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Advance Tactical Camera Available Now from US Cav

July 29th, 2008

Seeing is Believing with the Advanced Tactical Camera
New rugged and lightweight device aids training and provides accountability

Radcliff, KY (March 7, 2008) â€“ U.S. Cavalry, the worldâ€™s leading multi-channel distributor for Military,
Law Enforcement and Homeland Security communities, now carries the lightweight and ultra-portable, Advanced Tactical Camera from Pacific Concepts.

The crucial record of events in any use of force scenario can prove disastrous if you arenâ€™t armed with the unbiased eye of a video camera. Now video capability is portable! Weighing only 7 ozs., including batteries, SD card and mounting, the Advanced Tactical Camera (ATC) is ready to attach to your weapon or helmet.

Anyone who has used a digital camera will be instantly familiar with the operation of the ATC. Using a 2Gb SD media card, the ATC can record an hour of VHS quality video (640 x 480 resolution) at 30 frames per second. Included cables allow you to download video straight to your computer or simply connect to a television and use the camera for playback. Two AA batteries provide up to 2 hours of capture time.

Although consumer video cameras of this type do exist, the ATC was engineered specifically for military
and law customers to withstand the harsh recoil of a weapon. Totally self-contained, the device is also waterproof up to 10 feet and offers protection against sand and other debris from internal O-rings.

The Advanced Tactical Camera is a perfect and inexpensive tool for training and accountability in real mission deployments. The ATC has already been put to use in a number of exciting ways, such as: cell extractions, high-risk warrants and less-lethal encounters. Additionally, it has been used by the military on the southern U.S border as well as in Afghanistan.

The Advanced Tactical Camera is in stock and ready for order. To see video demos of the product and for additional technical details, visit: US Cav or call 1.800.200.9455.

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Reed Knight Presented Top 10 Army Inventions of 2007 Award

July 29th, 2008

Titusville, Florida: On Thursday June 12, 2008 the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Material Command and the U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff awarded C. Reed Knight Jr., owner of Knight’s Armament Company of Titusville, Florida one of the Army’s “Top Ten Greatest Inventions of 2007” award in a ceremony held in Arlington, Virginia.

The award was presented to Mr. Knight for the M110 7.62mm Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS) that was Type Classified by the Army in 2007.

Knight Armament Company initially won the Army program to develop and field a new sniper rifle system during 2005 in a hotly contested competition against some of the bigger and well known names in the gun industry. However, Knight’s ability to beat all others during months of rigorous army testing was partly due to the maturity of their existing design- the Mk 11 Mod 0 Sniper Rifle System officially adopted by the U.S. Navy for the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in 2000. That was when Knight’s had less than 100 employees and was located in Vero Beach, Florida. But since the Gulf War has ended, they have moved to Titusville Florida, creating 350 new job opportunities; while greatly expanding their production capability by about 10 times.

“When we read the Army’s SASS requirement prior to the 2005 competitive selection, we knew that we were already close to achieving what the Army wanted by modifying the rifle we were currently building for USSOCOM,” so said Mr. C. Reed Knight Jr., “so we designed and incorporated some new features that the Army advertised they needed.” But what is really neat about this award is that it’s the result of thousands of soldiers voting for our rifle. Nine other items also received enough votes to make this top ten ranking, but Knight’s was totally privately developed and funded whereas many others were government funded-and Knight’s was the only rifle selected.

The completeness of this “kit” was another advantage Knight’s was able to gain through its many years of supporting this type mission with specialized sniper rifles for other elite services, accessories designed for tactical dominance, state-of-the-art night vision solutions, and sound suppressors to name a few.

The M110 SASS delivers precision, rapid fire on targets,and enables execution of operational missions not possible using the current weapon system.High capacity, ammo configurable, quick change magazines enable suppressed, increased rate of fire precision lethality against personal targets and light material targets. This capability allows for more rapid and focused engagements on several targets with multiple follow-on shots. The SASS is the first U.S. Army weapon system that integrates a quick attach/detach sound suppressor to aid with Warfighter survivability.

More information on the entire line of Knights products can be found here.

Tags: KAC, M110, PEO-Soldier
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Norotos Releases New Mount

July 28th, 2008

Norotos just released the new AKA2 HMA mount, their latest in an evolutionary family of helmet mounts for Night Vision Goggles. The AKA2 was developed by Norotos using Internal R&D Dollars and not to satisfy a Government solicitation. Their goal was reduce NVG “wobble” to almost zero. The second goal was to develop a “universal” mount. As most of our readers know there are currently three types of mounts to attach NVGs to helmets: 1-hole, 3-Hole and Ratchet Strap. This will help control manufacturing costs and assist the end-user who may change Night Vision Systems during a rotation to theater.

Using two different sockets the AKA2 HMA mount is compatible with PVS-7 and PVS-14 as well as the PVS-15, PVS-18, and PVS-21. The sockets can be swapped out at the touch of a button. In addition to its versatility, the mount also features vertical adjustment, tilt adjustment, and eye relief.

The Universal Shroud can be fitted to a MICH/ACH, LWH, or CVC in three different ways:
1. Navy-style 3-hole
2. Army-style 1 hole
3. Optional ratchet strap

For more information contact Norotos.

