DSPTCH has introduced their Fidlock Watch Strap, which naturally enough uses a magnetic Fidlock as a clasp.
The herringbone nylons straps are Black, Coyote, Olive, MultiCam, Burnt Orange and Safety Orange.
Even cooler, you can get them as complete straps or just shirt or long sides so you can mix and match colors.
Offered in both 20 and 22mm widths, in S/M and L/XL lengths, so they’ll fit your Apple Watch as well as most wrists.
www.dsptch.com/products/fidlock-watch-strap-20mm
(McLean, VA – September 24, 2020) FN America, LLC is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract to supply the U.S. Army with M249 Squad Automatic Weapons, also known as the M249 SAW. The contract is expected to be completed by 2025.
The FN M249 SAW has been a mainstay throughout the U.S. military since 1986 and is currently in service in more than 30 countries globally. FN has been the sole source manufacturer of the 5.56-chambered belt-fed lightweight machine gun. Designed for front line applications delivering crucial support at the infantry squad/fire team level, the FN M249 SAW provides highly accurate fire from a highly maneuverable light machine gun. The ergonomic polymer buttstock contains a hydraulic buffer that allows SAW gunners to maintain a high rate of fire with accuracy and effect.
“We are honored to continue our dedication as a critical partner to the U.S. military and pleased to announce this latest Army contract award for the FN M249 SAW, a flagship design for FN, in service for more than 30 years. The proven design has served the U.S. military, reliably and without fail,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America, LLC. “We look forward to building these machine guns at our production facility in Columbia, South Carolina.”
Throughout its history, FN has been one of the largest suppliers of small arms to the U.S. military. In addition to the M249 and its variants, the company currently holds contracts for the FN M240 medium machine gun and its variants; the FN MK 46, MK 48, MK 17 and MK 20 SSR for USSOCOM, and various other contracts.
For more information about FN’s military product line or current U.S. military contracts, please visit www.fnamerica.com.
The Belmont III are a new approach shoe from Aku. The uppers are Black suede mated to a Vibram PREDATOR II outsole. The inside is of Coco/Latex/Bamboo. Offered in UK sizes 6-13.
www.aku.it/en/product/catalogo_en/mountain-inspired/bellamont-iii-suede_en
The customized packages for first responders meet and exceed the standards set by the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 3000™ Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) program.
Anderson, S.C. (September 2020) – Tactical Medical Solutions, LLC (TacMed), in support of the NFPA 3000™ standard for the preparedness and response to an active shooter/hostile event, introduces the TacMed™ Critical Event Response System.
Active threat events are occurring with greater frequency and loss. These hostile events can occur anywhere: in churches, schools, concerts, workplaces, and many other public venues. NFPA 3000TM guides community leaders in establishing an integrated plan for preparedness, response, and recovery. By combining the four key principles of unified command, integrated response, planned recovery, and whole community, every life that can be saved will be saved during a traumatic event.
The TacMed™ Critical Event Response System provides the necessary equipment for ballistic protection and medical treatment of life-threatening injuries to yourself, another responder, or a casualty on-scene. Standard system set-ups include the TacMedTM Responder Plate Carrier with Soft Armor, Universal Tourniquet Dispenser with SOF® Tourniquets, and a Signature Series Medical Kit. The system meets and exceeds NFPA 3000TM guidelines and can be customized to best fit your specific needs.
The TacMedTM Responder Armor System offers one of the largest armor coverage areas in the industry and is compatible with a variety of soft and hard armor plate options. The Universal Tourniquet Dispenser locates the long-proven SOF® Tourniquet for rapid access. Medical kits are available in multiple configurations to meet your department’s objective: Individual, Medic, Mass Casualty, and Rescue. Medical kit components are stocked in the brand new Signature Series line of nylon with modular internal panels. Many components of the Critical Event Response System have long been trusted by law enforcement agencies around the country and are proudly manufactured in the US.
Free training on both ballistic protection and medical equipment is available through TMS University. For more information on any of the NFPA 3000 TM -compliant TacMed™ Critical Event Response Systems, visit www.tacmedsolutions.com/products/nfpa-3000.
Sen Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) has introduced a bill called the Clear Visual Distinction Between Military and Law Enforcement Act, from her position on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which restrict federal law enforcement officers from wearing camouflage patterns.
Above, FBI HRT members wear MultiCam pattern uniforms as part of their duties. Photo: FBI
This comes after calls by the Department of Defense for better differentiation between military and law enforcement personnel in the wake of the summer’s riot across the United States. In particular, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, GEN Mark Milley testified before Congress that he was particularly concerned over uniform colors and not equipment.
Sen Duckworth’s Office issued a statement which states, “The Trump Administration’s decision to deploy federal law enforcement officers outfitted in camouflage uniforms in response to those protesting the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans blurred the lines between military servicemembers and law enforcement officers while causing even more fear and division. We must prevent this from happening again.”
According to the bill, the restriction on camouflage use isn’t just military patterns, but all camouflage.
