True Velocity has announced their new bullpup, “The Genesis” which is the commercial version of their US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon candidate rifle in 6.8 TVCM.
To reserve your place in line sign up with your email. There will be limited production so act quickly. You will be receiving more information soon regarding the commercial version of the Next Generation platform “The Genesis”.
Laser on board: The Skyranger 30 HEL is a hybrid solution designed to thwart the full range of future airborne threats. Here, the interplay of a 30mm automatic cannon, guided missiles, and a high-energy laser (HEL) results in a mix of effectors unique in this combination. Teamed with a matching sensor mix, the Skyranger 30 HEL can monitor airspace autonomously, while simultaneously selecting the optimum effector in response to emerging threats. The Skyranger 30 HEL can protect mobile units on the march or critical stationary infrastructure and facilities from aerial threats. No matter what the initial situation, an appropriate response is always readily available, assuring adherence to legal requirements and the avoidance of collateral damage.
Thanks to its longstanding experience in the field of ground-based air defence and adherence to a clear technical road map for a future laser weapon system, Rhein¬metall is able to integrate mechanically and systemically a full range of advanced capabilities into a wheeled or tracked mobile platforms such as the Boxer multipurpose wheeled armoured vehicle* or the tracked Lynx KF41 armoured vehicle. Thanks to the highly flexible Skymaster fire control system and state-of-the-art sensors, the effectors achieve maximum tactical impact.
Rheinmetall’s HEL effectors consist of a laser source and laser guidance system, both of which are integrated into the vehicle, along with a laser weapon station built into the turret that simultaneously serves as a platform for the electro-optical sensors. The laser weapon station tracks targets automatically, neutralizing them with a laser beam. Thus, the Skyranger 30 HEL is capable of effectively defending assigned airspace with three different effectors – an automatic cannon, guided missiles, and a high-energy laser – with the appropriate level of intensity.
Featuring a rate of fire of 1,200 rounds per minute, the 30mmx173 KCE revolver gun is the world’s top-performing weapon in this calibre. Programmable time-delay ammunition enhances the probability of hitting even the smallest aerial targets. The Skyranger 30 HEL’s guided missiles increase the system’s operational flexibility and maximum range.
In live trials, current technology sample systems for laser weapon systems have successfully achieved laser outputs of 20kW. The ability to increase this figure to 100kW is already an integral feature of this technology. The laser weapon station used here has its own sensors for identifying and tracking targets. Subassemblies coordinated by Rheinmetall to interoperate harmoniously produce the outstanding beam quality of Rheinmetall laser sources even at high-output levels, meaning that they can be directed at the target with high precision. The carrier platform’s sophisticated mechanical design assures 100% coverage of assigned airspace. Laser outputs of up 20-50 kW are planned for the first realization phase.
Late last year, the Skyranger HEL was presented in public for the first time at a counter-drone event held by the Swiss procurement agency armasuisse in Bure, Switzerland, sparking great interest from the experts present at the event.
*Produced in cooperation with industrial partners
The Department of Defense recently announced the following contract award:
FN America LLC, Columbia, South Carolina, was awarded a $49,973,579 firm-fixed-price contract for M240L medium machine guns and titanium receivers. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 27, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-22-D-0010).
Developed in 2011, the M240L sheds five pounds from the standard model thanks to a Titanium receiver and polymer trigger frame. Additionally, it is equipped with a 4? shorter barrel and a redesigned collapsible buttstock assembly. The M240L variant is equipped with the forward-mounted MIL-STD 1913 rail kit.
Pompano Beach, Florida January 28, 2022: Kalashnikov-USA (KUSA), the premier manufacturer of AK-pattern firearms in the United States, introduced an expanded line of rifle caliber AKs during the 2022 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show held in Las Vegas January 18-21. The new models include a 7.62x39mm KR-104 short barreled rifle (SBR)* featuring a 12.25” hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel and a folding stock. A pistol version, the KP-104 is being introduced at the same time as the SBR. This reduced length version of the KR-103 weighs just over 7 pounds and is only 22.3” when folded (or in pistol form) thus offering users a very compact firearm. Using standard 124 grain FMJ ammunition, the KR-104 will produce muzzle velocities of approximately 2,200 feet per second (FPS) as compared to 2,350 FPS with the standard 16.3” barreled KR-103.
