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GiantMouse Announces the ACE Iona V2

July 29th, 2023

East Lansing, Michigan, July 27, 2023 – GiantMouse is excited to unveil the newest model of our ACE line, the Iona V2. Available in Green Canvas Micarta and Black Linen Micarta, this new model takes the beloved design of its predecessor (the Iona) and transforms it into a stout and functional outdoor tool that excels in both action and feel.

The Iona V2 is designed to adapt to the demands of the outdoors – featuring a wider Magnacut steel blade that can efficiently tackle a wide range of tasks while maintaining sharpness. It employs dependable phosphor bronze washers at its pivot, offering a remarkably smooth and effortless blade deployment. The inherent durability and corrosion resistance of phosphor bronze, combined with its self-lubricating properties, ensure your Iona V2 consistently delivers high-performance, adapting to the rigors of outdoor use while requiring less maintenance. The longer, ergonomic handle guarantees a comfortable and secure grip, enabling confident control during use. The thoughtful addition of spine jimping allows for precision in both delicate and demanding situations. Plus, the improved lockbar access allows for quick and easy unlocking, even with your outdoor gloves on.

Our inspiration for the Iona’s name came from the Iona Bar, a beloved establishment located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Not just any bar, the Iona holds a special place in the hearts of the founders of GiantMouse, being owned by a good friend and serving as a venue where many pleasant get-togethers have been held. The naming tradition at GiantMouse Knives extends beyond mere identification – it’s a way of infusing each of our products with a unique backstory, reflecting the personal experiences and friendships that are at the core of the brand. With the ACE Iona, you’re not just purchasing a high-quality tool, but also a piece of the camaraderie and shared memories that fuel the creative spirit of GiantMouse.

For pricing and full specifications on each variant, visit www.giantmouse.com/ collections/ace-knives/tribeca.

Posted in Knives, Press Release | Comments Off on GiantMouse Announces the ACE Iona V2

Tactical Distributors – Long Sleeve Shooter Shirt

July 29th, 2023

I’ve had the short sleeve version of this shirt for awhile now and look forward to picking at least one of the long sleeve versions up for range sessions. They are made from a moisture-wicking, 4-way stretch.

Naturally, the Desert Tigerstripe caught my eye, but TD has them in several colors as seen in the image below.

Sizes Small – 3X-Large, these won’t break the bank at $29.99 each.

Posted in Advertiser, Clothing, Stuff I Like | 1 Comment »

Multi-Capable Equipment Initiative Wins 2023 Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Innovation Rodeo

July 29th, 2023

SAN ANTONIO (AFNS) —

An idea to deliver multi-capable equipment for agile combat employment operations won the 2023 Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Innovation Rodeo July 21 in San Antonio.

Lt. Col. Brandon Baughman, 187th Operations Support Squadron commander at Dannelly Field, Alabama, will receive a share of at least $1 million in funding and resources from AFIMSC to move the HULK, WOLVERINE and KRAYT initiative, or HWK-i, forward.

“Winning this year’s Innovation Rodeo is awesome,” Baughman said. “We’ve been working really hard on our own and it’s a relief there’s an organization out there like AFIMSC to support us and help make it happen.”

HWK-i is a one-stop-shop package of capabilities providing commercial, off-the-shelf solutions for shelter, power, water, communications and security. HWK-i only takes up two-to-three pallet positions on an aircraft, does not require a forklift or cargo loader and resolves capability gaps caused by large equipment that is not multipurpose.

“Project HWK-i is three capabilities wrapped up in a package deal,” Baughman said.

HULK, or heavy utility lifting kit, is designed to load and unload palletized cargo. WOLVERINE is a multipurpose expeditionary platform to load and unload cargo, move aircraft, load weapons, pump fuel, generate electricity and more. KRAYT is an operational hub of integrated, interoperable modular capabilities including a hybrid power solution, redundant communications, security systems and a self-sustaining water generation capability.

