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by David Crane david@defensereview.com Greg Grant has written an interesting article for DefenseNews.com about Hizbollah’s (Hezbollah’s) "innovative" (Grant’s term) use of man-portable anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems. Mr. Grant cites several examples of Hezbollah’s "innovative" urban warfare/guerrilla warfare tactics with ATGMs. 1) Hizbollah guerilla fighters "swarmed" Israeli Merkava MBTs (Main Battle Tanks)–including possibly Merkava Mk4 MBTs–and fired at the sides …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com   KBP Instrument Design Bureau (Tula, Russia) displayed an updated/upgraded version of the of the RPO Shmel Infantry Rocket Flamethrower thermobaric weapon system (a rocket launcher that fires a thermobaric warhead) called the RPO Shmel-M (full designation: RPO Shmel-M PDM-A) at Eurosatory 2006. Adopted by the Russian Army in December 2003, the RPO Shmel-M is billed …

by Steven Donald Smith American Forces Press Service July 13, 2006 The Missile Defense Agency successfully completed a developmental flight test of a major element of its ballistic missile defense system today at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., agency officials said. Initial indications show that the test achieved what it set out to do: test parts of the Terminal High …

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 …

The following is a Camelbak Products, LLC press release. NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: April 26, 2006 PRESS CONTACT: Matt Gersib, Swanson Russell Associates, (402) 437-6428 or mattg@sramarketing.com. CamelBak Launches New Tactical Hydration Systems and Accessories Designed using concepts provided by active US military personnel and police officers PETALUMA, Calif., April 21, 2006 – CamelBak Products, LLC, the world …

by Monica Morales Electronic Systems Center Public Affairs HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. April 05, 2006 13:46 One year after answering the Marine Corps’ call to meet an urgent need, the Force Protection Systems Squadron here is preparing to do it again. It will deploy another Tactical Automated Security System to Al Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq, this month. "The Marine …

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 defrev@gmail.com March 13, 2006 On June 20, 2005, DefenseReview broke the story on the U.S.-made Milkor USA MGL-140 multi-shot grenade launcher (6-shot MGL), after we handled it at International SOF Week /APBI (Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry) 2005 in Tampa, FL (To our knowledge, we were the first to report on it and show pictures of it.). …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Below are more DefRev "Quick Hits from SHOT Show 2006. DefenseReview will be reporting more in-depth on these technologies, later. –While we were in the outdoor tent, we ran into Frank and Chris Desomma at the Patriot Ordnance Factory (P.O.F-USA) booth. POF-USA had their new 7.62x51mm/.308 Win., 6.8mm (6.8x43mm), and 6.5 Grendel gas piston upper receivers …

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 …