TLR-7® X USB // Sidewinder Stalk®

Year In Review: Soldiers Played Crucial Role Informing Modernization Needs

January 4th, 2025

The Army’s continuous transformation efforts in 2024 centered on the service’s network of systems.

Army leaders have turned to Soldiers to give comprehensive feedback on how to improve its systems and command and control and communications

During the initiative, the service incorporates new technology into operational exercises to better evaluate the equipment’s’ effectiveness in Army formations. The service has consciously built toward its next iteration of Project Convergence, a joint multi-national, multidomain series of experiments.

Year of change for 101st

The Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, have played a pivotal role in executing the Army’s modernization concept, “transforming in contact,” developed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy A. George.

Troops at the division’s command post now operate network structure that the service once assigned to the brigade level.

Soldiers used the first Integrated Tactical Network aerial toolkit during Operation Lethal Eagle in April and during a Joint Rotation Training Center in January.

During Lethal Eagle, Soldiers engaged in long-range, large-scale, air assault operations or L2A2. During the exercise 101st members used the toolkit to communicate with dismounted Soldiers to augment command and control during the simulated assaults.

In August, 101st Soldiers used advanced aerial tier and command and control technology, providing commanders with more communication with 80 aircraft flying from Fort Campbell to Fort Johnson, Louisiana.

‘War is changing’

The leader of Army Futures Command, Gen. James Rainey published the first of a series of articles in Military Review, beginning in August detailing the “transforming in contact” initiative and how the Army faces the most change in traditional warfare since World War II.

Rainey said technology evolves at a rapid pace and said the Army needs to quickly evolve technologies before they become obsolete. The commander added that the Army must change and evolve with the technology through doctrine, training and policy.

He said that the Army should document requirements for specific battlefield capabilities rather than individual pieces of technology and work with Congress on the Army’s fiscal flexibility.

Rainey said the Army needs to acquire useful technology, such as artificial intelligence, quicker instead of waiting for future capabilities to develop.

He encouraged putting the latest warfighting technologies into Army formations to encourage needed transformations, including the implementation of next generation combat vehicles, robotics and the latest command and control equipment.

He cited human-machine integration as a capability that reduces risk to Soldier safety and allows Soldiers to focus on decision-making tasks that require humans.

Project Convergence expands its scope

The Army’s annual series of modernization experiments, Project Convergence continued to evolve in 2024, expanding its scope and scale.

From Feb. 23 to March 20, more than 4,000 participants including members of partner nations from Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand took part in Project Convergence Capstone 4 in the western United States. The Air Force, Marines and Navy also contributed PC-C4, which experimented with more than 200 technologies.

PC-C4 successfully saw the Army, partner nations and other military branches successfully integrate sensors and fires without wasting unnecessary munitions.

The Army hosts Project Convergence annually to inform the integration of new technologies and capabilities to gauge the effectiveness of weapons and defense systems.

Project Convergence expands to Europe and the Pacific

To gain a better understanding of the needs of geographic combatant commands, the service executed more series of experiments in Project Convergence Europe and Project Convergence Pacific in 2024. The Army performed the tests in the context of near-peer regional adversaries, noting the geographic and regional obstacles.

PC Europe focused on the Joint Warfighting Assessment as part of the Avenger Triad Exercise from Sept. 10-19. During the computer-assisted, command post exercise the Army focused on improving force readiness, acquiring Soldier feedback on modernization solutions, integrating and evaluating multi-domain operations concepts and assessing joint and multi-national interoperability.

In June, PC Pacific joined the multi-national exercise Valiant Shield 24 at locations in South Korea, Hawaii, the Philippines, Guam, Japan and Washington State. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command led the field training exercise with troops from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard and partner nations.

Army Futures Command, headquartered at Austin Texas conducts 60-70 experiments annually, including Project Convergence Europe and Project Convergence Pacific with new technologies to augment readiness and the capabilities of Army formations.

By Joe Lacdan, Army News Service

Visit Brookwood at the 2025 SHOT Show & the Supplier Showcase

January 3rd, 2025

Brookwood is thrilled to be part of SHOT Show and the Supplier Showcase 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada! We’ll be showcasing our top-of-the-line fabrics and invite all attendees to visit us at our SHOT Show Booth (#30003) and Supplier Showcase Booth (#52420).

This is a great opportunity to meet some of our incredible team members, including our Chief Marketing Officer, Matthew Morris; Director at Brookwood Companies, Jeff Harris ; Vice President of Military Division, Steve Nardelli; Director of Industrial Division, Liz Johnson; Director of Business Development, Anderson Ward; Business Development Manager, Shawn Honeycutt; and Technical Product Manager Trident, Brian Mariot.

