There was a time when a 40-round magazine seemed to be almost de rigueur for an automatic rifle, then they seemed to fall out of fashion.

Now it looks as though where the iconic RPK led, MagPul follows.  Today they announced their 40-round M3 PMAG, specifically designed to be fully compatible with many types of AR and NATO STANAG platforms….

The 40-round PMAG is only 2 1/8″ longer than its 30-round brother but gives you 10 more rounds.  The M3 PMAGs feature a re-designed bolt catch notch and a protruding lip on the magazine spine to prevent over-insertion into the mag well – which would cause a stoppage.

The M3 PMAGs also incorporate new material technology and manufacturing processes for enhanced strength, durability, and reliability to exceed military specifications.

Finally, modified internal and external geometry permits operation with a wide range of non Colt-spec platforms such as the HK® 416 and MR556A1, M27 IAR, British SA-80, FN® SCAR™ MK 16/16S, and others.

Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price is $19.95.  The 40-Round M3 PMAG is prohibited in several states and is also an ITAR restricted item.

www.magpul.com

 

Availability of Legion Firearms rifles

In 1914 Ernest Shackleton was recruiting for what would eventually be called the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. His pitch included the following statement: “Officers wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”

Legion Firearms believes candor is a Good Thing, even if the facts aren’t particularly palatable. We want to put the best weapon possible in your hands, but we’ve been having trouble doing so. We’ve made mistakes, been hobbled by others’ mistakes and hampered by our suppliers’ constraints, but we’ve striven to rectify the former and are working to mitigate the latter.

Legion builds guns every day but Sunday. We shipped 15 rifles last week, 15 the week before and will ship at least that many this week. Our ability to produce a finished weapon is entirely dependent upon certain components, current demand and our exacting standards.

To that end we’ve sourced new manufacturers and built new facilities. Hundreds of uppers, lowers and other parts will now be built in-house. Eventually we’ll own almost all production ourselves, but will remain limited by the limits of man hours worked and our quality control.

Availability for current backlogged orders:

• The LF-10D is not in stock, and customers are looking at a solid 8 weeks before they are. Unfortunately one of the major players bought up all 7.62 BCGs and they’re just now starting to trickle in.

• We encountered a similar problem with the LF-4. When FN shipped the CHF barrels to our supplier they sent carbine length rather than mid-length barrels.

• We’re acquiring CHF barrels from quality sources, but supply is limited. We’ve created the LF4 MOD1 and LF4 MOD2 by customer request to speed delivery times, but the LF-15C and LF-15D will still come sooner (though that may still be 12-14 weeks).

Photos of Legion Firearms’ new LF4 MOD 1 and MOD 2 variations of the LF4.

Our barrel supplier’s factory was shuttered by a Land Reclamation act earlier this year, and though we’re receiving lots of barrels we’re keenly aware that we are way behind where we hoped we’d be.

“In a month or so we’ll literally have hundreds of parts coming off our own line,” says Adam Morehead, CEO of Legion Firearms. “We’ll be providing 15Ds and 15Cs in greater quantity than ever have before. The 15 Deltas particularly will be shipping in great numbers. There’s just no way to build faster and maintain our level of consistent quality. Lead time for new orders is a solid 20 weeks.”

LF series rifles will remain available on a first come, first served basis. As hard as we’re working to catch up with demand, we would still urge those interested to order now and mitigate the delay. We appreciate your understanding.

Respectful regards,

The Staff of Legion Firearms

Yes, that’s right – they are GIVING AWAY one of the most powerful rifles ever built on the AR platform. But wait, there’s more!

In addition to the rifle the winner we get an all expenses paid trip out to NEMO Arms in Montana for a 2 day training class for long distance shooting! The class will be conducted by Max Ordinate Academy (MOA) and will include 2 days of training to shoot the OMEN out to 1000 Meters.  The OMEN itself retails for around $5,700 without the optics -when you add in the free trip and the free training, this is a VERY enticing offer!

