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FirstSpear Friday Focus— FirstSpear Wins MAAWS Pocket Contract for MARCORSYSCOM

October 16th, 2020

Photo Credit: Department of Defense. US Marines fire a Carl Gustaf weapon system on Townshend Island at the Shoalwater Bay training area in Australia, July 21, 2017, during Talisman Saber 17.

Next year, the United States Marine Corps will begin fielding the 84mm MAAWS, a recoilless rifle weapons system to every squad in the corps. While the original version of the launcher was introduced in 1946, the ammunition has evolved significantly. The newest round, developed by Raytheon, is a precision-laser guided projectile with a multi-target warhead, capable of defeating bunkers, concrete, light-skinned vehicles and armored personnel carriers. Additionally, it has a range of nearly 2,000 meters and can be fired from inside an enclosed room.

FirstSpear is proud to announce it has received a contract to produce up to 10,200 of the company’s 84mm MAAWS Ammunition Pouch, to help Marines carry munitions under a balanced load in combat situations and quickly deploy them as needed. Awarded on September 25, 2020, the company is already ramping up production and will manufacture all pockets in the U.S. with Berry Compliant materials.

FirstSpear designed the pouch to be adjustable in length from 18 to 38 inches to accommodate a variety of projectiles, to meet current infrared requirements, and be compatible with current Marine Corps load bearing equipment. Zippered across both ends for ease of loading, the closed pocket design limits sand and debris exposure. It features an internal pocket primer protector and it comes equipped with an adjustable sling and tube straps for use with a hard case. Like all FirstSpear products, the 84mm MAAW Ammunition Pouch was designed to be durable, lightweight and highly functional.

For more information, check out First-Spear.com. To discover more about FirstSpear’s technology, check out First-Spear.tech.

Posted in Contracts, FS Friday Focus, Guest Post, Load Carrying, USMC | 3 Comments »

National Museum of the United States Army to Open Veterans Day 2020

October 16th, 2020

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army plans to open the National Museum of the United States Army on Veterans Day, November 11, 2020. Building construction and exhibit installations are now complete, and the museum is ready to open its doors to the public for the first time.

The National Museum of the U.S. Army, located on a publicly accessible area of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, will be the first and only museum to tell the entire history of the U.S. Army since its establishment in 1775.

“The U.S. Army and the American Soldier forged the birth of our nation,” said Secretary of the Army, Ryan D. McCarthy. “The National Army Museum will be a place for members of the total Army family to gather and share their stories, while also creating an opportunity for visitors to connect with our nation’s history through the eyes and voices of individual Soldiers.”

The museum’s Experiential Learning Center will provide visitors of all ages a unique opportunity to participate in hands-on, educational and team-building activities in the areas of geography, science, technology, engineering and math.

“The museum is stunning, and it is an honor to present this history in a way that shows the connection between the American Soldier, the U.S. Army and the nation,” said the museum’s director, Ms. Tammy E. Call.

The museum will open with enhanced health and safety measures for visitors. Free, timed-entry tickets are required to manage visitor capacity and provide an optimal experience to visitors.

“We have worked hard to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors, and we are excited to open the doors of this long-awaited national museum,” added Call.

The museum is a joint effort between the U.S. Army and the Army Historical Foundation, a non-profit organization. The AHF constructed the building through private funds, and the U.S. Army provided the infrastructure, roads, utilities and exhibit work that transformed the building into a museum. The Army owns and operates the museum, and the AHF manages retail, catering and special events.

“The Army is people. They are our greatest strength and our most important weapon system,” said the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. James C. McConville. “The National Museum of the United States Army is designed to tell the compelling and heroic stories of our people and take visitors on an exciting journey through the history of the U.S. Army as told through the American Soldiers’ point of view.”

The opening will be preceded by a small ceremony that will be livestreamed to encourage people around the world to participate in this historic moment. A link to the livestream will be posted on the museum’s website and social channels as soon as it’s available. For more information, please visit www.theNMUSA.org.

For inquiries on the National Army Museum, its holdings, site, tours and tickets, please contact the National Museum of the U.S. Army Public Affairs, Ms. Susan Smullen, susan.l.fazakerley-smullen.civ@mail.mil, (202) 246-1610.

Posted in Army, History, Press Release | 1 Comment »

Safariland Offering Full Line of Hearing Protection with Impulse Technology

October 15th, 2020

Safariland®, a brand of The Safariland Group, a leading global provider of safety products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets, is excited to announce the release of their full line of hearing protection featuring patent pending impulse technology available in two different in-ear models, or together with the Impulse Range Kit.

“My ability to communicate well when on a hot line during a class is imperative,” stated Rob Leatham, 24-time USPSA National champion. “All hearing protection is not created equal and the fact that I can hear as well as I do is a testament to the usefulness of top-quality hearing protection. That I can hear every word and every sound on the range is due to the clarity and comfort of Safariland hearing protection.”

