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Combat Flip Flops And OPERATION HAWKEYE Aim To Support Military Families

July 15th, 2014

Combat Flip Flops, a veteran-owned small business creating peaceful, forward-thinking opportunities for self-determined entrepreneurs affected by conflict, has announced a partnership with Will Thomas and OPERATION HAWKEYE. Through the agreement, custom Combat Flip Flops shemaghs with the OPERATION HAWKEYE logo will be sold through OPERATION HAWKEYE’s gear shop with ten percent of each sale going directly to Team-5 and THE STATION Foundation.

“OPERATION HAWKEYE is a mission to express through action our gratitude to the Special Operations forces (SOF) community, as well as our commitment to remember the fallen and help those left to carry on. Combat Flip Flops is a vital member of this effort, along with a rapidly growing team of others from all across America. Every purchase of a Combat Flip Flops item with the OPERATION HAWKEYE mark supports the SOF community and funds initiatives to assist the loved ones of fallen SOF warriors, led by our nonprofit mission teammates. I really appreciate Combat Flip Flops’ willingness to stand with me to advance this important cause. Honor. Inform. ACT.,” Will Thomas, OPERATION HAWKEYE.

“Why wouldn’t we support a kid that’s pushing limits, shattering records, and making a ton of noise to help those he doesn’t know. He’s the epitome of a Stokesperson and we’re psyched to have him on the team,” Matthew ‘Griff’ Griffin, CEO, Combat Flip Flops.

To purchase a limited edition Operation Hawkeye shemagh from Combat Flip Flops, please visit www.ophawkeye.com/ohe-gear.

www.combatflipflops.com

www.ophawkeye.com

www.team-5.org

www.thestationfoundation.org

Tags: Combat Flip Flops, Operation Hawkeye, Team-5, The Station Foundation
Posted in Charity | Comments Off on Combat Flip Flops And OPERATION HAWKEYE Aim To Support Military Families

Panteao Productions – New Video With Nikki Turpeaux

July 15th, 2014

Columbia, SC, July 15, 2014 – Panteao introduces the third video title with Nikki Turpeaux: Survivor’s Mindset for Ladies.

Going to the range and learning how to accurately fire a pistol or revolver is only the first step in learning concealed carry. In Survivor’s Mindset for Ladies, Nikki Turpeaux walks you through other important considerations like situational awareness, maintaining an aware lifestyle, online hazards, kids and field trips, camps and school safety, survivor’s mindset and more. Nikki Turpeaux is the Owner/CEO of Archangel Tactical, LLC and Founder of the Get A GRIP™ Ladies Personal Defense & Firearms Training Program. Her training curriculum serves women, men, youth and families in the disciplines of defensive pistol, shotgun, carbine, OC, edged/improvised weapons and unarmed defense training. This is a straight forward lesson from Nikki to you that will get you thinking and help you be better prepared moving forward.

The DVD is available for pre-order. Panteao Subscribers can watch the video online now.

Link to video: panteaoproductions.com/products/survivors-mindset-for-ladies

Tags: Nikki Turpeaux, Panteao Productions
Posted in Training | 1 Comment »

Crimson Trace Equips M&P BODYGUARD Handguns

July 15th, 2014

15 July 2014 – (Wilsonville, OR) — With small concealed carry revolvers and pistols finding more favorable nod with gun buyers and owners today, Crimson Trace® has increased the options when it comes time to select a concealed carry firearm. Two newly designed Crimson Trace laser sighting systems can now be found on Smith & Wesson’s® popular M&P BODYGUARD® semi-automatic pistols and revolvers. Those M&P BODYGUARD handguns have a Crimson Trace laser sight mounted externally on the revolver and built into the frame on the pistol.

“At Crimson Trace, one of our long term goals is to make laser sighting systems STANDARD EQUIPMENT on every personal protection handgun sold in this country”, said Kent Thomas, Director of Marketing and Product Development for Crimson Trace. “This partnership with Smith & Wesson furthers that goal, and we are proud to be the integrated laser sighting system for the highly regarded M&P Brand – offering the highest quality solution for today’s personal protection gun owner.”

The precision engineered Crimson Trace laser sighting systems set new industry standards in laser sight-to-firearm fits and incorporation. Both laser sights are easily button activated and feature powerful red laser diodes.

The new Crimson Trace and S&W project partnership will better serve conceal carry and self defense customer needs—and demands. The small, compact and easily concealed M&P BODYGUARD semi-auto pistols are chambered in .380 Auto while the hammerless M&P BODYGUARD revolvers are chambered in .38 S&W Special +P. Both handguns have durable lightweight polymer frames and the integration of the special Crimson Trace laser sights has little impact on the handguns’ overall shape or weight.