Kalashnikov-USA also introduced a 5.56mm NATO caliber rifle, based on the AK-101 platform, to be called the KR-101. The rifle features a side-folding stock, 16.5” barrel and uses the popular Bulgarian-style 5.56mm mags commonly found in the marketplace. KUSA will also produce their own steel reinforced magazine for the new firearm. A 12” barreled pistol version, dubbed the KP-102, is also being launched in the same time frame: late spring/early summer 2022.
“Kalashnikov-USA is listening to our customers and we’re expanding our product line to give Americans the variety of AK firearms they seek— all while maintaining our strong focus on quality and fidelity to the original Russian designs” said David Garretson, VP of Marketing at Kalashnikov-USA. “In addition to the 7.62x39mm KR-104/KP-104 and the 5.56x45mm KR-101/KP-102 we are looking to produce 5.45x39mm semi-auto firearms, the KR-74M rifle and KP-105 pistol, later this year” he added.
Kalashnikov-USA has grown enormously in recent years as more American shooters discover the incredible reliability offered by Mikhail Kalashnikov’s iconic long-stroke gas piston design. The company’s product line includes rifles, pistols and 12 gauge shotguns. KUSA offers both civilian-legal variants for US consumers and several select-fire versions for bona fide Military and Law Enforcement agencies. Exports are available to qualified buyers in accordance with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) as administered by the U.S. State Department. Additional information can be obtained by visiting the company’s website at www.kalashnikov-usa.com.
*Short barreled rifles (SBRs) are regulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA) and require additional paperwork and the payment of a $200 transfer tax by individuals acquiring them Interested purchasers should consult with a Federal Firearms Dealer holding a Class 3 Special Occupational Tax designation (i.e. “Class 3 Dealer”) in order to purchase a short-barreled rifle. Note that some states and municipalities prohibit SBRs.
(McLean, VA – January 27, 2022) FN America, LLC announces a safety bulletin for the FN 502 Tactical .22LR pistol. The company has become aware that a very limited number of FN 502 Tactical pistols in the field may have an improperly installed manual safety. In these cases, the external safety lever will not function as designed and may result in unintended firing. To ensure the pistol’s safe operation, FN is asking owners of the FN 502 Tactical to suspend use of their pistol and perform a function check to verify the manual safety is operating correctly, following the function check guide located here.
For more information, please see the FN 502 Tactical safety bulletin at fnamerica.com/customer-support/fn-502-safety-bulletin/. For assistance in returning a firearm, please contact FN Support at customerservice@fnamerica.com or call 1-800-635-1321, ext. 145, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —
An aircrew with the 492nd Special Operations Training Group Detachment 2, Hurlburt Field, Florida, conducted the palletized munitions platform’s first live-fire test from an MC-130J Combat Talon II for the Rapid Dragon program, Dec. 16, 2021, over the Gulf of Mexico.
Air Force Special Operations Command’s year of innovative projects started with the creation of mission sustainment teams and leapt to the conceptualization of an amphibious capable MC-130J concept. These pathfinding efforts pave the way for a ready and relevant force of future warfighters.
The final demonstration of the palletized munitions platform showcased a new capability for mobility aircraft that gives any airdrop-capable cargo aircraft the ability to retarget and employ standoff munitions en masse.
“Rapid Dragon is one of our pathfinding efforts that showcases the speed of capability development when the right teams are partnered together, combined with a rapid iterative design process that builds, tests and refines prototypes as fast as possible throughout the year,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Ryan Pinner, chief of pathfinding and innovation for AFSOC. “We started 2021 by airdropping 15,000lb steel boxes to identify the best parachute configurations during the Emerald Warrior exercise in March. Following a total of 15 flight demonstrations on three different aircraft, we sunk our target on the Eglin Overwater Test Range before the end of the year.”