The training team from MOA, Ryan and Tyler are two prior United States Marine Corps Snipers that have been hosting training classes and participating in sniper competitions around the United States. They have a combined 19 years in the USMC and 11 years of training experience. They have a strong background and this event will launch the new branding of their already strong portfolio under MOA. Check out the MOA Facebook page for developments.

FourGuysGuns has an entry form up on their website where you can enter daily with 4 simple steps to ensure you have a chance at one of the best giveaway packages social media has seen.  Check them out and stay glued for the announcement of the winner when they get 40,000 “Likes” on their FaceBook Page.

www.nemoarms.com

 

Renowned Taiwanese AK-replicator LCT has announced three new AK based AEG’s.

These are all Westernized / Tactical AK’s, fitted with accessory rails, flash-hiders, ergonomic pistol grips and Crane-type shoulder stocks.

No details have been provided at this point, but based on looks alone my favourite is the TX-MIG version – it reminds me of the latest development from Krebs Custom.

www.lctairsoft.com

 

Well, this has been an interesting week in the surreal universe of US military camouflage.

First up this week was Soldier Systems Daily reporting that, contrary to the rumor that was generally agreed to be true, the Secretary of the Army would NOT  be announcing today the results of the US Army’s massive camouflage improvement initiative.  The fact that this was hot on the heels of yet another Congressional intervention into this sorry state of affairs led some to believe that the delayed / lack of an announcement was perhaps caused by Congress – although the Secretary of the Army’s rationale appears to be all about budgeting and his concerns about the possible negative PR ramifications of announcing a new program during a time of spending cuts.  Meanwhile of course the very real negative PR ramifications of doing nothing get ever louder…

Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division demonstrate the superiority of American camouflage technology to their Indonesian counter-parts during a recent exercise.

The fact that Congress is so interested in what type and color of camouflage patterns our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are wearing on their backs speaks volumes about how FUBAR and farcical this situation has become.

Venturing even further into the outer limits of reality was the article from US News & World Report in which the Secretary of the Navy expressed his own amazement at the number of different camouflage patterns authorized for wear by US Navy personnel.  He particularly singled out the so-called “blueberries” camo uniform for criticism.  The article is a good read – we highly recommend it.  As a footnote, the Navy also announced at the end of last month that it was adding fire-resistant coveralls to sailors’ sea-bags because they have apparently only just discovered that the infamous “blueberries” are also rather flammable.

But we’ve saved the best for last – and this really will make you think you’ve passed through the wormhole and into an alternative universe.  Time.com’s Battleland column published a piece last month, appropriately entitled “Uniform Insanity”, in which an anonymous Airman details his / her adventures in uniform procurement for duty in Afghanistan.  That story will really leave you shaking your head in disbelief, check it out: “Thoughts of a Military Fashion Victim.”

Meanwhile, it looks like we’ll have to now wait until October to see the official announcement of the Army’s choice of new family of camouflage patterns.  And when we do, I predict that it will rhyme with MultiCam, and that it will also be announced that ALL branches of the services will be phasing it in – along with a new common ground combat uniform.

 

With today being the US Army’s 238th birthday, it seemed especially appropo to have been invited to phone in for the PEO Soldier Media De-Brief on the, now concluded, Improved Carbine Competition.

I’m not going to go into the full back-ground to the Improved Carbine Competition (ICC) – as its been covered extensively elsewhere – but I will start by clarifying / highlighting a few of pertinent points:

• the M4A1 was not included in this test regime – not even as a baseline comparator
• competitors were free to enter rifles in any caliber they wanted to, but all submitted test rifles were chambered for standard 5.56 x 45mm ammunition (competitors would have had to supply their own ammunition for the testing if they submitted a rifle in a different caliber)
• the baseline requirement of 3,592 Mean Rounds Between Stoppages (MRBS) was taken from the M4A1′s tested performance using M855 ball ammunition
• initially, the ICC requirement stipulated performance criteria using M855 ammunition – this was later changed to the M855A1 round
• in the Army’s tests leading up to the issuing of the M855A1 ammunition, the M4A1 has achieved an MRBS result of 1,691 (thanks to SSD for verifying this figure) using this ammunition – and an MRBS result of 3,592 using the M855 FMJ round
• finally, the performance of the M4A1 continues to be measured against the original requirements published in 1990 – bear this in mind when you hear the Army state that the M4A1 “meets requirements” – and by the way, the MRBS figure in those req’s is 600

