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SureFire’s New SOCOM-4 Series: Evolution at the Speed of Sound
December 5th, 2025Tomahawk Performance Partners with DS Tactical to Expand Product Availability in Canada
December 5th, 2025NASHVILLE, TN – December 5th, 2025 – Tomahawk Performance has announced a new dealer partnership with DS Tactical, expanding access to Tomahawk’s technical apparel in Canada. A leading retailer of tactical and outdoor equipment, DS Tactical carries more than 200 premium brands serving military and law enforcement professionals.
The partnership will make Tomahawk Performance products available through DS Tactical’s online platform and retail distribution, offering customers additional purchasing options, faster fulfillment in Western Canada, and international shipping.
“DS Tactical has built a strong reputation for knowledgeable service, a close relationship with the community they serve, and a refined product selection,” said Marc Elbaz, Tomahawk Performance CEO. “Their team understands the needs of professional users, and that alignment makes them an ideal partner as we continue to expand the availability of Tomahawk gear.”
DS Tactical’s catalog emphasizes equipment designed to perform in unpredictable and demanding conditions. Tomahawk Performance’s line — including its combat uniforms, wind protection, and insulated cold weather layers — adds to the retailer’s range of purpose-built apparel for training and operational environments.
“We’re very excited for this new partnership with Tomahawk,” says Martin Kerr, DS Tactical CEO. “We will use our 39 year of experience in the industry to provide seamless service and product knowledge. We look forward to see what lays ahead with this partnership.”
The partnership supports Tomahawk Performance’s continued focus on working closely with professional communities while providing broader access to its products for individual purchasers.
Tomahawk Performance products are now available through DS Tactical at dstactical.com.
Qore Performance Launches ICEPLATE Gen 3: Cooling & Heating Thermoregulation + Hard-Cell Hydration Bladder
December 5th, 2025Knoxville, TN — Qore Performance, Inc. announces the launch of ICEPLATE® Gen 3, the next-generation Medium ESAPI-shaped hard-cell hydration bladder that delivers 70 watts of cooling, 52 watts of heating, and 52.4 fl oz (1.55 L) of drinkable water in a single, plate carrier compatible system.
Now 20% lighter than its predecessor at 10.5 oz empty with 5% greater capacity and dramatically improved multi-curve ergonomics, ICEPLATE® Gen 3 is purpose-built for year-round use by performance-minded military, law enforcement, prepared citizens, first responders, and industrial professionals.
For full conductive thermoregulation and hydration benefits, ICEPLATE® Gen 3 is worn internally of ballistic plates via Qore Performance’s IMS Pro Gen 3 for armed professional applications, or standalone within HiVis thermoregulation vests for industrial safety use.
Powerful Performance:
- 70 watts conductive cooling when frozen; 52 watts heating when filled with hot water.
- Delivers 2–4 hours of intensive cooling or 3–5 hours of heating, preventing heat stroke and hypothermia while augmenting human physiology for peak performance.
- As ice melts from body heat, it creates ice-cold drinking water, with the system becoming progressively lighter as this water is consumed.
Features:
- Seamless integration with plate carriers, chest rigs, backpacks, and HiVis safety vests.
- Dual 28-410 fill ports accept ICECAP® Gen 3, Valve Cap, Closed Cap, or standard Coca-Cola/Dasani threads.
- Drinkable variants include SOURCE™ 90 tube, Helix™ bite valve, and ICECAP Gen 3 quick-disconnect for rapid “Hydration As A Magazine” swaps.
- ICEPLATE® Gen 3 is 100% Made in the USA by U.S. citizens from US-sourced FDA-certified, BPA-free HDPE in Iowa.
Since 2016, Qore Performance has been Building A Superhuman Future®—and ICEPLATE® is where that future began. With over 6.5 million operational hours and zero heat injuries, ICEPLATE® redefines what’s possible for professionals across business, safety, and defense. ICEPLATE® Gen 3 turns temperature into a weapon—creating decisive advantages for performance and survival where none existed before.
“ICEPLATE® Gen 3 is the most refined and capable cooling, heating, hydration system we’ve ever developed,” said Austin Pitsch, Marketing Manager of Qore Performance, Inc. “It inoculates users against extreme heat and cold while delivering mission-critical hydration, while scaling effortlessly from individual use to full enterprise and organization deployment.”
