by David Crane david@defensereview.com Some folks at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), a.k.a. NAVAIR Weapons Division (China Lake, CA), are currently developing a "man-packable, shoulder-launched guided missile" system for U.S. infantry warfighters called SPIKE. The developmental system is essentially a low-cost, compact, and lightweight man-portable shoulder-fired fire-and-forget missile system that incorporates three separate guidance modes–inertial, laser, and imaging …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. recently introduced a new semi-auto bullpup .50 BMG anti-materiel/sniper rifle at NDIA Small Arms Symposium 2006. We’ve been told by an outside source that the new rifle is called the XM500 (or XM-500), but we don’t have confirmation on this designation, yet. The only info we have on the new .50 Cal. …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com DefenseReview has a little snack-size treat for all of the fans (like us) of the Auto Assault-12 Full-Auto Shotgun (AA-12 Shotgun).  It’s a photo of the weapon system and 20-shot drum mag (magazine). Both are outfitted with urban camouflage (urban camo) finish. The Grip Pod System vertical foregrip/bipod and Surefire M900-series vertical foregrip/tactical white light, both in dark earth finish, are also …

Warning: This article contains graphic images of animial necropsies being conducted after live animal tests (ballistic tests) were performed with Le Mas BMT ammunition.  "BMT" stands for "Blended Metal Technology", which is a trademark, not a description of bullet composition.  Click on photos (below) to view them full-size.  The following is a DefenseReview exclusive: The study of wound ballistics is based on …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com Back in November, 2005, DefenseReview published a press release on the Cougar Joint Explosive Ordnance Rapid Response Vehicle (JERRV) and Buffalo Mine Clearance Vehicle made by Force Protection, Inc. (a.k.a. Force Protection Industries, Inc.). We’ve been hearing good things about the performance of these armored vehicles in the Sandbox (theater of operations), and recently …

by Frank Borelli, Borelli Consulting frank at borelliconsulting.com with thanks to John Giduck Not long ago I read through the book, Terror At Beslan: A Russian Tragedy with Lessons for America’s Schools by John Giduck (review of the book here). The book so convinced me that we in law enforcement are training for the wrong threat (Active Shooter) that I …

by David Crane david (at) defensereview (dot) com May 19, 2006 In our article Defrev Quick Hits 4 from SHOT Show 2006: More Tactical Goodies, we included information about the SOPMOD AK, a modernized AKM/Kalashnikov rifle/carbine with 4-sided/quad-rail Mil-Std-1913 rail system/forend rail tube.  This weapons package will soon be offered by Blackheart International, L.L.C. (BHI), which looked like a pretty slick …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com Last year, DefenseReview received some interesting (and disturbing) video footage of an Edinburgh Risk and Security Management (ERSM) PSD/Security Operator team getting ambushed by Iraqi insurgents/terrorists in Baghdad, Iraq, while conducting Operation APOLLO.  The contact occurred on the morning of April 20, 2005 (4/20/2005) on the infamous BIAP Road. This was a small arms contact.  The enemy was …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com In our latest article on Pinnacle Armor SOV/Dragon Skin body armor, DefenseReview discussed the extensive and unrefutable (unclassified) ballistic test data on Dragon Skin that we recently viewed with our own eyes. This data was compiled by three different well-known ballistic test centers (ATC, USTL, and H.P. White). In fact, to my knowledge, I …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com DefenseReview has received a short video clip from Vltor Weapon Systems that shows their VIS-1 monolithic-type (one-piece) carbine-length upper receiver/Mil-Std-1913 rail system attached to an M4/M4A1 Carbine-config select-fire lower receiver and being run on full-auto at an outdoor range. The weapon is outfitted with a Vltor Carbine/collabsible Modstock, EOTech 552 HWS/HDS (Holographic Weapon Sight/HOLOgraphic Diffraction …