PrincetonTec Helmet Lighting

Princeton Tec has been a leader in headlamps and lighting solutions for 45 years.  At Quantico Tactical we believe in partnering with the best manufacturers for today’s mission.  Here are some of the new products and true operational performers from Princeton Tec that interest us and should interest you.

 

Headlamp: Vizz Tac MPLS:  New to the tried and true MPLS Headlamp line-up, the Vizz Tactical MPLS packs a powerful 420 lumen and dimmable spot beam, and is the brightest of the series. MPLS standing for Modular Personal Lighting System allows the user to mount or move the light from head, to helmet, to MOLLE with ease and efficiency. Specialty light users will find four color LEDS: red, blue, green and IR, which are all available in the same light. Set and change the order your specialty color LED appear, to your specific needs and preferences. With an IPX7 waterproof rating, the Vizz Tactical MPLS is a top of the line choice in tactical lighting, equipped to endure your next mission. Available in Tan, Multicam and Black.

Link: https://princetontec.com/product/vizz-tactical-mpls/

Helmet Light: Charge:  The Charge MPLS series is the natural evolution of personal task lights; boasting an exclusive flexi-neck design that gets spot illumination to the task at hand by incorporating a high power white Maxbright LED for distance spotting and a cluster of three Ultrabright LEDs in various color configurations to meet the needs of specialized users. The Maxbright LED required a full two-second press of the button to be turned on to avoid accidental activation and is fully dimmable. Available in a wide array of LED and body colors.

Link: https://princetontec.com/product/charge/

Lantern: Helix Back Country Multicam:  This small and compact lantern delivers more area light, than many of its larger competitors and gets even smaller when folded down for travel. With dimmable white and red modes, Helix is easy to use and water resistant. The legs conform to any surface, allowing for secure placement in any situation. Removing the collapsible globe creates a directional spotlight that can be used in a wide array of scenarios. Operating with three AAA batteries for up to 12 hours of use, the Helix is great for any adventure or base camp.

Link: https://princetontec.com/product/helix-backcountry/

Posted in HQ

Heads Up Situational Awareness With Augmented Reality

I wish we had Augmented Reality in my NVG when I was in Afghanistan and Iraq.  We would get lost at night in the “Sneek up” on our route to the Target Area.   Everything looked the same in a city of sand, this way we could just plan our route in ATAK, select it in ARC4, and just follow it in our NVG’s.   Our team would not have to open our phones every 1/8 of a mile.   Our light discipline would be excellent without the exposure of the light coming off the phone and this definitely would have increased our Situational Awareness Perspective.   I could have walked right up to the Soldier I needed and not have to go through 7 other guys that look the same at night.  Motorcycle and ATV Operations would be awesome because you would not have to stop!  “Being able to see past the capability of NVG’s is a game changer!”

Augmented Reality has found its place maximizing the already in use heads up display and navigational 2D data.  ARA has released Augmented Reality Command Control Communicate and Coordinate, ARC4.  This system is currently in use with Air Force Special Operations Command and deployed to Southwest Asia Theater of operations.

The ARC4 offers the unique advantage of using a HUD to show all necessary command and control functions in 3D.  The HUD utilizes a Situational Awareness, SA, ring at the bottom of the screen.  This shows you where you are, where you are looking, where teammates are and where tactical points of interest are around you.  The software is intuitive as it moves to future check points as you progress.  You can also send and receive commands, create new points of interest and define new navigation routes in real time without speaking over comms.  This information can be used and created in real time by both in field personnel or remote higher command.

The all in one Recon device includes all of the necessary sensors to geo-locate the camera and the direction it is looking.  The camera connects via any open port using Black Diamond Assaulter or Glenair cables and hubs.  The cables connect the camera system to a Battle Management Program such as ATAK with the ATAK HUD plugin.  Running that information back to a HUD connecting directly into a clip on night display, or Ecoti/Ecosi for system integration.  The system also has a daytime HUD that integrates in standard mounting gear to place a clear lens to see all of the same information with full daylight.