“It’s the multi-capable Airman concept manifested into equipment,” said Col. Kelly Sams, AFIMSC vice commander and a judge for this year’s rodeo. “In a container – you drop it and you go – it’s very impressive. I’m also very impressed with all the ideas brought in together to create a containerized unit.”

Other 2023 Innovation Rodeo winners include:

Second Place: Tech. Sgt. Joshua Solomon, Air Force Services Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, with Automated Robotic Dish Room.

Third Place: Master Sgt. Michael Olsen, 325th Maintenance Group, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, with Mission Readiness Training Scheduler.

“Thanks to all our innovators here and across the Department of the Air Force. Keep those ideas coming. We need your ideas in our greater Air Force,” Sams said. “Every single one of the finalists brought forward an idea that we need tomorrow – some of them we needed yesterday – so please keep going.”

Now in its fifth year, the annual AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo gives Airmen and Guardians an opportunity to partner with innovation experts and get funding and resources to pursue scalable ideas that will help the DAF deliver faster, leaner and more resilient capabilities, improve installations, or support families in a better way.

Over the years, AFIMSC has invested more than $17 million and landed more than $80 million in government and venture capital funding to pursue, develop, test and field projects pitched by finalists during each rodeo.

“It’s not just about funding,” said Dustin Dickens, principal innovation program manager. “It’s also about collaboration, mentorship, team building and the way AFIMSC can execute to move projects forward.”

Finalists spent three weeks learning from leading innovators and collaborating with peers and industry partners virtually before coming to San Antonio to pitch their ideas to a panel of senior-leader judges.

The top ideas were selected because of their potential impact on mission requirements and ability to scale across the entire enterprise, said Jadee Purdy, AFIMSC chief innovation officer.

“This year, we added an element to target projects we know our senior leaders are really looking for to improve warfighter capability,” she said. “We worked hard on targeting ideas that were mission focused and ready to scale.”

Innovation Rodeo gives all Airmen and Guardians a place to take an idea and have it heard by senior leaders, Purdy said. Support from the AFIMSC team can include a business case analysis to ensure ideas have value, connections to multi-functional teams and subject matter experts, and pathways to acquisition or connecting with other resources to move a project forward.

“Anyone who puts in the time and effort to submit to the Innovation Rodeo is going to walk away with support they didn’t have prior to the rodeo,” she said.

For the finalists, lessons learned and tools gained during the Innovation Rodeo will help them continue to innovate and motivate others after they return to their home stations.

“I have a long career ahead of me, so what I’m learning now, whether it’s asking questions, knowing what to look out for, anything innovation related … this is definitely going to carry on with me throughout the future,” said 2nd Lt. Kiara Nuevo, 305th Aerial Port Squadron Passenger Operations and Innovations program manager at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.

“Innovation is crucial in today’s Air Force,” she said. “We can’t afford to be the ones trying to catch up; we have to be ahead.”

For full coverage of the 2023 AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo, including video of the full rodeo and individual project presentations, visit here.

By Shannon Carabajal, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post | 1 Comment »

SOSA Aligned, Cybersecurity-Enabled U-C8500 from Aitech Ideal for High Performing Applications in SWaP-C Environments

July 28th, 2023

Chatsworth, Calif. July 2023 – Aitech Systems, a leading provider of rugged boards and system level solutions for military, aerospace and space applications, has announced that its SOSA aligned U-C8500 3U VPX SBC has successfully passed environmental qualification testing.

Aligned with The Open Group Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard, Aitech’s U-C8500 is based on Intel’s ground-breaking SWaP-C optimized Tiger Lake UP3(TGL-UP3) SoC, which combines a high-performing CPU with a strong internal GPU and an advanced Image Processing Unit. The SBC also incorporates highly integrated memory technology (LPDDR4X) for better graphics processing performance as well as high-speed PCIe Gen4 and 10 Gbps Ethernet.