So, what was the Army looking for with the ICC?  Apart from some rather out there sounding objectives, like “hyper burst”, the Army basically wanted to see if there was an industry solution that would provide a marked improvement over the current M4A1 in the following categories:

• increased range
• increased lethality
• increased accuracy
• increased reliability

And you’d be right to question how they could achieve the range and lethality objectives without a caliber change, or the accuracy objectives without either an ammunition or sighting system change.  So, it basically came down to a question of reliability – as measured by Mean Rounds Between Stoppages – and this is where none of the competitors managed to meet the baseline requirement of 3, 592.

When I asked the question of why none of the submitted rifles were in a different caliber – such as 6.5mm Grendel, 6.8mm SPC, .300 Blackout, or even 7.62mm NATO – I got the reply that I’d have to ask the vendors that question.  But whilst that would certainly be the best sources for a full response, industry insiders that I’ve spoken with have said that it was clear from the start that the Army wasn’t interested in any other calibers at this point because it would introduce too many variables into the equation.  Fair enough, but I seriously doubt that the “caliber question” is going to go away anytime soon.  The Army’s ammunition decision-makers may be satisfied with the M855A1 round at the present time – but how many other times through-out the AR platform’s life-cycle have they been “satisfied” with the current ammo – only to improve it again later?

The other point that generated a lot of questions and discussion during the media briefing was the following statement in yesterday’s press release:

“Based upon Army analysis, test results may have been affected by interaction between the ammunition, the magazine and the weapon. The Army’s existing carbine requirement assumed use of the M855 ammunition; the weapons tested in the IC competition all fired the next generation M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round (EPR) currently in fielding. The use of the M855A1 round likely resulted in lower than expected reliability performance. These effects are unique to testing conditions and are not known to affect the reliability of any weapon in the operational environment.”  (emphasis added – Strike-Hold!)

Army officials reinforced repeatedly today their position that the M855A1 is a proven and “soldier-accepted” round, and that in other tests there have not been any unacceptable issues in the M4A1′s performance with this ammo.  Remember though that the M4A1′s MRBS result with the M855A1 is 1,691 – nowhere near the 3,592 MRBS result demanded of the ICC participants.

Army officials also stated repeatedly, and emphatically, that further in-depth forensic analysis of the data needs to be conducted on each of participants’ rifles in order to determine the exact nature and cause of the stoppage issues that caused them all to fail.  They also stated that those findings would be proprietary and only shared with the companies that participated in the competition.

So, where does this leave things now?  The definite concrete outcomes are that the Individual Carbine Competition has been concluded, not cancelled, because none of the competitors achieved the baseline performance required in order to progress to the next phase of the program.  What’s also certain is that the Army will continue to proceed with the other arm of their “Dual-Path Strategy” – that is the upgrading of more than 400,000 M4 Carbine’s in the Army’s inventory to M4A1 standard with a heavier barrel and a full-auto (rather than 3-round burst) selector switch.

What is less clear is what the Army’s future path for a new rifle / carbine looks like – particularly in these times of budgetary pressures and the winding down of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Officials today repeated that they are only really interested in “leap ahead technology” – but didn’t elaborate all on what that might mean.  Unfortunately, the US Army doesn’t exactly have a great track-record when it comes to “leap ahead” programs:  remember the Future Rifle, SPIW, ACR and OICW programs?  To say nothing of the political and technical quagmire that the XM-8 became…  And what about LSAT?

So, in the end – the only certainty appears to be that the M4A1 will remain the US Army’s standard-issued, primary, individual weapon for quite some time to come.  In the meantime, I’d suggest that the Army uses the funding that’s been freed up from the conclusion of the ICC program towards fielding an improved camouflage pattern uniform for the troops.

