SIG SAUER - Never Settle

8th Annual Whiskey & War Stories Operation Lightning Dawn

March 6th, 2024

This year is Operation Lightning Dawn, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates in 2009.  This is our first year relocating to Virginia Beach, VA. Several of our guest speakers who participated in our past Whiskey & War Stories ™ will be attending. Our past events included:

• Operation Thunderhead
• Operation Urgent Fury
• Operation Ivory Coast/Kingpin
• Operation Eagle Claw
• Operation Acid Gambit

Gala Night Details

Who: The Silent Warrior Foundation

What: 8th Annual 8th Annual Whiskey & War Stories ™ Fundraising Gala and Auction

Where: Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Reserve

When: Saturday, April 13, 2024, doors open at 5 pm. Event ends at 10 pm.

Why: Fundraising to support the Silent Warrior Foundation

VIP Night Details

When: 5pm to 9pm Friday, April 12, 2024

Where: Military Aviation Museum, 1341 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23457

What: An informal gathering with our guest speakers over food and drink at the military aviation museum in Pungo. A flight demonstration of the museum’s AD-1 Skyraider and unlimited tour of the museum for all attendees. Attendees can indulge in cigars after the flight demo.  

A chartered bus will leave for the Aviation Museum from the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront Resort and depart from the museum at 9 pm for those who’d like the convenience of not driving. 

silentwarriorfoundation.com

The Silent Warrior Foundation is an all-volunteer 501c3 charity serving SOF veterans and their families. SWF funds Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, provides scholarships, service K9’s through HomefrontK9 and emergency assistance.

Link to purchase tickets: 8th Annual Whiskey & War Stories | Auction Frogs

Contact info@silentwarriorfoundation.com to donate auction items or inquire about sponsorship.

Posted in Charity, Fundraising, Guest Post, History, Veterans | Comments Off on 8th Annual Whiskey & War Stories Operation Lightning Dawn

Heckler & Koch – MR308 A6

March 6th, 2024

Debuting at last week’s Enforce Tac in Germany, the HK MR308 A6 is the latest iteration of their 417 platform.

Offered in .308, it offers a two stage match trigger and a 16.75″ barrel. The rifle also features H&K’s latest color craze, Sniper Grey which featured heavy on the offerings in the booth. The handguard has MLOK at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and there’s a full-length Picatinny Rail along the top of the receiver which also runs the length of the handguard and has 20 MOA inclination.

As you can see, the MR308 A6 features a very short, 45 deg throw from safe to the semi-auto, fire position. You’ll also note HK’s polymer magazine which was first seen during Enforce Tac in 2019. This .308 version of the magazine is offered in 10 or 20 round capacity and is DPMS pattern. The collapsible stock is adjustable comb as well as length of pull and the pistol grip has three, swappable, palm swells.

Unfortunately, the only example out front in their booth was under glass so the images aren’t as crisp as I’d like. Consequently, I’ve scanned the sales sheet and included the images.

Posted in Enforce Tac, International, weapons | 6 Comments »

The SIG SAUER 1911-XSERIES: Classic Design Meets Modern Innovation

March 6th, 2024

NEWINGTON, N.H., (March 6, 2024) – While the wait seems like a day short of forever, it’s definitely worth it. SIG SAUER is pleased to announce the introduction of the 1911-XSERIES; the long-awaited pistols that blend the beloved features of the 1911 that made the platform iconic, with the modern necessities the enthusiast desires.

“America has a love affair with the 1911; the platform has a rich history that has withstood the test of time,” said Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, SIG SAUER, Inc.  “The 1911-XSERIES honors the standard and delivers XSERIES innovation and ingenuity to the platform.  The pistols are available in carry and full-size, come optic-ready, have a smooth flat trigger, and are loaded with feature-rich upgrades straight from the factory.”

The SIG SAUER 1911 X-SERIES are stainless steel, 45 ACP hammer-fired pistols with an optics-ready XSERIES slide, X-RAY3 Day/Night sights, a serrated flat trigger, custom engraved and checkered G10 grips, extended slide release and ambidextrous safety levers, and each ships with (2) 8-round steel magazines.  The pistols are available in the 1911-XCARRY and 1911-XFULL sizes in either black or coyote tan; both sizes offer the option of a factory installed ROMEO-X red dot optic.  The 1911-XFULL is now shipping to dealers, with Carry models expected to start shipping summer 2024.

