Author: Braxton Taylor
Air ForceNo new-tanker competition. After years of uncertainty about the Air Force’s tanker plans, the service has decided to buy more KC-46s instead of launching a new competition for its next tanker buy, Defense One’s Audrey Decker reported Sunday off an interview with Air Force Chief Gen. David Allvin. “The decision to stick with Boeing’s KC-46 likely stems from budget pressures, since continuing Pegasus production would cost less than putting research and development money into a new program. The new contract will come after Boeing finishes delivering tankers under the current program of record, for 188 aircraft.” More, here.Airline pilot…
The head of U.S. intelligence made misleading claims about what Obama-administration officials said about Russian meddling in the 2016 election, while accusing them of a “conspiracy” to “politicize” intelligence and asking the Justice Department to launch a criminal investigation.On Sunday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said her office would send a memo, which was released on Friday with a statement, and its supporting documents to the U.S. Justice Department for use in potential criminal prosecutions of unnamed Obama-era intelligence officials.“We are referring all of the documents that we have uncovered to the Department of Justice and the FBI for…
DETROIT—It’s a boat! It’s a plane! It’s an electric vehicle! It’s… all three? And it could be used in military missions. Electric boat-plane maker REGENT Craft is setting its sights on aiding military operations from logistics to medical evacuations. The Rhode Island-based company recently launched its defense business, offering its electric-run Viceroy seaglider to reach speeds of up to 50 mph. The seaglider has options for crewed, uncrewed, or autonomous, and three modes: float, like a standard boat; hydrofoil, when it hoists itself above the water using small underwater wings similar to an aircraft; and ground effect, in which it flies about…
The U.S. is facing a reckoning with its ability to manufacture enough weapons to fight a well-stocked, near-peer adversary while also continually modernizing its arsenal. For all the talk about “magazine depth,” and individual efforts with specific munitions, experts say the problem can’t be tackled without a major shift in how weapons are developed and manufactured overall.Modular weapons—made of easily sourced materials with manufacturing standards that commercial factories can accommodate—will be key, according to a panel of experts who spoke Monday at the Hudson Institute. “For the last 20 years, 25 years, DOD hasn’t invested in magazine depth—they’ve been obviously consumed…
GForce Arms recently showcased additional models of its American-made GF9 Rapture polymer-frame, striker-fired subcompact pistol with some new bold and bright frame options. These new colors include pink, purple and teal frames all paired with silver/nickel-colored slides. The GForce Arms GF9 Rapture is a thinner polymer-frame striker fired 9mm pistol. It’s equipped with a 3.25-inch barrel and has a standard magazine capacity of 10 rounds. Except for its magazines, the GForce Arms GF9 Rapture is compatible with the Glock G26. The GF9 Rapture is also made in the United States of America. These pistols ship with optics-ready slides that can…
Banish Suppressors is announcing the new Banish 12 shotgun suppressor. Designed with the outdoors in mind, the 12-gauge shotgun suppressor is built to reduce report and recoil while preserving the shotgun’s handling and performance. With that in mind, the Banish 12 was engineered to be as light and compact as possible while still delivering hearing-safe suppression. It also offers unobstructed sight lines and utilizes interchangeable chokes to ensure shooters can see their targets and adjust their shot patterns. “I am excited to finally unveil the Banish 12 shotgun suppressor,” said Brandon Maddox, Banish Suppressors founder and CEO. “Our engineering team…
Cornerstone Performance is a small training outfit located in Central Texas, and its skipper, Eric Wise, presents an incredible and in-depth two-day LPVO (Low Power Variable Optic) course which I recently attended. During the afternoon of the first training day, Wise lectured students on the finer points of boosting carbine performance and accuracy. There was something that Wise said that I still haven’t forgotten, even more than a year later. He mentioned that in most cases, shooters are actually better off upgrading their carbines’ triggers before trying to do anything more drastic, like swapping the barrel or rebuilding the firearm.…
The Shooters World gun range in The Villages, FL, was designed with the senior citizen in mind. This is the sort of thing that makes it ideal to host Gunsite Academy’s Seasoned Citizen 150 Basic Pistol class, an off-site, three-day version of Gunsite’s longer five-day basic pistol class in Arizona. The class in Florida began with an introduction to firearm safety and the “warrior mindset.” The instructors shared real-life examples and personal stories, making the lessons engaging and helping the students relate to the material. “It doesn’t matter what we did in our previous life; we have slowed down a…
Steven Rinella talks with Morgan Potter, George Dodds, Seth Morris, and Garrett “Dirt Myth” Smith. Topics Discussed: Watching a new moon get full; last chance to get a raffle ticket for the TRCP turkey hunt with Steve and Janis; how African game animals just taste better; slow moving puff adders and truck-denting black mambas; tons of antelope species; burning to open up the landscape; the terrible tsetse fly and sleeping sickness; the magic of trackers; the honey guys; how wearing military style camouflage is illegal in Tanzania; how wealth is stored as livestock; and more. Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast…
Welcome to this Friday’s edition of The D Brief, a newsletter dedicated to developments affecting the future of U.S. national security, brought to you by Patrick Tucker with Lauren C. Williams. Share your tips and feedback here. And if you’re not already subscribed, you can do that here. Around the Defense Department‘Top Gun’ but made for drone pilots. The Pentagon is launching its very own Maverick-approved school for first-person view drone pilots. Next month, teams from across the services will gather at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, for a training camp and competition. There they will hone skills on FPV kamikaze drones, as seen in Ukraine, Patrick Tucker reports for Defense One. A little…