Tactical Tailor

Posts Tagged ‘Eagle Industries’

Who Knew Todd McDunn Had Such Muscular Thighs?

Sunday, July 1st, 2012

20120701-100547.jpg

Black Ops Toys is offering this 1/6th scale Soldier Story 160th SOAR Nightstalkers – Pilot Todd McDunn Figure with Extra Ankle Pins, Muscular Slip On Thighs and Feet. Eagle Industies’ McDunn is well known as “McStache” due to his manly mustache. He is in fact, a Veteran of the famed Nightstalkers.

Interestingly, as we understand it anyway, this figure was molded directly from McDunn. It’s odd that they left his trademark facial hair off of the action figure, yet they decided to feature his equally renown muscular thighs. And, strangely enough, they gave his likeness freakishly large feet but forgot to include the normally associated appendage.

www.blackopstoys.com/catalog/soldier-story160th-soar-nightstalkers-pilot-todd-mcdunn-figure-pins-thig-p-3204

It’s Official – OCP Only Authorized Camo for USAF in OEF

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

We thought this had been a done deal awhile ago but apparently some USAF units were still deploying personnel to Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) in either the Airman Battle Uniform or Airman Battle System-Ground. However, Lt Gen Goldfein, AFCENT/CC has issued wear guidance (effective 1 April 2012) specifying equipment in OCP (MultiCam) as the only authorized for use in Afghanistan. In addition to the Army issued OCIE, the Tactical Flight Duty Uniform (By DRIFIRE and Eagle) and the legacy Desert Tan flight suit are also authorized for wear in OCP.

According to the memo, USAF personnel who are currently deployed with Digital Tigerstripe clothing and equipment, and do not conduct “outside the wire missions” will not be issued OCP replacements. Interestingly, we shouldn’t see combinations like the maintainer in the photo above. Finally, Airmen will wear cloth Aircrew Style Name Plates embroidered with their name, USAF and rank. Amazingly, those seem to work just fine in combat. Too bad the Air Force had to get rid of them in the late 90s for the BDU.

A Factory Closes And People Are Playing

Friday, March 30th, 2012

We see good and bad come out of comments. Today, we saw some bad. ATK recently announced the closing of the Eagle Industries plant in Fenton, Missouri, resulting in 325 workers losing their livelihood. Unfortunately, an SSD reader thought it would fun to create several comment logins and portrayed themselves not only as an employee of Eagle but also as a representative of another St Louis-based company. The comments were off color, and SSD would like to apologize to both companies, as well as the Eagle employees for the actions of the perpetrator. As you can see, they all share the same Cingular wireless IP and they are not in St Louis.

20120330-131259.jpg

20120330-130759.jpg

ATK’s Eagle Industries Closing Fenton Factory

Thursday, March 29th, 2012

Yesterday, Eagle Industries parent company ATK announced that they were closing the Fenton, Missouri factory in the next 60-90 days which has been in operation since 1989. About 325 workers will lose their jobs as Eagle begins to adapt to this new environment of decreased defense spending. Eagle will maintain an administrative presence in Fenton which will include research and development as well as business development. ATK has two additional Berry compliant production facilities in Puerto Rico which will continue to service Government contracts as well as a facility in the Dominican Republic.

ATK is also closing the former “Outers Laboratory” factory in Onalaska, Wisconsin which makes weapons cleaning products as well as rifle mounts and stocks. That facility has been producing equipment since 1933 under various owners and in the case of this closure, 130 will lose their jobs.

Unfortunately, this is a reality of the new resource constrained defense environment. As there are fewer procurement dollars available, the services will concentrate on refit and refurbishment as well as modernization of major end items such as trucks, tanks, aircraft, and ships. Less will be spent on clothing and individual equipment. In the case of most Soldier Systems products, they must be produced in the US. Cut backs mean there will be fewer domestic textile related jobs. Companies will be forced to make difficult decisions balancing revenues and costs. Make no mistake, in some cases, this will result in lost jobs.

www.eagleindustries.com

Eagle Stocking Program Update

Friday, January 20th, 2012

Here is list of the items that will be carried in the upcoming Eagle stocking program:

Multi-Mission Armor Carrier
Multipurpose Chest Rig with Ammo Pouches
Multipurpose Chest Rig
MCIRAS
FB Style Single Mag Pouch
Yote Pack
Hand Warmer Sleeve
Escape and Evade System
FB Style single M4 Mag pouch
3-Day Assault Pack
Medical First Aid Pouch
Utility Pouch
One liter Nalgene/Canteen Pouch
Operators Gun Belt
Operators Gun Belt Pad

Take This! Oh Yeah? Well, Take That!