At the heart of Safariland’s Impulse line is the patent-pending Impulse Filter Technology. These filters provide a consistent reduction of 13dB. Sudden loud noises are reduced by up to 38dB. The complete protection blocks damaging noise while allowing conversation and other ambient sounds in—and all without the need for batteries. Single shots, explosions, automatic rifle fire, artillery, impulse and impact noise are all reduced to safe levels. Impulse Hearing Protection fits inside the ear and can be supplemented with traditional over-ear hearing protection for even greater levels of noise reduction.

Safariland’s Foam Impulse Hearing Protection earbuds ($14.99 MSRP) instantly block large sound waves, while permitting low-level audio waves to be heard. The Foam Impulse ear buds are washable and can be worn all day.

Features:

• Instantly reduces dangerous sound levels while allowing speech and audio to be heard

• Impulse Mode = 38db Peak Impulse Reduction + 13dB Continuous Reduction

• Full-Block Mode = 20db Continuous Reduction

• Universal-fit, memory foam tips

• Removable neck cord

• No batteries required

• Ideal for the shooting range, hunting, tactical training or operational missions

Safariland’s Pro Impulse Hearing Protection ($19.99) cuts up to 33dB. The Pro Impulse earplugs are made from a proprietary material that conforms to the dimensions of the ear canal, allowing for long-wearing comfort.

Features:

• Filters automatically engage to protect hearing

• Still allows for ambient audio

• Includes key chain aluminum transport/storage case

• No batteries required

• Two sizes of ear inserts included with each pair of filters

Safariland’s new Impulse Range Kit ($39.99 MSRP) includes both Foam Impulse earbuds and the new Ultra Compact Earmuffs. The Foam Impulse Earbuds may be worn alone, or under the Ultra Compact Earmuffs for an additional 20dB of constant protection. The Impulse Range Kit also includes Safariland’s HD Flex Protective Eyewear. These fog-proof, scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses provide multi-directional eye protection.

Features:

Foam Impulse Hearing Protection

• Instantly reduces dangerous sound levels while still allowing speech and audio to be heard

• Wear at all times to protect from surrounding gun fire, even when not shooting

Ultra Compact Earmuffs

• Use as second layer of protection over Impulse Hearing Protection, especially indoors

• Compact fold for easy storage

HD Flex Protective Eyewear

• Anti-fog, scratch-resistant, HD polycarbonate lenses

• Adjustable temple angle and length

Posted in Comms, Press Release | Comments Off on Safariland Offering Full Line of Hearing Protection with Impulse Technology

Viasat, AeroVironment Team to Develop Enhanced Type 1 Encrypted Communications Capabilities for US Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems

October 15th, 2020

CARLSBAD, Calif. and SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 15, 2020 — Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, and AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced they will collaborate on a contract awarded under the U.S. Army Reconfigurable Communications for Small Unmanned Systems (RCSUS) initiative. The project will provide U.S. military customers flying small UAS platforms the ability to deploy a robust, on-demand, highly-secure communications network that will address the growing electronic warfare capabilities of peer and near-peer adversaries.

Viasat is the prime contractor on the award and will work with AeroVironment to develop and demonstrate advanced, encrypted communications suitable for AeroVironment’s portable, hand-launched Puma AE™ tactical UAS. The two companies will seek to strengthen the communications and transmission security of AeroVironment’s Digital Data Link™ (DDL) radios currently used by the U.S. Army by converting them into a Type 1 crypto communication system for video and data transmission.

In addition, Viasat and AeroVironment will develop critical interoperability standards for enabling UAS to generate a secure, digitally encrypted communications network—for protecting classified data and improving waveform performance in jamming environments—via the embedded DDL waveform. They will also create a standardized communications architecture that will allow UAS to access spectrum quickly and easily, especially when operating in contested environments.

“Viasat’s robust military-grade cryptography and electronic countermeasure tactical waveform design will enable quick expansion of secure communications to a variety of small unmanned systems operating at the tactical edge,” said Ken Peterman, president, Government Systems, Viasat. “By collaborating with AeroVironment, an established leader in the tactical UAS sector, we can help the U.S. Army set new waveform standards that maximize connectivity and minimize the risk of signal intercept.”

Currently, tens of thousands of AeroVironment tactical unmanned aircraft are deployed around the world and are capable of serving as secure, digital network communication nodes for on-demand, mesh network applications in various operating environments.

“As U.S. forces plan for the potential of operating against peer and near-peer military adversaries possessing advanced electronic warfare capabilities, the need for even more secure communication capabilities is rapidly increasing,” said Scott Newbern, AeroVironment chief technology officer. “We will work with Viasat to provide customers requiring enhanced, secure communication capabilities with a portable, practical solution for maintaining secret-level communications via tactical unmanned aircraft systems operating at the battlefield’s edge.”