—————-

Lawrence

Strike-Hold!

Its Friday, its Flag Day, AND its the US Army’s birthday!

 

Founded in 2010, Legion Products is passionate about providing quality service and products for the Malaysian tactical and milsim markets.

Legion manufactures, sells and distributes their own-brand nylon gear and is also the official Malaysian distributors for Helikon-Tex, Milspec-Monkey, Z-Tactical Communications, and SAR-Products UK.

On the manufacturing side, only mil-spec Cordura, webbing, thread, Velcro, etc. is used – and the work is done to ISO 9002 standard.  Their body armour products are exported to and used by various friendly countries, including the Hong Kong SDU and certain Middle Eastern countries.

Legion is also a milsim paintball team that showcases all of this gear by participating in milsim paintball skirmishes and by doing film projects too.

For more info, visit Legion on their Facebook page.

 

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FT. BELVOIR (13 June 2013) Following extensive testing of vendor-submitted carbines, the Army announced today that the Individual Carbine (IC) competition will formally conclude without the selection of a winner. None of the carbines evaluated during the testing phase of the competition met the minimum scoring requirement needed to continue to the next phase of the evaluation.

In lieu of a new competition for an IC, the Army will continue fielding and equipping Soldiers with the M4A1 carbine, which consistently performs well and has received high marks from Soldiers. Given limited fiscal resources, the Army’s decision would free IC funding to address other high priority Army needs.  This decision is also consistent with recent testimony by the Department of Defense Inspector General (DODIG) before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which questioned the value of an IC competition in light of existing upgrades to the M4 carbine.

The IC program consisted of a three-phased competitive strategy to determine whether industry could provide a best-value, improved alternative to the M4A1 carbine.  Phase I consisted of reviews of vendor proposals and non-firing evaluations of bid samples.  All vendors successfully met Phase I criteria.  In 2012, the Army commenced Phase II of the competition, which subjected IC candidates to rigorous evaluations that tested the extreme limits of weapon performance in such areas as weapon system accuracy, reliability, and durability. For Phase III, the Army planned to award between zero and three contracts for weapons meeting Phase II requirements for further environmental and operationally oriented Soldier testing. Upon completion of all testing, the Army planned to conduct a cost benefit analysis between the top performing competitor and the M4A1 carbine.

At the conclusion of Phase II testing, however, no competitor demonstrated a significant improvement in weapon reliability — measured by mean rounds fired between weapon stoppage. Consistent with the program’s search for superior capability, the test for weapon reliability was exceptionally rigorous and exceeded performance experienced in a typical operational environment.

Based upon Army analysis, test results may have been affected by interaction between the ammunition, the magazine and the weapon. The Army’s existing carbine requirement assumed use of the M855 ammunition; the weapons tested in the IC competition all fired the next generation M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round (EPR) currently in fielding.  The use of the M855A1 round likely resulted in lower than expected reliability performance.  These effects are unique to testing conditions and are not known to affect the reliability of any weapon in the operational environment.

The Army’s decision not to pursue a new carbine competition was reached following careful consideration of the Army’s operational requirements in the context of the available small arms technology, the constrained fiscal environment, and the capability of our current carbines. The Army remains committed to the development of future competitive opportunities that support Army small arms modernization.

——————————-

The industry entries were:

Colt Defense – ACC-M

Heckler & Koch USA – HK416

FNH-USA – FNAC (SCAR 16)

Remington – ACR

Adcor Defense – BEAR Elite

 

Helikon-Tex continue their march to global domination – they recently opened a retail store in Korea, they will be bringing out clothing in PenCott and A-TACS camouflage patterns soon, and they also just their first steps into the footwear market as well.

MOJAVE Desert Boots

YUKON Trekking Boots

As you can see, both of these models are being made in Poland, and will be available very soon.

Check out the Helikon-Tex website for further details.

 

June 6th, 2013 – Liberty Jump Team with ‘chutes in the air over Angoville-au-Plain Dropzone, Normandy France.

 

First seen at IWA 2013 in March, the very eagerly awaited Striker Battle Dress System from UF PRO® is now available in PenCott-GreenZone™ camouflage.

