by David Crane david@defensereview.com All photos contained in this article were taken by, and are the exlusive property of, DefenseReview.com. Click on photos below to view them full-size. Low-profile armored vehicles have become an extremely important tactical element in security operations OCONUS, in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. To help fulfill this need, First Choice Armor and Equipment, Inc. (FCA) …

by John Higgs All photos contained in this article were provided by Jenny Higgs, and are the property of John Higgs and Jenny Higgs. Click on photos to view them full-size. Martin Beale held up his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart and told me, “The technological advancement of para-aramid fibers has progressed about this far in the last forty years. …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Any military or law enforcement Spec-Operator tasked with employing a tactical shotgun for a living should take a serious look at the Polyshok I.R.P. 12-gauge shotgun round. "I.R.P" stands for "Impact Reactive Projectile", and this specialized shotgun round is designed specifically to maximize stopping power against enemy combatants or hostile subjects (especially hostage-takers), while minimizing the …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com The U.S. military is currently working with a spray-on elastomeric polymer coating that can perhaps stop everything from bomb fragments to bullets. The exact elastomeric polymers the U.S. military is working with are polyurethane and polyurea, which can be combined with each other. The main selling point for spray-on polymer armor is that its very light …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com DefRev has been using both the Hatch SOG-L50, SOG-L75 Operator "Shorty" tactical gloves, and SOGL-100, and SOGL-150 Operator tactical gloves w/gauntlet for awhile now, and we’ve been extremely impressed with them. The model I use the most as my personal shooting gloves are the SOG-L75 Operator "shorty" gloves in O.D. green. They are SUPER comfortable. And, …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Awhile back, DefRev published a story on the Rabintex Attack Helmet, which is currently the lightest IIIa rated combat/tactical helmet in the world. The Attack Helmet is just one example of Israeli technological innovation of late with regard to products with military Spec-Ops and LE SWAT applications. Well, Rabintex is back, this time with a body …

A new bullet-proof backpack is on the scene. Made by Safe-T-Gear, the backpack is designed to make people a little safer in an uncertain world. The backpack contatains a panel of level II kevlar. For more details, you can visit Safe-T-Gear’s site by clicking here. Worth checking out.

By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com November 17th, 2002 Every once in awhile, as the editor of Defense Review, I have the rare and somewhat distinct pleasure of handling and firing a firearm that is not only brand spanking new, but actually manages to knock my socks off. Please keep in mind that I did not expect Heckler …

FN Five-SeveN Pistol FN Five-SeveN Pistol: Future of Things to Come? by: T.J. Mullin At the turn of the century when military handguns first were being chambered for smokeless cartridges, there was a tendency to make them in the same bore size as their military rifle counterparts. This is why we have .30 and .32 caliber revolvers in Sweden, Norway …