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Gentex Corporation Strengthens Allied Readiness, Equipping 20 NATO Nations Through NSPA Contract

September 1st, 2026

CARBONDALE, PA, September 1, 2026 – Gentex Corporation, a global leader in advanced personal protection and situational awareness solutions, today announced its continued support of Allied Forces worldwide through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) contract, equipping military personnel in more than 20 NATO nations with proven, mission-ready headborne systems and capabilities. The contract reinforces Gentex’s commitment to delivering trusted, high-performance solutions that enhance protection, interoperability, and operational effectiveness for allied partners.

Recent program awards further accelerate this momentum, reinforcing Gentex’s Ops-Core® brand’s position as a trusted partner to allied forces worldwide. Gentex’s Ops-Core was selected by the Czech Ministry of Defence to deliver next-generation helmet systems through an NSPA-managed procurement program, advancing modern headborne protection capabilities for deployed personnel. In parallel, a new order supporting the Canadian Army’s Soldier Systems Program includes the delivery of various helmet accessories, highlighting the growing global adoption of Ops-Core technologies designed to enhance survivability, connectivity, and mission effectiveness for today’s operators.

“The continued success we’ve seen through the NSPA contractshows the trust that Allied Forces place in our integrated headborne systems,” said Jim Clarke, Sales Director EMEAGround Systems at Gentex. “From ballistic protection to advanced communications and respiratory solutions, we are delivering scalable, mission-adaptable capabilities that support the evolving needs of the modern warfighter. We are proud to equip NATO nations with systems that enhance survivability, situational awareness, and overall mission effectiveness.”

Gentex headborne systems continue to be fielded across the Five Eyes alliance, supporting some of the world’s most demanding operational units. In the United States, systems are deployed with U.S. Special Operations Forces, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Allied deliveries extend to the United Kingdom’s Special Forces and Royal Marines, the New Zealand Army and Special Forces, and Australia’s Army and Special Operations. Designed for modern mission requirements, these systems provide operators with trusted protection, optimized weight, and seamless integration of critical capabilities across joint and coalition environments.

Through the NSPA contract, NATO and partner nations gain a streamlined pathway to procure Ops-Core headborne solutions – trusted, fully integrated systems designed to meet the highest operational and performance standards.

“Soldier protection, and ballistic helmets in particular, is becoming decisive in modern ground warfare, combining proven ballistic performance with low weight, adaptability and a high degree of configurability. Through the NATO Logistics Stock Exchange (NLSE) and standing long-term agreements, we give COMMIT nations access to some of the most advanced and combat-proven helmets and accessories on the market, at the speed of relevance, preparing their soldiers for a contemporary and highly lethal operational environment. NLSE places world-class product solutions within reach of the users, at no more than the distance of the production lead time,” said Céline Danielli, Programme Manager, General and Cooperative Services.

About the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
NSPA is the lead organization for multinational acquisition, support and sustainment to NATO nations in all domains. NSPA is a customer-funded agency, operating on a “no profit – no loss” basis. The Agency employs around 1,550 staff and is based in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with main operational centers in France, Hungary and Italy.

The COMMIT Support Partnership is comprised by 28 nations. Through its secure, web-based NATO Logistics Stock Exchange (NLSE) platform it offers acquisition, inventory management, logistics and mutual emergency support services to its customers.

Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, Helmets, NATO, NSPA, Press Release | No Comments »

Mehler Protection Unveils Active Close-Range Counter-UAV System for Ships at SMM 2026

September 1st, 2026

KÖNIGSLUTTER, GERMANY (1 September 2026)

At SMM 2026, Mehler Protection is set to unveil SCILT NAVAL, a new active counter-UAV system developed specifically to protect ships from close-range threats.

The threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is evolving: Recent conflicts have demonstrated that even heavily armed warships can be vulnerable to small, low-cost drone systems deployed in large numbers. While modern naval forces have powerful air defence systems capable of engaging threats at long range, significant challenges remain when it comes to close- and very-close-range protection. This is particularly true in ports, when navigating confined waterways such as canals, during amphibious operations, aboard landing craft and at fixed maritime installations.

SCILT was developed specifically for this immediate threat zone, where large-scale air defence systems and formation-level counter-UAV solutions may no longer able to respond effectively.

It serves as an active last line of defence for individual vessels, bridging the gap between passive protection and large-scale air defence. The system is designed to counter small UAVs, including FPV drones, one-way attack systems and loitering munitions, and can engage both individual threats and multiple simultaneous attacks at close range.

Effectors, sensors and operating controls are integrated directly on board. The sensor suite includes electro-optical systems and additional close-range sensors for threat detection and to support operational decision-making. In its initial configuration, the system operates with a human in the loop. Further automation is planned as certification requirements and operational procedures permit.

The system uses three alert levels – detection, approach and engagement – and utilises commercially available shotgun calibres as effectors. Compared with the land-based version,

SCILT NAVAL offers a greater effective range and automatic reloading. Its effectors run the gamut from fragmentation to armour-piercing variants.