The news systems are also durable. After laser sight systems were installed on prototype M&P handguns, they were rigorously tested at Crimson Trace’s headquarters range with more than 50,000 rounds of live fire completed. Testing is complete and passed, and now the new Crimson Trace equipped M&P Bodyguard pistols and revolvers are available across America.

All Crimson Trace laser sighting systems are precision manufactured and rigorously tested in the company’s state-of-the-art production facility in Wilsonville, Oregon. The M&P BODYGUARDs are built at the S&W factory in Massachusetts.

www.crimsontrace.com

Tags: Crimson Trace
Posted in Sensors, weapons | Comments Off on Crimson Trace Equips M&P BODYGUARD Handguns

ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator – Part III – C4ISR Technology

July 15th, 2014

ADS took a look at one of the issues that continues to face deployed troops; access to C4ISR feeds. They assembled a team of industry partners including Granite Tactical Vehicles, FLIR, Harris and SYNEXXUS to create a C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator.

Using COTS items, this team has been able to streamline the way Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and and Reconnaissance data is delivered and displayed to the personnel in the vehicle. It’s now easier to see, interpret and share.

FLIR offers these enhancements to the Demonstrator:

FLIR Systems DV/SA provides Driver Visual Enhancement and Situational Awareness has been used on both wheeled and tracked platforms. It offers the following suite of options:

• Dual Sensor with both thermal and day cameras (enabling blending)
• Single Sensor with thermal camera.
• Cameras with motorized protective lid and cleaning brush.
• 55 degree field of view for increased performance.
• 90 degree field of view for wide angle situational awareness.

FLIR Systems TALON:
• High-performance multi-sensor thermal imaging system in a compact, lightweight 9” package.
• This system offers up to six simultaneous payloads including: IR, Color, CCD, EMCCD, Laser Pointer or Laser Illuminator, LRF and IMU.
• The FLIR Systems TALON offers operators a continuous zoom 640 x 480 infrared IR camera and 2 EO options (color and color/ EMCCD combination) which permit high resolution imagery both day and night

Harris is well known for providing communications systems and the C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator is no different with the integration of the AN/PRC-117G.
• JTRS Certified, NSA Type-1 Certified, JITC Certified for Narrowband Interoperability Assessment and compliance with DAMA standards
• Includes SINCGARS, Havequick II, VHF/UHF AM and FM, High Performance Waveform (HPW), MIL-STD-188-181B SATCOM.
• Uses the Harris Adaptive Networking Wideband Waveform (ANW2) for high bandwidth data operation and is designed for future upgrade to the Soldier Radio Waveform (SRW)

If FLIR is the eyes of the system and Harris the ears, SYNEXXUS provides the central nervous system.

The ELECTRONIC KEEL® V5.3 is a modular, data/video distribution architecture, designed for rugged reliability with open standard industry inputs. The EKEEL’s open operating system and open published API and GUI software provide the operator with access to platform sensors, radios, applications and other government furnished equipment (GFE) or customer furnished equipment (CFE) with single button actuation and intuitive interface. All platform sub-systems are able to be viewed, controlled and shared from a single interface through one or more independently controlled and simultaneously viewed resistive-touch, multi-function displays. Any government provided software and applications can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to the system’s software suite.
• Combat-Proven, TRL-9 Rated Digital Backbone
• Operationally Deployed in Theater Since 2009
• Modular, Open Hardware and Software Interfaces
• Access, Control and Network All Platform GFE, Apps and Systems
• Increased Situational Awareness, Decreased SWaP

In this ADStv video, representatives from each of the vendors discuss the capabilities they bring to this project.

With the integration of these different, yet complimentary, capabilities into an upgraded, armored vehicle platform, the ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator has shown a system that doesn’t suffer from the band-aid fixes that have plagued the legacy HMMWV program over the years. The interior is streamlined and future capabilities can more easily be integrated into the architecture. This is certainly a viable path forward to refit the existing HMMWV fleet with new capabilities.

For more information visit www.ADSinc.com.

Tags: ADS Inc, FLIR, Granite Tactical Vehicles, Harris, SYNEXXUS, Warrior Expo East
Posted in ADS, Concepts, Design, Digitization, ISR, Mobility, Sensors, Warrior Expo | 1 Comment »

ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator – Part II – The Vehicle

July 15th, 2014

During Warrior Expo, ADS Inc exhibited a new concept demonstrator that integrates C4ISR technologies directly into a lightly armored vehicle based on the legacy HMMWV. While the demonstrator is packed with a variety of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and and Reconnaissance capabilities, it would mean nothing if you couldn’t protect the men and women inside the vehicle. That’s where project partner Granite Tactical Vehicles steps in. They’ve developed a set of five upgrade packages for the HMMWV. The High Mobility, Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle has been with us for over 30 years. Over this time, they’ve applied a variety of fixes to the vehicle, but fundamentally there 25 deficiencies in the design.

