The Adapative Gear Stick is retry straight forward both in name and design. It’s PALS compatible and is offered in Black or Coyote
Made from laser cut Tegris, it includes adjustable Shock Cord, Elastic Band and One-Wrap retainers.
www.cole-tac.com/product/adaptive-gear-stick-ags
Official handover ceremony for new palletized load-handling system and delivery of 3,000th Unprotected Transport Vehicle
The Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles success story continues. At a ceremony in Munich, Michael Wittlinger, Chairman of the Management Board of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH, and Armin Papperger, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG, together with the Head of the Land Support Division of the German federal procurement authority Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), First Director at the BAAINBw Jan Gesau, officially handed over the key for the new generation of palletized load-handling system to the German Armed Forces – represented by the Commander of the Bundeswehr Logistics Command and General Bundeswehr Logistics, Major General Gerald Funke, Brigadier General Frank Schmitz, Head of the Planning Department at the Joint Support Service Command and Brigadier General Dr. Thomas Czirwitzky as representative of the German Army Office.
A further cause for celebration was the delivery of the 3,000th Unprotected Transport Vehicle, or UTF. The fact that the logistics vehicles are a showcase project in which politics, the armed forces and industry work together successfully was also expressed by the presence of other high-ranking visitors from politics, the Bundeswehr and partner companies. Among others, the Bavarian State Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann, the Deputy Chairman of the Defence Committee of the German Bundestag, Henning Otte, as well as Karsten Klein MdB, Chairman of the Budget Committee, and Bernhard Loos MdB from the Economic Committee took part in the ceremony.
In June 2020 the Bundeswehr entered a framework agreement with Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle Systems (RMMV) for the supply of up to 4,000 palletized load-handling systems. The framework agreement runs until 2027. Known in German as “Wechselladersysteme”, or WLS, these palletized load-handling systems are mounted on RMMV’s successful family of HX military trucks ensuring high commonality to the already fielded Unprotected Transport Vehicles, or UTFs. The prime feature of the WLS is the hook loader, developed by the Hiab company. This means that the flatracks in use with the Bundeswehr can be picked up and set down on almost any terrain without the need for additional handling equipment. Alternatively, the vehicles can also transport an interchangeable flatbed or a container via the standardised 20-foot ISO interfaces.
A large share of the Bundeswehr’s WLS trucks feature a protected cabin. The protected WLS will substantially enhance the survivability, sustainment capability and tactical flexibility of the logistic formations of the German Federal Armed Forces.
The WLS is a critically important component of NATO’s Very High Joint Readiness Task Force VJTF 2023, which the Bundeswehr will be furnishing. In March of this year, instruction began for military drivers in the first protected WLS.
For several years now, the Unprotected Transport Vehicle family has been contributing to the operational effectiveness of the German Bundeswehr’s logistic formations. In July 2017 the Bundeswehr contracted with Rheinmetall MAN to supply its new “UTF mil gl in den Zuladungsklassen 5t und 15t” family of unprotected trucks capable of carrying payloads of 5 and 15 tonnes.
“The UTF is a showpiece project that paved the way for new procurement methods,” says Michael Wittlinger. “It was the first large-volume flexible framework agreement. Financed by the German government’s pandemic recovery package, additional vehicles were called-off and delivered. By the beginning of May, 3,000 vehicles had been transferred to the customer – almost a thousand more than envisaged in the original framework agreement for delivery by 2024. RMMV is therefore well ahead of schedule in this project.”
Armin Papperger also emphasised the high importance of the WLS and UTF for the company in his speech. “Both projects from the field of logistics vehicles are closely interwoven, not only from a technical point of view. They are among our lighthouse projects. WLS and UTF show how defence programmes can be carried out in exemplary fashion. This success is the result of close cooperation built on mutual trust between the German parliament, the armed forces and the defence industry – for which great thanks are due to all those involved!”