The ARC4 recon truly is a heads up display that no longer requires you to look down at your map or navigational equipment.  The ARC4 system with a network hub is designed not to eat up too much battery power. Lasting more than 8 hours on a small radio battery is not uncommon.

 

See the ARC4 Details

 

ARC4 table talk

Night Video

Day HUD

LED Smart Lighting

Are you looking for LED lighting solutions?  Here at Quantico Tactical we have partnered with LED Smart to meet the Defense wide requirement and the need for low power consuming LED lighting.

LED Smart was founded in 1995 to take advantage of the emerging market in LED technology. They have been at the forefront of unique applications for LED technology and advanced LED lighting systems.   They are able to maintain their high quality due to manufacturing and assembling their own products.  They also have their own design and engineering team to meet future customer demands.  LED Smart currently holds many US, Canada and International patents for their LED technology. In 2006, LED Smart first introduced the LED lighting tube style of products that are used in many industries today.  The company has earned a great reputation for the ability to design and manufacture high quality, long lasting LED products.

Their most sought after product is the highly robust HTL light bar.  The HTL light bar used for expeditionary shelters, flexible tent and medical tent applications. The two designed ends are designed to be hung via straps or fixed hooks.  These tube lights are IP 67 waterproof rated and rugged enough to take a tactical beating.  They are also designed to save precious power in any operational or medical shelter environment. LED Smart HTL Light bars last 5 times longer than standard florescent tubes. The HTL light bar has an end to end design that allows you to string the light tubes together to meet all your tent lighting needs.

LED Smart became an approved vendor to the US Navy in January 2017.  The FLZ family of tubular shipboard tubes have been built to rigorous standards of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) for use with all ships in the US Navy.  Quantico Tactical and LED Smart were able to set a new standard of price, quality and delivery.  The FLZ tubes saved nearly $14 million to the US Government in 2017.  LED Smart products are a dramatic improvement over the competition producing first-generation LED lights.  The FLZ is lighter, brighter, more durable and lasts longer than any competing light.  The Quantico Tactical/LED Smart team was able to cut the delivery time to the Navy fleet from competitors at 90+ days to only 10 days or less with Quantico Tactical and LED Smart.

LED Smart has products on 185+ US Navy ships since 2017.  Each year a new product has been approved by NAVSEA for use throughout the fleet.  Several new products are in the approval process.  LED Smart products are found on the most advanced warships in the world.

 

 

Quantico Tactical has the best pricing available for these high quality LED lighting tubes.  If you want more specific information about any products, pricing or availability please email us.

Rapid Network Implementation

If there is one thing this pandemic has driven home is that communications capacity planning for an emergency is better done before the need hits.  It’s also better if that plan is exercised periodically to remind ourselves of all the myriad details our information technology and cybersecurity personnel deal with every day to keep us securely connected.  The news feeds are full of the Herculean efforts by major telecommunications companies, software and collaboration services companies, DOD and Federal Agencies, and small businesses to figure out how to turn themselves into nearly 100% teleworking organizations.  Then there are the hospitals and DOD Defense Support to Civil Authorities support missions that suddenly find the need to extend networks to external locations to provide point of care solutions to those locations.  Notwithstanding the growing pains, bandwidth throttling, cybersecurity issues, and successful hacks, like all networks, after some time to “burn in,” things are working.  Now is the time for the IT, Cyber, and Comm folks to grab their operations officers and logistics officers, get a cup of coffee, gather around virtual conference table and write the after action reports.  These should become the lessons learned and the critical purchases/current year deficiency priorities.  What could have been done, done better, or not done at all, to make rapid network expansion easier and secure?  What did your organization need to buy, lease, or subscribe to rapidly to get operational quickly?  Would you choose different solutions now?  Here are some solutions to consider:

 

4G Mobile Broadband Kits (MBKs) were a clear winner for the rapid response deployed capability for COVID response.  Major telecommunications and cellular providers made it easy to get them by adding the MBKs to a subscriber’s bill and delivering them to their customers.  These MBKs are configurable, but generally come in hardened, hand-carry Pelican cases, have configurable firewall, Virtual Private Network and other network capabilities; have 2 GB LAN/WAN port, are battery powered for 4-8 hours, and provide WiFi access for 1-50 users.  These MBKs are widely used throughout US Government Agencies, Military, and Law Enforcement particularly during disaster response.  4K Solutions is the leading provider of MBKs and their products are listed on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s approved products list.