The Striker Battle Dress System is designed to exceed the demanding requirements of the modern elite combatant.  All garments include and with an innovative set of features and have an ergonomic, fitted design.  They are also 100% made in Europe to a very high standard of quality, and from the best US and European made materials on the market.

The full range consists of a combat shirt, combat pants, combat jacket, rain suit and softshell jacket.  At the present time, only the Combat Pants and Combat Jacket are available in GreenZone™ camouflage – the Combat Shirt will also be available soon.

 

Combat Jacket

The UF PRO® Striker combat jacket is the multipurpose field jacket / smock of the Striker Battle Dress System. The Striker combat jacket can be worn alone, over a rain- or wind-proof under layer, or over a thermal insulation layer.

All pockets are closed with zippers instead of Velcro and the jacket also features inner compartments for safe storage of smaller equipment.  In order to enhance its comfort, the jacket is equipped with side vents.

The UF PRO® air/pac inserts in the shoulder area, help to better distribute the weight of a rucksack, chest rig, plate carriers or body armor.

The optional D30® elbow pads provide comfortable, flexible, reactive impact protection.

Combat Pants

The UF PRO® Striker GreenZone™ Combat Pants uniquely combine comfort, functionality and a state-of-the-art camouflage print.

Designed as robust and comfortable all season combat trousers, the Striker Combat Pants feature an anatomical design with built-in stretch areas that provide extraordinary comfort and mobility.  All pockets are closed with zippers instead of Velcro to reduce noise, and the pants can also be fitted with D30® knee protectors for reactive impact protection. Loops in the upper leg allow the pre-placement of a tourniquet for high-risk missions.

The pants can also be fitted with an optional WINDSTOPPER® lining that provides comfort in temperatures ranging down to -5°C.

Panels of stretch fabric in the crotch and rear enhance the comfort and improve the flexibility and mobility of the pants.

The UF PRO Striker Battle Dress System Combat Jacket and Combat Pants can be ordered directly through the UF PRO website.  Retail price of the Jacket is €175.00 and the Pants cost €119.00

 

As a wealthy, but young, developing nation the Qatari’s have adopted a pragmatic strategy of synthesis in many of their endeavours.  And as Qatar will be hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the country is on over-drive to develop its infrastructure and security forces to the highest level possible to ensure the safety and comfort of its guests.

I had the pleasure last year of spending some time with the commander and several members of the Qatar ISF’s “Lefdawiya” Group’s Back-Up Unit, and got the unique opportunity to learn more about this largely unknown unit.

The word “lefdawiya” is derived from the traditional Qatari dialect and was traditionally applied to the armed men who provided security for the country.  Today, the duties of the Lefdawiya Group include:

• Anti-Terrorism
• Anti-Smuggling
• Anti-Gang / Armed Criminals
• VIP Close Protection

The unit is developed professionally through a program of continuous realistic training and real-world experience to keep the unit ready for deployment anywhere at anytime, and capable of dealing with any foreseeable situation.

The exact size of the unit is classified, but ISF officials describe it as “sufficient”.  Questions about the unit’s annual budget are also met with the same response.  What ISF officials did reveal however is that the Lefdawiya Group is comprised of the following elements:

• Attack Units (with integral transport assets provided by the Qatari Air Force, Navy, and Army)
  • Marine
  • Air
  • Land
• Back-Up Unit (provides combat support to attack units)
• Sniper Unit
• Logistics Unit
• Administration Unit

At the individual operator level, selection begins with what they describe as “natural selection” – in other words, only the most motivated recruits who feel that they might have what it takes apply in the first place.  Secondly, the Lefdawiya Group only accepts Qatari nationals who have served a minimum of 6 months with the regular Internal Security Forces (“Lekhwiya Force”) first – with graduates of the ISF counter-terrorism course getting top priority to try out for Lefdawiya operator slots.  Then, aspirants must successfully complete a full year of training before they can become a full-fledged member of the Lefdiwaya Group.  Typically 50% of aspirants “wash-out”, but faced with the conflicting needs for capably-trained  personnel and a small population, the Lefdawiya places more emphasis upon finding the right fit for applicants than upon rejecting them.  The Group’s aim is to build capability on top of natural ability, apptitude and potential.  So, an applicant who simply can’t make the cut to become a full-fledged attack unit operator can still serve as a member of a support, logistics or admin unit.

