TYR Tactical

Cadre Holdings Subsidiary Safariland Selected as Ballistic Provider for FBI Armor Contract

June 3rd, 2026

Award Underscores Competitive Strength of Cadre’s Product Segment and Mission-Critical Market Position

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Cadre Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CDRE), a global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of safety equipment and other related products for the law enforcement, first responder, military and nuclear markets, today announced that its subsidiary Safariland® has been selected as the ballistic panel provider integrated into Predictive Ballistics LLC’s Overt Armor Kit (OAK). Predictive Ballistics was recently awarded a five-year, $61 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The OAK system is also available to the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other Department of Justice agencies.

The selection of Safariland’s SX™ HP ballistic panel, introduced in 2025, as the ballistic package for this contract demonstrates accelerating commercial adoption of the product and validates Cadre’s ongoing investment in next-generation protective equipment. The SX™ HP was chosen over 11 competing products following a rigorous evaluation process that assessed ballistic performance, construction quality and extensive end-user testing for function, fit and comfort, including some of the most demanding ballistic testing protocols in the industry.

“This award represents a major accomplishment for our team and underscores the constant commitment to innovation that remains at the heart of everything we do,” said Brad Williams, President of Cadre Holdings. “After introducing the Safariland SX™ HP ballistic panel in 2025, we are pleased to see broader adoption and enthusiastic feedback from customers that we have engineered one of the thinnest, lightest and most protective hybrid ballistic armor on the market. With best-in-class brands and a steadfast commitment to our life-saving mission, we believe Safariland is well positioned to drive growth over the long term.”

The contract adds to Cadre’s growing pipeline of federal law enforcement business and reflects the company’s strategy of developing highly engineered, mission-critical products that serve demanding end markets with rigorous performance standards and high barriers to entry. Federal agency contracts of this nature are typically characterized by multi-year terms, defined delivery schedules and strong recurring demand driven by equipment modernization cycles.

Posted in Armor, Contracts, LE, Press Release | No Comments »

D&M Holding Company Acquires Czech-Based EKOCHEM 94 s.r.o.

June 3rd, 2026

TAMPA, FL (June 3, 2026) – D&M Holding Company, Inc. (D&M), the global leader in delivering complete solutions for ammunition, primer, and propellant manufacturing facilities, has acquired EKOCHEM 94 s.r.o. of the Czech Republic. This acquisition further strengthens D&M’s capabilities as the company continues to support the United States, NATO allies, Ukraine, and other friendly foreign governments seeking long-term ammunition independence.

Headquartered in Pardubice, Czech Republic, EKOCHEM 94 is an engineering, design, and industrial project company specializing in chemical, mechanical, and process industries, including for propellants and propellant raw materials. Its specialties include:

  • nitrocellulose production equipment
  • propellant production equipment
  • design of complete energetics
  • distillation systems
  • combustible cartridge case production lines
  • diethyl ether production lines
  • explosive-material processing equipment

“The acquisition of EKOCHEM 94 is a key part of our aggressive global growth strategy as we extend our footprint in Europe and beyond,” said Dan Powers, President and CEO, D&M Holding Company. “Escalating global conflicts and supply chain issues are driving the soaring demand for reliable supplies of ammunition, primers, and propellants. This geopolitical instability has created deep urgency among nations for ammunition independence. They want to manufacture it themselves, and we are uniquely positioned to help them do that.”

“We are pleased to become a part of the D&M family and look forward to expanding our capabilities,” said Boris Fukatko, founder and President of EKOCHEM 94.

As friendly nations race to achieve their defense industrialization goals, D&M is increasingly sought after as a trusted, specialized design, engineering, and manufacturing partner. D&M not only manufactures the machinery and systems needed to build ammunition; the company also trains its clients and transfers the technical knowledge required to operate facilities independently.

