by David Crane defrev at gmail.com November 8, 2007 If DefenseReview is to believe what it’s been reading over the last few weeks in the "mainstream press", body armor and other types of ballistic armor (vehicle armor and bomb-resistant panels, for instance) utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may be upon us, soon. We’ll see. What we do know is that two …

by Roger Charles August 30, 2007 United States Test Laboratory in Wichita, Kansas, last week (August 20) tested nine separate, serialized Dragon Skin SOV-2000 (Level III) ballistic body armor panels that varied in age from 5 years-9 & 1/2 months to 6 years-8 months. The purpose of this test was to validate Pinnacle Armor’s six-year warranty for Dragon Skin products. …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com This article may be modified/updated with new information in the coming days, so readers might want to check back in (to this article) over the next week. August 15, 2007 In late February 2006, DefenseReview broke the story on a developmental (but functional) prototype remote-controlled armed/weaponized semi-autonomous/fully-autonomous unmanned mini-helicopter called the AutoCopter Gunship, which …

by David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com July 30, 2007 Back in April, DefenseReview published a short article on our approx. 1000-round range session with Ferdie Sy’s select-fire 5.56x45mm NATO (5.56mm NATO)/.223 Rem. FERFRANS Specialites SOAR CQB Subcarbines/SBRs (Short Barreled Rifles) and 7.62mm NATO/.308 Win. SOPMOD M14/M1A EBR (Enhanced Battle Rifle)-type rifle/carbine. In that article, we promised you photos. …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com June 27, 2007 Earlier this month (June 2007), we published an article on an ad hoc anti-EFP (Explosively Formed Projectile a.k.a. Explosively Formed Penetrator) armoring solution utilizing glass laminate armor (a.k.a. bullet-resistant glass a.k.a. transparent armor) to destabilize the EFP and redirect its kinetic energy laterally via "spiderwebbing" (glass shattering laterally and vertically). Since …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com It’s been reported that IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) account for approx. 70% of all combat casualties in Iraq. Well, there’s a specific type of IED coming out of Iran that’s been wreaking havoc on Coalition troops recently, and against which MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles like the Cougar, RG33, and Golan armored vehicles …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com Ever since the recent active-shooter incident at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA), DefenseReview has been thinking about any/all technologies that could help law enforcement personnel–both SWAT and 1st Responders– deal with this type of threat. You may remember video footage of law enforcent 1st Responders (patrol officers, as usual) positioned outside the building–hiding behind trees …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com All photographic images contained in this article were taken by DefenseReview.com, and they are the exclusive property of DefenseReview.com. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. All photos were shot with a 7.2-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot digital camera (Model #: DSC-P150). March 24, 2007 Back in late October, 2006, DefenseReview published a short heads-up-style piece …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com The SmartCheck Personnel Screening System, manufactured by American Science and Engineering, Inc. (AS&E) has been getting a lot of press, lately. SmartCheck is a high-tech airport security system / anti-terrorism system that utilizes a patented technology called Z Backscatter, which is based on the X-Ray Compton Scattering effect. The Z-Backscatter tech is interesting in …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com A company called FreeLinc recently introduced a tactical headset for military Special Operations Forces (SOF), law enforcement swat teams, and PSC/PMC PSD/Security Operators called the FreeMotion 200 that represents a significant development in secure tactical communications–the key word being "secure". Of course, there are a number of companies out there making high-quality tactical headsets …