A large portion of the value added in the WLS and UTF projects – over 75 percent – is generated in Germany. In close coordination with the Bundeswehr, RMMV has boosted its UTF capacity to 1,000 vehicles per year. Against the background that logistical transport capacities are likely to increase further and more vehicles will be needed, the production capacity for the Bundeswehr will be further expanded. RMMV is also moving to greatly increase delivery capacity for WLS trucks. Rheinmetall MAN thus remains a strong, efficient and reliable partner of the Bundeswehr, capable of meeting its delivery commitments even under extremely difficult circumstances, as demonstrated during the coronavirus pandemic and the Ukraine crisis.
Both the WLS and UTF are based on RMMV’s robust HX vehicle family. Designed for military use right from the start, they display outstanding mobility even in tough terrain. The wide distribution of the HX vehicle family around the world brings major advantages when it comes to interoperability and logistics. Among other countries, the circle of user nations now includes the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Hungary and Denmark. In cooperation with the armed forces of Germany and other partner nations, RMMV is eager to write new chapters in the success story surrounding the company’s tried-and-tested HX vehicles.
After over four decades spent serving and protecting tactical operators, Jon Becker is imparting some of the lessons he has learned along the way to listeners across the nation. The Debrief is an interview-based podcast that tells the stories of the leaders of some of the world’s top law enforcement and military units – individuals who navigate dangerous situations with their highly effective teams every day.
Jon Becker founded AARDVARK at just seventeen years old. The company started out as a climbing equipment business, often selling gear to SWAT teams and operators. After attending law school and working in police litigation, Becker realized that the best way he could serve tactical operators was by producing and providing high quality gear and products that would enhance operator safety on the job. After AARDVARK’s expansion and success, Becker founded PROJECT7, a provider of purpose-built, scalable, and configurable tactical platforms. Throughout this decades-long journey, Becker has learned invaluable lessons about the lives and work of law enforcement and tactical operators, leading him to a deep understanding of the principles and core values behind highly effective teams. After keynoting for many years on the leadership of elite units and what he terms “culture-centric” leadership, Becker is putting those lessons into The Debrief, a non-profit podcast that serves the wider public.
Although The Debrief focuses on the stories of tactical officers and team leaders, the audience is much more broad: leaders from all spheres, including business, entrepreneurship, communications, healthcare, law enforcement, and much more, will be informed and inspired by the lessons The Debrief has to impart. Jon and guests will cover conversations that are relevant to leaders of any field, including accountability, psychology, risk taking, and collaboration. The primary goal of The Debrief is to share these stories in the hopes of making us all better leaders, better thinkers, and better people.
The Debrief is available wherever you find your podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, and Google Play. Visit www.thedebrief.live to stay updated on the latest episodes as they release.
MPU5 tactical networking device leverages advanced radio-over-IP tether to connect AN/PRC-148E Spear radio to mobile ad hoc network, delivering long sought-after warfighter capabilities
NEW YORK, N.Y.—May 11, 2022—Persistent Systems LLC (“Persistent”), a leader in mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) technology and Thales, a leader in tactical communication equipment, announced today that they will be showcasing a new combined tactical communications solution at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC), held May 16-19 in Tampa, Florida.
The Department of Defense has long desired a solution that delivers both a MANET and a tactical radio, and whose combined capability exceeds the sum of its parts. The Persistent-Thales solution does that by leveraging an advanced radio-over-IP capability to tether an AN/PRC-148E Spear radio to an MPU5, thus bringing the Spear on to the digital network as an IP talk group.
“Imagine a helicopter transmitting on an AM frequency to a dismounted ground team,” said Shane Flint, VP of Business Development at Persistent. “With traditional tactical radios, some users might receive the helicopter’s transmission and other users might not. But with a Spear/MPU5-equipped team, if any single Spear radio receives the helicopter’s transmission, the entire team will receive it.”
The slender AN/PRC-148E Spear weighs only 1.24 pounds and has programmable cryptography that supports the requirements of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) crypto modernization program.