 

About D&M Holding Company

D&M Holding Company, Inc. (D&M) is an ammunition and energetics engineering company headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with additional operations in Cabot, Arkansas. D&M specializes in the design and manufacture of ammunition and energetics equipment, as well as in the turnkey factory solutions for customers worldwide. D&M Holding International Sp. z o.o. in Warsaw, Poland is D&M’s European sales office which supports international sales and Ukraine projects. D&M Novatrax, LLC, based in Kyiv, Ukraine is an engineering and investment company dedicated to the Ukraine defense industry. White River Energetics, LLC (WRE) is a wholly owned subsidiary of D&M, located in Des Arc, Arkansas, with the objective of manufacturing energetics for the ammunition industry.

For more information visit D&M Holding Company and White River Energetics.

Posted in Ammo, Industry, International, Press Release | No Comments »

Battelle Supports the Development and Test of the US Army’s New Hand Grenade

June 3rd, 2026

COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 27, 2026) – Battelle recently partnered with the U.S. Army Close Combat Systems Program Office to support the Full Material Release (FMR) of the new M111 Offensive Hand Grenade (OHG), the first new offensive hand grenade since 1968.

The M111 was developed over many years of close collaboration between the Army and Battelle to ensure a safe, high-quality, and repeatable manufacturing process. Battelle supported various stages of the development, starting with an initial concept, completing Process Verification Testing (PVT) and executing FMR by prototyping nearly 7,000 grenades and conducting first article and lot acceptance tests.

Battelle and the Army worked closely together over multiple years to refine the technical processes required to improve the grenades’ safety and performance for the warfighter. This new system provides soldiers with a safer alternative to the M67 fragmenting grenade by utilizing a blast over pressure effect, removing fragmenting effects and providing an alternative to better achieve mission success with less risk for fratricide.

“Battelle’s support to the M111 program has enabled the Army to qualify and transition the M111 to full-rate production,” said Sam Knutson, Division Manager forAdvanced Materials and Energetics. “With our unique position as a trusted development partner, we were able to ensure the government is now positioned to meet current and future production needs.”

“Through our work with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armament Center (DEVCOM AC) and customers across the military, Battelle is focused on rapidly advancing innovative solutions that directly benefit the warfighter,” said Dan Pikora, General Manager of Battelle’s National Security Business. “We are excited to continue collaborating with DEVCOM AC to deliver technologies that support mission success.”

Posted in Armor, Press Release, weapons | No Comments »

Blast From The Past – What Kind of Leader Are You?

June 3rd, 2026

We’ve published this leadership model a few times. The first time was in 2012 and It’s still worthy of debate today.

In the mid-1800s a Prussian Field Marshal named Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke developed a means to evaluate his officers.

Smart & Lazy – I make them my Commanders because they make the right thing happen but find the easiest way to accomplish the mission.
Smart & Energetic – I make them my General Staff Officers because they make intelligent plans that make the right things happen.
Dumb & Lazy – There are menial tasks that require an officer to perform that they can accomplish and they follow orders without causing much harm.
Dumb & Energetic – These are dangerous and must be eliminated. They cause things to happen but the wrong things so cause trouble.

I’ve also seen this attributed to various German Army leaders beginning in the inter-war years and seems to convey prevailing thinking. It boils leadership down into its simplest form and measures the leader on two axes. Intelligence (competence) and industriousness or lack thereof.

As Chief of the Army High Command, the Anti-Nazi Gen Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord oversaw the composition of the German manual on military unit command (Truppenführung), dated 17 October 1933. In it, he proposed a classification scheme for military leaders.

‘I divide my officers into four groups. There are clever, diligent, stupid, and lazy officers. Usually two characteristics are combined. Some are clever and diligent — their place is the General Staff. The next lot are stupid and lazy — they make up 90 percent of every army and are suited to routine duties. Anyone who is both clever and lazy is qualified for the highest leadership duties, because he possesses the intellectual clarity and the composure necessary for difficult decisions. One must beware of anyone who is stupid and diligent — he must not be entrusted with any responsibility because he will always cause only mischief.’

Remember, in the German model, the most promising go to the General Staff for grooming. In the American model, the best and brightest take command. Considering that, do you think it’s still a viable model?