We’re looking forward to connecting with everyone. See you in Las Vegas!

SOLGW 2025 SHOT Show Kick Off Party

January 3rd, 2025

The Sons of Liberty Gun Works SHOT Show Kick Off Party continues for 2025 at the legendary Las Vegas Leatherneck Club!

With proceeds benefitting the Special Operations Care – Fund and presented by Prairie Fire, it’s a great way to meet up with old friends before the week gets crazy.

Since 2013, SOC-F has made a positive and meaningful difference in the lives of SOF families who have given so much for our country and our freedom. They do this by raising money for one incredibly worthwhile purpose: to fill critical gaps in healthcare, mental health and family support for Special Operations veterans and their families.

Enjoy complimentary food until it runs out and a Cash Bar with a selection of beverages available for purchase.

Get your tickets now, before they go up in price.

qtego.us/l/solgwparty/tickets

Granite Grip-B from Edgar Sherman Design

January 3rd, 2025

Designed to optimize the AR platform, Granite Grip-B is the beavertail variation of Edgar Sherman Design’s Granite Grip. The Granite Grip-B features boasts a proprietary wrap-around texture in two variations: Fine, for those who like a smoother texture or use hockey tape, and Coarse, for those who desire an aggressive texture for gloved hands and grip in extreme conditions. The reduced grip angle of 13.1°, compared to a standard mil-spec pistol grip, helps with precision but is versatile enough for all applications.

The Beavertail is designed to prevent excess movement during firearms manipulation by preventing your hand from sliding up and into your receiver. The beavertail function also thickens the back of the grip to push your hand further back from the trigger so that those with longer fingers or larger hands ensure their finger is optimized for shooting. This design is great for those with larger hands who want a little more space away from their trigger or for those who don’t want any wrist/hand rotation when reloading or manipulating their rifle.

The Granite Grip is designed, made, and assembled here in the USA.

Compatibility: Fits standard AR-pattern lower receivers like the AR15, M4, M16, AR10, M110, SR25, etc.

www.edgarshermandesign.com/product/granite-grip-b

FirstSpear Friday Focus: Technical Woobie Restock

January 3rd, 2025

The Technical Woobie is restocked just in time for the cooler, winter temperatures. WARM ACM 600 Merino Wool, our warmest wool layer. 100% made in the USA with 100% USA materials backed up by our standard lifetime warranty on materials and craftsmanship.

Premium nylon accents add abrasion and wind resistance, making this a durable cold weather top when worn as the outer layer.

The Full-length zipper and pockets utilize premium YKK zippers and durable FirstSpear S-Pulls.

Buttonholes inside the hand-warmer pockets and cord loops along the internal zipper seams allow for easy and discreet cable management.

Hood drawcords stash inside for windy days and an external loop hanger on the back gives you a handy place to secure the garment.

The cuffs are strategically designed with thumb holes for added protection and comfort.

The Technical Woobie offers an everyday style that’s matched with some of the most high-performance material combinations available and will quickly become your go-to top when the weather drops.

The Technical Woobie is more fitted. If you prefer a looser fit, go up one size from your regular wear (L goes to XL).

For more information check out, www.first-spear.com.

Special Tactics Hosts IFAM at Hurlburt Field

January 3rd, 2025

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

The 24th Special Operations Wing and the Special Tactics Training Squadron hosted the second iteration of the Initial Familiarization Course Dec. 9-13, 2024, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. IFAM is a five-day program for select candidates that are considering careers in combat control, special reconnaissance or as a special tactics officer.

“IFAM is packed with invaluable experience and information that any serious candidates interested in joining special tactics should apply for,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Ricky Patterson, 720th Special Tactics Group recruiting assessments and selections section chief.

This year, a total of 26 enlisted Airmen and officers participated in the course, which included mission briefings, interviews with leadership, exercises testing physical and mental readiness, equipment demonstrations and field training events. The participants, all active-duty members from various career fields, are exploring the opportunity to transition to special tactics.

While IFAM has no bearing on the application process or selection boards, it will help identify future candidates for special tactics career fields, explained Maj. Chris Walsh, 24th Special Tactics Training Squadron commander.

“IFAM is an important new initiative for the special tactics community,” Maj. Walsh said. “Our goal is to educate and inspire members that are interested in special tactics career fields, combat control, special reconnaissance and special tactics officer positions. We recognize that many Airmen may not know what to expect or where to start, so it is important that we dispel any myths or unknowns. We also want to prepare future operators with the skills, habits and the training focus they need to be successful.”

