Author: Tony Grist

Blue Force Gear – ÖTZI Belt Pouch System This is really more of a sneak peek but it’s got such a great backstory that I’ve got to share it. Tucked in a corner on a shelf in the Blue Force Gear booth at SHOT Show was a pouch with a belt running through its attachment system. Behind it was a brochure with the name ÖTZI Belt Pouch System. From the brochure:The naming of Blue Force Gear’s new belt pouch innovation was inspired by Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old Copper Age traveler discovered in the Alps and proclaimed the oldest and…

The U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday. The Pentagon says the drone was approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which is part of the “armada” that President Donald Trump sent to the region last month.  Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox U.S. Central Command said the Shahed-139 drone “aggressively approached” the carrier with “unclear intent.”  The shooting of the Iranian drone today comes amid tensions between the U.S. and Iran and a growing military buildup by U.S. forces in the region. The U.S. and Iran have agreed to…

SHOT Show 26 – Snakestaff Systems Violent Incident Stabilization/ Response Panel Snakestaff Systems exhibited in the booth of their sister company Flux Defense. Their name for their new Violent Incident Stabilization/ Response Panel is quite appropriate as it’s designed to be mounted to a vehicle sun visor. The VIS/R transforms the driver and passenger sun visors in your vehicle into a streamlined trauma response platform. Its modular mounting system accommodates a wide range of vehicle makes and models. Offering one-handed access to two tourniquets and a full trauma kit via quick-deploy tabs, the the trauma kit stays suspended directly in…

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Massif Combat Sleeve – ATAK (Non-FR) One of the items I discussed at SHOT Show but did not take photos of is the new Combat Sleeve from Massif. There are plenty of half jackets in the market but this one stands out because it has been adapted to the adoption of ATAK. This non-FR garment is a cropped jacket that integrates with body armor as well as chest mounted End User Devices and can quickly be donned and doffed. It includes a stowable helmet compatible three-point adjustable hood and built-in stuff sack for portability. The fabric is an encapsulated durable…

NODBOX BNVD Case I first saw the Dev Cell NODBOX during last year’s DSEI in London. Platatac had a prototype at the show and I ended up getting one of the production versions right before SHOT Show. NODBOX is an injection molded clamshell case for the AN/PVS-31A & C night vision goggle. Versions for other models are coming in the future. Impact and crush resistant, it is made from injection-molded nylon with a bungee to hold it closed. The sample I had seen had more of a spongy feel to it but the production version is more rigid and quite…

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YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFNS) —   U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft assigned to the 36th Airlift Squadron supported a multinational airborne operation Jan. 17, at Ojojihara Training Area, Miyagi Prefecture, marking the first Japan Ground Self-Defense Force-hosted multinational airborne exercise conducted on Japanese soil. The operation built on the momentum of New Year Jump Indo-Pacific 2026, which included participation from 14 nations, and served as the tactical phase of a broader training series designed to enhance airborne operational capability and interoperability among allied forces. While NYJIP26 at the JGSDF’s Narashino Training Area in Chiba Prefecture earlier this month was conducted as a ceremonial…

The U.S. House on Tuesday passed a spending package totaling more than $1 trillion, ending the partial government shutdown which had begun on Saturday. The package passed as part of a deal to avoid a broader government shutdown. Under the package, the government’s largest departments, such as the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense, will be funded through the end of the fiscal year in September. Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox But the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement, is only funded through February 13. This may queue up…

Whiskey TwoFour’s Slick Back Panel 14 for Spiritus Systems LV-120 Plate Carrier WTF’s slick Back Panel 14 for Spiritus Systems LV-120 plate carrier features a 1.5″ x 6″ loop field with ample real estate for IFF, morale patches, and similar while Six (6) nylon webbing loops offer lashing points for optional shock cord. To discourage accidental separation from the carrier, the back panel’s zipper pull tabs tuck securely and silently into milspec elastic loops at the base. Laser cut VELCRO Brand ONE-WRAP minimizes weight and offers a secure connection to the LV-120’s loop field. Zip-On Back Panel 14 for Spiritus…