by David Crane defrev at gmail.com November 21, 2007 FERFRANS Specialties, manufacturer of the select-fire FERFRANS SOAR series AR-platform 5.56mm NATO/.223 Rem. weapons and new Fast Acquisition Sight (FAS) combat optic, is developing a semi-drop-in gas-piston/op-rod system for AR-15/M16-variant carbines and subcarbines/SBRs (Short-Barreled Rifles). In fact, the company has sent us photos of a prototype 6" test weapon (displayed below) …

By Charlie Cutshaw Revolutionary is a word that is occasionally inappropriate, but sometimes it is about the only word that fits. Suppose we told you that we had fired a new AR based rifle that didn’t need lubrication? And suppose we told you that it really didn’t need regular cleaning, either? Finally, suppose we told you that this new AR …

by David Crane defrev@gmail.com November 14, 2007 DefenseReview recently received an interesting document on a proposed recoil-attenuation system a.k.a. recoil-mitigation system for firearms, everything from infantry small arms up to cannon systems. It comes from inventor Dr. R.A. Zeineh a.k.a. Dr. Z., the man behind the first laser scanner and the AAE Cloaking / Adaptive Camouflage system for infantry personnel …

by David Crane defrev@gmail.com Speaking of NDIA Small Arms Symposium 2007, DefenseReview also got to test-fire two of the latest "tactical plastic" (i.e. polymer) .45 ACP pistols, the Glock 21SF (G21SF) and the Smith & Wesson M&P45. Both weapons were very comfortable to handle and shoot, but we had some trouple hitting steel pepper poppers initially with the Glock 21 …

by David Crane defrev@gmail.com October 22, 2007 Piasecki Aircraft Corp. (PAC) has designed and developed a compound helicopter called the X-49A Speedhawk, which utilizes a Sikorsky YSH-60F Seahawk helicopter as the base airframe. The Seahawk is a marine version of the UH-60 Black Hawk heliocopter series. The Speedhawk’s “compound” aspect is comprised of wings for additional lift and a vectored-thrust …

By Roger Charles DefenseWatch 10-17-2007 UPDATE to following article: Two congressional sources report that the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (on the staff of the Secretary of Defense) caught the Army’s attempted exemption of current Interceptor vendors from independent testing, as allowed in the original solicitation. Under pressure from DOT&E, in August the Army issued a modification not listing …

By David Crane defrev@gmail.com October 18, 2007 While we’re on the subject of MOUT / urban warfare tactics a.k.a. urban combat tactics, DefenseReview was recently sent information on a new combat optic (optical sight) being introduced by FERFRANS Specialties for tactical / urban warfare applications. DefRev readers might remember the piece we published on the SOPMOD M4/M4A1 CQBR-type FERFRANS SOAR …

By GySgt Will Falcon, USMC (res.) Tampa, Florida October 16, 2007 One of the primary challenges of MOUT (Military Operations in Urban Terrain) / Urban Warfare Operations (a.k.a. Urban Combat Ops) is how to use the urban surroundings so that the physical environment becomes an advantage rather than a handicap to our soldiers. Accomplishing this goal will provide both defensive …

by Roger Charles DefenseWatch October 15, 2007 When NBC News had a German lab conduct side-by-side, comparative tests of Pinnacle Armor’s Dragon Skin and the Army’s Interceptor Body Armor System on May 3 earlier this year, the real surprise was how well the Interceptor ESAPI (Level IV) plates performed. Yes, that’s right. The Army acquisition mafia "got lucky" in Germany, …

by David Crane defrev at gmail.com October, 15, 2007 On August 29, 2007, DefenseReview published an article on U.S.T.L. (United States Test Laboratory), an NIJ-certified lab, validating Pinnacle Armor’s 6-year warranty for Dragon Skin SOV-2000 Level III, per NIJ’s requirements. Pinnacle’s SOV-2000 Dragon Skin passed the U.S.T.L. test, and proved that it will hold up and maintain it’s ability to …