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AUSA – Bluewater Defense & Vorbeck Introduce Wearable Antenna

Wednesday, October 14th, 2015

I walked up to the Bluewater Defense booth and noticed that they were sharing it with an electronics company named Vorbeck. Intrigued, I introduced myself to the Vorbeck team and they started to show me what they were up to. About a minute into the presentation on their flexible 4G LTE antenna I was hooked.

The technology is a printed graphene broadband antenna on a thin substrate that can be encapsulated between pieces of fabric for concealment into clothing or equipment. Testing indicates it doubles the range of a cell phone.

The frequency range is 824-894, 1850-1990, and 2400-2500 MHz. Additionally, it has 50 Ohms impedance and 2:1 VSWR ratio. While it’s currently tailored for 4G, the technology offers a great deal of opportunity. In addition to cellular use for transmitting voice and data, it can also be used for Tagging, Tracking & Locating of friendly, threat and other targets of interest. I can’t wait to see how Bluewater Defense integrates this technology into clothing and lad carriage.

Tags: Bluewater Defense, Vorbeck
Posted in AUSA, Comms, Materials | 6 Comments »

AUSA – Tacteris

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

Finally, a rival to the PowerPoint Ranger. Meet, MDMP Ninja.

Actually, Tacteris has developed a collaborative mission planning software called Maestro.

Features:
-3D map view
-Easy-to-learn drag & drop interface
-Over 1000 military symbols (MIL-STD 2525/APP-6)
Mission/task symbology
-Control measures for a wide variety of sub-plans (ISTAR, Indirect Fire, Engineering, etc.)
-Over 100 standard map formats including GeoTIFF
-Common terrain elevation models
-Coordinate formats: MGRS, UTM, Lat/Long
-Standalone application (no servers/networks required)
-ITAR Free (Product of Canada)

www.tacteris.com

Tags: Tacteris
Posted in AUSA, Digitization | 10 Comments »

AUSA – FirstSpear

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

FirstSpear is displaying their wares in the Point Blank booth.

Tags: FirstSpear
Posted in AUSA | 8 Comments »

AUSA – Cejay Engineering Flexi Folder

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

Cejay Engineering has dome up with a way to organize their growing catalog of Flex Lights. The Flexi Folder is made in the USA by www.tacticaltailor.com and offers four leafs with elastic bands or Velcro field in order to better customize storage.

As you can see, everything folds up neatly and zips closed. Tubular nylon serves as carrying handles.

www.cejayengineering.com

Tags: Cejay Engineering, Tactical Tailor
Posted in AUSA, Load Carrying | Comments Off on AUSA – Cejay Engineering Flexi Folder

AUSA – OTTO Handheld Audio Recording Interface System

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

Currently undergoing evaluation by the US Air Force, OTTO’s Handheld Audio Recording Interface System (HEARS) is a 6-pin cable mounted recording device which goes between the hand/headset and radio. It records up to 100 hours of traffic in .wav format which can be downloaded directly to an Android device, but relax, there’s an on/off switch. HEARS has a battery life of 15 hours.

www.ottoexcellence.com

Tags: OTTO
Posted in AUSA, Comms | 3 Comments »

AUSA – Gerber Silver Trident

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

While Gerber’s Silver Trident isn’t exactly brand new, I don’t feel that it has received the attention it deserves.

A William Harsey, Jr. and Chief Watson (a founding member of Navy Seal Team 2) design collaboration, the Silver Trident features a 6.5″ double serrated blade made from 154CM. The handle is overmolded with two densities of Hytrel, a rubbery compound, with a rock hard center and softer, textured outer layer. The steel butt is meant for hammering and the knife comes with a ballistic nylon sheath.

www.gerbergear.com

Tags: Gerber
Posted in AUSA, Knives | 9 Comments »

AUSA – SIG SAUER MCX in 7.62×39

Monday, October 12th, 2015

This is a 7.62×39 variant of the MCX. Interestingly, it’s fitted with a new folding stock that has been developed for European security forces who wear helmets with ballistic visors. This pairing generally won’t be seen operationally.

www.sigsauer.com

Tags: Sig Sauer
Posted in AUSA, weapons | 19 Comments »

AUSA – Team Wendy Unveils X2 Scalable Helmet Prototype

Monday, October 12th, 2015

I have to say that I was astounded at what I found in the Team Wendy booth. When you first see their X2 Scalable Helmet Prototype it looks pretty much like their Exfil Ballistic but without rails. Turns out, they’ve integrated a whole bunch of new tech into the design.

Once they removed the shell, you could start to see some serious differences. While this version was a 3D printed prototype, they are capable of making different shells for different threat levels. Beneath the shell is a carbon fiber bump helmet, that can be used alone. If you’re following the logic, you can buy one helmet for both ballistic and bump applications. What’s more, new shells can be crafted as threats arise and material technology improves. Instead of purchasing new helmets, you could be purchasing new components.

You can see the honeycomb lining with forward canted vents to help keep the air cool.

This honeycomb construction not only aids in structural strength and ventilation but also serves as a crumple zone during impacts in order to absorb impact. They are constructed of a flexible polymer using additive manufacturing technology and features a gradient in durometer. They are soft against the head and stiffer the further out they go.

Below, you can see the bolt less retention system.

Below is a closeup of the fixed front shroud.

Finally, you can see their new accessory attachment system called Gear Utilization Tactical Rail (GUTR) along both sides and the rear of the helmets. It is also used to secure the ballistic shell.

While the TW-X2 is still a tech development effort, it certainly changes the realm of the possible in helmets.

www.teamwendy.com

Tags: Team Wendy
Posted in AUSA, Helmets | 16 Comments »