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Archive for the ‘Press Release’ Category

T.Rex Arms Releases the Next Generation Sidecar 

Monday, August 9th, 2021

Centerville, TN – T.REX ARMS is pleased to announce the release of the next generation of the industry-standard Sidecar holster: a total redesign making it the slimmest, lightest, and most modular of all flexible AIWB holster systems on the market.

Six years ago, we launched the original Sidecar, a rigid, one-piece holster holding duty gun and spare magazine, made specifically for appendix carry. The industry followed, and a number of companies have built on that design, extending it, and improving on it.

Today, we are further updating this holster with the Spine System, an integral hinge that allows the holster and attachment to flex with the movement of the wearer, providing maximum comfort, but only pivoting on a single axis so the flexibility does not compromise concealability. 

The Spine allows for a sleek and simple design, but also the ability to quickly and easily swap out attachments to carry different equipment at customizable ride heights. Current attachments include a pistol mag carrier, rifle mag carrier, tourniquet carrier, and universal handcuff carrier. More attachments are currently in development for unprecedented adaptability of the holster system by the user.

Every holster also includes our new Raptor Wing, an outrigger clip adapter that allows stable carry of the holster without an attachment, in all IWB positions. The wing also has mounting holes that can be used to attach knife sheaths or other tool holders for unlimited extensibility.

In addition to this new flexibility and modularity, the Sidecar redesign adds expanded support for optics and suppressor-height sights and coincides with a complete overhaul of our manufacturing pipeline to improve overall product quality and consistency of fit and finish.

The new Sidecar launches with full ambidextrous support for standard 9mm/.40/.357 Glocks, The S&W M&P and Shield line, Sig P320 and P365 variants, the Walther PPQ and PDP, and FN 509. Light compatibility includes the Surefire X300 and XSC, and the Streamlight TLR-1, TLR-6, and TLR-7 families of lights. Additional weapons and lights are coming soon with CZ and HK support slated for later this year.

Furthermore, the design of this new hinge system has been open-sourced, and CAD drawings and 3D models of parts and tooling can be downloaded here. T.REX ARMS invites the rest of the industry to extend and build upon this latest design as we all work together to serve those who desire to be better equipped to protect themselves and those around them.

Schiebel Camcopter S-100 Successfully Completes US Navy Flight Trials

Monday, August 9th, 2021

Fairfax, Virginia, USA, 9 August 2021 – Schiebel Aircraft and Areté Associates, successfully showcased the CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) combined with Areté’s Pushbroom Imaging Lidar for Littoral Surveillance (PILLS) sensor to the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR).

In a combined demonstration sponsored by the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) on a commercial vessel off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Schiebel and Areté demonstrated the CAMCOPTER® S-100 and its capabilities, as well as Areté’s Push- broom Imaging Lidar for Littoral Surveillance (PILLS) system.

PILLS enables hydrographic mapping of ocean littoral spaces with a low size, weight, and power (SWaP) sensor that easily integrates into the S-100. PILLS has multiple military and commercial applications.

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said: “We are proud that we could successfully showcase the outstanding capabilities and data-gathering features of our CAMCOPTER® S-100 to the US Navy. Globally, we operate extensively on land and at sea and we are confident that our unmanned solution is also the right fit for the US Navy.”

www.schiebel.net

NexTex Innovations Presents New TurboDry Technology Collections at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

Monday, August 9th, 2021

NexTex Innovations, an Atlanta-based textile technology developer that builds strategic partnerships with brands, entrepreneurs and manufacturers to bring textile innovations to market will introduce its expanded collection of TurboDry technology performance materials at the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, August 10-12 in Denver Colorado.

TurboDry technology is a patent-pending fabric construction that harnesses the same capillary forces as the root systems in trees and move moisture away from skin keeping users dry, comfortable, and more equipped to efficiently maintain their core body temperature. The core mission of TurboDry technology – and all NexTex products – is to provide consumers with the most comfortable, sustainable performance textiles.

At the Outdoor Retail Show, NexTex will introduce six new TurboDry technology collections including 100% polyester constructions, single jerseys, natural and synthetic blends, woven-like knits, and narrow elastics.

