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The PROOF is in Greg Hamilton and Sean Murphy’s Third Consecutive Win?

September 15th, 2024

PROOF Research®’s Greg Hamilton and KGM Suppressors’ Sean Murphy take home the coveted Real World Sniper Finale award from the grueling two-day competition held at the YO Ranch in Kerr County, Texas.

(L to R) PROOF Research’s Greg Hamilton and KGM Suppressors’ Sean Murphy with the 2024 RWSC Final 1st Place Award.

Columbia Falls, Mont. (September 2024) – For the third consecutive year, PROOF Research®’s Greg Hamilton, and Sean Murphy of KGM Suppressors, take home the highly coveted 1st place skull trophy from the Real World Sniper Finale held Aug. 31 – Sept. 1, 2024, at the YO Ranch in Kerr County, Texas.

The finale is an invite-only for competitors from prior Real World Sniper Challenges (RWSC) and top teams from the 2024 USASOC and International Sniper Competitions, as well as several teams fielded by the USMC Scout Sniper Association. These elite competitors included teams from the Army Special Forces, Army Rangers, Army National Guard Snipers, and the USMC Scout Snipers. The course requires teams in top physical and mental shape as it demands various challenges and tasks that snipers in real-world scenarios might face. Competitors dealt with unknown positions, targets, and target distances. Each stage required a different strategy for the team, testing speed, precision, teamwork, and working with limited information. In addition, marathon targets provided support with their robotic targets adding to the general chaos.

Sean Murphy took the primary shooter position with his AI AT-X with a PROOF Research carbon-wrapped pre-fit barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor. Greg Hamilton shot as secondary with a 6.5 Creedmoor 20” stainless PROOF Research barreled gas gun. Murphy also carried an extra 5.56 carbine with an 11.5” PROOF Research carbon-wrapped barrel.

“Like in real-world conditions, you have to carry in everything you will need for the two-day event,” Murphy explained. “Your guns, supplies, water, ammo, anything you will need you have to carry throughout the challenge on the ranch, including during some of the timed movements. When it was all said and done, we had covered ten miles on foot with our guns and all of our gear. It really is a serious competition that will test the metal of any hard-core sniper competitor. We are extremely honored to have again won this RWC Finale for a third year in a row.”

PROOF Research is a well-known brand within the precision rifle community and is one of the leading barrel brands used by champion competitors in the Precision Rifle Series (PRS) and National Rifle League (NRL). Developed to enhance mission success for our warfighters, PROOF Research’s carbon fiber barrels are designed for long-range accuracy, performance, and reliability under any environmental condition.

Find out more about PROOF Research barrels and rifles at proofresearch.com.

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Air Force Realigns to Ensure Readiness, Future Competitiveness

September 15th, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

The Air Force is organizing its major commands, or MAJCOMs, into Institutional Commands, responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Airmen, and Service Component Commands, responsible for preparing Airmen for warfighting in a combatant command’s area of responsibility.

The changes are part of the Department of the Air Force’s Great Power Competition initiative.

“Over the last three decades, our Air Force has incrementally become more fragmented,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “This gradual diffusion was the result of decisions made in the context of a different strategic environment. After some deep introspection, it has become clear that to dominate in this challenging strategic environment, we must have a force structure that is better aligned, clearly understood, and agile enough to exploit the rapid pace of change.”

The current major command structure has significant variances in how the U.S. Air Force organizes, trains and equips, and how it presents forces. Some MAJCOMS have the responsibility of capability development (e.g., Air Force Materiel Command), some strictly for presenting forces as a service component to a combatant command, and some MAJCOMs have both responsibilities. Some service component commands are also Numbered Air Forces, or NAFs, that report through MAJCOMs, while other service component commands are themselves MAJCOMs.

While this has been made to work in practice, it has evolved with new entities being bolted on, instead of baked in. Through the Reoptimization initiative, the U.S. Air Force has the opportunity to reset both definitionally and structurally. The foundation of the senior command structure in the Air Force will consist of two types of commands: Institutional Commands and Service Component Commands.