The Spear radio connects to the MPU5 MANET device via a specially designed cable. This integration allows the MPU5 to remotely auto-configure settings and channel presets on the Spear to ensure the tethered solution “just works,” eliminating operator error and delivering a true plug-and-play capability.
“This capability was designed for combat operations, based on real-world feedback,” said Flint, “The goal was to deliver a simple, no fail solution that empowers the warfighter.”
Both Persistent Systems (Booth No. 1435) and the Thales (Booth No. 1029) will be showcasing this new capability at SOFIC. This game changing capability delivers the “tactical network” that the Special Operations community has been requesting.
Capable of functioning stand-alone as a next-gen battlefield tracking solution, Lynq PRO™ augments ATAK EUDs with secure LPI/LPD transmissions and the ability to establish a common operating picture in multidomain operations. Personnel and unmanned systems can infiltrate contested environments against near-peer adversaries without detection and locate active or incapacitated teammates.
Need to meet a demand on the fly? Lynq PRO™ Deployment Kits help users create mission profiles to match the requirement. Using the included Raspbery Pi, operators can pair devices in groups, naming devices and groups separately, and deploy mission data en mass. Further, operators can issue secure keys on demand for unbreakable encryption.
Lynq PRO™ Deployment Kits support a multitude of use cases, including remote advise and assist, where operators issue Lynq PRO™ to local forces with selective features enabled — allowing operators to track, navigate, and communicate with locals, while their position remains unknown to the local forces. This provides security and strategic advantage — as well as unprecedented communication, tactics, and performance with local forces.
Operators can also track equipment, like motorcycles and other assets involved in jumps where bundles need their own parachute. Operators can use Lynq PRO™ to find their landed assets in the field by navigating to those devices — i.e., Bravo Six can navigate to “Bravo Six Bike” from within the Lynq PRO™ menu natively, no need to even use an ATAK EUD.
In comms denied or comms dark operations, where other comms are too noisy or unavailable, Lynq PRO’s 1W radio provides extended comms range for persistent positioning, navigation, and timing. Operators can maintain contact with each other via Lynq PRO’s self-forming network over broad areas, allowing for communication and navigation, without the need for ATAK, radio, or GPS.
This makes Lynq PRO™ perfect for remote advise and assist: Operators can issue Lynq PRO™ to local forces with selective features enabled, allowing operators to track, navigate, and communicate with locals, while our operators position remains unknown to the local forces. This provides security and strategic advantage – as well as unprecedented communication, tactics, and performance with local forces.
While deployed, Operators can push new waypoints and objectives to local forces on demand, without the need to regroup or communicate via radio. After issuing new waypoint information and instructions, Operators can monitor the movement of local forces via Lynq PRO™ or a connected ATAK EUD, ensuring locals are performing and increasing coordination and mission success probability.
Training exercises realize significant benefits with the addition of Lynq PRO™ for:
Lynq PRO™ provides hardware redundancy as a single-hardware unit doing the work of what has traditionally been three or more devices: radio, GPS, ATAK EUD. Lynq PRO™ augments these capabilities by extending an ATAK network to individuals that don’t necessarily need a radio or EUD, but can benefit the fighting force with location tracking, navigation, and messaging. These data points and abilities provided by Lynq PRO™ create an enhanced battlefield IQ for fighting forces, without the need and expense of deploying triple the equipment at a massive cost.
Perfect for joint- and multi-agency operations, Lynq PRO helps overcome comms incompatibilities when combining resources from state, local, and federal agencies – as even neighboring cities and counties often have diverse comms infrastructure. Lynq PRO™ succeeds where others fail bringing messaging features, as well as providing location awareness and navigational capabilities – allowing a diverse group of agencies to be more connected and communicative than ever before, with minimal investment and training.
Lynq PRO™ works outside the military environment, allowing the benefits of persistent position, navigation, and timing to aid in wildland firefighting and search and rescue (SAR) operations. Using these abilities, firefighters and SAR teams can coordinate efforts, assist in man-down and rescue operations, and maintain a constant perspective on personnel position in the field.
