By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com March 15, 2010 Human Events is reporting that the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) fighter/attack aircraft’s per-unit cost has skyrocketed to $112 million, and The New York Times is reporting that the F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) fighter/attack aircraft has ballooned in cost from 60-90 percent in real …

By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com February 9, 2010 While DefenseReview was chatting with John “Chappy” Chapman at the Laser Devices, Inc. booth at SHOT Show 2010, he told us we absolutely had to go take a look at the PWS Enhanced Buffer Tube, MilSpec, which is designed to replace the standard buffer tube on tactical AR (AR-15) …

By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com December 31, 2009 Since we just published a heads-up piece on the CzechPoint/CZ vz. 58 7.62x39mm Russian caliber semi-auto tactical rifle/carbine for the civilian tactical shooting market, we might as well touch on the next-gen Czech Republic army’s assault rifle/carbine–and the military (select-fire/full-auto) vz. 58’s replacement–the CZ S805 assault rifle/carbine, which was …

By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com December 28, 2009 A company called CzechPoint, Inc. is legally importing Czechoslovakian (Czech Republic) CZ Sa vz. 58 sporter/tactical rifles/carbines and vz. 61 Skorpion submachine guns (SMGs). The CZ Sa vz. 58 rifle/carbine series (7.62x39mm) is the most interesting offering, to us. It’s being marketed as being superior to the Kalashnikov AK-47/AKM …

By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com June 16, 2009 It looks like the whole metamaterial/negative-index material movement just got another shot in the arm with the development of an "acoustic metamaterial lens" that can theoretically create an acoustic/sonic "invisibility cloak" a.k.a. "cloak of silence" capable of hiding military submarines from enemy detection. DefenseReview first reported on metamaterials a.k.a. negative-index …

By David Crane defrev (at) gmail (dot) com May 29, 2009 While Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ decision to halt production of the costly Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor low-observable/stealth fighter aircraft is perhaps not the best long-term strategic decision he could have made, it’s certainly understandable. Given the U.S. government’s–and thus DoD’s–current money crunch vs. the program’s high cost and lack …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com Photo(s) Credit: Doug Richardson, Special Weapons for Military & Police (SWMP) May 8, 2009 If you’d like a more traditional platform for the 5.45x39mm Russian cartridge, than the Smith & Wesson (S&W) M&P15R semi-auto AR-15 tactical carbine, the April 2009 issue of Special Weapons for Military & Police (SWMP) (Gun Buyer’s Annual …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com April 18, 2009 Updated on May 6, 2009 Airtronic USA, Inc. has more up their sleeve than just an Americanized RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher. They’ve also got a pretty nifty 4-shot (3+1) pump-shotgun-config pump-action 40mm multiple grenade launcher (MGL) (a.k.a. multi-shot grenade launcher) system a.k.a 40mm pump grenade launcher system. The weapon …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com April 13, 2009 Updated on 4/26/09. My good friend and professional contact, prolific infantry small arms/machine gun designer Jim Sullivan (a.k.a. L James Sullivan), has complained to me quite a bit about U.S. military infantry warfighters not having an American version of the Russian RPG-7 / RPG-7V shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade weapon …

By David Crane defrev at gmail dot com September 28, 2008 A company out of Apopka, Florida called Spike’s Tactical is making and marketing some interesting products, including Class III AKM SBRs built on the Arsenal SLR 107UR Krink shorty AKM (updated Kalashnikov AK-47 with stamped receiver). Spike’s is building these guns in 7.62x39mm Russian (7.62mm Russian) and 5.56x45mm NATO …