Author: Tony Grist

2026 Special Air Warfare Symposium Registration Now Open HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —   Registration is now open to attend the Special Air Warfare Symposium taking place at Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Feb. 10-12, 2026. SAWS is an annual, global SOF Aviation gathering that brings together leaders, innovators, and industry experts to ensure the readiness of our SOF warfighters.  Now in its fourth year, the 2026 Special Air Warfare Symposium will focus on the theme: “Adapting Special Air Warfare for an Evolving World.” This year’s theme highlights the need to advance the operational effectiveness and strategic relevance of Special Air Warfare in…

President Donald Trump held a phone call late last week with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in which the two discussed the possibility of an in-person meeting in the United States, the New York Times reported Friday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio participated in the call. The U.S. and the Maduro regime have been in closed-door discussions before, and the Venezuelan strongman even offered to give the U.S. companies major stakes in Venezuelan oil fields and mineral resources. But the Trump administration cut off talks last month when it became evident that Maduro had no intention of stepping down in the…

Hopefully we all know by now that I prefer hammer fired guns. A part of that is simple personal preference, kind of like how I prefer earth tones (natural) to neon (garish). Most of why I prefer them is because of actual, meaningful experience. It is my experience that informs my opinions and preferences. That said, HK was kind enough to send me a CC9 for evaluation and I have been shooting it for a bit now. I asked them for it because I shot a buddy’s at a class last month and was pretty impressed with it. He was…

The Army’s ability to adapt and innovate in real time is critical to mission success on the modern battlefield. That’s the driving force behind Transforming in Contact (TiC), an Army-wide initiative focused on delivering cutting-edge technology to units for immediate use, rapid experimentation and iterative improvement. Unlike long-term modernization strategies that can take years, TiC is designed for speed and flexibility. It puts emerging capabilities directly into the hands of Soldiers, allowing them to test new equipment, provide feedback from the field and help shape future Army solutions. TiC is about more than just equipment, it’s about creating an agile,…

Watch full video on YouTube

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – In a small aircraft hangar on the east end of the post, a makeshift obstacle course has been built primarily from leftover construction material such as wood and PVC pipes. This isn’t an obstacle course for Soldiers to test their fitness or agility. It’s for operators of unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones. As seen in Ukraine and elsewhere around the world, drones are becoming more prevalent on the modern battlefield. Where once troops and manned vehicles reigned supreme, unmanned systems now perform numerous missions, including direct attacks, surveillance and target acquisition. The Pennsylvania…

Milipol 25 – Varusteleka Särmä TST L5 Thermal Patrol Coverall Varusteleka has updated a popular overall issued to border guards for static duty in extreme temperatures with new materials and features. Now, it’s available in both Finnish M05 Woodland and Snow patterns. Another improvement they’ve made is compatibility with armor and chest rigs. The front can be configured as seen in this photo, allowing access to your gear while keeping it under the coverall. The coverall is made from 100% polyamide ripstop (70g/m2) with a non-fluorinated water-repellent treatment. The coverall is also insulated with 67g/m2 Climashield Apex which allows you…

Milipol 25 – Rhode & Schwarz x ARX Robotics Rhode & Schwarz has long been the gold standard in Electronic Warfare. They offer systems which operate across almost the entire electromagnetic spectrum. If a frequency can carry a message, they can collect against it. Seen here is one of their Direction Finding arrays mounted on an ARX Robotics Gereon Remote Control System. Already being used in Ukraine this robot enjoys a 100% European supply chain and has been adopted by seven countries. This is an excellent use case for robots, to place sensors into areas which would be hazardous to…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and lead negotiator in peace talks with the United States, Andrii Yermak, resigned hours after anti-corruption agencies raided his home Friday. In a video address announcing Yermak’s resignation, Zelensky said he accepted the resignation to “avoid rumors and speculation.” He said that he is “grateful to Andriy for always representing Ukraine’s position in the negotiation track exactly as it should be represented.” “When all attention is focused on diplomacy and defense in a war, internal strength is required,” he said. Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox Zelenskyy announced he…

Milipol 25 – Kaptrek Pro Pilot Defense The Kaptrek Pro Pilot was developed as the first French (and European) IOT/connected wrist mounted platform for defense applications. Capabilities: Advanced Tactical Navigation Real-Time Mission Tracking Secure Communications Health Status Management Connected Device Control Communication Security Emergency Response System Virtual Training Resource Management Interoperability with External Systems Technical Specs: Screen: 2,4 inches / 52.32 (H) x 31.392 (V) mm Resolution: 800(RGB)*480 Battery: 1800 mAh MPU: ARM Cortex-A5 / 32bit / 500MHz Operating System (OS): Proprietary KAPTREK-OS IMU: 3 axis Wi-Fi: Radio 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 & 5.0 GHz Bluetooth: BR/EDR/LE 5.1 GNSS: GPS /…