Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: ESLT) and Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced on July 09, 2008 that they'll be teaming up on the development of a laser-guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket called the Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket-Laser (GATR-L).

GATR-L is being designed and developed to provide an affordable and cost-effective precision-strike/precision-kill capability for fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft (i.e. helicopters), and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) a.k.a. unmanned aerial system a.k.a. unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms.

The GATR-L 70mm rocket (2.75" rocket) utilizes...

NASHVILLE, TN (July 15, 2008)- Sabre Defence Industries, LLC (SDI), a government contractor for the manufacture of machine gun parts and accessories and commercial XR15 rifles, is proud to announce that Sabre Defence has been awarded an IDIQ contract for a minimum of 4,952 M16A3 and 702 M16A4 rifles to support the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and foreign military customers. Nine bids were received with Sabre being only the third company in the 45-year M16 history, besides Colt and FN, to be awarded a contract to supply a Mil-Spec M16 to the U.S. government.

The M16 project will take place at Sabre Defence’s Nashville, Tennessee facility and is expected to be completed by end of December, 2010. Sabre’s growing reputation as a top quality manufacturer of XR model rifles in the commercial market will not be affected by the military contract. Production continues to meet demand of the highly accurate XR15A3 series rifles and new models are...

July 15, 2008

Usually, a police agency does not spend a lot of time utilizing unusual calibers or cartridges in its rifles for animal control. My town, which is a first ring suburb of a major mid-west city, is in an area known for record class whitetail deer. To protect my administration, I will not identify myself or the location. My department has allowed me to cull three problem whitetail deer with my 6.8 Remington SPC (6.8x43mm Remington SPC a.k.a. 6.8 SPC) chambered custom bolt gun. From that brief experience, I have been able to formulate a few opinions on its suitability as a patrol cartridge. In addition to being an avid prairie dog shooter, I have also hunted big game in several states from New York to Montana to Texas and have taken over thirty-five head of big game in South Africa and Namibia.

The 6.8 Rem. SPC bullets used to date on all three deer have been Hornady’s factory loaded 110gr V-max load that measured right at 2600fps from my 20” barreled custom rifle. The unique thing about this bullet is that it is designed for varmints and a starting velocity of over 3000fps. By starting out much slower than its original design, it performs much like a standard Sierra GameKing or Hornady Interlock bullet and gave through and through penetration on all three animals.

The first deer, a 140 pound yearling buck, was shot at...

U.S. troops are having to contend with new improvised weapons known as Improvised Rocket-Assisted Munitions a.k.a. Improvised Rocket Assisted Mortars, or IRAMs for short. IRAMs a.k.a. "aerial IEDs" are configured in linear arrays in the backs of tractor-trailer trucks and are comprised of metal cannisters that contain the 107mm rocket-assisted munitions, and from which they're launched. IRAMs are launched via remote control.

Since an IRAM is ground-launched in an arced trajectory, it can be launched over barrier walls that surround security zones and U.S. military bases. This aspect, combined with the relatively large explosion and barrage capability, make IRAMs...

DefenseReview would like to get some operational/combat data, including anecdotal information, about the terminal ballistic performance of the 6.8 SPC (6.8x43mm SPC a.k.a. 6.8mm SPC) in combat. So we'd like to request the assitance of any/all U.S. military Special Operations and law enforcement SWAT/SRT personnel in this endeavor.

If you or anyone you know can provide information on this, please email us at defrev at gmail dot com. Defense Review will keep your identity confidential, unless you instruct us otherwise.

DefenseReview is requesting this information, because we...

July 05, 2008

DefenseReview got the chance to test-fire two Israeli combat weapons during the firing demonstration portion of NDIA International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium 2008, which was held at the Tac-Pro Shooting Center. The two weapons we fired were the IMI-developed select-fire Negev Commando Version LMG/SAW 5.56mm NATO (5.56x45mm NATO) and Micro-Tavor M.T.A.R. 21 5.56mm NATO (5.56x45mm NATO) bullpup assault subcarbine/SBR, both of which are being manufactured and marketed in Israel by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Ltd., formerly a division of IMI (Israel Military Industries Ltd.). The IWI Negev Commando LMG/SAW is the compact Special Operations (SPECOPS) version of the IWI Negev LMG/SAW Standard Version, and the IWI Micro-Tavor is the compact subcarbine version of the standard IWI Tavor T.A.R. 21 5.56mm NATO assault rifle.

We should inform our readers right off the bat that we didn't get to put nearly as many rounds through either weapon as we would have liked. We did, however, enjoy firing them, and were generally impressed with their performance. We believe these weapons will...

DefenseReview would like to wish all of our readers a very Happy and Safe 4th of July. This is a particularly special one, due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in D.C. vs. Heller that the Second Amendment (2nd Amendment) enumerates and protects an individual right to bear arms for the purpose of self defense. While there was no discussion of the Second Amendment's true core purpose of ensuring the ability of citizens (i.e. individuals) to protect their liberty from oppressive and/or tyrannical government forces, we'll take it.

We here at Defense Review are...

