innovations that meet the highest security, latency and availability requirements. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and supports the European IPCEI-CIS initiative to realise a unique multi-provider cloud-edge continuum.

During the trade fair, MIRA GmbH and the POQUASIA project are offering visitors to Xponential Europe the opportunity to take a ride in one of their teleoperated shuttle vehicles on public roads. In addition, MIRA GmbH will be providing first-hand information about its innovative technology and its diverse applications in logistics and passenger transport.

Rheinmetall subsidiary YardStick Robotics is a manufacturer of AI-enabled robotic solutions for extreme, unstructured and unpredictable environments. The specialised collaborative cobot ‘YARO Cobot’ is developed for the toughest of missions – in other words, robots for ‘dull, dirty & dangerous’ activities. YardStick Robotics is currently working on solutions for a range of applications from the deep sea to extraterrestrial missions in the future. In keeping with the motto ‘Robots for the World’s Toughest Jobs’, the focus is also on the safe automation of industries that have not previously had access to such robotic solutions.

At Xponential Europe, Yardstick Robotics will be showcasing

·    the outdoor cobot: ‘YARO Cobot’ – a specially developed collaborative robot for reliable use in rough, unstructured outdoor environments

·    an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) study – an autonomous underwater platform for precise inspection and monitoring tasks in marine and inland waters

·    MagnetCrawler – an intelligent system for inspecting and monitoring metallic surfaces, e.g. for industrial applications

Xponential Europe is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.from 18 to 20 February 2025. We look forward to welcoming you to our booth 1C25.

For more information about Xponential Europe, visit: www.xponential-europe.de