This is a very interesting international solution. British firm BCB International Ltd developed a multi-spectral camouflage appliqué for the distributor MP-Sec France to fit US-built Vision 60 Quadraped Unmanned Ground Vehicles from Ghost Robotics.
The fabric-based system is easy to apply and remove and offers camouflage in the visual, NIR, SWIR, and LWIR ranges. BCB offers CAM-Shield in a variety of visual patterns for a number of ground-based systems.
The Swiss firm B&T is displaying quite a few new products including the Heat Shield which is a removable cover for suppressors.
It features a quick attach, compatible with Picatinny rails and is easily removed.
At the bottom are vents.
Additionally, it is compatible with their larger RBS cans with plenty of space left for venting.
This morning marks my return to Milipol Paris after four years. With two regional conflicts currently afoot along with internal unrest scattered across the globe, I can’t wait to see what the international security industry has in store.
The Fortitude pack frame is the result of decades of use and comprehensive study of existing backpack frames from both the military and commercial industries.
Early rucksack frames were originally made from wood or heavy steel, and had few features to aid with comfort or load distribution. During the 1960s the first real improvement to pack frame design came to both military and civilian rucksacks in the form of aluminum tubing riveted together. These frames were light and strong, but often suffer from broken rivets and welds which made field repair extremely difficult. Many modern day frames are made from injection molded polymer which is more likely to fracture or crack than a metal frame. They often fail at the worst possible time, with little more to be done aside from a complete replacement with a fresh frame which you are unlikely to have along with you.
The Fortitude frame addresses all the issues that have plagued load carriage for decades, with a modern, modular design. Made entirely from light-weight aircraft grade aluminum, the frame is curved to match the profile of your back. It is thin enough to slightly flex with your body movement, but rigid enough vertically to support more than 150 lbs of weight. The monolithic design has no additional parts to break or wear out, so you can go the distance knowing your pack frame is up to the task. The Fortitude frame is designed to work with all versions of the legacy ALICE pack, including ALICE belts and shoulder straps. It is also fully cross compatible with the proven current USMC issue FILBE pack and FILBE components. Our design allows for the Fortitude frame to be used with a wide array of packs on the market, so pretty much any pack that accepts an ALICE frame will accept the Fortitude! It can also be used as a stand alone frame with no pack at all. Using just your preferred shoulder straps and waist belt, it can be used as a packboard to haul odd-sized duffle bags, waterproof bags, water containers, fuel cans, chainsaws, tools, fresh elk quarters, or pretty much anything!
Made with with pride in America!
Specs:
• Strong monolithic aluminum design
• Available in Coyote Brown and Olive Drab green
• 2.6 lbs
• Milspec type 3 hardcoat anodized finish
• Modular design fits any pack that accepts an ALICE size frame
• Cross compatible with the USMC FILBE pack
• Can be used independently as a packboard
• Dozens of webbing cutouts for customization
For more information visit: www.frontierresolve.com
PARIS—November 14, 2023—Elistair, a leader in long-endurance, tethered unmanned aircraft systems, announced today the unveiling of KHRONOS, a fully automated tethered drone system designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in challenging, GPS/GNSS-denied and RF-denied environments.
Deployed from a transportable dronebox in under two minutes, KHRONOS can operate from both fixed and mobile platforms with minimal human input, enabling operators on the move their own “pocket watchtower” without a heavy investment in training.
“KHRONOS represents a significant milestone for Elistair,” said company CEO Guilhem de Marliave. “Public safety agencies, border patrol units, military forces and even vehicle integrators have all been looking for a simple, organic, long-endurance ISR asset that can be launched at the push of a button—and now they finally have it.”
Elistair has been developing and delivering tethered drones to customers in more than 70 countries for close to a decade. The 66-pound KHRONOS leverages that experience. It is easily deployed from a dronebox to deliver a continuous, day/night aerial view extending over a 10-kilometer radius for 24 hours a stretch.
