The Russian Defense Ministry has just signed a contract for 92 Sukhoi Su-34 attack aircraft (designed by NATO as the “Fullback”), which will add to the ten already delivered under a five-year contract executed in 2008 for 32 units. A 4+ generation aircraft, it is capable of all-weather, all-visibility operations and has the capacity to employ precision-guided munitions. The Su-34...

http://gunsandtactics.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/511set.jpg The folks over at 5.11 Tactical are up to it again. This time they're knocking down doors and smashing windows with entirely an new set of breaching tools and devices. This new type of breaching method was realized by the team by the team at Sweden Entry Tools (S.E.T.). Rescue and law enforcement personnel can now breach inward and...

http://gunsandtactics.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/luminox_logo.jpg It's no secret that Navy SEALs and special operations soldiers typically have the coolest, most efficient and high-tech gear on the battlefield. For many elite operators, Luminox has become the watch of choice for those carrying out missions underwater and in darkness. Barry Cohen and Richard Timbo founded Luminox in 1989, driven by a commitment to offer cutting-edge luminescence and...

The U.S. Army is hoping the Department of Defense will bless its request to conduct a demonstration later this spring of potential replacements for the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior. This is good news for European Aerospace Defense Systems (EADS), the company which manufactures the UH-72A Lakota helicopter. EADS has prepared three demonstrator models for use should the demonstration be approved. The...

The ongoing saber-rattling from both sides over Iran’s nuclear weapons research program has focused attention on potential Iranian responses to an attack. Though its options include mobilizing Hezbollah for rocket and other attacks on Israel and using its covert capabilities to mount terrorist attacks elsewhere in the world, the most effective (and feared) response would be a move to...

Germany, a nation that definitely knows something about submarines, is about to deliver the first of at least three advanced submarines to Israel. The sub—known as the “Super Dolphin”—is a follow-on to the three Dolphin-class vessels (the Dolphin, Leviathan, and Tekuma) that Israel received from Germany. (Two were donated; the third Israel purchased.) The subs were commissioned in 1999...

http://gunsandtactics.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/olympicarms_logo.jpg When isn’t an AR just another AR? For the past few years I’ve been trying to warm up to the AR as a hunting rifle. I shoot a lot of them, both for my job as a gunsmith and for enjoyment, but in its current form the AR chambered in 223 length cartridges is as inviting as bathing while...

http://gunsandtactics.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/imi_logo.jpg Israel faces an unusual set of circumstances when it comes to national defense. Though it spent the first 25 years of its existence surrounded by enemies, it does have a significant strategic advantage that’s not always obvious: Thanks to its small size, it has short internal lines of communication and can shift forces quickly and easily from one border...

If you’ve done any appreciable amount of reading about the Vietnam War, you know that one of the grunt’s best friends in the air was the AC-130 Specter gunship, affectionately known in those days as “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Both the AC-130H and third-generation AC-130U Spooky pack a lethal combination of L60 40mm Bofors and M102 105mm cannons —...

http://gunsandtactics.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/safeboats.jpg If you're in the maritime security industry, you understand the need for bad ass assault craft that comes loaded with functionality, capability, speed and firepower! Discover where the Navy and Coast Guard go when they're shopping for the best in patrol and rescue water craft. Welcome to SAFE Boats International (SAFE), an aluminum boat manufacturer and leading supplier to military,...