Adding palletized munitions to an aircraft designed as a multi-mission combat transport and special operations tanker enables combatant commanders to increase the number of platforms available to put adversary targets at risk.
“As the weapon system goes back into design to incorporate mixed loads and future weapons, I look forward to integrating this capability with the downrange combatant commands in the near future,” said Pinner.
The live-fire exercise is a result of a pioneering partnership between the Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation Office and AFSOC, as well as U.S. Special Operations Command Detachment 1, the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren, Standoff Munitions Application Center, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Systima Technologies, Safran Electronics & Defense, Parachutes USA and R4 Integration, Inc.
Earlier in the year, the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group, Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, stood up three mission sustainment teams comprised of 60 members who train, operate and deploy together.
“This team trains together, learning operational functions of each other’s career fields and bond together establishing a family-type relationship to deploy in support of special operations forces elements,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Justin Lukso, chief of plans and integration with AFSOC. “They don’t just speak the lingo of their own [Air Force Specialty Code], but also of those other career fields they train alongside within their SOF force generation cycle as a member of the MST.”
Having a variety of career fields working as one allows AFSOC to incorporate faster movement and sustainment during contingency operations.
“An MST provides the capability to establish, sustain and retrograde from a forward operating base while simultaneously supporting up to three contingency locations and enabling command and control, and mission generation,” said Lukso. “This is incredibly valuable in keeping adversaries guessing and maintaining unpredictability while competing on a global scale. The ability to effectively support SOF operations with a minimal footprint at multiple locations provides a competitive advantage.”
During the Air Force Association 2021 Air, Space and Cyber Conference, AFSOC announced the development of the MC-130J Combat Talon II Amphibious Capability. The removable amphibious float modification allows improvement of the aircraft’s global reach, and survivability of the aircraft and Air Commandos.
“The MAC helps the Air Force and [U.S. Special Operations Command] create cost-effective and complex dilemmas for our adversaries, particularly with runway independence for the Joint Force and our allies,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Joshua Trantham, deputy chief of science systems, technology and innovation division with AFSOC. “We need distributed operations. Opening seaborne operations vastly expands options in Joint Operations Areas beyond what adversaries can easily address, which is highly valuable from both conventional and special operations perspectives and logistics under attack requirements.”
As the battlefield changes, so will AFSOC as it continues to ‘path find’ new operational concepts and technologies for the Air Force while aligning experimentation efforts with the Joint SOF enterprise.
“We are accelerating change within the command to ensure we are the AFSOC that is needed in the future,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Eric Hill, deputy commander of AFSOC. “These innovative examples demonstrate our ability to turn fast and create new capacity out of existing capability. I am proud of the accomplishments we’ve made this past year and look forward to the many pathfinding efforts our Air Commandos will bring to the future fight.”
Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
Geissele Automatics launched their GFR in 6mm ARC. Barrel lengths will be 14.5″, 16″, 18″, and 20″ Stratomatch.
They’ve also introduced two muzzle devices.
Above is now their standard muzzle device and below is the Swavvy Muzzle Brake.
True Velocity has this LMT MARS-H in the new 6.8 TVCM cartridge.
6.8 TVCM is the commercial version of the polymer cases ammunition developed by True Velocity for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons program. Having recently received SAAMI approval, this cartridge has the same overall length as the 7.62 x 51 NATO round, but it fires a larger projectile at a higher velocity.
True Velocity, along with SIG SAUER remain as the two contenders for that program which promises to replace the 5.56mm NATO firing M4 Carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapons in Close Combat Formations. This is a photo of the RM777, the TV entry for the NGSW Rifle component.
According to TV, they plan to offer this rifle commercially. Additionally, other manufacturers such as Daniel Defense are working on firearms for use with 6.8 TVCM.