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Name That Jacket Contest Details

July 28th, 2008

See the entire article here.

The owner of Wild Things Marie, is looking for your help in naming both of these jackets. The winning entry will receive a jacket as prize.

Contest Rules:

– One entry per contestant

– Name BOTH jackets

– Marie decides the winner

– Winner will be announced here

– In the event more than one contestant submits the same winning entry date of email will decide the winner

– Winner receives a jacket as prize

– Only one winner for the contest

– Contest ends 31 July, 2008 at 11:59 PM

– Send all entries to: Marie Meunier-Bouchard.

For more information on their entire line go to Wild Things.

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Off-Duty Part IV – Arborwear

July 27th, 2008

We have been wearing Arborwear for years and we aren’t alone. Although designed for the arborist, their hard wearing clothes have had a cult following in the contractor community for quite some time. Additionally, they have been a favorite of military personnel who do not wear uniforms due to mission requirements. Some brands stand out in a crowd, Arborwear doesn’t.

The one place Arborwear does stand out, is in the fit department. The entire Arborwear line has a very distinctive fit and nothing else we have ever tried has been as comfortable. While other brands offer freedom of movement with stretch fabrics, Arborwear does it with design. Their trousers all have a large gusset which was designed to ensure freedom of movement for lumberjacks who spent a great deal of time climbing trees. Additionally, unlike some brands, Arborwear takes great pains to ensure a consistent fit between styles as well as production runs.

Arborwear Tech Pants

In particular, we prefer the Tech Pant, a cargo style work trouser. They are offered in three colors: Forest Green, Driftwood, and Dark Grey. Although many would feel the Forest Green color is a bit deep for most applications, the Driftwood resembles Flat Dark Earth and blends in well with many other earth tones. Unfortunately, the Dark Grey is almost Black and picks up a great deal of lint due to the soft fabric so they may not be the best color for tactical applications. The Tech Pants have a soft hand and are very comfortable. You wouldn’t know that they were made from Nylon. The Tech Pant is the trouser of choice for range work around Soldier Systems Blog. However, the entire line is made up of the most comfortable and durable work clothing we have found.

For more information contact Arborwear. Additionally, AFMO has Arborwear on GSA.

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Darn Tough Vermont Socks

July 26th, 2008

A relative newcomer to “tactical” hosiery, Darn Tough Vermont makes one heck of a sock. For over 30 years the Cabot Hosiery Mill in Northfield, Vermont has made socks, but for everybody else. Five years ago they decided to launch their own brand and within a year the “Darn Tough Vermont” brand hit the market. They immediately began to work with members of the military to develop socks that meet the unique demands that service members face each day.

They have a sock for everything from PT to mountainous cold weather environments. They have filled both individual as well as unit orders for both conventional as well as special operations forces of all services in addition to Federal law enforcement agencies.

Three components make Darn Tough Vermont socks stand out: premium quality yarns, exacting manufacturing standards, and unique knitting techniques. Merino wool is their material of choice. They can be worn in almost any climate and will keep the end user comfortable no matter how hard he sweats. Additionally, Merino is naturally anti-microbial, suppressing the growth of foot fungus, is warm even when wet, and naturally Flame Resistant. The consumer line is knit with 100% 21.5 fine gauge Merino wool from New Zealand but any of the socks can be manufactured to Berry compliance. For example, their Army Aviator sock on the RFI program is Berry Compliant as well as the Marine Corps sock.

When we spoke with Darn Tough Vermont they made an excellent point. The modern Soldier wears and carries over $11,000 worth of equipment. So why would you provide low-quality footwear? The foot is the foundation of the Warrior and our Warriors deserve the best.

Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion

For more information contact Darn Tough Vermont. Additionally, the entire Darn Tough Vermont line is available on GSA.

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Equipped.com

July 26th, 2008

Check ’em out – equipped.com. ‘Nuff said.

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NIJ Releases New Body Armor Standard

July 25th, 2008

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/223054.pdf

One important statement was placed in the Forward.

“Publication of this revision of the standard does not invalidate or render unsuitable any body armor models previously determined by NIJ to be compliant to either the NIJ 2005 Interim Requirements or the NIJ Standardâ€“0101.04 Rev. A Requirements. While it may not necessary to remove these existing armors from service, agencies are advised to always require their procurements to meet or exceed the most recent and up-to-date version of this standard.”

One reader’s initial perusal identified the following changes:

1. Removal of Type I standard
2. New as well as conditioned armor shall be tested
3. Type IIA projectile velocities higher
4. Ranges for all velocities (acceptable velocity error levels), new velocities for most levels is “(old value+error) +/- error” …so the mins are the same as the old values
5. New level added – Type IIIA for high powered handguns (.357 SIG and .44 mag)
6. Added diagram for helping determine penetration depth – just a format change to the document
7. Requirements added for testing systems with and w/o plates “in conjunction armor” when the inserts are removable
8. Changed the terms used for designating penetration
9. Multiple sizes of armor vests shall be tested
10. Conditioning requires tumbling vest and humidity/water exposure

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