While the bill includes the following exception, “shall not apply to the wearing of a uniform that includes a camouflage pattern that matches the surrounding environment during a period during which a covered Federal law enforcement officer is engaged in a discreet tactical operation where the ability to blend into the surroundings is judged to be necessary for the success of the operation,” it also requires a biannual report to Congress, including dates, operation name and justification for invoking the exception.
In late summer, both DoJ and DHS publicly mentioned their intention to transition many of their personnel to solid colors. This will most likely be Green which those agencies have used in the past, before transitioning to MultiCam several years ago. At the time they wore OD. Now, based upon supply chain availability of materials, it will probably be Ranger Green. Although, in some instances we could see a return to Black clothing and equipment.
For uniform suppliers, this would be a boon. However, there is still no requirement that non-DoD federal entities buy American made clothing and individual equipment.
General Dynamics’ Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS) is a COTS solution to solve the Army’s current shortfall of CEMA capability, going beyond Prophet’s current state of the art.
It is an all-weather, 24-hour, ground-based tactical electronic support and electronic attack system that provides the Commander with options to create multiple dilemmas to a designing enemy by decreasing the sensor to shooter timeline. TEWS will enable a Brigade Combat Team Commander to detect, locate, identify the enemy and will give the Commander the capability to act/react/counter with non-lethal effects by denying, disrupting, and degrading the enemy’s ability to communicate, coordinate, and synchronize. TEWS is platform independent; a modular system that will enable integration onto any vehicle. TEWS supports stationary, dismounted, and on-the-move, man-pack operations.
TEWS can be integrated on:
-AMPV
-NGCV
–Stryker
-Flyer (as TEW Light)
-JLTV
Non-Tactical Vehicles (NTV)
Current capabilities:
-Satcom-on-the-Move /Trojan Network
-Multi-Comms Enclaves
-Open Architecture
-Electronic Warfare Targeting (ES/EA)
-Integrated EWPMT (Raven Claw)
-EW Support to SIGINT
-Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)
-Expanded Signals of Interest (SOI) Capability
Planned upgrades:
-Support to Offensive Cyber Operations (OCO)
-Assured-Position, Navigation, Timing (A-PNT)
-Integration with airborne sensors
–Multi-Function Electronic Warfare (MFEW-Air)
–Aerostat and/or balloon
–Joint Airborne Systems
-Training Support via IEWTPT
-Robotics/Autonomous Vehicles employment of sensors
-Unattended and/or remote ground sensors
-Extended Range – Tethered UAS
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (Sept. 23, 2020) — The U.S. Army is hosting a virtual workshop to expedite the development and integration of situational awareness tools Sept. 29 – Oct. 2.
The Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) is a map-based software application that enables coordination among thousands of users with features such as a position data, chat, mission planning and shared overlays. It is compatible with Android, Apple iOS and Windows.
The Tactical Assault Kit virtual offsite will offer stakeholders from across the Department of Defense (DoD), federal agencies and industry an opportunity to exchange information and identify critical needs. The event will offer tracks for software development, programmatic updates and training on TAK platforms.
“The intent of these sessions is to learn from issues that may have arisen in the past year, produce innovative capabilities and reduce duplicative efforts,” said Josh Sterling, director of the TAK Product Center at the The Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center – a component of Army Futures Command’s Combat Capabilities Development Command.
“Any time we can get more feedback and lessons learned, it’s a data point we can use to improve the platform. I think this is a great way to generate cross-team collaboration that will spur both the development cycle and integration as we continue to push and facilitate a more universal type TAK operation.”
As the central software development hub for all TAK efforts, including 15 DoD programs of record, the C5ISR Center’s TAK Product Center provides software updates and testing for an enhanced user experience.
To foster innovation, the TAK Product Center approved the public release of a non-military variant for federal and government agencies – known as the Android Team Awareness Kit-Civilian (ATAK-CIV) application – on Google Play and the open-source Standard ATAK Software Development Kit on TAKmaps.com.
“TAK is an extensible platform, meaning that we give you a baseline and based on your mission requirements you can build on that baseline to bridge capability gaps,” said Mark Roberts, deputy director for the TAK Product Center.
“Anyone who has a job requirement to display point location information – the military, DoD and federal agencies, state and local authorities, firefighters and emergency responders – will benefit from these sessions. This is a great opportunity to give them a peek at what’s being done around the TAK community,” he said.
Registration for the offsite is available at tak.gov/offsite until Sept. 28.
By CCDC C5ISR Center Public Affairs
Developed by Condition Gray and manufactured by EMDOM USA, the Gen 3 Sling Retainer Catch allows the Rifle sling to be secured yet ready to put into action, and allows you to strap your tourniquet to the front of your holster, where you’ll always have it.
Made in USA and offered in Black, MultiCam and MultiCam Black.
www.emdomusa.com/Condition-Gray-Gen-3-Sling-Retainer-Catch-SRC3-p