ICEPLATE® Gen 3 is available now at QorePerformance.com.
FirstSpear Ignites “12 Days of Christmas” Promotional Event, Delivering Daily Advantage on American-Made Tactical Equipment
December 5th, 2025Daily event provides email-only access to incentives on industry-leading technical gear and advanced apparel.
FENTON, MO – December 3, 2025 – FirstSpear, the industry leader in load-bearing technology and advanced technical apparel, has officially launched its “12 Days of Christmas” event. The twelve-day engagement gives professional end users, law enforcement, and serious enthusiasts a focused opportunity to acquire mission-critical, American-made equipment with meaningful value-added incentives.
Running now through December 12, the event spotlights a different segment of FirstSpear’s catalog each day. Rather than a standard holiday sale, the “12 Days” event functions as a daily briefing, delivered exclusively to FirstSpear email subscribers. This approach ensures that the people who depend on this equipment for operational use receive first access to each day’s offering.
The event reinforces FirstSpear’s commitment to domestic manufacturing and material innovation. By concentrating on specific platforms and technology day by day, the campaign highlights the technical advantages of systems such as the Siege-R Optimized™ plate carrier, integrating 6/12™ LaserFusion™ and Tubes® rapid-release technology, and the ACM™ (Advanced Clothing Materials) merino wool apparel line designed for demanding climates and extended wear.
“This event is our way of closing out the year in support of the community that runs our equipment in the field,” said Scott Carver, CEO of FirstSpear. “From our laser-cut 6/12 platforms to our high-performance merino wool layering systems, and materials, we want to make it easier for professionals to gear up with the best American-made solutions available.”
Event Highlights
Daily Intelligence: Each day reveals a new focus on specific loadout essentials or apparel, ranging from plate carriers to ACM technical wool vests and outer layers.
Exclusive Access: Incentive codes, coupons, and select giveaway opportunities are distributed only through the FirstSpear email network.
Ongoing Opportunity: Launched on December 1, the event continues to deliver substantial value on flagship items and proven platforms through the remaining days.
How to Participate
Access to the “12 Days of Christmas” event is gated through the FirstSpear email distribution list. Interested parties must subscribe to receive the daily intelligence detailing featured products, operational advantages, and associated promotional codes.
Sign-up is available at: www.first-spear.com/email-signup
USSOCOM Ignite Truly Joint, Expanding Opportunities
December 5th, 2025
U.S. Special Operations Command’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (U.S. SOCOM AT&L), alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory, launched the 2026 SOCOM Ignite Program at MIT’s campus in late September, embarking on a yearlong journey for more than 100 cadets and faculty from over 20 colleges, universities and service academies.
The SOCOM Ignite Program is an innovation-focused initiative aimed at addressing current and future challenges facing the warfighter, but it also serves as an opportunity to both further the education and ingenuity of future military leaders. The selected teams will have the opportunity to establish relationships with military and technical mentors, culminating in a presentation of their work at Special Operations Forces Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida.
This year, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. JoAnn Naumann, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, provided the keynote address, encouraging cadets to think ‘outside the box’ as they look to tackle issues specific to special operations.
“I challenge you this weekend – surprise me,” said Naumann. “Don’t try to impress us. Surprise us, come up with ideas that we never would have thought of, even if it’s not the perfect idea, there may be some kernel in that surprise that is the perfect idea.”
Beginning in 2020 with an initial group of eight ROTC cadets, the SOCOM Ignite program now hosts more than 100 cadets from universities and service academies across the country. This year, SOCOM Ignite received 48 unique challenges, each submitted from various SOF units. This year was the first year the program received challenges from every component of U.S. SOCOM.
“Having this be truly joint is one of the key areas that marks this as a big accomplishment,” said Raoul Ouedraogo, program lead for SOCOM Ignite. “It’s that ability to be able to have all of those different service components work together.”
Bringing together a wide variety of knowledge and experience from across the field remains a core focus of the program, which Joshna Iyengar, an associate technical staff member at Lincoln Labs and team mentor for SOCOM Ignite, confirmed.
“We’re trying to combine as many different parties as possible, bringing together people from U.S. SOCOM to these cadets, to more technical expertise including Lincoln Laboratory,” said Iyengar. “Seeing their ability to work, seeing their passion for learning these things and working on these projects, is amazing.”