Over time, the HMMWV evolved from this simple replacement for the Jeep to an armored battle taxi. Along the way, it became overweight and underpowered.

Engineers at Granite Tactical Vehicles have created five kits to enhance the vehicle’s capabilities:

1) GTV’s proprietary up-armored crew capsule offers 360 degree blast / ballistic protection with underbody armor and a V-Hull. That V-Hull is one of the most effective features to mitigate the effects of IEDs.
2) Upgraded brake calipers and larger rotors, upgraded shocks, spring mounts, lift kit (centered front differential allowing 4 identical half-shafts), frame enhancements and suspension to support up-armored capsule and return vehicle to expected mobility.
3) Upgraded turbo-charged 6.5 liter diesel engine.
4) Upgraded 4L85 transmission, which is critical to overcoming torque deficiency of standard Humvee.
5) Upgraded cooling / radiator system to ensure larger engine is efficiently and effectively cooled during operation.

In fact, application of these five kits, not only enhanced the capabilities of the HMMWV (of which we have thousands still in service) but also weighs in at 200 lbs below the current UpArmored variant. As funding for programs like the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle are reprogrammed for other needs, upgrades such as this, to existing equipment are a great way to extend their lifecycle as well as enhance capabilities.

Justin Boyle of ADS goes over the five upgrade kits for the HMMWV in this short video from ADStv.

For more information visit www.ADSinc.com.

Tags: ADS Inc, FLIR, Granite Tactical Vehicles, Harris, SYNEXXUS, Warrior Expo East
Posted in ADS, Comms, Concepts, Design, Digitization, ISR, Mobility, Warrior Expo | 3 Comments »

ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator – Part I – Overview

July 15th, 2014

During Warrior Expo, ADS Inc exhibited a new concept demonstrator that integrates C4ISR technologies directly into a lightly armored vehicle based on the legacy uparmored HMMWV. For those unfamiliar, C4ISR includes Command, Control, Communications, Computers as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and and Reconnaissance capabilities. It’s not that this is a dedicated command and control vehicle or even a scout vehicle but rather, ADS recognizes that over the last 10 years, there has been a boom in the deployment of new C4ISR technologies. The real hurdle is delivering this disparate information to the end user and then, making sense of all of it.

ADS teamed with Granite Tactical Vehicles, FLIR, Harris and SYNEXXUS. Everything here is Commercial-Off-The-Shelf. It’s just been configured in such a way that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual components.

If you were at Warrior East, I hope you had a chance to check out this vehicle. If not, ADStv created three video segments that we will use to show what it’s all about. Below, John Fristachi from ADS of ADS discusses the project.

To learn more contact ADS Inc.

Tags: ADS Inc, FLIR, Granite Tactical Vehicles, Harris, SYNEXXUS, Warrior Expo East
Posted in ADS, Concepts, Design, Digitization, ISR, Mobility, Sensors, Warrior Expo | Comments Off on ADS C4ISR Vehicle Concept Demonstrator – Part I – Overview

The Welbike – WWII Minibike for Paratroopers

July 15th, 2014

Developed at Station IX of the British Special Operations Executive, over 3600 Welbikes were produced during 1942 and 43. They were used operationally by the British 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions as well as Commando units.

During World War II, Station IX was known as the Inter Services Research Bureau was located at Welwyn. Interestingly enough, everything developed by this organization gained a “wel” prefix such as the Welrod integrally suppressed pistol. They were produced by the Excelsior Motor Company, weighing in at 71 lbs, equipped with a 98cc engine.

(Imperial War Museum Photo)

Due to British TTPs at the time, all equipment was dropped in containers and the Welbike was no exception. Naturally, this led to some problems. It became a bare bones affair with no lights and just a rear brake. Due to the restrictions on size some simple assembly was required to get it into action. In fact, it was designed to be removed from the container (marked “motorcycle”) and be off in 11 seconds. The issue was finding the darned things on the drop zone. Wandering around on a hot drop zone could hazardous to one’s health.

The fuel tank held less than a gallon and had to be hand pressurized due to its location in relation to the carburetor. But, you could get about 90 miles at 30 mph in a single tank.

Tags: Welbike
Posted in History, Mobility | 9 Comments »