 

RIVA Network’s NanoSat mobile phone network kit is another option and one that will work in areas where there is no public infrastructure to tie into.  RIVA Network’s NanoSat not only comes with the cellular and satellite transmitters, network, battery-backup, and deployable case like the MBKs, RIVA Networks is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) with a Network Operations Center connected to the Global Roaming Alliance.  They can route calls and traffic from anywhere to one’s phone.  One can keep the same phone number no matter where deployed in the world.  It works with all commercial satellite systems, and the cell sites are available in GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G LTE and WiMax.  It is a complete mobile solution for all mobile devices anywhere one needs to be.

 

If satellite access is the driving factor, Viasat’s AN/TSC-241 Multi-Mission Terminal (MMT), while a larger, but still transportable, solution, delivers IP-based voice, video, and data networks over X-, Ku-, commercial Ka-, and military Ka- bands, including operation with Viasat’s high-capacity network.  A simple change of the feed arm allows allows the terminal to access the specific satellite band.   Combined with a something like PacStar’s 400 Series or Smart Gateway capabilities to implement the IP network or wireless network and one can have a command operations center up and running within 30 minutes (preconfigured, of course, ahead of time).

 

The options available for communications and connectivity are vast beyond these three examples and the decision is an important one.  A number of factors, other than costs, should go into the decision of what an organization buys/leases to be ready for an emergency. I learned these planning factors as ‘DOTMLPF’:  Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, Personnel, and Facilities.  Without getting into full details of a DOTMLPF planning process, it provides a mechanism to think through other employment considerations, including costs, and it is a process I would advise all to apply to any significant purchase or procurement to ensure that the solution meets requirements.  At Quantico Tactical, we work with thousands of great vendors with products that can fit your needs, including those previously discussed.  We can help you find solutions that will best fit your organization’s ability to employ it.

Holster Retention Levels And Your Safety

There is a lot of concern in the Law Enforcement community for the safety of law enforcement officers. In 2019 146 officers were killed in the line of duty.  Three died from assault and 50 by gunfire.   Most agencies recognize the need for helping officers keep their weapons from falling into the wrong hands

 

Currently, there are no government requirements and no industry standards for rating holster retention levels as there are for body armor protection. Companies are free to develop their own protocols for testing and ratings. As such, retention levels are not directly comparable across the industry, and things can quickly become confusing.

 

In the early 1970s, Bill Rogers, former FBI agent and founder of the Rogers Holster Company, studied and tested all of the existing duty holsters to see which designs were effective.  Bill developed a system based on a series of simple tests that could be conducted in the field by the end user. Today these have evolved. Below are Safarilands test retention requirements for duty holsters.  These are used because they are in writing and have been around for a long time.

 

Security ratings used by Bill Rogers and then Safariland after buying Rogers Holster Company, are performed using a suitable duty belt.  As such concealment holsters and tactical holsters were and are not rated.  Tactical holsters are generally attached to the body using nylon or Velcro.   Concealment holsters are attached to the body using numerous kinds of pant belts or just inserted into a pair of pants by some.  It does not matter what security rating a holster has if it is not secured to the officer’s body.

 

Below is the Rogers / Safariland testing method used to rate levels of security for their products.

 

The Test Retention Level I™

 

The Holster Retention Test is described as applying all the force to the grip or handle of the weapon by an individual while the weapon is totally secured in the holster and mounted on a suitable belt being worn by another individual.  The test is to simulate a “grab and snatch” initiated by an adversary.  The direction of force is unlimited but the duration of the force is limited to 5 seconds.  At the end of the 5 seconds, the weapon must still be secure in the holster and the holster must still be attached to the operator.  The operator must be able to accomplish a draw after the attack within the times set as a standard by the controlling department or within two seconds if no standard exists.  If the holster passes this initial test, it qualifies as a Level I Retention™ Security Holster. The Holster Retention Test described above is referred to as the “Test”, but over the years, it has become synonymous with “Level l test”