Posted in Army, Comms, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on Viasat, AeroVironment Team to Develop Enhanced Type 1 Encrypted Communications Capabilities for US Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems

SMASH 2000 Being Evaluated by the US Army Under Foreign Comparative Testing

October 15th, 2020

SMASH 2000 underwent intensive live fire testing by U.S. Army at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG) to evaluate its Fire Control capabilities compared to standard rifle sights

[October 15, 2020]: Between the 14th and 24th of Sept, 2020, Product Manager Individual Weapons, under PM Soldier Lethality, supervised the live fire testing and evaluation of the SMASH 2000 fire control enabled rifle Sight. The testing at APG was funded by OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defense) under a Foreign Comparative Test program designed to determine if international mature technologies can fill U.S. military operation gaps.

Thousands of rounds were fired by soldiers at APG outdoor range for the purpose of recording data that compared the target hitting capability of the SMASH 2000 against standard U.S. Army issued optics. Targets ranged from 25 meters to 400 meters in a variety of fixed, pop-up, and moving target scenarios.

“Testing the SMASH 2000 is another example of how OSD continues to evaluate foreign technologies that could fulfil specific DoD operational needs,” said William Everett, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, who is responsible for sponsoring many such comparative tests. “We also sponsored a VIP day to give U.S. uniformed officers and Foreign dignitaries the opportunity to fire the SMASH 2000. That opportunity was well received and the event went well,” he added.

Bob Phung, Project Officer, Product Manager Individual Weapons: “Our job in the PM office is to look for and evaluate promising technologies to support our warfighters. The SMASH 2000 is one of those promising systems that could significantly improve the soldier’s lethality, especially under duress. We will have to collect the data and determine next steps.”

SMASH is a combat-proven family of Fire Control Systems which are designed, developed, and manufactured by SMART SHOOTER to ensure each round finds its target, in both day and night conditions, as well as keeping friendly forces safe. SMART SHOOTER’s proprietary target acquisition and tracking algorithms are integrated with sophisticated image-processing software into a rugged hardware solution, providing an easy to use and cost-effective solution that creates the required overmatch. SMART SHOOTER’s fire control solutions are designed to give soldiers and law enforcement officers a decisive tactical edge in almost every operational scenario, maximizing force lethality and operational effectiveness throughout every engagement.

Michal Mor, Smart Shooter CEO, added: “It’s very exciting to know that the U.S. Army is interested in our SMASH products to meet their individual weapons needs. SMART SHOOTER’s solutions are already in operational use by the U.S. Army in various missions, and we look forward to continued cooperation”.

www.smart-shooter.com

Posted in Army, International, Optics, Press Release | Comments Off on SMASH 2000 Being Evaluated by the US Army Under Foreign Comparative Testing

Diamond Age NeoSteel Tactical Helmet Accessories Now Available

October 15th, 2020

The world’s toughest combat helmet just got even better with the addition of new accessories, and more to come.

McKinney, Texas (October 2020) – Texas-based, materials science and ballistics specialists, Diamond Age, unveiled the next generation steel NeoSteel™ Helmet in August, and now offer the first two helmet accessories, designed specifically for the NeoSteel Helmet.

The NeoSteel Helmet is a modular combat helmet produced using the most technologically advanced metal alloys resulting in a helmet that meets and exceeds VPAM-3 + Special Threats ballistic requirements. The design is based on the combat-proven M1 steel-pot helmet and is the evolutionary descendant featuring all-day comfort, balance, protection, and unlike the current K-pot polymer produced helmets today, will not degrade over time and weaken its protective capabilities.

The first two NeoSteel Helmet accessories available are the Combat Circlet and the Face Protector. The Combat Circlet is the ideal mounting platform for night vision gear (NVGs) and other head-worn accessories. Made from durable, glass-filled polymer and using the most advanced additive manufacturing techniques it is securely mounted to the NeoSteel Helmet by four retention-system holes on the helmet. The NVG bracket requires no additional drilling of holes into the front of the helmet and provides bungee cord ports for stabilization and retention. The M-LOK side rails accept accessories directly and can also be used as a platform for Picatinny adapters. The Combat Circlet’s vertical crest allows for additional stability and more accessory-mounting real estate. Future modules in development for the crest include applique blast protection and an applique ghillie module. The rear of the Combat Circlet features a tie-down bar for additional stability without using a counterweight. The Combat Circlet also allows for direct integration with the NeoSteel Helmet Face Protector.

The NeoSteel Ventail face protector offers the wearer an enhanced protection platform from ballistic threats. It covers the face, side of the head, and a portion of the anterior neck. It mounts easily and quickly to the helmet using the four retention system holes on the shell and protects from blunt impact, blast overpressure, and debris. The Ventail is also fully compatible with most ballistic glasses and offers an unconstrained field-of-view while being lighter in weight and tougher than traditional transparent ballistic visors.