“Since we launched TurboDry in January of 2020, we’ve received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from our brand partners and consumers with regards to the technology’s performance,” said Chad Lawrence, NexTex CEO. “We are pleased to extend the collection to provide consumers with the most comfortable sustainable performance textiles.”

NexTex won a 2021 Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award in the Function category for its TurboDry technology, selected among 39 finalists in the function category.

The 100+ fabric and elastic offerings in the TurboDry technology portfolio serve as a foundation for apparel and accessories development for all walks of life. To learn more about how TurboDry can elevate your products schedule a meeting for the show at turbodry.com/contact, or stop by our Booth 50035-UL.

Big Agnes Introduces First-Ever Backpack Collection in Spring 2022

Monday, August 9th, 2021

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. – Big Agnes, the Steamboat Springs-based outdoor equipment brand, is pleased to introduce a line of technical backpacks for Spring 2022, a first for the 20-year-old brand. The collection of six backpacks ranges from 20-liters to 63-liters in capacity, made wtih GRS certified recycled nylon fabric nylon fabric. Core to the collection is the inclusion of a “Trash Can” accessory on most models and a campaign, in conjunction with Leave No Trace, aimed at reducing litter on public lands.

“Our new pack line leverages over two decades of product design and development experience,” said Bill Gamber, co-founder and president of Big Agnes. “The market is full of some impressive products but we’re bringing fresh new ideas and a commitment to recycled fabrics to the category. As a brand we’re excited to finally have backpacks to complement and carry all our award-winning gear.”

The Big Agnes pack collection will feature 45-liter to 63-liter backpacks designed to provide comfort for multiday excursions, along with two technical daypacks for hiking and travel. The 45-liter to 63-liter backpacks will also be offered in women’s specific fit models which have been optimized by Big Agnes’ female designers. The main packs fabric is GRS certified, recycled Mipan® regen robic high-tenacity nylon containing a solution-dyed ripstop grid.

Essential to the pack design is the proprietary Load Wrangler and Load Wrangler+ suspension systems that provide an easy to set, precise fit for a well-balanced load that remains comfortable throughout a full day on the trail. All of this is delivered through innovative design that has come to life through functional features like the HOIST COMPRESSION SYSTEM and OPEN RANGE hip belt systems. Hydration bladder sleeves, accessible pockets, daisy chain webbing and other core features are also included.  

The Big Agnes packs collection includes:

• Prospector 50 liter and Women’s Sun Dog 45 liter – ultralight backpacking packs designed for shorter-duration overnight pursuits

• Parkview 63 liter and Women’s Garnet 60 liter – lightweight backpacking packs designed for extended backpacking excursions, featuring custom-injection molded frame sheets anatomically engineered to fit the body and maximize torsional stability 

• Impassable 20 liter – A top-loading daypack with an internal laptop/hydration sleeve and compartmentalized storage, perfect for day hikes and everyday travel

• Ditch Rider 32 liter – A minimalist, roll-top daypack with an internal laptop/hydration sleeve, designed for versatility on and off the trail, streamlined for all-day comfort 

A unique product launching alongside the packs is the 7-liter Big Agnes Trash Can, an easily attachable and packable accessory for collecting litter on the trail and in camp. The Trash Can is made from the same fabric as the packs and will be included with all 45-liter to 63-liter packs, but also sold separately as an accessory. 

“Our Trash Can has one purpose – to clean up our public lands and give back to a global organization that’s working to help make it happen,” said Gamber. “We wanted to provide an easy way to collect the large and small garbage that’s littered along trails, rivers and in campgrounds. Through some post work product testing, our employees determined that the Trash Can holds at least 36 crushed aluminum cans.” 

The Trash Can is the latest environmentally conscious offering from Big Agnes, joining the brand’s TwisterCane™ BioFoam Pad and Solution Dyed Fabric Tents that both launched earlier this year and provide a multitude of sustainable benefits. For the backpack launch, Big Agnes is partnering with Leave No Trace by donating a portion of sales from every pack and Trash Can to assist in its global efforts to sustain healthy public lands. All Trash Cans will include an informational card to help drive awareness of Leave No Trace’s mission and to help educate consumers on backcountry best practices.

“Big Agnes has been a longtime partner of Leave No Trace and we’re excited to collaborate with them on their upcoming pack launch,” said Dana Watts, Leave No Trace Executive Director. “We love the energy and commitment they have put into reducing trail and campground litter and we’re excited to be a partner in their education campaign.” 

