Author: Braxton Taylor

Pentagon’s R&D repository to lose nearly 80% of its staff. The Defense Technical Information Center was created in 1945 “to serve as a centralized repository of R&D information, allowing DoD to easily and effectively leverage and share technical knowledge,” wrote Defense Undersecretary for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, in an Aug. 4. memo. “However, its unfocused organizational model and legacy information platform are not suited to keep pace with global R&D, take advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI), or integrate with other data and intelligence systems that support strategic deterrence-impacting R&D investment decisions by the Department of Defense.”Forty of the 190-plus…

There is renewed debate over reducing the number of combatant commands, with advocates citing cost savings and improved unity of effort. Secretary Hegseth argues that streamlining command structures—particularly by cutting general and flag officer billets—would increase readiness. While views vary, one region stands out as strategically essential and well-suited for consolidation: the Western Hemisphere.The current division between U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Northern Command creates a seam that adversaries exploit. A single, threat-based command—call it USAMERICOM—would replace fixed geographic boundaries with operational alignment against transnational threats: criminal networks, state-sponsored influence, cyber activity, and mass migration. These threats span regions and…

EOTech has acquired VK Integrated Systems (VKIS), a Tennessee-based developer of advanced weapon electronics and battlefield networking solutions. VKIS’ list of cutting-edge products includes a Weapon Orientation Module that rides inside the backstrap of select guns. Its gyro, accelerometer and digital compass detects pitch, yaw and roll. When networked via Bluetooth with its Team Awareness Kit (TAK) it provides location of other team members, engagement direction, weapon orientation and more. “This is a continuation of our thesis,” said Joseph Caradonna, CEO of EOTech. “We’re building an integrated, American-made platform for mission-critical awareness, where hardware, software and sensors work as one.…

Watchtower Firearms is releasing the Demolitia Blackout Edition, a limited-edition pistol developed in collaboration with Demolition Ranch. Designed for those who demand top-notch performance, the Demolitia Blackout Edition is an evolution of the double-stack 1911 platform. Every aspect of this pistol has been fine-tuned for speed, accuracy and reliability in the most demanding conditions. “We built the Demolitia Blackout Edition for shooters who want cutting-edge performance and uncompromising stealth in a package that stands out,” said Jordan Davis, Chief Growth Officer. “From the collaboration with Demolition Ranch to the meticulous design and engineering, this pistol delivers on every front.” The…

Chinese, Russian, and North Korean-affiliated hackers are covertly working to insert backdoor hijacks and exploits into major publicly available software used by countless organizations, developers, and governments around the world, according to findings released Monday by Strider Technologies.The malicious insertions into these open-source tools could allow hackers to pilfer troves of sensitive data from governments and private-sector firms, according to Strider, which analyzed open-source code contributors who have direct affiliations with foreign adversaries.Open-source projects — which underpin software systems used everywhere — rely on contributions from community members to keep them updated with patches. The updates are often discussed on…

Saddle hunting has quickly evolved from a niche tactic to a mainstream method of chasing whitetails, especially for mobile-minded hunters seeking stealth and efficiency. The system’s lightweight, minimalist nature allows hunters to access hard-to-reach areas with less noise and more versatility than traditional treestands. But success in the saddle hinges not just on the saddle itself, but on the essential gear that completes the system.Now, with a few years of saddle hunting experience behind me, I am becoming more comfortable and focused. It may sound strange to some, but I believe one of the most important things I’ve learned is…

When it comes to rifle shooting, “acceptable accuracy” is difficult to define concisely. Semantic irony aside, we can’t even agree on how to measure accuracy, let alone express it to everyone’s liking. Conversations on the subject can quickly devolve into lectures over mean radius versus extreme spread or the improper conflation of “precision” and “accuracy.” With luck, we get aggravated enough to settle for something like “minute-of-angle or better” as a framework, and then get back to picking up brass, looking for animal shapes in the clouds or whatever else we were doing. Technical evaluations tend to focus on a…

The Pentagon will lay off nearly 80 percent of the staff of its Defense Technical Information Center, its repository of research-and-development data and lessons, Defense officials announced today.The move aims to eliminate duplicative functions and roles while refocusing DTIC to “its core statutory mission of administering a library of technical information and improving the user experience,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement emailed to reporters. Parnell said that this reduction in force would save $25 million. [Editor’s note: The cuts were directed by Defense Undersecretary for Research and Engineering Emil Michael, who issued the order in an Aug. 4. memo. “The Defense Technical…

00:00:01 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. First Light Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host, Tony Peterson. 00:00:20 Speaker 2: Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation’s podcast, which is brought to you by first Light. I’m your house Tony Peterson, and today’s episode is all about the bucks that are around right now and if they’ll still be there in another. 00:00:30 Speaker 3: Month or two.…

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.— With hundreds of billions of dollars potentially at stake, weapons maker Lockheed Martin said Monday it hopes to achieve a historic first: the test of a satellite weapon capable of destroying a highly maneuverable hypersonic weapon, within the next three years.The concept is perhaps the most pivotal and ambitious portion of the Golden Dome missile defense shield plan, though Pentagon leaders are still considering key aspects of the shield’s overall architecture and few details are known about what it will look like. Gen. Michael Guetlein, confirmed recently to lead the effort for the Defense Department, said he would…