In addition to being ruggedized for operation off-road and in poor weather, KHRONOS can operate in both GPS/GNSS-Denied and RF-denied environments, thanks to its advanced positioning system and secured tethered communications. And with its small logistical footprint, and its open API, it can be easily integrated with vehicles.
“The aim behind KHRONOS was clear: we wanted to a tethered drone that’s straightforward to use, adaptable to various scenarios, integrates seamlessly, and is robust in construction for demanding environments,” said Elistair CTO Timothée Penet.
Powered by T-Planner 2, the newest version of Elistair mission software, KHRONOS benefits from the latest intelligent functions, such as target tracking, automated object categorization, and cued camera slewing to points of interests.
Elistair plans to deliver its first KHRONOS systems to customers in January 2024.
PARIS — Integris Composites, the global leader in armor protection for the world’s elite military and law-enforcement units, will display its new “make your own shield” concept and soft body armor vests at Milipol Paris 2023 Stand 5 F009, taking place Nov. 14–17 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.
“We are presenting two innovations,” said Jan Grimberg, the senior vice president of marketing and sales EMEA at Integris, “a new product line of body armor vests with our Rapid Don/Doff system that is an industry first and a new line of customizable ballistic shields.”
Integris, the new name for TenCate Advanced Armour, is continuing the company’s quarter-century emphasis on safety, reliability and survivability.
Make Your Own Shield Concept
The new shield line is designed to respond to law enforcement and military organizations, which frequently want designs tailored to their procedures.
Shields Up! Integris Composites – the new name for TenCate Advanced Armour — is introducing new police and military tactical shields at Milipol Paris 2023, Stand 5 F009, from Nov. 14-17 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre. Visitors can view a new line of customizable ballistic shields as well as a new version of the Integris Composites CXP Ergo Shield shown here.
“Bespoke solutions are nothing new for Integris Composites, but in the past, small-quantity, custom shield orders had to contend with the entire industry’s inherent need to tailor-make molds for every version—cost prohibitive for small orders,” said James Williamson, Integris Composite’s sales manager for France, Spain and Portugal.
The addition of new equipment in the past year enables Integris to make shields that are specific to a customer’s needs for shape, size and weight, but with a significantly shorter lead time and at a price like that of larger series. “Our new manufacturing capability reduces the nonrecurring costs (NRC) of molds. This makes one, two or a few handheld portable shields completely feasible,” explained Williamson.
Two operators standing before the autoclave at the Integris Composites facility in France inspecting a ballistic armor plate. Formerly TenCate Advanced Armour, the company is introducing new products at Stand 5 F009 Milipol Paris, Nov. 14-17 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre.
A Dream Capability
“This is a dream capability. Now, as a customer, you have a choice. You can buy something off the shelf from our catalog. Or you can buy a customized solution that’s a lot more affordable than it was in the past,” said Williamson.
Custom products are especially appealing to law enforcement and military since many units require specifications in size, weight and shape to allow active members to perform their duties with a focus on safety and durability. “They don’t have to buy a million euros worth of product to get exactly what they want. They do not have to buy thousands of units to get exactly what they want. They can get exactly what they want when ordering a few units,” added Williamson.
Testing New Rapid Don/Doff Vests
Throughout the show, Integris invites active members of law enforcement and the military to try on Rapid Don/Doff armor vests, which are making their public debut here.
These vests use a magnetic buckle system. “They can take it off, put it on in two seconds without losing their settings,” said Stephen Jackson, regional director of Turkey, the Middle East and Africa. “This enhances safety, comfort and predictability.”
Special Pride
“There is a special pride in participating in Milipol,” said Grimberg. “We are a truly international company. With 25 percent of our workforce in France, we are proud to have the opportunity to display these two innovations in Paris under the banner of a new name,” said Grimberg.
FORT BELVOIR, Va. – The Army is continuing its efforts to modernize the force and build towards the Army of 2030 and beyond. To support that effort, Program Executive Officer (PEO) Soldier is engaging with Soldiers at the ground level to get to the fundamental truth of how Soldiers are equipped in the operational environment and what gear they have modified or purchased for mission, environment, comfort and personal effect.