We here at DefenseReview are big fans of Aimpoint products, particularly the CompM2 - M68/CCO (Close Combat Optic), CompM4 and Micro T-1 red dot combat sights, and the 3XMag magnifying optic. Aimpoint combat optics (optical sights) are combat proven and highly trusted by professional trigger pullers the world over, and for good reason. As the aforementioned products have demonstrated, the company isn't content to rest on its laurels, but rather is constantly innovating and developing new products that can assist the warfighter, LE professional, and civilian shooter.

That's why when Aimpoint's president, Lennart Ljungfelt, presented the Aimpoint BR8 Fire Control System (FCS) for infantry small arms and light weapons on May 22, 2008 during the Fire Control session at NDIA International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium 2008, it wasn't much of a surprise to Defense Review. Actually, DefRev missed Mr. Ljungfelt's lecture, but that doesn't mean we can't report on it. So, what's the BR8 FCS' purpose and how does it work?

The Aimpoint BR8 FCS is a...

defrev at gmail dot com

Speaking of sub-Hellfire-yield laser-guided missiles, Thales UK Air Systems Division (ASD) has introduced a new low-cost, lightweight multi-role missile called, appropirately enough, the Lightweight Multirole Missile (a.k.a. Lightweight Multi-role Missile)--or LMM for short--as a follow-on to the Starstreak Self-Propelled High-Velocity Missile (SP HVM) a.k.a. Starstreak Multi-role Missile (surface-to-air/surface-to-surface missile) and Starburst surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, leveraging technology from both platforms. The LMM can be deployed from/employed by both manned and unmanned fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter/rotorcraft systems.

According to Thales UK ASD officials, the LMM laser-guided multirole missile will be able to...

Back in May, DefenseReview learned that Raytheon is teaming with an Abu-Dhabi, UAE-based company called Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI) to create an advanced semi-active-laser-guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket under the moniker "Laser Guided Rocket" (LGR).

The concept, of course, is nothing new. Back in September of last year, DefenseReview reported on the sudden demise of the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket a.k.a. HELLFIRE Jr." a.k.a. "Mini-HELLFIRE" program, which followed the APKWS (no "II") program.

The goal of APKWS/APKWS II was to...

DefenseReview has been contacted by a number of journalists (reporters and writers) to get our take on the Northrop Grumman/EADS (Airbus) aerial refueling tanker aircraft contract award and subsequent Boeing protest situation. This is a big-deal situation, since our current fleet of KC-135 tanker aircraft are getting quite long in the tooth, and even the initial contract award is quite large: $35B (Billion) to $40 (depending on whose numbers you use) for 175 replacement aircraft. Ultimately, we could be talking about up to 500 aircraft for a total price tag of approx. $100 billion ($100B). In reality, of course, if history tells us anything, the actual pricetag will most likely be more than expected, so $100B is most likely a conservative estimate.

Well, here it is (our opinion): the U.S. Airforce absolutely made the right decision in choosing the EADS/Northrop-developed KC-45A tanker aircraft (a.k.a. KC-45, a modified Airbus A330 commercial aircraft) over the Boeing KC-767 Global Tanker Aircraft for the KC-X program. The concesus among aerospace and defense industry insiders with whom Defense Review has spoken is that...

Perhaps the single most exciting thing that happened at NDIA International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium 2008--away from the firing range, of course--was a confrontation between Jim Battaglini (Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James R. Battaglini) of Colt Defense and U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Mattes, the director of the Comparative Test Office for the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Advanced Systems and Concepts, while Col. Mattes was giving a speech and promoting the idea of an open competition to determine the best infantry/assault carbine that can be supplied to U.S. military infantry warfighters. Specifically, the purpose of the competition would be to determine whether or not the Colt M4 Carbine is still the best carbine solution for our warfighters, and if there might be a better (i.e. more reliable and combat-effective) carbine out there M4.

Col. Mattes wasn't the first to promote the open-competition idea. In a short May 21 speech at the symposium, Bryan O'Leary, National Security Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), also...

DefenseReview has covered the 6.8 SPC (a.k.a. 6.8 Remington SPC a.k.a. 6.8x43mm SPC a.k.a. 6.8mm Remington SPC a.k.a. 6.8mm SPC) round for quite some time now. We're a proponent of the cartridge, due to its superior efficacy over 5.56x45mm NATO (5.56mm NATO)/.223 Rem. within its (6.8 SPC) operational envelope of 400-500 yards, its grassroots-level development history, and the support it's garnered inside the U.S. Army Special Forces (SF) community and general SOCOM/Special Operations (SPECOPS) community.

Developed by elements within U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) a.k.a. 5th SF Group a.k.a. "5th Group" (with help from private industry like Precision Reflex, Inc., Remington Ammunition, Hornady Manufacturing, etc.) in order to achieve significantly-enhanced terminal ballistics over 5.56mm NATO for close quarters battle (CQB) a.k.a. close quarters combat (CQC) and short-to-medium-distance engagements, the 6.8 SPC's total development cost was approx. $5,000 (total development cost). This is according to one of the SF developers, who also happens to be a contact of ours. Understand that the 6.8mm SPC cartridge was developed totally outside the normal U.S. military small arms and ammunition development and procurement process that's currently ruled over by the U.S. Army Infantry Board Fort Benning, GA, Picatinny Arsenal/JSSAP (Joint Service Small Arms Program), and Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division. Because of this, the 6.8 SPC has been met with considerable resistance from the U.S. Army hierarchy, putting the cartridge's future in jeopardy.