Nilufer Mistry Sheasby, an Army ROTC Cadet at Harvard University who attended SOCOM Ignite last year, was able to reflect on the scope and vision of the program.
“I think the challenges have gotten better,” said Mistry Sheasby. “They’re building off of the work that has been done in previous years, and like I’ve seen in some projects, continue and change in different iterations.”
This year included several new participating ROTC units. Rich Franco, a team mentor and advisor from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana, and a newcomer to SOCOM Ignite, spoke about the opportunities created here for the different ROTC programs and service academies.
“To be able to interact with all of the other universities like West Point, the Naval Academy, on actual projects, and then to bring them back to Rose-Hulman in order to work over the entire year with those teams, is just an amazing opportunity to collaborate with the top institutions,” said Franco.
Franco, who served as a U.S. Army Special Forces officer prior to joining Rose-Hulman, expanded on the enriching factors of the program for the cadets through his experiences as a SOF veteran.
“They need to have an open mind and know that they can work across teams to essentially solve any challenge,” said Franco. “Then they will rely on their individual specialties to come up with and formulate that plan that is organic … to give these cadets a purview into that so early in their careers, before they become commissioned officers in our Army, is just such an essential skill.”
By: Staff Sgt. Lawrence Wong
SureFire’s 2025 High Angle Championship at Hat Creek
December 4th, 2025SureFire just shared this video they produced of the High Angle Training Event they recently sponsored at Hat Creek. The instructors were Bryan Morgan and Bennie Cooley.
SureFire’s goals were threefold:
1. Put the new SOCOM-4 series suppressors to the test.
2. Get in some high angle training.
3. Make a friendly competition out of it.
Long story short: The 2025 SureFire High Angle Championship did NOT disappoint.
Arc’teryx PRO Expands Access
December 4th, 2025Built for the Mission & Elevating Access: Arc’teryx PRO Evolves
Arc’teryx PRO remains committed to delivering uncompromising performance for those operating in the most demanding environments. Building on this foundation, and following investment in production capacity and close collaboration with vendor partners, we are proud to announce the evolution of our PRO line into two distinct collections:
• Essentials Collection: Functional, versatile designs for durability and precision. No longer limited to just professional users, available to anyone through one of our trusted network of Arc’teryx PRO Dealers, beginning December 5th, 2025.
• Mission Collection: Highly specialized products made in limited quantities and with selective access, will continue to focus on serving dedicated accredited professionals who require advanced solutions for critical operations.
Historically, PRO products have been reserved for purchase by a limited group of specialized end users in the outdoor and tactical space. Today, we are expanding access to PRO for professionals and dedicated enthusiasts across disciplines, those who require uncompromising performance.
Over the next few years, expect new colorways, next-generation designs, and expanded offerings of women’s fits to select models. This new product offering ensures more people can access elite gear without compromising performance. This evolution reflects our unwavering commitment to quality, reliability, and performance.
For details on product availability, visit our authorized dealer network.
Milipol 25 – Wild Clothing
December 4th, 2025Wild is a new brand from Finland. They are poised to release a cold water clothing system which uses some great materials combined with excellent design.
This is the Taika TacDown insulated jacket. It’s intended to be worn from freezing down to single digits minus. Insulated with TACdown, it combines down with continuous filament materials, it offers all the natural advantages of down in the smallest profile. This is combined with Actibreath 37.5 Membrane and its activated carbon technology for moisture management and EMPEL DWR treatment which is PFAS free.
Features:
- Detachable hood with 3-way adjustment
- Collar with integrated wind skirt to block drafts
- Wild loop for attaching gloves or gear
- AMS Airflow ventilation system with zipper
- 7 outer pockets + separate internal phone pocket
- Velcro patches on both arms for customization
Offered in Green, Black, Stonegray, Olive, and Finnish M05 Woodland. Sizing is XS-3XL and they offer Men’s and Women’s versions.
While their initial offerings are clothing, they are working on other cold weather gear like sleep systems. For that application they are using LEANSulation which incorporates NASA developed Aerogel. While not breathable, it does not lose any insulation properties under pressure while the most natural or synthetic isolators are losing 40-60% of their insulation properties under high pressure. Imagine that in the bottom of a bag.