GeoLanes Distributes Microdrones Surveying Equipment in Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol

Thursday, August 5th, 2021

Rome, NY – GeoLanes, an Austrian company in the construction industry and the digitization of construction machinery is now an official distributor of Microdrones integrated systems, offering drone surveying products and solutions to their surveying, engineering, and construction customers throughout Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol.

The GeoLanes team, who have more than 10 years’ experience, will now offer the full portfolio of drone surveying equipment that a commercial user needs to get started using drones for surveying, mapping, 3D modeling, and creating digital twins. The integrated systems from Microdrones reinforce GeoLanes’ focus on enabling their customers to make the construction industry more efficient, economical, and safe by implementing digitization solutions.

“Adding the integrated systems from Microdrones really completes our product portfolio,” explains Christian Tschann, CEO of GeoLanes. “We specialize in sales and consultation for high-quality excavating assistance systems. The Microdrones LiDAR systems and data processing modules from mdInfinity work together seamlessly and help strengthen our mission to provide added value and benefits for our customers in order to save costs and promote efficiency.”

Samuel Flick, the Central European Sales Manager for Microdrones, sees great potential for the partnership in this region. According to Flick, “GeoLanes is now ready to help further the advance of drones in the construction sector, where professionals are putting Microdrones systems to work monitoring progress, measuring materials, and surveying sites more efficiently. The customers of GeoLanes will find the Microdrones as a Service sales model affordable and convenient to use for both the drone surveying hardware and software processing modules.”

Outdoor Research Awarded U.S. Army Cold Weather Glove System (CWGS) Contract 

Thursday, August 5th, 2021

Seattle-based leader in cold-weather clothing and equipment to provide innovative glove system for U.S. Army cold weather units. 

SEATTLE, Wash. (Aug. 5, 2021) – Outdoor Research, LLC. (OR), a leading brand in the outdoor and tactical gear industry, announced that the company, in partnership with Prime Vendor ADS Inc., has been awarded a multi-year $49 million contract from the U.S. Army for the next generation Cold Weather Glove System (CWGS).

The interchangeable system is comprised of five individual gloves with varying levels of temperature protection and is customizable depending upon mission requirements. The Army received several offers from industry for this Program of Record (POR), ultimately selecting Outdoor Research based on the capabilities of the OR glove system and the company’s past performance providing best-in-class cold-weather solutions for American military service members. Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland will oversee this contract.

The Outdoor Research CWGS includes a fire resistant (FR) liner base layer glove, a next-to-skin glove for cool conditions, a trigger-finger mitten for cold to extreme cold conditions, a regular mitten that can combine with other gloves, and a white overglove designed for cold weather and snow camouflage. Each glove within the system is designed as “no melt, no drip” to protect against rapid heating during combat operations.

The CWGS provides protection from 40 degrees Fahrenheit down to -70 degrees Fahrenheit. Each glove can be worn independently or layered to provide scalable protection against a variety of temperatures. Combining elements of the CWGS provides for “fast doffing,” or rapid removal for short-term manual dexterity and combat operations. The individual five-finger gloves provide index finger and thumb touchscreen compliance, while the mittens are waterproof, windproof and seam taped for unparalleled protection against cold weather elements. The over-white mitten is made of Alpine Multicam™ and fits over multiple glove/mitten combinations, providing camouflage in winter conditions.

“The contract award for the OR Cold Weather Glove System is the culmination of three years of work by our dedicated team of engineers and production staff and represents the largest contract award in the history of our company,” said Roger Barton, President of Outdoor Research. “Providing best-in-class cold weather gear to the U.S. Military is one of the most important things we do as a brand.”

Outdoor Research will manufacture the 100% Berry Amendment compliant CWGS in Seattle, Wash., and El Monte, Calif. Both facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art sewing and seam taping equipment operated by highly trained, skilled workers.