Operator training proceeds along the American model of basic training, advanced individual training and qualification course.  In practice this progresses along through a curriculum of:

1. “Boot camp”
2. Counter-Terrorism course
3. “Ranger” course
4. Parachute course
5. Scuba course
6. Sniper course
7. Driving course
8. VIP / Close Protection course

Upon successful completion of this training program, the applicant is granted “conditional” membership of the Group and placed on a 6-month probationary period.  If the applicant passes this probation period successfully, then they become a full-fledged member of the Lefdawiya Group.

Continuation training and skills development is conducted through regular and on-going international cooperation and joint training – often involving the hosting of international trainers in Qatar.  The international units with which the Lefdawiya Group has the closest ties are the French Gendarmerie and US Special Operations Operations Command.

Special thanks to the Qatar Internal Security Forces for their assistance in preparing this article. 

 

 

Our friends at the SPARTAN.AT blog recently reviewed the UF PRO P-40 Camou Pants in Hyde Definition’s PenCott-GreenZone camouflage.  Here we present an English language translation of that article.

————————–

If you go into the green forest and almost lose almost your pants, it’s probably because they were in PenCott camouflage!

At any rate we were glad that we did find our pants again, because they were the outstanding P-40 Camou pants from Slovenian manufacturer UF PRO.

In addition to their commercial products, UF PRO also produces uniforms for the Slovenian Army, Prison Services and Customs Department.  At the IWA 2013, these guys from the southern edge of the Alps showed a bunch of new gear that thrilled all visitors their stand – and not only because of the outstanding camouflage effect of the PenCott series of patterns, but also because of the cutting edge materials and features UF PRO packs into their products. Plenty of reasons then for SPARTAN.AT to take a close look at these new pants from the house of UF PRO.

For the P-40 Camou Pants, the Slovenians chose a different camouflage than any of the standard European military patterns, or the omni-present MultiCam. The camouflage they chose is the PenCott® range from Hyde Definition. The P-40 Camou pant is available in the GreenZone™ variant (pictured) and the BadLands™ variant for drier/browner landscapes. GreenZone fits perfectly in a green environment such as the late spring forest where we took our photographs. The camouflage pattern is much more complex than classic pixel patterns and provides an excellent camouflage effect.  Besides the highly effective camouflage pattern, these pants are also great to wear. Unlike most combat trousers, these do not feature a baggy cut.  Instead, they feature a slimmer, snugger style like civilian jeans for a perfect fit – in fact, UF PRO even size them like normal jeans.

When we took an up-close detailed look, we were won over by the pants combination of classic features as well as some very good and innovative ones. To start with, the pants are not buttoned, but have a zipper fly. Moreover, just like any proper outdoor or mountain pants, the waist is a double locked with a button and hook giving extra security.

Double security is also the name of the game when it comes to the belt loops.  You feed your trouser belt through the sewn-down, inner loop of the double belt loop system.  Then the outer loops (which are fastened with Velcro) can be opened up and fastened around your loaded duty belt.  In this way your duty belt sits neatly and comfortably secured in place.  UF PRO has also executed a nice detailed solution for managing the draw cord in the pant cuffs as well. Once its pulled as tight as you want, the end of the shock cord is stuffed into a fabric “tunnel” so that it doesn’t dangle around freely at your angles and present a snagging hazard.

At first glance it is also apparent that the trousers are made of two materials.  The PenCott camouflage fabric forms the body, but there are also areas that are clearly covered by a brown-coloured stretch fabric from Schoeller. In the upper rear area, this looks similar to the Crye combat pants, but UF PRO went one step further and also covered most of the seat in the stretch fabric as well. The milspec 50/50 NyCo ripstop camouflage fabric is strong and light-weight, the Schoeller stretch fabric is flexible and durable. The result is that the pants as robust as combat trousers need to be, but at the same time as flexible as modern high-end mountain pants.