1911-XFULL:

Caliber: 45 ACP
Capacity: 8 rounds
Overall length: 8.7 inches
Overall height: 5.6 inches
Overall width:  1.4 inches
Barrel length: 5.0 inches
Sight Radius: 6.5 inches
Weight (w/magazine): 42.1 ounces

1911-XCARRY:

Caliber: 45 ACP
Capacity: 8 rounds
Overall length: 8 inches
Overall height: 5.5 inches
Overall width:  1.3 inches
Barrel length: 4.2 inches
Sight Radius: 5.75 inches
Weight (w/magazine): 39.1 ounces

The 1911-XSERIES ROMEO-X models feature a factory installed ROMEO-X red-dot sight from SIG SAUER Electro-Optics; the optics is crafted from 7075 aircraft-grade aluminum featuring machined anti-reflection grooves on shooter-facing surfaces with distortion-free aspheric glass and a patent-pending Beryllium Copper flexure-arm adjustment system. The ROMEO-X incorporates a high-efficiency point source red LED emitter with 2 MOA dot / 32 MOA circle reticle, side independent brightness adjustment buttons, 15 brightness settings including night vision settings, and a side-mounted CR1632 battery compartment with a threaded battery cap so the optic does not need to be removed from the pistol for battery changes. Additionally, the ROMEO-X offers a low deck height for standard-height iron sight co-witness, has a minimum continuous runtime of 20,000 hours at medium brightness setting and utilizes MOTAC™ (Motion Activated Illumination), MAGNETAC™ (Magnetic Activation), and D.A.R.C™ (Dark Adaptive Reticles & Coatings) technologies.

1911-XFULL ROMEO-X:

Caliber: 45 ACP
Capacity: 8 rounds
Overall length: 8.7 inches
Overall height: 6 inches
Overall width:  1.4 inches
Barrel length: 5.0 inches
Sight Radius: 6.5 inches
Weight (w/magazine): 42 ounces

1911-XCARRY ROMEO-X:

Caliber: 45 ACP
Capacity: 8 rounds
Overall length: 8 inches
Overall height: 6 inches
Overall width:  1.3 inches
Barrel length: 4.2 inches
Sight Radius: 5.75 inches
Weight (w/magazine): 39 ounces

ROMEO-X Compact Red Dot Sight:

Clear Aperture Diameter: 24mm
Reticle: 2MOA Dot / 32 MOA Circle
Lens Type: Aspheric
Illumination Settings: 15 ( 12 Day / 3NV)
Overall Length: 1.62 inches
Overall Width: .94 inches
Overall Height: 1.23 inch
Mounting Footprint: 365 and SHIELD™ RMSc
Weight (w/o battery): 1.0 ounce
Battery: CR1632

The 1911-XSERIES pistols are now shipping and available at retailers.  To learn more about the pistols, or watch the product video, visit sigsauer.com.

Posted in Advertiser, Press Release, weapons | 2 Comments »

Gentex Corporation Announces Additional Order for Ops-Core RAILINK Power and Data ARC Rail System

March 6th, 2024

Integrated Headborne Platform receives second USSOCOM order.

CARBONDALE, PA, March 5th, 2024 – Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, announced today that they have received a second-round order for the Ops-Core RAILINK power and data system from US Special Operations Command.

“When operating within the unique SOF environment, there is no margin for error. With a second delivery order coming immediately after completion of the first delivery order, it is clear that our nation’s elite SOF operators see that RAILINK delivers on the features and benefits they specified at the beginning of the RAILINK development program” said Tom Short, Vice President of Ground Systems at Gentex Corporation.”

The RAILINK platform facilitates integration of a broad range of unique functionality on the headborne system. Powered by a central helmet power center, feeding power to, and sharing data between, an array of smart nodes and a VAS/NVG interface   RAILINK improves protection and lethality by increasing the effectiveness of the user and reducing their burden.

To learn more about RAILINK, visit:  www.gentexcorp.com/introducing-railink

Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, Helmets, Power, Press Release, SOF | Comments Off on Gentex Corporation Announces Additional Order for Ops-Core RAILINK Power and Data ARC Rail System

COMAFSOC Delivers Closing Remarks at SAWS

March 6th, 2024

HURLBURT Field, Fla. —  

Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, Commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, delivered a keynote speech concluding the Special Air Warfare Symposium on Feb. 29, 2024 at the Fort Walton Beach Convention Center.  

SAWS is an annual symposium focused on special air warfare, SOF aviation mission sets, their partners, and enabling technologies.  The symposium, co-sponsored by AFSOC, included keynotes and panels composed of AFSOC senior leadership, leaders from across the U.S. and international SOF aviation enterprise and industry experts.  

Throughout the two-day symposium the attendees were challenged to reimagine how SOF aviation needs to adapt from several decades of counterterror focused operations to a world of increasing strategic and geopolitical instability and competing with peer adversaries.  

Bauernfeind explained how 2023 AFSOC Strategic Guidance focuses the command on the need for accelerated transformation to meet the demands of combatant commands, theater air components, and theater special operations commands, with a focus on developing people as the key to success. 