Plus, Lynq PRO™ is designed for the future and is firmware upgradeable. As features develop, new capabilities are deployed via firmware update to enhance the capabilities of Lynq PRO™ for your teams. Overall, changing the way teams connect and share secure peer-to-peer location, data, and critical information for miles without networks or infrastructure, Lynq PRO™ is a force multiplier.
Lynq PRO™ Deployment Kits are available now from OTTO Communications. Visit OTTO at SOFIC Booth 2128, or contact OTTO today for more information or a Lynq PRO™ demonstration via www.otto-comm.com or 847-428-7171.
SITKA Gear’s purpose-built and engineered approach to design has in the past attracted the SOF community to its Wet Weather Protective solutions, notably the Cloudburst and Dewpoint systems.
SITKA Arrowhead combines proven STIKA Gear engineered designs, with Gore-Tex fabric solutions, to create a Wet Weather Protective (WWP) 3-piece system that can be relied upon to withstand and perform in the harshest environments.
GORE® GTX 3L 40d Nylon Ripstop with DWR (Durable Waterproof Repellency) is a durable, waterproof and breathable materials solution created for adverse and extreme wet weather conditions. This unique laminate solution keeps the end-user dry and comfortable, thus enabling them to perform effectively during a mission cycle. GORE-TEX fabrics are engineered to meet the highest level of protection, comfort, and durability.
YKK® USA AquaGuard® Water Repellent Zippers have a polyurethane film coating that helps shed water from the zipper opening. A DWR treatment to the polyester tape side increases the surface tension and adds an extra level of protection to prevent water leaking through. These no-fail zippers are strong, have a smooth operation and can be relied upon to withstand the harsh environments that our WWP products are designed for.
Trelleborg HANK™ 10oz is a flexible and extremely light weight High Abrasion Neoprene Kevlar (HANK), that belies the fabrics exceptional durability and waterproofness. Always focused on best-in-class materials to meet SITKA Arrowhead purpose-built design principles, the WWP Pant and Half Bib Pant MDW include reinforced insteps made with HANK™.
SITKA Arrowhead is focused on sourcing and developing best-in-class materials, to notably include Berry Compliant fabrics and trims for our WWP products.
SITKA Arrowhead is also committed to investing and up-levelling domestic manufacturing by developing new levels of competency, capability, and competitiveness that result in the production of premium technical apparel solutions for the Global SOF consumer.
SITKA Arrowhead will be at SOFIC (Booth #1823), attendees will have the opportunity to view the current product line – specifically developed for the SOF end-user – to notably include Berry Compliant best-in-class Wet Weather Protective (WWP) technical apparel solutions.
Find your nearest ARROWHEAD dealer here.
NEWINGTON, N.H., (May 12, 2022) – SIG SAUER is pleased to support Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation with an exclusive SIG MCX-SPEAR package for the Task Force Dagger SOF Auction and Raffle occurring in conjunction with the upcoming SOFIC (Special Operations Forces International Conference) show. Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation is a veteran-operated non-profit that aids wounded, ill, or injured US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) members and their families. This exclusive package includes a SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle in a 6.5 Creedmoor caliber, a TANGO6T riflescope, and a SIG SLX Suppressor. The auction opened on Monday, May 9th and will close on Tuesday, May 17th at 8:00pm.
“It is an honor for SIG SAUER to support the mission and programs of Task Force Dagger year after year in support of the Special Operations Community. This year with the excitement of our selection as the provider of the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapons Program (NGSW) and the SOFIC show we are hopeful that our donation of this MCX-SPEAR package will help to increase the success and reach of the Task Force Dagger Foundation programs within the SOF community,” said Jason St. John, Director, Government Products. “The MCX-SPEAR and the SLX Suppressor are the same platform and suppressor as the NGSW rifle. For this auction, the rifle is offered in the soon-to-be-released 6.5 Creedmoor caliber and paired with the popular TANGO6T riflescope currently in use in various set-ups throughout the military. With the excitement and demand of the MCX-SPEAR in the commercial market we are hopeful that this will inspire the bidding to benefit the organization.”