Institutional Commands will serve as enterprise integrators for capability modernization, acquisition and sustainment, developing human capital and generating readiness, while Combatant Command-aligned Service Component Commands will employ operational forces in pursuit of Combatant Command missions.

Institutional Commands will include the existing commands with the following modifications:

– Air Education and Training Command is expected to evolve into Airman Development Command, which will train and develop Air Force personnel across the entirety of their career.

– The new Integrated Capabilities Command is planned to accelerate force modernization by aligning capability development efforts to a singular, prioritized demand signal for future airpower capabilities, aligned with the Force Design. The transition of capabilities development into one institutional command will enable the service component commands to focus on readiness.

– Air Combat Command will integrate readiness for CONUS-based service-retained forces and prepare and present mission-ready forces to combatant commands.

– Air Force Materiel Command will consolidate and establish new centers to rapidly develop, procure, field and sustain a pipeline of competitive capabilities to deliver decisive advantages to the force.

– Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard will provide strategic and operational depth and surge capacity by developing and managing an experienced, modernized and accessible Reserve Force.

Service Component Commands project air power to the joint force combatant commands through theater-assigned and rotationally allocated Air Force units in each of the CCMDs.

To streamline how the Air Force presents force offerings to Combatant Commanders, the Component Numbered Air Forces listed are planned to become Service Component Commands, reporting directly to the Secretary of the Air Force through the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. This alignment ensures the Air Force better prepares, presents and generates airpower effects for the Joint Force and enables service component commands to focus on preparation and presentation for their combat missions.

– Activate Air Forces Southern

– Activate Air Forces Central

– Activate Air Forces Northern and Air Forces Space

– Elevate and redesignate Air Forces Cyber. Note: The ultimate makeup and structure are still being finalized.

Pacific Air Forces; U.S. Air Forces in Europe – U.S. Air Forces Africa; Air Force Special Operations Command; Air Mobility Command; and Air Force Global Strike Command will be considered SCCs and will retain their current Combatant Command force alignment and readiness-related roles, responsibilities and authorities.

Streamlining Air Force organizations into either Institutional Commands or Service Component Commands will allow them to focus solely on developing Airmen, generating readiness and sustaining and delivering capabilities, or projecting airpower to the Joint Force, respectively.

Air Forces Southern, or AFSOUTH, will become the first Service Component Command under the new construct. AFSOUTH’s operational mission as the Air Force Component to USSOUTHCOM will not change. However, as a Service Component Command, AFSOUTH will be better positioned to advocate for service-related matters such as personnel, administration and unit training.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

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PWS Announces Partnership with Rescue 22 Foundation Shooting Team

September 14th, 2024

BOISE, Id. September 11, 2024 – Primary Weapons Systems is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Rescue 22 Foundation Shooting Team. PWS will be the team’s exclusive rifle sponsor, providing team members with PWS piston-driven rifles to shoot in competitions.

The Rescue 22 Foundation (R22) is committed to addressing the mental and physical health of Veterans with service-connected disabilities. The R22 team works to provide trained service dogs to those with medically complex cases and improve their quality of life. Each service dog trained is given a new purpose and a chance to make a profound impact on a Veterans life. To promote this cause, the R22 Foundation developed a shooting team composed of Veterans, that compete across the U.S. alongside their service dogs in order to raise awareness for R22 foundation and show the positive impact service dogs have for Veterans.

“Our mission is to offer Veterans the care and support they need,” said R22 executive staff and team member, Jonathan Belton. “Our shooting team raises awareness around Veterans and service dogs, brings back that feeling of community and accountability and showcases the talent of some of our R22 family members. We’re excited to have PWS onboard to help us achieve these goals.”

“The PWS team is passionate about working with those who have proudly served our nation.” says PWS President Ben Fleming. “Being able to support the R22 shooting team is an honor, and we greatly look forward to seeing them succeed both on and off the competition field .”

For more information on the Rescue 22 Foundation and how to get involved, visit www.rescue22foundation.org and follow them on their social channels.

