by David Crane david at defensereview.com Optical Cloaking Technology for Urban Warfare and Counterinsurgency Operations According to Dr. R. A. Zeineh (a.k.a. "Dr. Z"), his company’s (Advanced American Enterprises) IR-Stealth 4.B combination thermal/IR (infrared)/night vision (NV) stealth system could have protected Israeli infantry warfighters from Hezbollah guerrilla fighters in Lebanon. One of the recent new documents we’ve received from AAE …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com 1) Trijicon, Inc. is currently making a combo optic comprised of a TA31 ACOG with a DOCTERsight monted on the top/rear, called the Trijicon TA31DOC. The TA31DOC ACOG is a BAC (Bindon Aiming Concept) 4×32 dual-illumination (fiber optic/tritium) optical gunsight calibrated for 5.56mm (5.56x45mm) flat-top rifles out to 600 meters (600m). This new combo sight was …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com DPMS Panther Arms is currently making a civilian-legal replica of the semi-auto-only 5.56mm (5.56x45mm) U.S. Army Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDM-R), which is designed to allow squads to engage enemy targets at ranges of 600 meters (600m). According to the 2005 U.S. Army Field Manual, "The primary mission of the SDM [Squad Designated Marksman] is to …

by Iddo Genuth The technology for rearming aircraft with weapons in midair might soon be a reality. This revolutionary technology would enable combat missions, currently requiring dozens of aircraft, to be performed by very few, and to carry out numerous missions by unmanned combat aircraft without returning to base. Airborne rearming might prove to be as significant as the airborne …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com The great Jeff Cooper, a.k.a. "father of modern pistolcraft" has died. According to Ed Head, Operations Manager at Gunsite Academy, Inc., Col. Cooper passed away peacefully at his home on the afternoon of September 25 (2006). Col. Jeff Cooper was the progenitor of the "modern pistol technique", or "modern technique of the pistol", which utilized the …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com This just in: Pinnacle Armor, Inc.’s SOV-2000 Dragon Skin has just passed all NIJ Level III ballistic testing/requirements at USTL (United States Test Laboratory). Official NIJ Level III certification should come in approx. 3-4 weeks, but it will come. Pinnacle Armor company officials have told us that it’s a done deal. This is BIG news for …

by Jim Jensen Assault Rifle/Carbine with interchangeable bolts, barrels and magazine wells can shoot 5.56mm, 7.62mm Russian, and 7.62mm NATO bullets Iraq: ”Ping” “ping” “ping” an U.S. Army light infantry Soldier firing from the top cargo hatch of a BAE Systems M113 APC (Armored Personnel Carrier)/armored vehicle is placing well-aimed 5.56mm (5.56x45mm/.223 Remington) M16A2/A4 rifle shots on an Iraqi rebel …

The following is a MSA press release: MSA [Mine Safety Appliances Company] has announced it has purchased Paraclete Armor and Equipment, Inc. of St. Pauls, N.C., a rapidly growing innovator and developer of advanced ballistic body armor used by military personnel, including Special Forces units of the U.S. military. Paraclete Armor, which employs approximately 200 people and had annual revenues …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Back in February (2006), DefenseReview briefly discussed the new and improved MGI QCB (Quick Change Barrel) Upper Receiver system and MGI D-Fender "D-Ring" in our article titled DefRev Quick Hits 3 from SHOT Show 2006: And the Hits Keep Comin’. We got to handle and examine both of these items, as well as MGI’s Modular Lower …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Greg Grant has written an interesting article for DefenseNews.com about Hizbollah’s (Hezbollah’s) "innovative" (Grant’s term) use of man-portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems. Mr. Grant cites several examples of Hezbollah’s "innovative" urban warfare/guerrilla warfare tactics with ATGMs. 1) Hizbollah guerilla fighters "swarmed" Israeli Merkava MBTs (Main Battle Tanks)–including possibly Merkava Mk4 MBTs–and fired at the sides …