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Hanwha and WB Group Sign Term Sheet Agreement for Guided Missile Joint Venture in Poland

April 18th, 2025

Joint venture will be a strategic partnership to support local production of guided missiles for the Chunmoo (Homar-K) MRLS programme

Joint venture will strengthen Poland’s defence capabilities and foster export opportunities across Europe

Hanwha reinforces its commitment to NATO-aligned localisation and technological cooperation

April 15, 2025 – Warsaw: Hanwha Aerospace has signed a term sheet agreement to establish a joint venture with Poland’s largest private defence company, WB Group, with the aim of manufacturing guided missiles in Poland for the Homar-K Multiple Rocket Launch System.

The agreement marks a key milestone in Hanwha’s localisation strategy, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Poland’s defence modernisation and industrial development. It also underlines Hanwha’s growing role as a strategic partner for NATO and EU member states.

Under the agreement, Hanwha Aerospace will hold a 51% majority stake in the new entity, with WB Electronics (a WB Group subsidiary) holding the remaining 49%. The joint venture will commence operations following approval from Poland’s Antimonopoly Committee.

The agreement was signed by Piotr Wojciechowski, Chairman of WB Group, and Mr. Billy Boo-hwan Lee, Head of Hanwha Aerospace PGM Business Group. Among the high-profile participants at the ceremony were Mr. Pawe? Bejda, Deputy Minister of Defense; Gen. bryg. dr Artur Kuptel, Head of Armaments Agency; Mr. Hoonmin Lim, Ambassador of the Korean Embassy in Poland; and Mr. Peter Bae, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace Europe.

“With this term sheet agreement, we have just taken the most important step toward establishing our joint venture with WB Group. We believe the joint venture will contribute to the growth of Polish industrial capability, as well as to the modernisation of the Polish Armed Forces. Thanks to this endeavour, our industries will also gain the opportunity to jointly enter new European markets with competitive, combat-proven missile technologies,” said Billy Boo-hwan Lee, Head of Hanwha Aerospace PGM Business Group.

“The term sheet shows a clear roadmap for building a missile production site in Poland. The cooperation between WB Electronics and Hanwha Aerospace is a demonstration of how the Polish and Korean industries can work together and how each company complements the other. The factory will increase Poland’s independence in ammunition production and provide huge potential for industrial and economic growth. We expect the plant to become a supply centre not only for the Polish armed forces but also for the armies of other European countries. I want to point out that it will be a Polish company operating by Polish law and paying taxes in the country. The joint venture will employ Polish engineers and workers and will create a supply chain in Poland and the broader European market.” said Piotr Wojciechowski, Chairman of WB Group.

The joint venture will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements for producing 80km-range CGR-80 guided missiles for the Homar-K, a Polish version of the K239 Chunmoo MRLS, under another executive contract for the Homar-K. It is also focused on jointly marketing the guided missiles to neighbouring countries in Europe.

Hanwha Aerospace has signed two executive contracts since 2022 on the supply of 290 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems that can fire both 80km- and 290km-range guided rockets.

The Homar-K programme is referred to as one of the most successful examples for Hanwha’s localisation efforts in Poland, with extensive involvement from the Polish defence industry. Under the Homar-K programme, Polish defence companies oversee the integration and assembly of the long-range rocket launcher system, mounted on Polish Jelcz 8×8 chassis. The Homar-K also features the Topaz combat management system, developed by WB, and other Polish components and subsystems.

“The latest JV agreement with WB Group is a significant milestone for Hanwha’s continued expansion in the global defence market,” said Mr. Michael Coulter, President and CEO of Hanwha Global Defense. “It represents Hanwha’s strong commitment to delivering the technological edge as well as sovereign, domestic capacity to our global customers.”

Posted in Industry, International, Press Release, weapons | Comments Off on Hanwha and WB Group Sign Term Sheet Agreement for Guided Missile Joint Venture in Poland

Veritone Achieves “Awardable” Status on DoD’s Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace with AI-Powered Investigate Solution

April 18th, 2025

Investigate joins existing Veritone solutions on the DoD’s premier AI procurement marketplace to complete the availability of the iDEMS suite

DENVER –– April 17, 2025 –– Veritone, Inc. (NASDAQ: VERI), a leader in building human-centered enterprise AI solutions, today announced that it has achieved “Awardable” status through the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s (CDAO) Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace. Veritone’s Investigate solution has been added to the Tradewinds Marketplace.

The Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace is the premiere offering of Tradewinds, the Department of Defense’s suite of tools and services designed to accelerate the procurement and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), data and analytics capabilities from organizations, including Veritone.

Investigate is an open architecture evidence management system that ingests large datasets from an expansive partner ecosystem, including but not limited to:

Device extraction tools

Home security systems

Drones and unmanned aircrafts

Body and in-car cameras

Video management systems

Investigations and forensics solutions

Gunfire detection systems

Gun crime intelligence systems

License plate readers

Secure data link protocol providers

e-Discovery platforms

Freedom Of Information Act (“FOIA”) solutions

Hyperscaler’s cloud storage platforms

Once the data is ingested, it’s processed using AI, then indexed, transformed, correlated and analyzed to provide near real-time actionable insights and a holistic view of any investigation, reducing the high-volume, time-consuming work many public sector employees spend significant amounts of time completing. By focusing on more critical work, organizations are better positioned to increase case clearance rates and the number of crimes solved.

“While the availability of evidentiary data is an advantage, it also presents significant challenges for investigators who spend countless hours collecting, organizing and reviewing evidence,” said Ryan Steelberg, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Veritone. “Achieving ‘Awardable’ status for Investigate accelerates the availability of our iDEMS solution and empowers our customers to improve case clearance rates and deliver justice more efficiently.”

Investigate joins an existing suite of Veritone solutions on Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, including Illuminate, IDentify, Track and Redact, completing Veritone’s Intelligent Digital Evidence Management System (iDEMS). Purpose-built for the public sector, Veritone iDEMS leverages AI to help public safety agencies solve more crimes and bring higher levels of safety and trust to their communities by streamlining the management and analysis of digital evidence, including audio and video data, quickly and accurately.

iDEMS is built on Veritone’s aiWARE TM platform and can be leveraged by DoD customers within their public cloud tenant or in their secure data center. aiWARE is an AI operating system that intelligently and securely orchestrates hundreds of best-of-breed cognitive and generative models in a single solution to transform extensive volumes of unstructured data, including video and audio, into actionable insights.

To learn more about Veritone’s public sector solutions, visit: www.veritone.com/solutions/public-sector

Posted in AI / ML, Contracts, Press Release | Comments Off on Veritone Achieves “Awardable” Status on DoD’s Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace with AI-Powered Investigate Solution

3DLOOK & Safariland Expand XPERTFIT Revolutionary Sizing Technology for Tactical Armor

April 18th, 2025

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – 3DLOOK, the leader in AI-powered mobile body scanning technology, partnered with Safariland®, a brand of The Safariland Group, a leading global provider of safety products designed for the public safety, military, professional, and outdoor markets and one of Cadre Holdings, Inc.’s (NYSE: CDRE) (“Cadre”) key brands, are set to expand revolutionary sizing solution, XpertFit. A newly released enhanced version of the XpertFIt solution extends its capabilities to include tactical armor. This latest innovation underscores Safariland’s commitment to continuous advancement while leveraging 3DLOOK’s industry-leading precision in body measurement technology.

3DLOOK and Safariland began their collaboration in 2020, launching XpertFit for Soft Body Armor in 2022. In 2023, Safariland introduced the cutting-edge Apex concealable armor platform, thus elevating Xpertfit’s sizing inclusivity. The latest evolution of this advanced sizing solution now includes the HyperX tactical platform.

The XpertFit platform, powered by 3DLOOK’s patented AI-driven mobile body scanning, provides highly consistent accuracy, repeatability, and an intuitive user experience to ensure the right fit for critical protective gear. With its ability to capture a comprehensive range of precise body measurements, XpertFit empowers agencies and professionals to quickly size individuals precisely, improving operational efficiency and minimizing sizing errors. Given its proven track record for ease of use and high exactitude, XpertFit has enabled Safariland to broaden its footprint, allowing agencies to efficiently size and equip remote end wearers who opt for self-measuring capabilities.