For more information on PWS, visit www.primaryweapons.com and/or stay tuned to PWS eNewsletters and social channels.

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The New traser P68 Pathfinder Solar – Powered by the Force of Nature

September 14th, 2024

The P68 Pathfinder family by traser has always stood for boundless freedom and complete independence. Now, the Swiss outdoor watch pioneer is seamlessly carrying forward this product philosophy while introducing something entirely new: the first traser watch powered by the inexhaustible energy of the sun – the P68 Pathfinder Solar. Thanks to efficient technologies and a functional design, the P68 Pathfinder Solar is a reliable companion at any time, in any place, and under any circumstances.

Explorers, adventurers, and outdoor enthusiasts recognize the sun as a reliable point of reference for navigation and as an inexhaustible source of energy. These are two principles applied in the new P68 Pathfinder Solar. Like all models in the Pathfinder product family, the watch features a compass ring that can be adjusted using a screwed-down crown positioned at 8 o’clock. Together with the position of the sun and the hour hand, this allows for accurate determination of the cardinal directions – and therefore the route – even in the most remote locations and without the need for cell phone or GPS reception.

2 Minutes of Sun – 24 Hours of Adventure

Now, traser combines the compass ring with a true innovation: The grey dial of the P68 features a solar cell that sustainably powers the precise and efficient Swiss movement. Thanks to a quick-start function, just one minute of sunlight is enough to get a fully discharged watch running. After an additional minute, it has gathered enough energy for a full day. Once fully charged, the P68 Pathfinder Solar boasts a power reserve of eight months in darkness.

It is also thanks to self-illuminating trigalight technology that one can fully rely on the P68 not only in sunlight, but also under difficult lighting conditions and deep into the night. When conventional luminous materials have long faded in the darkness, the hands, indices, and dial of the P68 continue to glow consistently, and remain readable without any external power source for years.

Equipped for Every Challenge

traser pairs the geographic and energy independence of the P68 Pathfinder Solar with great physical resilience. A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, a stainless-steel case with PVD coating water resistant up to 10 bar, and screw-down crowns protect the innovative watch technology inside the P68. A choice of a grey-brown or black textile strap, as well as a dark rubber strap, securely and comfortably fastens the timepiece to the wearer’s wrist.

The new P68 Pathfinder Solar by traser guarantees limitless independence. With this timepiece, no place is too remote, no journey too far, and no night too dark. Wearer and watch follow their own path – both drawing their drive from the inexhaustible power of nature.

Posted in International, Press Release, Watches | Comments Off on The New traser P68 Pathfinder Solar – Powered by the Force of Nature

Saber Junction Jumpstarts in German Countryside

September 14th, 2024

HOHENFELS, Germany — Over 500 U.S. Army paratroopers jumped from multiple aircrafts as part of a training exercise involving airborne operations in Eglsee, Germany on Sept. 4, 2024, kicking off Saber Junction.

More than 4,500 military personnel from 11 countries are participating in Saber Junction, an annual training exercise at the U.S. Army’s Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany from Aug. 25 to Sept. 19, 2024.

“What’s awaiting them is probably the hardest fight they’ve ever been in,” said Brig. Gen. Steve Carpenter, commanding general of 7th Army Training Command, U.S. Army, Europe and Africa.

“We want it to be the hardest here so when they get into combat, it seems just a little bit easier.”

The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen interoperability and readiness between participating NATO Allies and partner nations, enabling them to respond rapidly to any threat.

“The way by which warfare is taking place right now and we’re seeing it in Ukraine, we’re seeing it in other places around the world like the Middle East. Large-scale combat operations is something we always have to practice, we have to stay on top of all the changes taking place”, says Carpenter.

U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade paratroopers kicked off the event by jumping from U.S. Air Force C-130 and C-17 aircrafts to demonstrate their ability to deploy and integrate with NATO allies and partners.

“We have to adapt to what’s going on in the Ukraine and we need to train that [to adapt] at combat training centers like this”, says Carpenter, “So that any adversary of the NATO alliance or any alliance the United States has, they would think it’s absolutely unthinkable to start a war with the United States or its allies and partners”.

