I have showed this before, but January 26th is Busters birthday, so I thought I would show it again. Buster is the father of combat diving in the UK. Happy Birthday Buster. The below link is his story and the one below that is the movie The Silent Enemy.
www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Lionel-Buster-Crabb
The Bundeswehr has contracted with Rheinmetall to carry out new measures for extending the service life of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle. In order to maintain the operational readiness of this tracked vehicle, the drivetrain of 71 Marder 1A5 vehicles will be replaced. During the 2020-2023 timeframe, Rheinmetall will be supplying the German military with a total of 78 conversion kits as well as vehicle tool kits and special tools, logistical support, an initial store of spare parts, and training and instruction. The order is worth around
€110 million, including value added tax. The service life extension will maintain and expand the capabilities of the Marder, which the Bundeswehr first fielded in 1971.
As a first step in replacing the drivetrain, a new powerpack will be installed in all of the vehicles, which will boost the Marder’s engine output from 600 to over 750 HP. The new powerpack will significantly enhance the tried-and-tested vehicle’s responsiveness. Here, the Bundeswehr has opted for a highly advanced, forward-looking new solution proposed by well-known German manufacturers.
Under a comprehensive development contract, the Marder fleet has already undergone significant modernization. For example, the new MELLS multirole lightweight antitank guided missile system has recently been integrated into various versions of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, while a new driver vision system, a thermal imaging aiming device and a fire detection and extinguisher system have also been ordered. Series contracts have already been awarded for parts of this service life extension, with performance upgrades now reaching the troops.
First and foremost, these service life extension measures are designed to eliminate known obsolescent elements in the Marder. Here, individual measures can be supplied as modular conversion kits and – as part of planned maintenance operations, for example – integrated in order to assure ready availability of the vehicles.
Awarded to Rheinmetall in December 2019, this Bundeswehr order has the potential to lead to more service life extension measures both at home and abroad. Besides Germany, the armed forces of Chile, Indonesia and Jordan all use the Marder infantry fighting vehicle.
As a system developer and supplier, Rheinmetall has immense expertise and experience with the Marder. The weapons system first rolled off the assembly lines of the predecessor of the company now known as Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH in Kassel. Extremely reliable and battle tested, the Marder is set to serve as an important asset of Germany’s mechanized infantry units for several more years, even though the Bundeswehr is currently taking delivery of the last of 350 Puma infantry fighting vehicles intended to replace it.
From the 1964 pamphlet “Air Police Combat Preparedness Personal Protection”
This video on the history of the Close Combat Uniform by Uniform History is pretty cool.
Hey everyone! I just wanted to share a fun personal project I just did this week. Despite it being a smaller product, there was a surprising amount of labor that went into this. But I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – January 23, 2020 – Hoppe’s the No. 1 name in gun care products, and Champion, makers of trusted eye and ear protection, is pleased to announce that legendary shooter Jerry Miculek has chosen to serve as an ambassador for both brands during the 2020 competitive shooting season. Miculek, widely acknowledged to be one of the best all-around shooters in the world, will serve as a representative of Hoppe’s gun care products and Champion Vanquish hearing protection as he prepares to compete in his 31st year of professional shooting.
“Entering into a partnership with Hoppe’s feels a lot like coming home,” said Miculek. “It was the first firearms cleaning product I ever used and it’s a special feeling to once again be back with the brand.”
“As for Champion, I’ve been testing their new Vanquish hearing muffs for some time now and it’s certainly the best hearing protection I’ve ever used,” continued Miculek. “To be able to add them along with Hoppe’s, makes it almost too good to be true.”
Throughout his historic career, Miculek has proven to be among the best in a variety of shooting disciplines, winning 52 national titles and 45 world titles, while setting numerous speed shooting records. Although best known for his amazing feats with a revolver, Miculek is also one of the top Multi-Gun competitors in the world and has demonstrated equal prowess with pistols, rifles and shotguns. His varied shooting skills have been highlighted on numerous television programs and with countless competition and hundreds of shooting demonstrations under his belt, Miculek is arguably the most well-recognized shooter on the planet.
“To say that we are excited to have Jerry join our team is a huge understatement,” said Jason Slinkard, Director of Shooting Accessories for Vista Outdoor. “His decision to represent both Hoppe’s and Champion is a huge validation of the products being developed by both brands and we look forward to using his numerous years of experience to bring even better products to market.”
We interrupt our SHOT Show coverage to bring you the new US Space Force emblem, recently tweeted by President Trump.
And for those of you who think that USSF doesn’t need camouflage in space, do you actually believe that they go there?