Posted in Profession of Arms | 2 Comments »

10th Mountain Division’s C-UAS Academy Drives the Army’s Next Era of Drone Defense

June 3rd, 2026

FORT DRUM, N.Y. — As unmanned aircraft systems reshape modern warfare, the 10th Mountain Division is positioning itself at the forefront of the Army’s effort to train Soldiers to fight, survive and adapt on a drone?saturated battlefield.

The division’s Mountain Innovation Systems Lab is producing drone components on post, reducing reliance on external suppliers and accelerating experimentation. Using those systems, the newly established Counter?Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) Academy trained Soldiers at Fort Drum from May 11–15, 2026, marking a major step in preparing units for emerging threats.

To meet challenges posed by near?peer adversaries, the Army is expanding training programs that give Soldiers hands?on experience with drone operations, communications, and counter?UAS tactics. Leaders say the 10th Mountain Division is helping lead that effort.

“We’re teaching them how to do counter?drone training at local training areas and out at the range,” said Lt. Col. Max Ferguson, the division’s director of operations. “At the end of the day, the course was inspired by the division commander’s question of how we make counter-drone training as habitual as going to the M4 range.”

The C?UAS Academy serves as a bridge between innovation and execution. Capt. Malachi Bouch, an officer with the Innovation Lab, said the goal is to give Soldiers the knowledge and tools to bring counter-UAS training back to their units.

“The objective is to equip them with some of the basic knowledge, resources and tools so they can go back to their units and incorporate counter?UAS training into every aspect of what they are already doing,” Bouch said.

During the course, Soldiers learn how drones operate, how they are used tactically, and how to maintain and integrate them into maneuver formations. Ferguson said the training helps remove the mystery surrounding unmanned systems.

“It’s demystifying drones but also becoming aware of what we need to be aware of,” he said. “A key takeaway from the course is that it’s training you how to teach counter?drone training.”

The academy includes instruction on detection, defeat methods, concealment, battle drills and survivability, reinforced through practical exercises.

“The best way we’re going to learn holistically as an Army is by getting drones into people’s hands and training force-on-force,” Bouch said.

The 10th Mountain Division, long recognized for its adaptability and effectiveness in austere environments, is now combining those strengths with emerging technology to maintain overmatch against future threats.

“The 10th Mountain Division is at the forefront of counter-drone training, in large part because of our operational experience in OIR and on the southern border,” Ferguson said, referring to Operation Inherent Resolve and Joint Task Force Southern Border.

“We’re taking what we know and advancing that knowledge through this training. This is the beginning of shifting culture to where counter-drone training is something we do.”

As warfare evolves, Army leaders say success will depend on units capable of integrating technology, adaptability and tactical expertise faster than any adversary. Through the combined efforts of the Innovation Lab and the C-UAS Academy, the 10th Mountain Division is working to ensure its Soldiers are ready for that future, building the systems, training the force, and shaping the next generation of warfighting capability.

SPC Isaiah Mount

Posted in Army, C-UAS, Guest Post, Training | 4 Comments »

NATO DIANA Unveils Six New Challenges to Tackle Evolving Defence and Security Needs

June 2nd, 2026

LONDON – 1 June 2026 – NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) has launched six new challenges aimed at finding game-changing solutions that help build a safer future for the Alliance.

Innovators can submit their proposals for DIANA’s challenges until 12:00 UTC +1/BST on Friday 3 July 2026.

Selected innovators will become part of DIANA’s 2027 cohort of innovators, participating in a six-month accelerator programme that will begin in January 2027. These innovators will help identify and adopt solutions that can deliver cutting-edge technologies to Allied armed forces faster – strengthening NATO’s operational edge

Innovators can submit proposals for one of six challenge areas including:

  • Human Survivability
  • Multidomain Autonomy of Uncrewed Systems
  • Multidomain Sensing and Advanced Data Processing for Intelligence and Surveillance
  • Operational Resilience in Contested Environments
  • Responsive Logistics
  • Scalable and Adaptable Countermeasures for Air Defence

DIANA formulates its challenges based on the priorities of NATO and its nations, the latest trends in emerging and disruptive technologies, and market potential. Through these challenges, DIANA aims to accelerate the development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies – turning innovation into capabilities that lead to real-world impact.