SCILT can be integrated into existing C2 and sensor systems. Where no suitable interface is available, the system can also operate autonomously using its own detection and engagement chain. Additional control and display units can be installed at multiple locations inside the vessel, giving the crew access to situational information and system controls where required.

SCILT has been developed over a period of approximately 18 months. A series of 48 tests examined factors including external and terminal ballistics, firing safety and fragment distribution, along with maritime environmental effects such as salt spray, corrosion, vibrations and wave impact. The results were used to determine the optimum effective range and effector configuration.

SCILT expands Mehler Protection’s existing portfolio of platform armour solutions for land, air and sea. The company provides protection solutions for helicopters, land vehicles and naval systems and is a key supplier to several German Navy vessels currently under construction.

Further information on Mehler Protection’s platform armour solutions: mehler-protection.com/platform-armour

Posted in C-UAS, International, Maritime, Press Release | No Comments »

TEKTO Knives – X1 // Atlas

September 1st, 2026

The X1 Atlas is the first fixed-blade knife released by TEKTO Knives. After 7 years of folders and automatic OTFs, it is a deliberate departure: full tang, no pivot, no lock, no moving parts at all.

The blade is CPM MagnaCut, hardened to 60-62 HRC. MagnaCut has earned its reputation by refusing the usual trade-o?. Most steels ask you to pick two of edge retention, toughness, and corrosion resistance, and give up the third. MagnaCut delivers all three, which is why it has moved from enthusiast curiosity to production standard in a few short years.

For TEKTO, the corrosion side of that equation is not theoretical. The company works on the Maine coast, where salt air is a constant. MagnaCut holds up there better than steels carrying far more chromium, and heat treat comes from one of the top commercial shops in the country. The PVD finish cuts glare and adds surface hardness.

No steel is rustproof, but wiped down and lightly oiled, the Atlas takes conditions that punish conventional tool steels.

The blade is a 3.30-inch drop point with a hollow grind, a combination chosen for clean entry and control rather than brute wedge force. The hollow grind keeps the edge thin behind the apex, so cuts stay precise deep into the stroke. Jimping runs along the spine, giving the thumb a positive index for choked-up detail work: field dressing, notching, feathering, any task where the hand moves forward on the blade and needs to stay there.

The handle is skeletonized G10, machined out to shed mass without giving up rigidity.

Total weight lands at 3.88 ounces across a 7.70-inch overall length, which puts the Atlas in the range where it rides on a belt all day without announcing itself. G10 holds grip when wet, when cold, and through gloves, and a lanyard hole at the butt gives a retention option for work over water, at height, or anywhere a dropped knife is gone for good.

Every X1 Atlas ships with a custom-fit Kydex sheath and an adjustable belt clip. The clip configures for vertical or horizontal carry and adjusts to belt width, so the knife can ride strong side, appendix, or scout depending on what the rest of the loadout allows.

The Atlas is made in the USA, machined and finished at TEKTO’s facility in Maine.

“We spent seven years building folders and automatics,” said Marko Mandi?, founder of TEKTO Knives. “A fixed blade takes the mechanism away and leaves you with steelTEKTO Knives – X1 // Atlas and geometry. There is nowhere to hide. That is exactly why we took our time before we released one.”

The X1 Atlas is available now in black, OD green, and desert G10.

MSRP $249.99.

Specifications

Blade Material: CPM MagnaCut
Blade Hardness: 60-62 HRC
Blade Style: Drop Point, Hollow Grind
Handle Material: G10, skeletonized
Construction: Full Tang
Origin: Made in USA

Measurements

Blade Length: 3.30″ (84mm)
Handle Length: 4.40″ (112mm)
Overall Length: 7.70″ (196mm)
Weight: 3.88oz (110g)

Equipped With

Kydex Sheath
Adjustable Belt Clip
Lanyard Hole

About TEKTO Knives

TEKTO Knives is a family-owned knife company based in Maine that specializes in tactical fixed blades, folders, and automatic knives. Every knife is designed, engineered, and assembled at the company’s facility, where CNC machining and finishing take place on-site. As of 2026, TEKTO knives are available at over 450 retailers nationwide, and every knife is backed by the TEKTO Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

www.tektoknives.com/products/x1-atlas

Posted in Advertiser, Knives, Press Release | No Comments »

New PSYWAR Course Strengthens Guard Capabilities

September 1st, 2026

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Eight Army National Guard information operations officers graduated from a newly developed Psychological Operations Qualification Course July 24 at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, marking a significant milestone in Army transformation. For the first time, Soldiers from all three components — Regular Army, National Guard and Army Reserve — are training together to combat modern cognitive warfare threats.

As adversaries increasingly rely on sophisticated disinformation campaigns and information warfare to undermine global stability, the Army recognized a need for a unified response. The new integrated training model ensures that Army psychological operations and information operations professionals across the Total Army share a common baseline of skills and strategic understanding required to counter these evolving nonkinetic threats on the battlefield.

“The Army National Guard’s information warfare transformation is fundamentally prompted by the need to stay ahead of our adversaries’ ever-changing threats through continuous innovation,” said Brig. Gen. Isaac Martinez, assistant director of the Army National Guard for aviation, intelligence and information. Martinez explained that the constant threat of adversarial action drives changes to information operations, creating a need for Guard officers who can conduct rapid, strategic analysis and act accordingly.