“Our collaboration with Safariland reinforces 3DLOOK’s leadership in AI-driven measuring technology,” said Whitney Cathcart, Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of 3DLOOK. “XpertFit is powered by our patented AI-driven mobile body scanning technology, setting a new industry standard for tactical armor fitment. By integrating our cutting-edge scanning capabilities, we enable Safariland to deliver unmatched accuracy and efficiency in the field.”

With the inclusion of tactical body armor, XpertFit continues to deliver next-generation sizing technology, including enhancements tailored for a high-profile three-letter agency. Significant additions to XpertFit include:

Enhanced Security for Anonymous Users: Addressing the needs of agencies with heightened identity protection concerns, XpertFit now supports anonymized sizing processes while maintaining the same industry-leading security measures that have always been foundational to 3DLOOK’s technology.

Seamless Expansion of Measurement Capabilities: Thanks to 3DLOOK’s broad suite of measurements, TSG was able to easily incorporate additional sizing parameters, further improving the size-to-product transformation for Hyper X.

This expansion builds upon Safariland’s history of innovation and commitment to superior protective solutions, further reinforcing the ongoing efforts to expand its product line with advancements like Hyper-X. Initially introduced for soft body armor, the adoption of XpertFit for tactical armor marks the next step in Safariland’s vision to provide law enforcement, military, and security professionals with the most advanced and adaptable sizing technology available today.

“Innovation has always been at the heart of what we do at Safariland,” said Joseph Smith, VP of Product & Technology at Safariland. “Our collaboration with 3DLOOK ensures that we stay at the forefront of technology, delivering solutions that improve the safety and performance of those who rely on our gear. XpertFit is a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in protective equipment.”

By integrating 3DLOOK’s AI-powered scanning technology, XpertFit eliminates traditional sizing challenges and enables agencies to leverage a seamless, mobile-first approach to protective gear measurement. This partnership represents the future of fit technology—where efficiency, precision, and cutting-edge AI converge to enhance operational readiness for professionals in the field.

XperFit is a U.S. registered trademark owned by The Fechheimer Brothers Company. For more information about XpertFit and 3DLOOK’s industry-leading AI body scanning solutions, visit 3dlook.ai.

Posted in Armor, Press Release | Comments Off on 3DLOOK & Safariland Expand XPERTFIT Revolutionary Sizing Technology for Tactical Armor

FN Introduces New Brand Identity to Global Market

April 18th, 2025

We received this note from Fabrique National.

As FN celebrates its successful 135-year history, we begin a new chapter in this exceptional legacy by unveiling a dynamic new brand identity that reflects our vision for the future.

Introducing our new logo:

And our new brand tagline:

These elements embody our core values: Bold, Accurate, Reliable.

While our brand identity has evolved, all official company information – including company name, mailing address, contact numbers, email addresses, VAT number, banking details – remains unchanged. Existing points of contact are unaffected.

We look forward to this exciting new chapter and to continuing our journey together!

fnherstal.com/en/discover-the-new-fn

Posted in Industry, weapons | 4 Comments »

FirstSpear Friday Focus: TTPOA Attendance

April 18th, 2025

Come see us at TTPOA next week over at Kalihari Resort in Round Rock, TX, Thursday, April 24th and Friday, April 25th. Check out our product line-up and catch up with our team to learn more about what’s coming in 2025!

FirstSpear is the premier source for cutting edge-tactical gear for military, law enforcement and those who train.

For more information visit First-Spear.com.

Posted in Advertiser, FS Friday Focus, Guest Post, LE, Tradeshow | Comments Off on FirstSpear Friday Focus: TTPOA Attendance

Army Advances Research in Robotics, AI and Autonomy

April 18th, 2025

ADELPHI, Md. — In recognition of National Robotics Week, U.S. Army researchers highlight some of their groundbreaking work aimed at advancing the future of human-machine integration for the battlefield.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, known as DEVCOM ARL, robotics research spans across ground and air autonomous systems, and energy systems, that support future mobility and maneuverability of these systems. ARL robotics researchers partner with industry, government and academia to help protect and support the Soldier.

One example of a recent ARL breakthrough is integrating generative artificial intelligence with robotics for battle damage assessment operations. ARL robots are now capable of understanding and responding to natural language, offering the Soldier human-like interactions.

“We are bridging the gap between humans and robots, making them more intuitive, responsive, and, ultimately, more useful for the Soldier,” said Phil Osteen, a lead researcher for the Artificial Intelligence for Maneuver and Mobility, or AIMM program. “ARL researchers have demonstrated an interactive bi-directional communication system that enables real-time exchanges between humans and robots.”