Selected innovators will receive:

  • €100,000 of contractual funding to enable them to continue iterating their solution to the challenge.
  • Access to more than 200 test centres across Europe and North America to undertake testing, evaluation, validation and verification activities.
  • Guidance from our experts and mentors to grow their businesses, navigate complex defence procurement processes, and supercharge their network with industry partners, military end-users and potential investors.
  • Exposure to the defence ecosystems of all 32 NATO members, fostering cross-border collaboration, and bridging the gap between innovative ideas and real-world adoption.

UK-based innovator JET Connectivity is part of NATO DIANA’s 2025 cohort of companies and was recently selected for Mission Track, DIANA’s follow-on support pathway for solutions with strong defence adoption potential.

“JET Connectivity has surged forward in capability thanks, in no small part, to NATO DIANA’s programme, through the funding, mentoring and networking we have received, and through the support from the VTT Dual-Use Launchpad in Finland, one of DIANA’s accelerator sites,” said James Thomas, JET Connectivity Founder and CEO.

A range of companies can benefit from DIANA’s programme – including early-stage innovators, defence-focused start-ups, established civilian businesses, and SMEs. Whether focused on developing cutting-edge dual-use technologies for armed forces, scaling proven solutions, or seeking to enter new defence and security markets, the programme offers tailored guidance and resources to help companies accelerate growth and market impact.

“Our new challenges for the 2027 cohort serve one clear goal: accelerating the adoption of technologies that can strengthen the Alliance’s operational edge. By connecting innovators to NATO’s defence networks, we catalyse the transformation of innovative ideas into superior military capability for the Alliance,” said Jyoti Hirani-Driver, Acting Managing Director at NATO DIANA.

Posted in NATO, Press Release | No Comments »

Rampart Range Day 26 – Pulsar

June 2nd, 2026

Pulsar’s Symbion multi-spectral binoculars are a great value. In addition to EO (day and low light) and thermal cameras, the Symbion incorporates a laser range finder and video camera.

Sensor

Thermal 1280×1024/12µm | Digital 3840×2160

Objective lens

Thermal F50/1.0 | Digital F50/1.8

Magnification, x

Thermal 2 – 24x | Digital 6.5 – 26x

FOV (HxV), degrees

Thermal 17.5° | Digital 5.8°

FOV (HxV), m@100m

Thermal 30.7 m | Digital 10.2 m

Diopter Adjustment, D

-5 / +5

Detection range

Thermal 2300 m

This and other products shown at Rampart Range Day are available for unit and agency orders in Canada and the US through Rampart.

Posted in Optics, Rampart Range Day | No Comments »

Rampart Range Day 26 – Sordin

June 2nd, 2026

Sordin exhibited their T2 comms headset built in their SordinFLEX Modular Design Platform.

Additionally, you can choose between four audio profiles to adapt your sound image to the actual tactical situation. Switching is as simple as toggling between profiles using an ergonomic keypad. Profiles include:

Tactical is the normal audio profile for general purposes. Gain and frequency are set to normal levels in order to mimic natural ambient sound and to balance situational awareness and comfort in the field.

Comfort is a profile with reduced gain and a reduced frequency spectrum. Ideal in noisy environments when communication is prioritized over ambient sound.

Dual is a 2-in-1 profile has high gain and a wide frequency band for high situational awareness in quiet environments. Alternatively, use it when combining your T2 with earplugs to pick up some ambient sounds, even in high-noise environments.

Ambient Off is used to turn ambient sound off with your headset using passive hearing protection only. Suitable when maximum focus on team communications is required in high-noise environments.

Available cup covers are Black, Green, or Tan.

The X2 is also available for shooters who don’t need the comms capability and just want hearing protection.

This and other products shown at Rampart Range Day are available for unit and agency orders in Canada and the US through Rampart.

Posted in Comms, Rampart Range Day | No Comments »

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