By SPC Cambrie Cannon

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DMC Supports NP Aerospace in Delivering Additive Manufacturing Innovation to UK MOD

September 13th, 2024

Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC), an industry leading production facility and additive manufacturing (AM) innovation hub, is working in partnership with NP Aerospace to deliver state-of-the-art metal engineering solutions. This collaboration is part of the UK MoD’s Project TAMPA.

Project TAMPA is a UK Strategic Command Defence Support sponsored project designed to enable the UK defence industry supply chain to investigate and exploit the key capabilities and benefits available to defence from the speed, quality and flexibility that additive manufacturing (3D printing) can bring. With expertise developed across multiple sectors such as space, aerospace, motorsport and medical, DMC are leading the way in this rapidly evolving engineering space. Many of the large defence prime contractors are engaged with Project TAMPA to deliver what their UK MoD customer needs.

NP Aerospace has a long heritage of supplying military vehicles and support solutions. Post-UOR period, in 2019, NP Aerospace was awarded the PMETS engineering support contract, for the UK’s core protected mobility fleet. More recently this has expanded, with NP being one of the companies selected on the Marine Systems Transformation (MaST) framework (total contract value £850m), so are deeply engaged in supporting capability and maintaining a secure UK supply chain.

Underpinned by an ethos of truly creative engineering and the pursuit of perfection, DMC applies a holistic approach to the additive manufacturing process and is pushing the boundaries of possibility while ensuring full quality assurance with AS9100 certification and PPAP (Part Production Approval Process) and NPI (New Product Introduction) practices. Together DMC and NP Aerospace are rapidly innovating, using the additive manufacturing process in both metal and polymer parts, to help UK defence resolve long standing challenges, meet operational demand, secure the supply chain and combat supply chain obsolescence. For example, DMC has produced parts for the rear step assembly and the door latch assembly on Mastiff and Ridgback platforms which can be rapidly produced. The future concept includes the ability to securely transfer the digital files to a forward deployed AM production facility to reduce the delivery time. These parts can be seen fitted to a new generation Ridgback Platform on NP Aerospace’s stand OR-13 at DVD taking place 18/19 September, at Millbrook.

David Wilson, Director of Engineering, NP Aerospace Vehicle Systems, Services and Spares said, “Project TAMPA has opened the door to allow us to fully explore the incredible benefits that can be achieved by utilizing the additive manufacturing processes. It has been very rewarding working with DMC, the experts in the field, who not only have the engineering acumen to solve complex problems alongside NP Aerospace engineers, but also have the necessary certification and accreditation to provide essential quality assurance, critical to defence.”

Kieron Salter, CEO of the DMC said, “We are very proud to be supporting NP Aerospace, and many others across the UK defence industry, by sharing our vast experience and expertise in the additive manufacturing process gained from the most demanding of sectors such as Formula 1, aerospace and space. We pride ourselves at DMC in being more than a traditional ‘build to print’ supplier, although production work is always our end goal. We also provide a holistic approach to additive manufacturing, being creative and innovative in our engineering that leads to the final production solution. Hence, DMC delivers truly pioneering solutions for businesses operating at the forefront of their industry.”

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Kopin Receives Additional $2M Follow-On Microdisplay Order in Support of Collins Aerospace’s F-35 Lightning II Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS)

September 13th, 2024

Kopin Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN ), a leading provider of application-specific optical systems and high performance microdisplays for defense, enterprise, consumer and medical products, announced today that it has been awarded a $2 million follow-on production order for its high-brightness active-matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD). This will come from Collins Aerospace, an RTX business, in support of the F-35 Lightning II Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS).

The HMDS is developed by Collins Elbit Vision Systems, LLC (CEVS). CEVS is a joint venture between Collins Aerospace and Elbit America and is the world-leading fighter aircraft helmet mounted display (HMD) manufacturer, providing unparalleled expertise in the development, production, integration and sustainment of HMD and night vision systems.