The pants also have plenty of useful pockets as well. On the calves there are two zipped pockets and the front pockets have “secret” zipped pockets as well.  The right and left thigh pockets are quite innovative. Both have two zippers: one is a horizontal zipper through which you can access the pocket from the top. The other is a horizontal zip that allows easy access when seating, squatting or kneeling – whilst also keeping your pocket’s other contents secure. Through the use of robust zippers UF PRO also avoids the classical problem of Velcro – that it is too loud in critical moments.

Even though the pants feature a close cut like a normal pair of trousers, they also still have a built-in compartment for removable knee pads. The bright orange D30 knee pads are housed in a grey bag that slips into the knee pad compartment. D30 is a silicone-based polymer with a soft, elastic feel during normal wear. Upon impact with a hard surface, the substance’s molecules “lock up” through a chemical reaction that hardens the material and reduces the effect of the blow.  Once again UF PRO has found an excellent and innovative solution.

Finally, to extend the seasonal usefulness of the pants there is even a Windstopper® lining that can be zipped into the pants when the weather gets cold.

CONCLUSION

The P-40 Camou Pants from UF PRO is certainly one of the best pair of pants that has come our way in recent times – especially as it combines a civilian-style cut with the practical requirements of military trousers – and does so without copying Crye.  From a comfort perspective, the P-40 Camou is a trekking or mountain pant, but is built for heavy duty use – robust materials meet excellent workmanship and innovative features. But these are gimmicky innovations – they are solid features that work.  We were excited by the P-40 Camou Pants and we are also very excited about the arrival of the matching combat shirt.

WHERE TO BUY

The UF PRO P-40 Camou Pant in GreenZone™ and BadLands™ camouflage can be bought directly from UF PRO for 144 Euros (excluding shipping). The knee pads cost an extra 38.40 Euros. And the WINDSTOPPER® lining costs an extra 76.80 Euros.

The UF PRO P-40 Camou Pants are also available from Recon Company for 149.95 Euros.

Army Reserve Soldiers with the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C., board a U.S. Army Special Operations Command CASA 212 aircraft during a night airborne operation at Camp Mackall Airfield, N.C., on Mar. 12, 2013. The operation was designed to increase proficiency in airborne infiltration and maintain jump status.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jacquelyn R. Slaughter)

The Silent Heroes Foundation is committed to support efforts to improve both animal and human health in Africa, as well as to aid in the protection and conservation of its wildlife and endangered species.

Poaching of Africa’s wildlife, particulary of its vulnerable and endangered species such as elephant and rhino, is currently at crisis level.  Illegal trade in wildlife products such as ivory and rhino horn is coordinated by well-organized crime syndicates which transport the horns primarily to Viet Nam and China, in order to fuel the demand for the use of horn as a medicinal treatment, a status symbol for the growing middle class, or a hangover cure.

Compounding the problem is the fact that most park rangers and wildlife reserve security teams are neither properly trained nor equipped to combat this war on Africa’s wildlife.

To deal with this dual challenge, the Silent Heroes Foundation is forming an elite, professional Specialized Interdiction Unit that can be deployed on an as-needed and fast-reaction basis throughout South Africa, in an effort to increase overall security, and to help decrease the rate of poaching deaths in the country.  The Specialized Interdiction Unit will be led by Anton du Plessis, Founder of the South African Tactical Association.  Anton has a 20 year background in the South African military, law enforcement and security sectors, and has trained a variety of specialized units over the years.

The SHF SIU has specific skills and expertise related to : investigation; forensics; crime scene management; human tracking; small team operations; long range surveillance; night operations; airborne operations; K9 capability; advanced medical and tactical medic capacity; & informant handling – skill sets that are unfortunately not prevalent within the Anti-Poaching Units operating currently in reserves throughout South Africa.  Aerial surveillance will also be utilized  in order to increase security while decreasing the risk to those protecting the animals.

