Author: Tony Grist
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MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — Twelve LEAP Scholars recently took a star turn during Southern Star 2025 in Chile, enhancing communication and understanding among U.S. forces, six participating nations, and 10 observers throughout the complex multinational exercise. “Southern Star 2025 was a two-week multinational special operations exercise hosted by Chile and co-led by U.S. Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH),” said Senior Master Sgt. Pedro Estrada, a flight chief with the Operations Branch, 502 Communications Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. “It involved over 2,700 personnel from six participating countries and 10 observers. The exercise simulated a UN-authorized…
First European RIPSAW M3 Robotic Ground Vehicle Sold To Sweden HUNT VALLEY, Md., Dec. 2, 2025 – Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, and its subsidiary Howe & Howe, announced today a sale of the RIPSAW® M3 robotic ground vehicle to the government of Sweden, the product’s first European customer. The M3 is part of Textron Systems’ RIPSAW family of vehicles, designed as a rugged and reliable robotic ground vehicle that leverages a Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) to simplify integration of new payloads, controllers and autonomy suites. Building on its reputation as a global leader in uncrewed,…
US Army Awards Mossberg Contract for Additional 590A1 Pump-Action Shotguns O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. is proud to announce that it has been awarded a contract for approximately $11.6 million dollars to supply the U.S. Army with additional Mossberg® 590A1™ pump-action shotguns. First adopted by multiple branches of the U.S. Military in 1987, the Mossberg 590® proved its reliability and durability by successfully completing the rigorous MIL-SPEC 3443E testing protocol. Following its adoption, the U.S. Military requested a purpose-built variant capable of withstanding sustained, high-volume use in the most demanding environments. That requirement led directly to the development of the…
The Trump administration Thursday released its official National Security Strategy, outlining a pivot toward the Western Hemisphere under what it calls a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine. The document proposes a “readjustment” of the U.S. global military footprint “away from theaters whose relative import to American national security has declined in recent decades or years.” Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox The strategy breaks with decades of U.S. foreign-policy doctrine. “American foreign policy elites,” it states, “badly miscalculated” and “placed hugely misguided and destructive bets on globalism.” On Europe and Russia, the NSS calls for…
Introducing ADAPTIV Defense, Product Development For The Professional End-User Franklin, TN – (December 4, 2025) – Lucas Botkin, founder and former operating owner of T.REX ARMS, has launched his latest venturedescribed as, “a defense R&D companypositioned to design and develop products that support professional end users, specifically in military and law enforcement applications.” From load-bearing nylon products to CQB Target systems, ADAPTIV Defense will develop gear based on requests and direct feedback from professionals operating at the highest levels in the defense space. As with his previous company, Botkin is committed to making these products available to the commercial market…
I just got back from teaching an ODP class at the very nice Guntry range in West Virginia. It is an indoor range, but you wouldn’t know it considering how clean the air was and how quiet the overall experience was. We had a great group of shooters from all walks of life, but with a heavy emphasis on military and law enforcement. Everyone was safe, shot very well and was a pleasure to work with. I gave out 3 F.A.S.T. pins for expert performance and they can be seen on the F.A.S.T. wall of fame. On my end, I…
The American military carried out an air strike Thursday on a drug boat in the Pacific. U.S. Southern Command announced the results of the attack on social media, adding that the strike killed four men and destroyed the vessel. The Trump administration has made destroying drug transportation networks in the western hemisphere a priority, including by destroying boats that U.S. intelligence has determined are involved in narcotrafficking. Most of the attacks have taken place in the waters off the coast of Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to pressure the government of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro has…
Qore Performance Launches ICEPLATE Gen 3: Cooling & Heating Thermoregulation + Hard-Cell Hydration Bladder Knoxville, TN — Qore Performance, Inc. announces the launch of ICEPLATE® Gen 3, the next-generation Medium ESAPI-shaped hard-cell hydration bladder that delivers 70 watts of cooling, 52 watts of heating, and 52.4 fl oz (1.55 L) of drinkable water in a single, plate carrier compatible system. Now 20% lighter than its predecessor at 10.5 oz empty with 5% greater capacity and dramatically improved multi-curve ergonomics, ICEPLATE® Gen 3 is purpose-built for year-round use by performance-minded military, law enforcement, prepared citizens, first responders, and industrial professionals. For…
Daily event provides email-only access to incentives on industry-leading technical gear and advanced apparel. FENTON, MO – December 3, 2025 – FirstSpear, the industry leader in load-bearing technology and advanced technical apparel, has officially launched its “12 Days of Christmas” event. The twelve-day engagement gives professional end users, law enforcement, and serious enthusiasts a focused opportunity to acquire mission-critical, American-made equipment with meaningful value-added incentives. Running now through December 12, the event spotlights a different segment of FirstSpear’s catalog each day. Rather than a standard holiday sale, the “12 Days” event functions as a daily briefing, delivered exclusively to FirstSpear email…