 

Level II Retention ™

 

Before a holster can be considered for a Level II rating, it must first past the Holster Retention Test. After passing the Test, the primary lock must be disabled and the same Retention Test is repeated. In order to test the holster for a Level II rating, the primary securing device must be determined.  The primary securing device is defined as the lock that requires the first action by the user in order to start the drawing sequence.  This initial action is an individual and deliberate action by the user to start the unlocking of any securing mechanism.  The holster is tested with the initial lock disabled.  It does not have to pass the complete test.  If the holster exhibits the ability to further secure the weapon in a meaningful way after the primary lock is disengaged then it qualifies as a Retention Level II™ security holster.  If after disabling the initial lock, the holster can again completely pass the Holster Retention Test, then it is clearly is rated as a Level II and may qualify for additional levels of security.

 

Level III Retention ™ and additional levels

 

A Level I holster that has completely passed a second Holster Retention Test, with the primary lock disabled, is clearly rated at a Level II.  It can be further tested for additional levels of security.  To determine a further rating, the second motion or action required by the user to continue the drawing sequence must be simulated.  As in the example described in the Level II rating of the secondary lock would be in the final unlocked position before the Retention Test is performed.  The holster does not have to pass the complete test.  If the holster exhibits the ability to secure the weapon in a meaningful way after the secondary lock is disabled, then it qualifies as a Level III Retention™ security holster.  Of course if the holster passes a complete Retention Test with the second lock disabled, it can be tested for further security levels by continuing to disable additional locks and conducting the same tests as outlined above.

 

So, if you’re shopping for a Security / duty holster — as an individual, a supervisor or buyer, you need to go beyond the sales pitch and fully understanding how the security features work. You need to ask questions about the specific tests that a manufacturer uses to rate their products. Until the NIJ and or the industry unite around a single standard, it’s not enough to assume that all rating denotes a comparable level of security between the different manufactures.   Many departments are using pull testers to test the strength of the holster and the mounting brackets of different holsters.

 

Every year Officers are still killed in the United States with their own weapons, duty holsters need to be secure but still easy functional under all levels of stress.  All Duty Holsters can be defeated if the attacker knows how they function.  The only way a manufacturer can produce a duty holster that cannot be defeated with today’s technology is to weld the pistol into a metal holster.  If the officer can get it out a suspect can get it out.   Everything on a duty belt is a tool that can be used by and for the officer to do their jobs.   Tools are great but Defensive tactics and training is still a necessity.

 

Thank you for your service and be safe out there!

Quantico Tactical As A Resource

“How’s everybody doing”? “Stay healthy”! It’s how we open and close every conversation. Gone are the days when we wish people to stay safe and wait for them to come back to base. We know you put yourself on the line to complete the mission. We all knew there was always the possibility of a silent enemy like this. But now it’s here and we’re expected to be socially distant to confront the enemy. It’s not what we typically train for. It’s not our day-to-day.

At Quantico Tactical we pride ourselves on helping you prepare for every mission. It’s typically gear like helmets, weapon lights, portable power units, antennas, routers and various other personal or weapon accessories. Now we need to make sure we have all the proper medical tools at our disposal. We have been working with companies night and day to line these tools up. Not just getting brand names on our page, but actually working with the companies to verify the products. We work with these companies daily to check inventories and process orders. But like every order, we will confirm your order with the manufacturer before we process it. We need to be sure that we can deliver what we promise to deliver.

Quantico Tactical started as a small business outlet that provided high quality gear at great prices. Since those early days we have grown to over 50 employees and service the Department of Defense, federal law enforcement agencies, fire and emergency services, state and local law enforcement as well as business to business.

Even though we have grown so much over the last 16 years we believe that we need to be an industry leader in distributing the products our customers need to have. Today we are rated as a DLA Gold Superior Supplier and one of the largest contractors with the Tailored Logistics Support Program.

As an industry leader, we have sourced the products you need. We talk directly with the manufacturers and have an open, award winning complete purchase cycle. Join us by calling to discuss your wants and needs, COVID 19 related or not. We have the best products for the best people.

Stay safe and healthy.