“Unlike the composite helmets on the market today, the NeoSteel Helmet will serve the warfighter or LEO for years to come. Advances in steel technologies now enable a helmet that performs better than Kevlar or polyethylene composite helmets in many respects,” Diamond Age CEO, Jake Ganor, commented. “And a big plus for the wearer is that the helmet shell is largely incapable of deformation, so there’s a greatly reduced risk of behind helmet head trauma.”

For agencies concerned with “behind armor trauma,” in which the LEO or warfighter suffers from neck injuries due to the head acceleration from a ballistic hit, the NeoSteel Helmet spreads the kinetic energy load across the entire padding system protecting from any blunt impact injuries. Only the NeoSteel Helmet gives the wearer edge-to-edge protection with over 110 square inches of solid protection.

Diamond Age NeoSteel Helmet is now available in Black, Green, or Tan and in Medium or Large/Extra-Large for an MSRP starting at $195.00. The Combat Circlet is an additional $125.00 and the Ventail face protector is $187. Please allow anywhere from seven to fifteen weeks for helmets with accessories to ship.

Posted in Helmets, Press Release | 10 Comments »

Thyrm VariArc Now for Team Wendy Helmets

October 15th, 2020

Helmet Light Mount with 360 ? Rotational Indexing

Sunnyvale, CA – Thyrm is excited to announce that the VariArcTM Helmet Mount is now available in a Team Wendy version. Featuring positive indexing at forward, umbrella and admin angles, the VariArc mount directs light right where you need it with a quick twist.

The VariArc helmet mount features locking teeth biased to the forward position, keeping your light aligned for the most critical uses; but with a firm twist, the VariArc mount unlocks and rotates through 8 additional lower-force index points for administrative tasks and diffused lighting options. Its small footprint and low- profile keep things tidy and the 1913 picatinny rail allows for maximum compatibility with visible and IR lights. Its reinforced polymer construction is built to remain fully functional through extreme temperatures, dirt, dust, sand, water, drops on concrete, and other rough handling.

Features include:
§ Positively locks in the forward index position
§ Picatinny accessory rail with 3 slots and 4 ridges
§ Retention holes on both ends for dummy wiring critical gear
§ Durable, reinforced polymer construction with steel hardware
§ Compatible with dovetail-style helmet rails
§ Available in black and flat dark earth colorways
§ Also available for Ops-Core Helmets

As with all Thyrm products, VariArc mounts are designed and made in the USA.

To learn more or purchase, head to www.thyrm.com or your favorite Thyrm dealer. Government orders: gov@thyrm.com

Posted in Advertiser, Helmets, Lights, Press Release | 1 Comment »

PocketUp – Terrier Patrol Pack

October 15th, 2020

PocketUp is a small veteran owned business founded by my longtime friend Mel Terkla and his wife Rena. They’ve been making small items over the past few years, but anyone that knows Mel, knows that he loves packs and is the guy behind Kifaru getting into the military pack business about 20 years ago.

They’ve just unveiled their new Terrier Patrol Pack.

Designed as a small patrol/field pack, it is ALICE Pack simple, with no zippers. As Mel says, “just stuff and go!”

It is built with 1000d Cordura and 1050d Ballistic Nylon for extreme durability.

The Terrier has fully adjustable suspension featuring 19” aluminum stays, a contoured waistbelt that wraps the iliac crest, wide/padded shoulder straps with lifter straps and adjustable torso length, with a dual density foam back panel. A waistbelt is also included with the Terrier.

There is a fixed top lid with 5 rows and 6 channels of PALS webbing , and a full field of Velcro under the top lid to attach Velcro back pouches for small items that you need to access quickly.

The front of the pack has 9 rows and 6 channels of PALS webbing allowing plenty of real estate to mount PALs compatible pockets.

There are tab loops on the top lid and the bottom of the pack to attach their PocketUp Pods, or lash gear to.

The flat/bellowed side pockets lay flat when not being used, but can bellow out to expand the capacity of the pack, and hold lots of extra gear. The main bag and the side pockets have roll top closures.

The Terrier is bladder friendly with a bladder compartment in the main bag, and the ability to carry bladders in the side pockets, with all 3 having hose ports.

They supply elastic strap keepers for all the compression straps and the 2” shoulder strap webbing.

Like all of their packs, these are built on order, but Rena had to build one in Coyote and one in Ranger Green for photos.

The Terrier is now live on the website and ready to order. The price is $450.00 for Coyote or Ranger green and $475.00 in Multicam, that includes the waistbelt offered in 3 sizes.

They do not use sewing contractors like most of the big companies do now. Every PocketUp product is built by Rena…Made in the USA!

pocketup.net

Posted in Packs | 19 Comments »