by David Crane david@defensereview.com Back in February (2006), DefenseReview briefly discussed the new and improved MGI QCB (Quick Change Barrel) Upper Receiver system and MGI D-Fender "D-Ring" in our article titled DefRev Quick Hits 3 from SHOT Show 2006: And the Hits Keep Comin’. We got to handle and examine both of these items, as well as MGI’s Modular Lower …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Over the last several months, DefenseReview has been reporting on a visual cloaking technology (a.k.a. adaptive camouflage technology a.k.a. electro-optical camouflage technology a.k.a. chameleonic camouflage technology) that’s claimed to have been developed by Advanced American Enterprise (AAE) for manned ground vehicles, UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles)/Ground Robots (including weaponized UGVs like SWORDS), infantry warfighters (i.e. human beings), and helicopters (both …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com DefenseReview first reported on the M16 Clinic AR-15/M16/M4/M4A1-platform 5.56x45mm subcarbine/SBR (Short-Barreled Rifle) weapons packages back in December, 2004. That first article discussed the select-fire/full-auto,  SOPMOD M4 CQBR (Close Quarters Battle Receiver)-style M16 Viper and M16 Viper-XRP (eXtra-Range/Perimeter) 5.56mm subcarbines/SBRs, which are built specifically for military Special Operations applications, including anti-terrorism/counterterrorism operations. These weapons would appear to …

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 at defensereview.com On March 27, 2006, DefenseReview published an article on the Ultimax 100 MK4 LMG/SAW (magazine-fed), which appears to have been developed to meet the U.S. Marine Corps’ (USMC) stated requirements for a "Non-developmental, 5.56mm, Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR)". That article was titled Ultimax 100 MK4: Best Choice for USMC Infantry Automatic Rifle (IAR)? Video …

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 – Vltor Weapon Systems is now manufacturing Russian-type 7.62mmx54R (7.62x54mm) PKM General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG) for U.S. military forces. It’s our understanding that the Vltor PKMs will be used for familiarization training, and possibly OPFOR (just seems logical). DefRev got to view and handle one of these guns at the Vltor booth, and …

by David Crane david at defensereview.com DefenseReview.com has received video footage of a weaponized version of the AutoCopter self-stabilized unmanned mini-helicopter being tested for the first time in sunny Huntsville, Alabama (The download link for this video is further down in this article.). The AutoCopter is made by Neural Robotics Incorporated (NRI), and the armament/weapons portion of the package is …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com This is our second installment of "Quick Hits" from SHOT Show 2006 for our readers. Again, these are quick blurbs on items that we believe to be significant. DefenseReview will be reporting more in-depth on these technologies, later. — Cobb Manufacturing Inc. displayed their BA50 .50 BMG Anti-Materiel/Sniper rifle/carbine, at their booth, and one of the …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com DefenseReview is going to be publishing articles (with photos and possibly even audio interviews) on a good number of technologies that interested us at SHOT Show 2006. But, just to get the ball rolling, the following are some "quick hits" on these items, just to get the ball rolling: — Vltor Weapon Systems blew a lot …