PEO Soldier’s Assistant Program Executive Officer (APEO) Soldier has been conducting Operational Kit (O.K.) Analysis with the operational force to collect this data.
O.K. Analysis seeks to address a multitude of objectives to help shape the Army of 2030 and the future Soldier. The effort looks to proactively identify opportunities utilizing the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP), influence materiel change proposals, identify equipment training challenges and address installation Soldier equipment logistics challenges.
“The idea behind O.K. Analysis was hatched by APEO Soldier’s Senior Enlisted Advisor, MSG Josh Kaplan,” said COL Douglas Copeland, Assistant Program Executive Officer, PEO Soldier. “He identified the need to bridge the gap between what we think Soldiers and Squads carry as materiel developers and what is actually used out in the field.”
In launching the initiative, MSG Kaplan took a couple of key steps: First, he created a community of interest across various stakeholders. Second, he worked with SGM Daniel Rose, PEO Soldier Sergeant Major, to combine the O.K. Analysis event with the PEO Soldier Capabilities Demonstration, which informs the force of our current and emerging capabilities in the PEO Soldier portfolio. This strategy allows PEO Soldier to gain Soldier feedback about on operational needs and determine exactly how PEO capabilities are impacting the Force.
The goal is to provide operational context to the acquisition force, said SGM Rose. “We’re trying to explain to the acquisition professionals here at PEO Soldier and stakeholders in the Army enterprise how Soldiers are using the equipment that they are designing, procuring and fielding in the operational environment. What we found is that sometimes they won’t be using the equipment the way it was designed to be used. We try to bring that kind of context back to the acquisition force to help them as they’re designing and procuring new pieces of equipment.”
The O.K. Analysis team kicked off the program at USARCENT in Kuwait in March 2023 and has since engaged with the 11th Airborne and 25th Infantry Divisions. As a result, PEO Soldier has, to date, collected data from eight Squads and worked with senior leadership to establish an equipment baseline across the Army’s operational units.
The effort goes beyond simply questioning Soldiers about their thoughts and experience with PEO Soldier capabilities. MSG Kaplan explained, “We deploy a team of senior NCOs with extensive operational experience and extremely smart government contractors who carry out an array of responsibilities, such as data collection, statistics, logistics and photography. We collect several thousand lines of data, hundreds of photos and several hours of interviews that are analyzed as a part of an out-brief to communities of interest, then added to our holistic database for further analysis.”
After taking part in PEO Soldier’s O.K. Analysis engagement, SGM Brian Disque, G-3, 5 and 7 Sergeant Major, USARCENT, stated that he was very impressed with its effectiveness and potential benefits. He explained, “It is a very ambitious effort to answer an important question: What gear are Soldiers actually using and why? PEO Soldier took the idea of unit outreach and feedback to the next level with a meticulous approach to data collection to better understand the perspectives of Soldiers across the Army. The wealth of data collected will be very useful when informing future efforts to outfit our Soldiers. All of the Army should be grateful that this team was willing to roll up their sleeves and get out to all corners of our Army to answer these questions.”
This effort has already returned positive outcomes. Through the O.K. Analysis initiative, PEO Soldier has been able to strengthen critical partnerships with the Maneuver Center of Excellence, DEVCOM and several Army Corps. PEO Soldier has also been able to facilitate the establishment of Environmental Working Groups with these communities of interest, which include items discovered through the O.K. Analysis effort.
“The most important benefit of O.K. Analysis is to ensure that the Soldier’s voice is heard, including senior leaders in operational units who have important Soldier equipment insights,” Kaplan said. “We do this in the form of detailed equipment inventories, pictures and candid interviews that are shared with the enterprise. If someone asks, ‘Why is Soldier equipment getting heavier?’, our team can say, ‘Let me show you.’ There is a lot of power in that.”
Disque agreed, noting, “For USARCENT and our deployed force, the opportunity to provide our candid feedback to the professional data collection team is of immediate benefit. Innovation is one of our top priorities, and we are always searching for ways to bring innovative concepts to our Area of Responsibility (AOR). Soldier kit is one of those topics for which there is no shortage of great ideas out there, often based on real-world feedback from operating environments across the CENTCOM AOR – you just have to ask the right questions, which I am confident the PEO Soldier team executed to perfection.”