The SIG MCX-SPEAR rifle is an adaptable multi-caliber rifle featuring rear and side non-reciprocating charging handles, 6-position folding stock, ambidextrous fire control, bolt-catch, and mag release, 2-stage match trigger, 2-position adjustable gas piston, a lightened free-float M-LOK™ handguard, a full-length picatinny rail, and ships with (1) 20-round magazine.
The SIG SAUER SLX Series of suppressors are designed to drastically reduce toxic fume inhalation by the end-user and sound reduction. The SLX suppressors feature a monolithic core construction in Inconel, an internal multi-flow path to exhaust gases at a higher rate resulting in lower toxic fume inhalation, a sound-reducing baffle design, a flash reducing end cap, and are available with either the new Clutch-Lock QD mounting system for easy install and removal that offers an intuitive tactile locking ring with infinite radial locking positions or direct thread.
The SIG SAUER Electro-Optics TANGO6T optic is currently in use as the Direct View Optic (DVO), Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDMR) and the USSOCOM Squad-Variable Powered Scope (S-VPS). The SIG SAUER TANGO6T 1-6x24MM riflescope is available in first and second plane, and varying reticles including 5.56/7.62 Horseshoe Dot, HELLFIRE MOA Milling, HELLFIRE FL-6 and the new DWLR6.
The complete details of the SIG SAUER MCX-SPEAR package to benefit the Task Force Dagger SOF Auction are available on the auction website and bidding is open through Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 8:00pm.
DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah – Army Futures Command’s Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team kicked off its annual Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event, or EDGE, on May 2 to assess new tactics, technologies and interconnecting architectures with more than 16 inter-service organizations and seven international partners.
EDGE 2022 includes progressive efforts connecting Joint All-Domain Command and Control to the lower tier of the air domain by extending the reach and lethality of the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft Ecosystem to accelerate combined kill chains in all-domain operations. This year seven international partners; to include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and United Kingdom; are participating, some with network and weapons systems. This inclusion advances efforts to ensure integration and interoperability among allied nations.
“The EDGE experimentation is a powerful step in our transformation towards a data-centric Army,” said Lt. Gen. James Richardson, Acting Commanding General of Army Futures Command. “The effort continues our campaign of learning by focusing in on our aviation assets ability to network and utilize data as ammunition.”
EDGE22 objectives include:
Interoperability: Improve ability for allies and partners to coherently, effectively and efficiently act together to achieve tactical, operational and strategic objectives. Achieved across multiple dimensions: technical, procedural, human and information.
Network: Advance data-centric solutions and enable the speed, range and convergence to achieve decision dominance and overmatch.
Interactive Drone Swarm: Technology demonstration within Future Unmanned Aircraft System signature effort. Alters battlefield geometry providing tailored capability for threat overmatch through advanced teaming.
Multi-INT Sensors: Pursue tailorable payloads to include electronic sense, decoy and attack. Advance AI enabled aided target recognition to improve threat detect and identification.
Enhanced Sustainment: Increase systems’ reliability, availability and maintainability. Critical in contested and expeditionary logistic environments.
“We’re doing a couple really big things at EDGE22,” said Maj. Gen. Walter “Wally” Rugen, Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team director. “Pulling in our international allies is an important piece, and the interactive drone swarm, testing how that needs to be fought, seeing how that concept develops and what needs to go into our doctrine. The swarm is tailored to generate overmatch, this concept of outpacing the enemy in a battlefield geometry that breaks them.”
Bottom line, he said, is that our teams are working to innovate and to “execute violently to get after innovation.” The goal is to keep pushing the envelope, working these complex problems hard and taking the risk if it’s going to bring us better knowledge.
EDGE22 is part of AFC’s Project Convergence Campaign of Learning and builds on lessons learned from previous experimentations at our nation’s Western Test Ranges, including EDGE21 at Dugway Proving Ground and Project Convergence 21 at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
By Lisa Ferguson, AFC Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team