“Graduation from the 10-week pilot program at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School is part of the National Guard’s modernization effort in information warfare by introducing psychological operations officers to the Army National Guard landscape to conduct information warfare overseas,” said Maj. Shaun Neil, information warfare branch chief for the National Guard Bureau.

Despite conducting information operations for more than 20 years in support of conventional and special operations, this effort will close the Guard’s gap between planning and execution.

“Historically, military information operations have suffered from technological operational delays,” Martinez said. “Strategic planners would design operational packages and then wait on specialized execution groups to implement them.”

In the swiftly shifting space of digital information, these delays often rendered tactical responses obsolete before they could be fully deployed.

“The course aims to prepare cross-functional leaders who can address planning and execution simultaneously, supporting faster decision-making on the battlefield,” said Col. Kirsten Roy, commander of the Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade and Information Forces Modernization lead for the National Guard Bureau.

Roy emphasized that this approach is fundamental in an environment where fast decision-making can determine mission success or failure. Developing leaders capable of managing planning and execution in real time is essential.

“Speed is critical to mission execution,” Roy said during a recent roundtable discussion about the Guard’s broader modernization efforts. “The newly structured training has undergone two iterations and empowers officers to consolidate a wide array of previously disjointed capabilities, including intelligence gathering, data analysis, cyber warfare and electromagnetic warfare, and integrate them with psychological operations units. These newly minted officers are comprehensively equipped to implement the changes required to operate at the speed that modern, digital-first threats demand.”

By SFC Daisy Broker

Posted in Army, Guest Post, IO, IW, SOF | No Comments »

Saab Receives Order for RBS 70 NG from Finland

August 31st, 2026

Saab has signed a contract and received an initial order from The Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command for deliveries of the RBS 70 NG air defence solution. The order value is SEK 1.2 billion.

The new contract also enables Finland to place additional future orders for the RBS 70 NG as well as training, spare parts and maintenance equipment.

“We are proud to continue supporting Finland’s Defence Forces and contributing to keeping the nation’s skies safe. With RBS 70 NG, Finland will receive a state-of-the art short-range air defence capability to effectively meet evolving aerial threats,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab’s business area Dynamics.

The Finnish Defence Forces has been a user of the previous version of RBS 70 since 2008. The latest generation, RBS 70 NG, features the unjammable laser-guided missile while also adding a range of new capabilities, such as an automatic target tracker and built-in night capability which further increase hit probability and enhance operational use.

Posted in Contracts, International, Munitions, Press Release | No Comments »

Beez Combat Systems SPECTRALFLAGE Starlink Thermal Mitigation Kit

August 31st, 2026

Beez Combat Systems has introduced the PREDATOR GHILLIE™ SPECTRALFLAGE™ Starlink Thermal Mitigation Kit, a multispectral signature-management system designed specifically for Starlink satellite communication terminals.

Unlike conventional thermal covers that place material directly against the terminal, the SPECTRALFLAGE Starlink kit incorporates a dedicated stand-off layer between the terminal and exterior cover. This design Improves thermal mitigation and reduces the thermal load signature.

Starlink terminals provide highly portable communications where conventional infrastructure may be limited or unavailable. However, an operating terminal can present both a distinctive visual profile and elevated thermal signature. The PREDATOR GHILLIE SPECTRALFLAGE system is designed to help mitigate those observable characteristics.

The result is an equipment-level concealment solution designed around the multispectral signature-management requirements of fielded Starlink terminals.

For additional information and availability – Beez Combat Systems

Posted in Camo, Comms, Guest Post | No Comments »

MATBOCK Monday: ARES Drone Pack Operator Loadout

August 31st, 2026

Back in June, we told you about the ARES Drone Series: two purpose-built packs designed to support drone operators.

Operators are using the “ARES Drone Assault Pack” as their Pilot Bag. The “ARES Drone Sustainment Pack” has become the Bird Bag.

Airframes ride securely in the Bird Bag, controllers and goggles are staged in the Pilot Bag, and the whole system can zip together or split apart depending on how the mission is task-organized.

The Pilot Bag and Bird Bag are both made from Ghost® material and modular, operator-driven design that built the Graverobber™ — just pointed at a different mission set now that drone operators have.

Check out the full ARES Drone Series at www.matbock.com/collections/packs/Drone and reach out to sales@matbock.com to get a unit quote started today.

Posted in Advertiser, Drone, Guest Post, Load Carrying, Packs | No Comments »

Crye Precision G3.5 Range Shorts Are Finally Here!

August 31st, 2026

No need to cut your CP Combat Pants off anymore.

The G3.5 RANGE SHORT announced at SHOT Show is fanboy available for order.

This lightweight, stretch nylon short was developed for hot-weather training, R&R, and working on your summer tan. Available in SHORT—5″, REGULAR—7″, and LONG—9″ inseam options—depending on commitment. Berry compliant. Made in the USA.

www.cryeprecision.com/G3-5-Range-Short

Beach ball sold separately.

Posted in Advertiser, Clothing | 5 Comments »