Saturday, November 19th, 2011

In 2009, KDH and Eagle Industries entered into a teaming agreement to bid on production of the USMC’s Improved Modular Tactical Vests and Plate Carriers. KDH was awarded contracts for production of both systems by the Marines. Initial production samples were made but some issues arose over the Government’s design and consequently costs rose. Eagle says that KDH couldn’t come to an agreement on pricing so, in September, Eagle Industries sued KDH alleging, “refusing to honor previously established prices, by offering Eagle only take-it-or-leave-it pricing, and by threatening to use entities other than Eagle to perform work encompassed by the Teaming Agreement.”

Eagle vs KDH

Naturally, KDH filed their own suit against Eagle. However, this one is a little tougher to follow. Had they just countersued they would have had to file in Missouri. But their suit alleges an entirely different set of circumstances. This means that the KDH suit was filed in North Carolina. You might think that KDH is a Pennsylvania company but you see, they moved to their current ISO 9001 facility in Eden, North Carolina from Johnstown, Pennsylvania in early 2010 after the passing of defense appropriations sugar daddy Rep John Murtha. At any rate, according to KDH, Eagle bought some armor to fulfill a contract, that they never paid for. They want their paper!

KDH vs Eagle

Now, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that these two suits, while focusing on two seemingly separate issues, are actually symptoms of a larger issue of corporate discord.

The defense budget is shrinking. There won’t be as many contracts in the future, as we have seen over the last 10 years, so expect to see more of these types of suits filed as companies begin to deal with the new reality. Things are getting tough. However, considering what lawyers cost, they both may well end up losing even more money on these lawsuits than they would have had they just sucked it up and made things happen.

Multi Mission Kits

Friday, September 16th, 2011

About eight years ago USAF Security Forces worked with Eagle Industries to develop the Defensor Fortis Load Carrying System (DF-LCS). This was the first time that a load carrying system had ever been developed specifically for the Air Force’s largest career field, its security troops. They took lessons learned from other MOLLE-based systems and adapted it to their mission and standard loads. Initially adopted in OD Green since Woodland camo was the standard, the USAF has transitioned to their new Digital Tigerstripe Pattern. Consequently, the AF has switched to DF-LCS in Digital Tiger.

After the ADS garage sale, our friends at Tactical Distributors went in and worked with Tactical Fanboy to identify the best equipment left. Turns out there were a bunch of the Multi Mission Kit components of DF-LCS available. Manufactured by Eagle Industries, the Multi Mission Kit includes the Multi Mission Pack, a three day design with ample storage space, 2 ea vertical sustainment pouches and 2 ea horizontal utility pouches. These pouches are designed to expand the capacity of the MMP and further organize loads.

The MMP itself features internal organization pouches, two antenna / hydration ports, 2 external side compartments, External PALS webbing on pack waist belt, sides, bottom, and front, and a top drag handle. These are Made in USA, genuine Eagle Industries kits.

To check out all of Tactical Distributor’s sale items visit www.tacticaldistributors.com/sale

Eagle Flight Suits

Monday, July 25th, 2011

Eagle Ind Flight Clothing

At the beginning of the month, we let you know about the new commercial Tactical Flight Duty Uniforms (TFDU) authorized for wear by USAF C130 and HH60 crews in the CENTCOM AOR. This is the Eagle TFDU specified in the AFCENT instruction which has actually been available for several years and has seen service with other organizations. It is currently available in Tan and Sage Green. Reading through AFCENT 36-2903, it never specifies what color is required but implies Tan in para.3.7.3.3. Desert patrol cap or desert floppy hat, “boonie” is authorized for wear.

From the Instruction:

3.7.2. Procurement: Through rigorous AFE testing and flight testing, three sets of TFDUs have been approved for wear. The TFDU will be purchased with unit funds. Manufacturers who have met ACC requirements and styles authorized are:

Company: DriFire
Style(s):
1) Phoenix (sic) II (S)
2) Phoenix (sic) II (W)

Company: Eagle Industries
Style(s):
3) Tactical Aircrew Flight Suit Jacket
3) Tactical Aircrew Flight Suit Pants

www.eagleindustries.com