The F-35 is the most advanced 5th Generation fighter jet globally. The multi-role aircraft is designed for both air dominance and strike missions while also offering electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

A key feature is the augmented reality (AR) helmet, which uses Kopin’s microdisplay to provide pilots with extensive flight, tactical and sensor information. This enhances situational awareness, precision and safety while flying in harsh environments under challenging conditions. The unique microdisplay technology required for these functionalities and extreme conditions is exclusively supplied by Kopin.

Kopin’s fulfillment of this AMLCD order will ensure continued steady production of the CEVS F-35 Lightning II Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS). The current AMLCD microdisplay designed into the system is set to transition to Kopin’s next-generation Organic Light Emitting Diode on Silicon (OLEDoS) microdisplay. The high performance OLEDoS microdisplay recently achieved the final milestone in the qualification process and will move forward into final qualification and full rate production.

“The additional order for AMLCD microdisplays for F-35 helmets extends our backlog of deliveries to Collins Aerospace and with additional anticipated future orders will ensure uninterrupted production in preparation for the next-generation OLEDoS microdisplay,” stated Bill Maffucci, the company’s Vice President of Strategy & Business Development. “Our demonstrated performance in supplying thousands of our AMLCD microdisplays to date has been validated by this order and we look forward to supporting Collins Aerospace now and in the future.”

The F-35 strike fighter aircraft is being procured in different configurations for the U.S. services as well as a growing number of international allies. Kopin has been the sole supplier of AMLCD microdisplays for the F-35 pilot helmets since the start of the program.

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NP Aerospace Receives Multiple UK MoD Related Contracts Following Jankel Acquisition

September 13th, 2024

NP Aerospace, the global vehicle integrator and armour manufacturer, has today announced the award of multiple UK MoD related contracts following the acquisition of the assets of Jankel Armouring Limited. The specifics of the contracts cannot be disclosed however, there are seven individual contracts in total and together, they involve the provision of products and services in the areas of tactical vehicles, civilian armoured vehicles (CAVs), armour protection systems, military seating and through-life support services. Contracting routes vary and range from direct to UK MoD (DE&S) and supply contracts to UK MoD through established tier one prime contractors. This announcement coincides with the DVD event taking place at Millbrook, 18-19 September 2024, where NP Aerospace are exhibiting on stand OR13 in the Off-Road Area.

NP Aerospace is already fully established as a trusted supplier to UK MoD with major contracts in place in the areas of vehicle supply, systems integration, through-life support, and armour protection systems. Integrating the former Jankel contracts into the existing operational model is an excellent fit as NP Aerospace already has the required facilities, skills, knowhow, supply chain and processes in place to deliver exactly what the customers require, with a proven and resilient track record fully established.

Since the announcement of the acquisition of the assets of Jankel Armouring Limited on 10 June 2024, NP Aerospace has been successful in securing talent from the original Jankel Armouring Limited staff including pivotal engineers and critical executives with the required knowledge of the acquired assets and legacy contracts, such as these. In addition, it is expected that these contracts, together with others, will help to create and/or sustain around 60-70 skilled jobs. This places NP Aerospace in the ideal position to successfully deliver on these UK MoD related contracts, plus several other former Jankel overseas contracts that are likely to be announced in the coming months.

James Kempston, NP Aerospace CEO, commented: “Following on from our recent announcement regarding the acquisition of Jankel Armouring Limited’s assets, we’re very pleased indeed to announce the award of these UK MoD related contracts, having been novated to us by the MoD and the MoD’s tier one suppliers.” He added: “we’re already in a strong position as a trusted and resilient supplier to UK MoD and we’re operating in very similar capability areas to the seven contracts we’ve now received. This is a very good fit and will suit all parties concerned but in particular, our customers, who previously relied on Jankel Armouring Limited for some key and critical specialist capabilities. Thank you to UK MoD and to the relevant prime contractors for placing their trust in us, once again, and we look forward to extending our already successful working relationships, effectively integrating these contracts into the NP Aerospace operating model.”

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