“It’s going to be our people, our Air Commandos, that make this happen,” said Bauernfeind.  

From establishing an Outreach Squadron to assist the Air Force Recruiting Service in exciting young Americans to join the military, to reducing initial qualification training by 50% while investing in augmented and virtual reality to enhance training, to developing a robust certification, validation and verification process that includes high-end readiness training and develops a culture of mission command before Air Commandos deploy, AFSOC is taking steps to develop its people throughout their service.  

Bauernfeind also outlined changes to better align AFSOC’s Wings with regional challenges and encompass all four mission areas: SOF mobility, SOF strike, SOF ISR and SOF air-to-ground integration.  

“All of our wings will be mission oriented with all our AFSOC capabilities. They will be theater focused… as we align our wings to get after regional problems for the joint force.” 

This includes establishing Theater Air Operations Squadrons focused on long-stare intelligence, multi-domain operations, air advising, and developing concepts of operations for the toughest problems. 

Looking to the future fight, Bauernfeind stated, “We know our Air Commandos had been wildly successful over the last few decades, but how are we going to ensure success for tomorrow?”  

Initiatives like developing modern high-speed vertical take-off and lift platforms to build out the ability to operate independent of traditional runways, returning focus to electromagnetic spectrum operations and enhancing precision effects through systems like small cruise missiles and reimagining how the MQ-9 is utilized through the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise. 

Bauernfeind concluded with why he is confident AFSOC will be successful in all these efforts.  

“We have an amazing team whether it be active duty, guard, reserve, our government civilians—that are focusing on pathfinding for the future, and I am excited to see what our people can do.” 

By Maj Jessica Gross, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Forces Focus, Guest Post, SOF | Comments Off on COMAFSOC Delivers Closing Remarks at SAWS

Major Order: Rheinmetall Supplying NATO Member Nation with Multiple Rocket Launcher Ammunition and Other Systems Worth More Than €300 Million

March 5th, 2024

Rheinmetall has won an order to supply a European member of NATO with multiple rocket launcher ammunition. Delivery is to take place from 2024 to 2027. The order, which was already booked in December 2023, represents sales volume for Rheinmetall of more than €300 million, without value added tax.

Rheinmetall Expal Munitions of Spain is responsible for manufacturing and delivering the rockets, which have a maximum range of 300 km. The order also encompasses additional services and other systems.

This is Rheinmetall’s first sales success in rocket artillery, vindicating the recent strategic expansion of its product portfolio. Just the other day, on 12 February, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wielded a shovel at the ground-breaking ceremony took place at Unterlüß in Lower Saxony for a new factory that will produce explosives, artillery ammunition and rocket artillery components.

In artillery systems, 120mm smoothbore tank ammunition, cannon-based air defence and the production of medium-calibre ammunition, Rheinmetall is a leading global supplier. Ever since its foundation over 125 years ago, the company has been a reliable partner of the artillery branch, supplying seamless barrels for big guns. In the ammunition domain, today Rheinmetall supplies a comprehensive array of ammunition types in various calibres.

The latest orders for artillery rockets and 155mm artillery ammunition underscore Rheinmetall’s technological edge in ammunition development and production in Europe. Framework contracts for artillery ammunition help to make sure that the needs of the armed forces of Germany and other NATO nations are reliably met. They enable better planning of production processes and optimum exploitation of existing capacity.

Posted in Ammo, Contracts, International, Press Release | Comments Off on Major Order: Rheinmetall Supplying NATO Member Nation with Multiple Rocket Launcher Ammunition and Other Systems Worth More Than €300 Million

C&H Precision Breaks Ground on New Headquarters

March 5th, 2024

RICHMOND HILL, Ga. – Month DD, 2024 – C&H Precision has broken ground on its new home in Bryan County, G a. CEO and Founder Buck Holly and the entire C&H Precision team welcomed hundreds of attendees, several state and local politicians, media members, area business leaders, law enforcement and first responders, business partners and others vital to C&H’s rapid rise to the site of the new headquarters. The facility in the city of Richmond Hill will span 50,000 square feet, create up to 60 jobs and become a place for the community to gather.

In plans released earlier, the C&H campus will include state of the art manufacturing, indoor shooting ranges for the public and law enforcement, a retail store with Federal Firearms License, a sandwich and coffee shop and more. This multi-use facility will not only increase C&H Precision’s manufacturing and design capacity to support its growing business needs, but it will increase the company’s involvement and contributions to the local community.