Through this effort, PEO Soldier began an Army-wide innovation synchronization effort that encompasses 18th Airborne Corps’ Eagle Works, I Corps’ Lightning Lab, USARCENT and PEO Soldier’s Soldier Integration Facility. This will allow stakeholders to collaborate and share data and integration solutions across the Close Combat Integration Enterprise (CCIE).
“Any opportunity to connect our modernization efforts to deployed Soldiers on a mission is valuable,” said Disque. “Some of the most innovative ideas come from operating in a deployed environment, and for the PEO team to have access to Soldiers that served recently in Syria and other areas is tremendous.”
Kaplan and his team have proactively submitted proposals for the Soldier Enhancement Program (SEP) on behalf of Soldiers through the O.K. Analysis. The SEP is a process designed to help the Army enhance Soldiers’ ability to execute their combat mission by evaluating prototypes and commercially available items submitted by Soldiers and industry. Since its inception six months ago, PEO Soldier has identified 23 potential SEP opportunities, which is an exponential increase relative to recent years. Soldiers, senior leaders and industry are also able to submit their own proposals utilizing PEO Soldier’s website.
“Soldiers are very innovative,” said Kaplan. “There is always that one Soldier in the Squad who can create ways for his unit to become more lethal. This initiative highlights innovative solutions so communities of interest can stay on pace with the operational force.”
CSM Joseph Gaskin, Command Sergeant Major, 1/11 Airborne Division, added to that assessment by stating, “Any effort the Army uses to better inform equipment requirements from the Soldier on the ground is value added to our formation. The O.K Analysis comprehensive program captured data that will assist leaders to better understand what risk the Soldier’s load presents as we operate in the extreme cold of our operational environment.”
PEO Soldier will continue its O.K. Analysis effort by visiting Soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division in October and engaging with U.S. Army Europe in the second quarter of 2024. This ongoing effort will collect and share data amongst the CCIE to help shape the Army’s modernization efforts moving into 2030 and beyond.
PEO Soldier is now encouraging other interested U.S. Army operational divisions to reach out and schedule an O.K. Analysis of their area of responsibility.
“We look forward to expanding our O.K. Analysis across the Army’s operational units to further collaboration, leverage creative innovation and enable proactive capability development for Soldier equipment,” said Copeland.
By David Jordan
• DroneShield and Lockheed Martin Australia collaborate on Agile Shield Program
• DroneShield’s DroneCannon Mk2 wide area non-kinetic effector integrated into Lockheed Martin’s architecture
DroneShield (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce its collaboration with Lockheed Martin Australia’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Leadership and Research Laboratory (STELaRLab).
As part of this collaboration, DroneCannon Mk2, DroneShield’s wide area non-kinetic effector, has been integrated into Lockheed Martin Australia’s Agile Shield Program.
Agile Shield has been developed under the Next Generation Technologies Fund framework, as part of DST Group’s Counter Improvised Threats Grand Challenge and is initially designed to counter uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS).
Kevin McDonald, STELaRLab’s Integrated Systems Lead for Agile Shield, commented: “The system brings together a number of Australian sensors and effectors with an open mission architecture to provide a rapid, scalable and flexible response to airborne threats. STELaRLab’s contribution included development of the open mission systems architecture and acting as the prime systems integrator.”
“The addition of proven C-UAS jammers, such as DroneCannon Mk2, is part of Agile Shield’s planned transition from the virtual world to field demonstrations which occurred in October 2023.”
DroneCannon Mk2, DroneShield’s wide area non-kinetic effector
Red McClintock, DroneShield Sales Director, added: “DroneCannon Mk2 is a globally recognised effector, in use both in the eastern-European theatre as well as being selected and recommended by the U.S. DoD for base protection requirements. We are excited to be working with Lockheed Martin and DST Group’s Agile Shield program and are looking forward to growing this business relationship.”