The combination of the U-C8500’s high-performing technologies facilitates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) processing capabilities in a wide range of rugged military and aerospace data-sensitive applications.

Alex Trigoub, Director of Board Level Product Line for Aitech, noted, “AI in military electronics continues to grow in complexity. Developed specifically with faster memory, PCIe and Ethernet connectivity, as well as to optimize SWaP-C and align with DoD MOSA initiatives, the U-C8500 is capable of processing large amounts of data without any loss of performance, while staying within an optimized power envelope. This combination ensures the SBC can meet the demands of military systems today and makes it capable of handling the needs of next-gen military technology tomorrow.”

Designed from the ground up with security in mind, the U-C8500 provides a comprehensive cybersecurity framework – AiSecure, which includes both standard and advanced system protection. The inherent security features enable both firmware and data protection as well as prevent reverse engineering and tampering with system integrity, while allowing secure transmission and storage of sensitive data.

Now that the U-C8500 has completed successful environmental qualification testing, the SBC can be effectively incorporated into several harsh military and aerospace applications that need highly integrated functionality and unique SWaP-C optimization to provide reliable data processing. These environments include unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles (UAV/UGV), cockpit/display and mission computers, digital signal and image processing as well as signal intelligence (SIGNT) and electronic warfare (EW).

The U-C8500 is part of Aitech’s U-C850X series that combines the three pillars of modern data processing on the same board: CPU, iGPU and optional large FPGA. Potential future enhanced variants include the U-C8501 (with PCIe Switch for enhanced Expansion Plane and XMC connectivity), the U-C8502 (with integrated Xilinx MPSoC FPGA) and the U-C8503 (with integrated TSN Endpoint).

For more information please visit bit.ly/U-C850xSeries or e-mail info@aitechsystems.com.

Posted in Digitization, Press Release | Comments Off on SOSA Aligned, Cybersecurity-Enabled U-C8500 from Aitech Ideal for High Performing Applications in SWaP-C Environments

Safariland Launches New Fits for 5” 2011s

July 28th, 2023

Jacksonville, Florida – Safariland®, a brand of The Safariland Group®, a leading global provider of safety products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets and one of Cadre Holdings, Inc.’s (NYSE: CDRE) (“Cadre”) key brands announces new 6000 series fits for leading Staccato, Springfield Armory® and other 2011 firearms.

“Safariland continues to evolve as we deliver new holster offerings and innovative ways to provide protection for our customers,” said Eric Gasvoda, GM of Duty Gear for Safariland. “The collaboration with industry partners and firearm manufacturers remains ongoing to ensure a wide array of fits for the best holsters offered on the market.”

The latest additions to the Safariland 6000 series most notably include fits for the 2011 Staccato XC and Springfield Prodigy™, both featuring a 5-inch barrel. These new fits maximize reliability and performance, catering to law enforcement professionals and everyday carriers’ needs.

Holster models available include both RDS and RDSO options. Safariland RDS holsters are designed for firearms equipped with red dot sights and incorporate the Automatic Locking System (ALS®). Securely locking the firearm from every angle, these holsters provide secure retention and an intuitive draw. For those wanting additional retention capabilities, there are also ALS/SLS combination holsters available, which in addition to the ALS, comes standard with the Self-Locking System (SLS®), pivoting hood. Safariland’s RDSO (Red Dot Sights Open) holster line has an open pocket that protects the optic without the use of a flip-up dust cover.

Safariland’s dedication to innovation and collaboration has once again raised the bar for holster performance. To learn more about Safariland’s holsters and how Safariland is committed to building lifesaving equipment, visit Safariland.com.

Posted in Holsters, Press Release | 1 Comment »

The Resource Center / Allied Industries

July 28th, 2023

The Resource Center’s Manufacturing Division, Allied Industries, has been working with local and regional manufacturers supplying issued military products to the U.S. Armed Forces since 1978. The function, quality, and durability of Allied products have been battle tested for decades. Most of our forces have used items from TRC/Allied during their service such as 3-Mag pouch, Entrenching Tool Pouch, Casualty Kits, Tourniquet, Barrel Bags, the list is extensive. Several top tier Tactical Brands currently leverage Allied’s experience for the making of their commercial products.