General Dynamics Mission Systems Introduces Badger Software-Defined Radio

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

New 2-channel radio provides multi-level security for voice and data communications in a small, compact form factor

Fairfax, Va – General Dynamics Mission Systems introduced the new Badger software-defined radio today at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Symposium in National Harbor, Maryland. Produced at the company’s Scottsdale, Arizona facility, the Badger is a compact, 2-channel software-defined radio that provides Multiple Independent Levels of Security (MILS) for ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore voice and data communications. It is the only radio available that provides High Frequency (HF), Very High Frequency (VHF), Ultra High Frequency (UHF) and SATCOM Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) waveform capability. The integration of MUOS significantly enhances beyond line-of-sight, or satellite voice and data communications.

Badger’s software-defined, flexible open architecture enables future next-generation communications including waveforms, encryption algorithms and advanced network connectivity to be easily incorporated without redesign. Similar to a commercial smartphone, this approach simplifies the incorporation of new features and functions by enabling the radio to be upgraded in the field without having to take it out of service, resulting in significant time and cost savings. In addition, the Badger’s Voice over IP (VoIP) audio capability modernizes and simplifies platform audio distribution using network connectivity.

The Badger is based on the long history of General Dynamics’ Digital Modular Radio (DMR). With over 900 radios delivered, DMR provides secure communications aboard U.S. Navy surface and sub surface vessels, as well as fixed sites. At a quarter of the size of DMR, Badger provides the waveforms and flexibility of the DMR in a compact platform.

“The Badger was developed in collaboration with our customer to meet their requirements for smaller ships and platforms,“ said Stan Kordana, Vice President of Surface Systems at General Dynamics Mission Systems. Badger offers many of the same capabilities that have made DMR a communications standard for the U.S. Navy, in a much smaller form factor. The reduced size, weight and power make it ideal for smaller platforms across multiple domains that only require two channels, and at the same time simplifies logistics and reduces costs.”

The Badger has programmable embedded NSA certified Type 1 encryption that secures communications and simplifies the system architecture. It has MILS capability which enables it to communicate simultaneously at multiple levels of security, on each of the radio’s two channels.

For additional information or to purchase a Badger, please visit www.gdmissionsystems.com/Badger.

General Dynamics Mission Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), provides mission-critical solutions to defense, intelligence and cyber-security customers across all domains. Headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, General Dynamics Mission Systems employs more than 12,000 people worldwide. For more information about General Dynamics Mission Systems’ broad portfolio of capabilities, visit gdmissionsystems.com or follow @GDMS on Twitter.

AeroVironment Introduces Standardized Modular Payload Interface Kits for RQ-20B Puma Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems; Kits Under Order by USSOCOM

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

• Enables third-party payload manufacturers, as well as U.S. DoD and international partners, to develop and integrate payloads onto RQ-20B Puma

• Utilizes the Modular Payload Standard initiated by USSOCOM to create a modular architectural standard for payloads on unmanned aircraft systems Groups 1 through 3

AeroVironment’s standardized modular payload interface kit enables customer-driven payloads to be quickly and easily integrated into RQ-20B Puma (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc.)

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 4, 2021 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, today announced the introduction of its standardized modular payload interface kits for RQ-20B Puma™ tactical unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

The Modular Payload Standard was established by U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in order to create a modular architectural standard for a wide variety of payloads on Groups 1 through 3 UAS. The kits enable third-party payload manufacturers, as well as United States Department of Defense and international partners, to quickly and easily develop and integrate payloads onto RQ-20B Puma. AeroVironment’s standardized modular payload interface kit is a self-contained unit that provides all of the mechanical and electrical interfaces required to enable RQ-20B Puma to mate with new payloads, regardless of whether or not they were developed specifically for the RQ-20B Puma platform. This interface kit not only allows for more rapid integration of new payloads, but it also reduces time and complexity for operators to swap them on the flight line and reduces government cost for new integrations.

“AeroVironment’s standardized modular payload interface kits enable customer-driven payloads to be rapidly and effortlessly integrated into the thousands of digitally enabled Puma systems already deployed, resulting in a more capable solution that is adaptable to more mission sets at a fraction of the cost of a new system,” said Trace Stevenson, AeroVironment vice president and product line general manager for small UAS.

AeroVironment received an initial firm-fixed price order for modular payload standard kits from USSOCOM on May 12, 2021. Delivery of the kits is anticipated by November 2021.

AeroVironment’s family of tactical UAS comprises the majority of all unmanned aircraft in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) inventory, and its rapidly growing international customer base of more than 50 allied governments. To learn more, visit www.avinc.com.