In Defense Review's experience so far, any/all SF/SpecOps assaulters/operators that have tested or utilized 6.8 SPC have been...

15% less backface deformation signature (BDS), and thus reduced impact trauma a.k.a. blunt force trauma, with 10% reduction in overall (OA) weight, all in a 100% Kevlar, i.e. woven, high-strength ballistic aramid fiber, solution--this is the promise of DuPont Kevlar® XP™ woven ballistic aramid fiber for military and law enforcement (LE)/police body armor and other ballistic armor products (i.e. vehicle armor, aircraft armor, etc.) in the near future. Mark McGonagle, Global Marketing Manager for DuPont Personal Protection, describes Kevlar XP as a "patented, next-generation woven fiber technology that enables more comfortable, more flexible, lighter-weight ballistic vests made with Kevlar fiber."

From what DefenseReview understands at present, the key to the improved performance of Kevlar XP is

By Roger Charles, DefenseWatch

June 12, 2008

Thanks to an Air Force debarment action against Pinnacle Armor, manufacturer of Dragon Skin body armor, documents have been obtained, and witnesses deposed that provide hard evidence that the Army Acquisition capos fraudulently altered test reports to reflect the results desired by this band of criminal knaves.

And, they did so knowing full well the certain and fatal consequences that their unconscionable actions would have on America's Grunts.

Chuck Habermehl of Close Quarters Battle, Inc. (CQB, Inc.) recently sent DefenseReview a copy of his new book on small unit (squad) combat tactics and techniques called Combat Proven Tactics: Small Unit Urban Warfare Diagrams & Discussions, and I'll cut right to the chase: it's a great book. Habermehl has been involved in the tactical sciences for a long time, and it shows in this book. The tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) discussed and diagrammed in Combat Proven Tactics are comprehensive, well laid out, and applicable to both law enforcement and military tactical operations/Special Operations (SPECOPS).

Combat Proven Tactics covers just about every type of squad-level urban warfare/tactical operation you can think of, including, but not necessarily limited to...

Kevin Brittingham from Advanced Armament Corp. (AAC) just sent us a link to AAC's new blog at www.aacblog.com. The new AAC blog would appear to be the place to go for all the latest news on AAC silencers/sound suppressors and related products.

One of the blog entries shows pics of the new FN SCAR brochure, which saves us from having to do it. DefenseReview received a copy of this brochure at NDIA International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium 2008, and, well, it's a nice lookin' brochure. The brochure contains photos and info on all the FN SCAR weapons, including the 5.56x45mm NATO (5.56mm NATO)/.223 Rem. Mk16 SCAR-Light (Mk16 SCAR-L) a.k.a. FN SCAR-Light, 7.62x51mm NATO (7.62mm NATO)/.308 Win. Mk17 SCAR-Heavy (Mk17 SCAR-H) a.k.a. FN SCAR-Heavy, and 40mm Mk13 EGLM (Enhanced Grenade Launcher Module) a.k.a. FN SCAR-EGLM.

The AAC blog also has a heads-up on a

June 9, 2008

Paradigm Tactical Products Inc., maker of the FriskerPRO hand-worn metal detector/search device, has reportedly just received an order from U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group a.k.a. 5th Group for its latest discreet metal detector/covert body search device called Stealth Sensor. Looks like the 5th Group operators wanted a more discreet/covert detector than the FriskerPRO hand-worn metal detector, so as to make the searching process a safer enterprise for the searcher.

Apparently, FriskerPRO vibrated too much and...

Frank Borelli of Borelli Consulting has a product review up on a a weapons-mounted "Advanced Tactical Camera" made by Pacific Concepts ATC/HBD Inc. called the TacCam. While TacCam doesn't transmit live video and audio, it does store about an hour of it (A/V) on a 2-Gig SD card for after-action analysis of a tactical training session, shooting incident, or tactical op (tactical operation). TacCam offers a 30-frame-per-second capture rate with 640x480 VGA video resolution. Power is provided by two AA batteries, which can be AA-sized lithium batteries.

According to Borelli, "to achieve playback after the fact you can either connect the USB or RCA cables to play the video back on your computer or television, or you can remove the SD card and put it in your computer's chip slot." Sounds easy enough.

The TacCam Advanced Tactical Camera (ATC)...

For the last 4 months, DefenseReview has been using a Blackhawk! Medium A.L.E.R.T. Bag tactical load out bag for travel to industry trade shows and other destinations, and the verdict is in. We like it! The bag holds a lot of stuff for its size and is exceptionally easy to travel with thanks to its retractable handle and skate wheels.

Matt Willette, Special Operations Business Development Manager (Western Region) for Blackhawk! Products Group (BPG) and a friend/professional contact of ours rush-delivered the bag to us in late January for SHOT Show 2008. The bag proved to be an absolute godsend for us, since it allowed us to...