Whether your company needs to refine an existing product or develop an entirely new one, TRC has the experience and expertise to deliver the solution you need. We specialize in sewing and kitting, allowing us to provide a variety of items to satisfy the requirements of your contracts and/or commercial customers. After four decades, we know how to respond to the demands of the Armed Forces. We understand how quickly the military’s needs can arise and how quickly they can change. Our capabilities include kitting, packaging and assembly. Short-term or permanent. We’ve completed hundreds of jobs for dozens of manufacturers, there’s very few challenges we have not achieved.

Allied Industries is not your typical manufacturer. Yes, we provide labor and product development solutions for our customers. But we also provide education, training and employment opportunities to people with disabilities in Chautauqua County, New York. Our mission is to help people with disabilities achieve maximum independence, contribute to their communities, experience lifelong growth and enjoy a high quality of life.

One of the ways we do that is by helping people—who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to work—secure meaningful employment. We teach them the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Then we put them to work in one of our manufacturing facilities or help them find competitive jobs in the community.

Allied Industries customizes its solutions to customers’ unique circumstances.

Our competitive advantages are:

Experience and Innovation. Need a prototype for a new product? Looking to enhance an existing one? We leverage our military experience and expertise to develop new products and make improvements to existing ones that meet stringent military guidelines. Taking projects from design to production, including materials research, is our specialty.

Fast Response Times. You can’t always predict when you’ll need a product shipment. Natural disasters, military action and other world events can happen with almost no warning. When they do, you have to respond. And, so can we. We’re accustomed to ramping up production at a moment’s notice without sacrificing quality, so you get the products you need quickly.

Superior Quality. When the products you make are used in life or death situations, there’s no room for error. You’re serious about quality control, and so are we. We’re certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards by American Global Standards Registrar, and our manufacturing process has been approved by the U.S. military for decades.

Made in the U.S.A. These aren’t just buzz words to us. Our employees take pride in creating products the men and women who serve our country use every day. Our items are produced by U.S. workers, using only American-made materials.

Large Workforce. No job is too big. When your workload exceeds your employees’ capacity, and you don’t want to hire temporary workers, we act as an extension of your workforce to get the job done.

Extra Space. With 105,000 square feet of floor space spread across two facilities, we can add additional jobs to our pipeline when your capacity is maxed out.

Creating customized solutions to meet the unique needs of our manufacturing customers is what we do. Let’s start solving your production challenges today.

If TRC/Allied can help support your company product or kitting objectives Please contact TRCGOV@RESOURCECENTER.ORG.

Posted in Guest Post, Industry | Comments Off on The Resource Center / Allied Industries

Sneak Peek – Post Malone Capsule x PRISM

July 28th, 2023

Here’s a peek at a capsule PRISM created for Post Malone which features MultiCam and AOR1 fabrics.

Posted in Clothing | Comments Off on Sneak Peek – Post Malone Capsule x PRISM

FirstSpear Friday Focus – Fast Rope Mitt

July 28th, 2023

Looking for a minimalist glove that won’t burn through your hands during those intense fast rope insertions? Look no further than the Fast Rope Mitt (FRM). Not only does it fold flat for easy transport, but its advanced two finger pattern allows for quick access to your trigger finger as soon as you hit the ground. This fast rope glove puts all other gloves to shame. Don’t believe us? Give it a try and feel the difference in quality American “roper” cow leather and ultra-high performance Kovenex.

Visit FirstSpear to find American Made kit and accessories, Built For The X.

Posted in Advertiser, FS Friday Focus, Guest Post, Handwear | Comments Off on FirstSpear Friday Focus – Fast Rope Mitt