The SHF SIU operators are chosen after a professional vetting process and police background clearance, and are 100% dedicated to the mission.  The proposed start date is mid-2013, with an initial 10-20 week deployment, with future deployments on an as-needed, fast-reaction basis throughout the country.

Because of the critical, up-close, and often dangerous, nature of their mission, the team wanted a camouflage pattern that would offer the very best concealment in the southern African bush country.  To meet their requirements the team selected Hyde Definition’s PenCott-BadLands™ pattern for their tactical clothing and equipment.  Helikon-Tex and Molay Taktika Indonesia will be providing tactical clothing in BadLands™.

 

 

Other companies providing tactical gear and equipment include; Battleware Technology, Hill People Gear, NAVELITE, Tentipi, Imperial Armour and Celox Medical.

In addition to carrying out the critical mission of defending the wildlife of southern Africa, the SHF SIU will also work to raise awareness through social media and participation in two interdiction and rhino conservation film projects.

Regarding the film projects, US Army Special Forces veteran Mykel Hawke has graciously agreed to donate his time and expertise to participate as a training consultant.

Mykel has over 20 years of combined military, government contracting, and survival experience, holds a Masters degree in psychology, and has earned black belts in both Aikido and Judo.  He is also the creator and star of two hit shows, Man Woman Wild and One Man Army (Discovery Channel) and currently stars in the series Elite Tactical Unit on The Outdoor Channel.  For more information visit his website at: mykelhawke.com

Marsh Mokhtari, a US-based TV host, producer and adventurer, has taken a lead role in promoting the Project Rhino cause.  Marsh was born in the UK and spent his first six years in Iran, before returning to the UK.

Marsh first became well-known after hosting a History Channel program called ‘Death Road’. His next move was to host National Geographic Channel’s ‘Perilous Journeys’ – a global travel-adventure show. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he’s been hosting adventurous TV shows for the past ten years.  Find out more about Marsh’s rhino protection documentary “Project Unicorn” on his website: marshm.com.

For more information, and/or to make a donation, please visit the Silent Heroes Foundation’s Specialized Interdiction Unit’s web page.

 

 The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

 

In continuing to give some love to the airsoft community this week, let’s take a look at the latest products coming from CAA’s Airsoft Division.

First up is the announcement this week that the mid-capacity airsoft version of their 30-round STANAG Clear Action Magazine.  Now, some people might care-less about mid-cap magazines for airsoft, but I think they’re the perfect solution for skirmishing.

Also worth taking another look at is their metal-body M4-style AEG.  Now, I know what you’re probably thinking – “Aren’t there enough M4-style AEGs on the market already?”  Fair question, but apparently CAA didn’t think so…  On the other hand, in my opinion, their M4 is really worth taking a closer look at.  Whilst I’ve not had the opportunity to test one myself, so I can’t comment on the quality of the internals, the build quality, style and ergonomics of the externals look superb.  The features of the hand-guard, butt-stock and pistol grip – and the thinking that’s clearly gone into them – are also worthy of a close look and serious consideration as well.

The CAA Airsoft Division M4 AEG is equipped with a 14.5″ or 10.5″ outer barrel, and the light weight nylon fiber M4S1 Picatinny Rail System.  The integrated bolt catch system makes the hop up adjust easily accessible.  The official CAA trademarks and unique serial number were laser engraved on the metal receiver, and the AEG is available in Black or Flat Dark Earth.

The ergonomically designed nylon fiber pistol grip provides great comfort and a better hand-hold than a standard M4 / M16 pistol grip. The nylon fiber collapsible buttstock can be set to 6 different positions. There is a storage compartment in the stock for 4 x CR123 batteries. The rubber non-slip buttpad with tapered angle, allows faster shouldering and increase comfort with body armor. The adjustable cheek-rest installed on the stock’s side rail can be removed to replace with other accessories, such as magazine pouch or shell holder. A QD sling swivel can be attached on 6 different positions on the stock and hand-guard.

CAA Airsoft Division