By interacting with Soldiers using natural language, robots can better communicate battlefield observations such as damage assessments and mission execution reports, enhancing battlefield operations.

The AIMM program is also focused on advancing autonomous off-road mobility, human-guided machine learning, and tactical behaviors that go beyond simple point-to-point movement. Army operations are complex, requiring considerations such as cover, concealment, mission considerations and formation controls, according to Udam Silva, AIMM program manager.

“We’ve made significant progress in off-road mobility,” Silva said. “We can now autonomously navigate through dense vegetation at operational speeds.”

ARL researchers also leverage external collaboration. In a research effort under AIMM, robotics researchers collaborate with an industry partner, Overland AI, on dual-use hardware and software solutions for ground autonomy, enabling vehicles to navigate challenging natural terrain autonomously at operationally relevant speeds.

In a separate ARL autonomous program, Human Autonomy Teaming, or HAT, is creating a cutting-edge toolkit of a suite of technologies that enable continuous mission planning, execution and review process between humans and autonomous systems, offering a more honest assessment. This iterative, or continuous assessment is a way of shortening that cycle, so Soldiers can determine when their autonomous systems deviate and why.

“This gives Soldiers the tools to correct robots’ behaviors using techniques such as human-guided machine learning developed by multiple ARL programs,” said Dr. Brandon Perelman, HAT program manager.

The HAT program is ensuring the U.S. Army’s software is continually refined to counter adversaries’ adaptations, according to Perelman.

According to Perelman, the software being developed is compatible with multiple interfaces, so mission plans can go into any equipped vehicle. It has a data synchronization and re-streaming package so different data streams can line up, while also looking at video feeds and positions, navigation and timing data from a robot for a fuller view of a complex situation such as encountered on the battlefield.

The HAT program informs future research aimed to expand vertically to higher, larger echelons in the Army chain of command as well as horizontally, across warfighting functions, to include multiple domains such as mount-dismount coordination, and ground-air teaming.

These examples represent some of ARL’s transformative robotics work that span multiple critical domains, designed to enhance military capabilities and ensure technological superiority.

By U.S. Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory Public Affairs

Posted in AI / ML, Army, Guest Post, Robotics | Comments Off on Army Advances Research in Robotics, AI and Autonomy

New Exhibitor Registration for Industry Day at the Range 2026 Now Open

April 17th, 2025

BOULDER CITY, Nev. – April 15, 2025 – SHOT Show® Industry Day at the Range, the annual event leading up to SHOT Show®, is excited to announce that registration for new exhibitors is now open. The 21st annual event will take place on January 19, 2026, at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nevada. Building on the success of last year’s event, which attracted over 2,600 attendees, Industry Day continues to be the ultimate platform for industry professionals, media and buyers to preview cutting-edge products before they officially launch.

With over two hundred leading brands expected to exhibit, Industry Day offers an unparalleled opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their latest innovations while connecting with key industry stakeholders and generating buzz around their products.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has renewed its title sponsorship of the event through 2028, continuing to make Industry Day at the Range the only range event officially associated with SHOT Show. This partnership allows for the vetting of all attendees through NSSF’s registration system to ensure that only qualified, invited guests attend.

“As we prepare for the 21st annual Industry Day, we are excited to welcome both new and returning exhibitors to the range,” said Kelsey Puryear, Industry Day at the Range manager. “This event continues to be a platform for connecting with industry professionals, media and buyers, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the 2026 event.”

In response to exhibitor feedback, the event will remain invitation only, but with an exciting new change. The afternoon portion will now be open to all SHOT Show attendees, including buyers and additional team members. This adjustment allows exhibitors to invite more guests who may have previously desired to attend. The morning session will remain dedicated to media, influencers and ambassadors. All attendees must be registered for SHOT Show, and non-exhibiting manufacturers are not eligible to participate.

New exhibitors are encouraged to secure their space promptly as availability is limited. The 2026 Industry Day at the Range will once again be held the day preceding SHOT Show at the Boulder Rifle and Pistol Club in Boulder City, Nevada, on Monday, January 19, 2026.

New exhibitors can register now to secure their space. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For additional details and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the event website.