“C&H Precision is more than just a brand or a company,” said Buck Holly, owner of C&H Precision. “We prioritize community support, engagement and involvement. This is important to me because my family and I arrived here more than six years ago with nothing more than a small business and a dream. This is the area and community that welcomed us and allowed us to grow. This is where the people who joined our workforce and supported our dreams live, raise families and call home. Our employees are our lifeblood and are the reason we stand here today with such exciting and expansive plans.

“Being able to announce this here in Bryan County and Richmond Hill means the world to us. It is also not lost on us that so many political figures, economic development partners, vendors, fellow business owners and friends are here today and directly involved in what we’re building. I want to thank everyone who is here and who has helped us get to this point. We are just getting started.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp was unable to attend due to weather impacts to travel, the ceremony featured over a half of dozen speakers and was well-attended by the community. Speakers at the standing room only event were:

• Buck Holly
• United States Congressman Buddy Carter
• C&H President Patrick Kisgen
• TJ Hudson of Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones’ office
• Richmond Hill Mayor Russ Carpenter
• Summer Beal with Bryan County/Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce
• Lamar Smith of Smith Family Homes
• Ron Stevens, State Representative
• Sean Register, Development Authority Board
• Bryan County Chairman Carter Infinger

The state-of-the-art expansion is designed to foster creativity and productivity. It will include offices and manufacturing facilities for employees to enhance product quality and production efficiency. A 10-bay indoor shooting range will provide an arena for product testing and development opportunities. Finally, the Ground and Rounds Coffee Shop will be available to the public and foster a vibrant community atmosphere.

Local firm Felder & Associates Architecture was chosen for the early-stage design process. For the civil engineering efforts, Coleman Company Inc. of Savannah, GA was selected for the estimated $16,000,000 project. West Construction has been chosen to handle the erection of the new headquarters.

A video from yesterday’s events is live now on C&H’s YouTube channel.

For more information on C&H Precision visit www.chpws.com. Additional updates from the company are also available on social media and the recently released C&H Podcast has new episodes every two weeks.

Posted in Industry, Press Release | Comments Off on C&H Precision Breaks Ground on New Headquarters

Helikon-Tex Launches New Products

March 5th, 2024

One of the only reasons I stayed on in Nürnberg after Enforce Tac to attend IWA was to see what Poland’s Helikon-Tex would launch for 2024 and they didn’t disappoint.

Duck Hunter

Each year they launch a retro pattern and this year it’s Duck Hunter aka USMC pattern, aka Frog Pattern which was worn by US Forces and their allies well into the 80s and was adopted by US hunters. To showcase the pattern, they created a diorama featuring a Vietnam-era SEAL complete with UDT vest, suppressed Grease Gun and Beret along with Helikon-Tek’s UTP Pants and Raid Shirt.

During the year, they will introduce Duck Hunter versions of their most popular chest rigs and packs. Likewise, many of the items they offered in last year’s Rhodesian pattern are still available.

Next, we’ll point out the other new products for 2024.

Alien Bag

The new Alien Bag is massive and utilizes four zippers to open up like the egg pods on the movie “Alien.

Here you can see the top closure which is covered with a flap.

The inside is high visibility so you can find everything and the base is padded so you can stand on it to change if you’re swapping out wet clothes. Additionally, there is a small bag internally for wet items. It can be carried in three ways, with hauling loops, backpack straps and shoulder straps.

Rescue Team Gear

In addition to the Red color for Rescue and First Responders, you see this team outfitted with the new SAR Vest furted with SAR Scissors Pouch, SAR Admin Pouch, SAR Medium Pouch, and SAR Large Pouch along with the new Lizard Grip Gloves. Additioanlly, the female member of the team is wearing the Women’s OTP pant.

Mission Bag

The Mission Bag is inspired by the Rangemaster Bag but offers seven pockets.

Bushcraft and Outback Lines

The only new product seen here along with several popular Outback products is the new Winter Yukon Jacket.

Here we see the new Winter Warden Shirt and Swagman Scarf and well as the Bushcraft First Aid Kit.

Eye Pro

They are launching a line of ballistic rated eyewear this year.

Patrol Line

This manikin is equipped with the new Tracer Anorak and Ambush Backpack.

This example features the new Mk2 Boonie Hat and Ambush Backpack.

This guy is sporting the new Mk2 Boonie and Tracer Anorak.

Additional Items

To the left are the new Trooper Mk2 Jacket and Pants and to the right is the new Traveler Backpack the Urban line.

Ordering

Check out their 2024 catalog to see everything. It’s over 250 pages. It contains more in-depth descriptions than we’ve supplied here.

Unfortunately, their US site doesn’t have all of the products but I’ve ordered direct from their international website and received everything I ordered, and in just a few days. Just make sure you set the language, country, and currency properly.

www.helikon-tex.com

Posted in International, IWA | 15 Comments »

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