In addition to the participants, 14 special warfare recruiters from the 330th Recruiting Squadron in San Antonio, Texas, attended IFAM to gain career field-specific recruiting insight. Recruiters were able to observe and ask the special tactics cadre questions about types of candidates they should try to recruit, said Tech Sgt. Austin Jessup, a senior recruiter with the 330th Recruiting Squadron serving Florida’s Panhandle region.

“Each recruiter will be able to take this knowledge and pass it along to their current and future candidates in their areas of operation,” Jessup said.

Looking ahead, Maj. Walsh said the goal is to host IFAM twice a year to continue to prepare and inform interested candidates.

“We have struggled to attract the talent that exists in our Air Force, and we need to bring more people into our community,” Walsh said. “I’m confident that IFAM is a way to give that talent a place to interact with our operators. To me, this is where the magic happens, I believe they will see how great the people and the mission are in Air Force Special Operations Command and U.S. Special Operations Command.”

For candidates interested in attending IFAM, more information can be found at airforcespecialtactics.af.mil or by emailing 24SOWSTTS.ASSESSMENTS.RAS@us.af.mil.

By Capt Savannah Stephens, 24th Special Operations Wing

Strike Industries Launches New Firearms Brand: Strike Arms

January 2nd, 2025

Strike Industries is proud to announce the Strike Arms Pistol (Compact) Frame, designed to fit Glock® Gen 3 components. The polymer-frame striker-fired market is one that Strike Industries has already distinguished itself in recent years across multiple weapon platforms with superior aesthetics, ergonomics and modularity.

Strike Arms has been a behind-the-scenes design powerhouse in the firearms industry for over a decade and is very excited to bring its first iteration of this popular pistol platform to the market.

Crafted with precision, this frame allows users to integrate their preferred Glock® 19 Gen 3 parts seamlessly, offering a highly customizable platform. With Strike Industries’ commitment to innovation and quality, the Compact Frame ensures an unparalleled shooting experience tailored to meet the evolving preferences of firearm builders and enthusiasts.

As the first serialized firearm product of many to come from Strike Arms, the SAP-C is a complete frame inspired by the Glock® 19 Gen 3 that comes with a lower parts kit pre-installed.
It also comes with an aggressive stippled texture straight from the factory. removing the need for aftermarket services and could save the owner some costs.

The grip angle has been improved to be more similar to that of a 1911, creating a significantly more natural point of aim compared to OEM frames which are often known to make shooters uncomfortably push their wrists forward and downwards to properly aim. There is also an extended beaver tail — its extended length is designed to protect the shooting hand from slide bites even for the largest of hands.

Whether users are right or left-handed, as they wrap their hands around the Compact Frame they’ll find that the double undercut around the trigger guard and oversized scalloped areas for the thumb create an extremely comfortable and ergonomic experience. To reduce the chance of accidentally engaging the slide lock lever there is a raised shelf that is stippled which doubles as a great area for the support hand’s thumb to rest on. Towards the front of the frame there are also Dynamic Control™ cuts on both sides designed for maximum recoil control.

With an integrated flared magwell there is a larger surface area to aid in quick and smooth insertions — its subdued design makes the frame still comfortable and possible to conceal carry without risk of overly printing. Attach whatever weapon mounted light, laser, or other accessory you like with the full length picatinny rail.

Thanks to Strike Industries’ diverse catalog of third party accessories for Glock, users can customize a fully Striked-out pistol with a wide variety of combinations.

The Strike Arms Pistol Compact Frame is now available exclusively at Primary Arms.

For more information on how to build out a new SA Pistol Compact Frame, visit StrikeIndustries.com.

ANR Design – NIDHOGG Level II Holster

January 2nd, 2025

The NIDHOGG Level II Holster is now available from ANR Design.

Relying on a patented light-specific locking mechanism, this OWB holster is great for competition as well as daily carry.

Key Features:

Level II Retention: Provides an extra layer of security with a large push-button release for rapid deployment.

Light-Specific Locking: Currently available for Surefire X300 Ultra series lights, with more options coming soon.

Durable Construction: Unibody 0.125” thick KYDEX construction for rugged reliability.

Open Bottomed Design: Allows water and debris to clear easily.

Optic and Suppressor Sights Ready: Accommodates most optics and suppressor-height sights up to 0.5?.

Rigorous Testing: Withstands 400 lbs of hanging weight and 30,000 presses in various conditions without failure (Spec Sheets Available Upon Request).

Competition Focused: Ideal for Tactical Games, PCSL, USPSA, and other competitive shooting sports.

Offered in left or right-handed models in Black, Coyote, MultiCam, MultiCam Arid and MultiCam Tropic with fits for Beretta 92 family, GLOCK 17/19/34, and SIG P320 family pistols and SureFire X300 lights.

www.anrkydexholsters.com/product/nidhogg-level-ii-holster