For more information about the 2026 SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range visit ShotShowRangeDay.com.

Posted in Industry, Press Release, SHOT Show | Comments Off on New Exhibitor Registration for Industry Day at the Range 2026 Now Open

Scout AI Emerges from Stealth with $15M Seed Round, Lands 2 DoD Contracts, and Unveils Fury – Robotic Foundation Model for Defense

April 17th, 2025

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 16, 2025 — Scout AI Inc. (“Scout”) today announced its emergence from stealth mode with a bold mission: to build the AGI brain for defense robotics. The company also unveiled an oversubscribed $15 million seed round led by Align Ventures and Booz Allen Ventures, and revealed it has been selected for multiple Department of Defense (DoD) contracts.

Founded in August 2024 by Colby Adcock and Collin Otis, Scout brings together deep experience at the intersection of AI, robotics, and defense. CEO Colby Adcock is a former tech private equity executive and current board member at humanoid robotics company Figure AI. CTO Collin Otis is a serial entrepreneur who previously was a founding engineer and Director of Autonomy and AI at Kodiak Robotics and Head of Data Science and Chief of Staff at Uber ATG. He has built autonomy systems from the ground up for both commercial and military platforms and previously sold a venture-backed startup to Target.

At the core of Scout’s breakthrough is Fury, a defense-specific Vision-Language-Action (VLA) foundation model engineered to transform every defense robot into an intelligent, autonomous agent. Unlike traditional robotics software, Fury is an embodied AI system — capable of perceiving the physical world, interpreting natural language, and issuing real-time motor commands to act decisively even in communication and GPS-denied environments.

“Achieving warfighter-level versatility in robotic systems requires grounding AI in physical reality,” said Otis. “By training our system on human-level behavior we make our AI embodied. Fury develops the kind of intelligence warfighters naturally have — situational, physical, and adaptive.”

What sets Fury apart from conventional language models is its ability to perceive, reason, and act across multiple modalities. It doesn’t just output text — it commands machines. Trained on large-scale real-world data, Fury brings multimodal reasoning and precision control to a wide spectrum of uncrewed systems: ground, air, sea, and space. It can be directed via natural language or fine-tuned for specific mission profiles, delivering human-like autonomy at machine scale.

Scout’s first two prototypes — the G01 unmanned ground vehicle and A01 unmanned aerial vehicle — are already operating autonomously powered by Fury at the company’s proving grounds in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

“Physical AI is the most decisive military advantage of the century,” said Adcock. “Our vision is one warfighter commanding many robots — seamlessly integrated into a unified team. That level of human-machine integration requires an AI brain like Fury that understands commander intent and can think, move, and collaborate like seasoned operators. That’s how we achieve true force multiplication.”

Scout is proudly planting its flag in Silicon Valley, building its team in Sunnyvale and pulling top AI and autonomy talent from the self-driving, big tech, and defense worlds to tackle this critical mission. “We’re bringing in the world’s best engineers to work on the world’s most important frontier — making sure this AI is built securely and responsibly for the good guys,” said Adcock. “Our adversaries are already building it. We must develop this technology and outpace them — and ensure the U.S. leads the future of intelligent defense systems.”

Scout is also taking a partnership-driven approach. Its Fury system is designed to be lightweight, modular, and hardware-agnostic — running on as little as a single commercial off-the-shelf camera and low-power inference chip, enabling rapid integration into existing and emerging robotic hardware systems. A growing list of robotics companies are partnering with Scout to embed Fury into their platforms, unlocking advanced autonomy without overhauling their hardware. Industry partners looking to learn more can reach out directly via partnerships@scoutco.ai.

“Our system is designed to make existing platforms intelligent, and we’re excited to be working with partners across the defense ecosystem to bring that capability to scale,” noted Otis.

Scout closed on its $15 million seed round, led by Align Ventures and Booz Allen Ventures, with participation from Draper Associates, Decisive Point Ventures, Perot Jain, Sigmas Group, Evolution VC, BVVC, Habitat Partners, Piedmont Capital Investments, FJ Labs, Revelry Venture Partners, Monte Carlo Capital, Expansion VC, and Gaingels.

To learn more, visit scoutco.ai.

Posted in AI / ML, Contracts, Industry, Press Release, Robotics | 1 Comment »