Electro-Hydraulic Tactical Breaching

In the early 2000s, Israel faced terror attacks daily; suicide terrorists murdered hundreds of Israeli civilians by exploding buses and bombing restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs.

 

The Israeli Defense Forces faced the challenge of eliminating terror cells in highly crowded urban areas mixed with uninvolved civilians. Israeli Special Forces quickly realized that the classic doctrine of targeting terrorists was ineffective. And the threat to the soldiers on the peripheral of a building was too high.

 

Initially, the team used explosives for breaching.  But quickly, this technique exploited its weaknesses. Variations in buildings and entry points made planning difficult and required the team to carry multiple explosive charges.  Planning with the proper explosives was hard to design effectively.  Heavy metal doors with numerous security bars were prevalent, and the lack of quality intelligence on the doors specifically led to the use of overweight charges.  The resulting explosion often harmed any uninvolved people inside the target facility and reduced the operator’s visibility due to dust and particles flying in the compound.

Additionally, when the charge exploded, the team location was exposed. The terrorists would start fighting inside the compound and utilize nearby buildings for an ambush, making extraction more difficult.

 

A new tactic was needed, better breaching teams and better breaching technology was required.  New breaching technology would allow the better use of the element of surprise.  The solution was the creation of a quiet set of hydraulic breaching tools. Quiet breaching into terrorist compounds permitted the operators to gain entry and use their houses to cover the periphery threat.

With these new hydraulic tools, you could breach reinforced doors.  And with no explosive, you could maintain the element of surprise, and not injure any uninvolved civilians. Hydraulic tools were effective; however, they suffered from significant weaknesses as well. The devices were from different worlds of operations, often from firefighters and emergency rescue. They were extremely heavy and bulky and not designed for tactical missions. Each item needed to be carried with the hands, thereby diminishing the lethality of the operator.  Also, the tools were special purpose and could not be changed as the situation changed.

 

In 2006, one breaching team of the Israeli Special Forces took the hydraulic tools to the next evolution.  They worked with SAN Hitech Ltd, SAN, a privately held defense engineering company. The engineering team with SAN utilized invaluable operational inputs to create an entire suite of door-breaching options within one backpack. The electro-hydraulic pump with a brushless motor and flexible oil reservoir is mounted inside a purpose-built backpack and weighs less than 20lbs.  The system generates 9,000 psi, which creates 6.2 tons of lifting force and 23 tons of cutting force.  The whole system is very discreet at only 60 decibels. The system has been MIL-STD 810F and CE certified.

 

The SAN breaching system has now been in operational deployment for over ten years.  In that time, SAN has become the market leader in electro-hydraulic tactical breaching tools.  SAN continues to push the boundaries of tactical breaching to create the right solution according to the dynamic operational reality with full collaboration with its customers.

 

FOR BREACHERS BY BREACHERS.

 

Sanitizing in a Time of a Pandemic

What has the pandemic taught us? That our enemy is ever-evolving. We are witnessing the impact of a fast-spreading socially infectious pathogen.  And your tactical gear is a breeding ground for those potential pathogens.

 

Global Ozone Innovations has been working to find ways to defeat pathogens, such as Coronavirus.  They teamed with hospital groups, FDA, and NASA; and participated in an independent study by Georgia Tech to improve the Coronavirus sanitation method.  Global Ozone Innovations created the Decon Zone Sanitizing System as a vehicle for pathogen control. And now that control is at the fingertips of our front line responders.

 

Global Ozone Innovations created the Decon Zone Sanitizing System to regulate your disinfectant program. Utilizing the Decon Zone Sanitizing System, your application and disinfectant program can be reliable, accountable, and repeatable. Since time and concentration are the critical elements for disinfection, you need your system to be dependable. And if a new pathogen strain is discovered and requires additional time to achieve the proper kill percentage, you need to be capable of modifying the program. The Decon Zone Sanitizing System is reliable and adjustable.

The Decon Zone Sanitizing System has evolved to put all these parameters at your fingertips. You are now in control of the critical elements, controlling both disinfectant concentration and time of application. If you need to increase the amount of pathogen kill rate, you can change at the controls.  Additionally, the Decon Zone system lets you know when maintenance is required.  The maintenance program helps the system achieve maximum performance for reliability, repeatability, and accountability.

 

Items sanitized in the Decon Zone Sanitizing System cover a broad range of personal protective equipment such as body armor, face masks, goggles, shoes, scuba gear, pillows, blankets, sleeping bags, riot gear, PAPR suits, gas masks, sports, boxing, and combative equipment.  Even medical equipment, such as stethoscopes, lab coats, knee & elbow braces, portable stretchers, backboards, and other first responder equipment. If it can’t go in the laundry, run it through the Decon Zone unit. It is made for all PPE to mitigate cross-contamination from these lethal pathogens.

 

Decon Zone is designed to defeat these pathogens, such as Covid-19, but can also meet the requirements of future pathogens. Decon Zone will help you achieve the level of protection your unit deserves.

Lightweight Ballistic Helmets

Sometimes simple questions yield simple answers.

 

What’s the biggest difference between the Team Wendy EXFIL® Ballistic and EXFIL® Ballistic SL?

 

Answer: weight.

 

 

It’s a testament to science and engineering. Take an already-light system – the original EXFIL® Ballistic weighs 2.6 lbs. – and transform it into a “super light” system with all of the safety standards intact. The EXFIL® Ballistic SL, weighing 2.2 lbs., is among the most comfortable and sturdy combat helmets ever worn by military or law enforcement.

 

Tactical teams quickly embraced the EXFIL® Ballistic SL. Some include:

  • United States Air Force Security Forces
  • South Australia Police
  • Queensland (Australia) Police Service – SERT
  • Alaska State Troopers
  • S. Drug Enforcement Administration
  • S. State Department
  • S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
  • S. Customs and Border Protection
  • S. Secret Service
  • S. Marshals Service
  • Orange County, CA Sheriff’s Department
  • LAPD SWAT
  • LASD SEB

 

The original EXFIL® Ballistic helmet, which debuted in 2014, shares a number of qualities with its offspring. The coverage area is the same and they come in the same sizes. They’re available in the same colors. The V50 test results are the same and they both meet the ACH blunt impact standard.

 

The weight difference pays off when you mount accessories to the helmet. Night vision devices could weigh as much as the helmet itself. Mandibles, communications systems and face shields all carry weights ranging from a little less than half a pound up to two pounds or more.

 

It adds up. The weight of a helmet plus accessories worn for hours at a time can lead to hot spots or neck fatigue. The lightest possible helmet – one with weight evenly distributed throughout as accomplished by Team Wendy’s renowned CAM FIT™ Retention System – must be an option for men and women who depend on serious head protection while running mission-critical accessories.

 

When it comes to the difference between these two comfortable helmets, it all comes down to weight. You’re protected either way.

High Speed Gear® Offers Peerless Versatility and Reliability

If you’re new to the tactical space, you may not be familiar with the company that revolutionized the magazine pouch game, otherwise, you’ve surely heard of High Speed Gear® or seen its distinct and popular range of battle-proven tactical gear™.

 

HSGI® blazed the trail with the first true one-size-fits-all magazine pouch, the TACO®, which fits most rifle-caliber magazines and even non-mag items like smoke grenades or handheld radios. A version of this pouch, the X2R TACO®, a double rifle mag pouch, performed so well throughout evaluations that the Marine Corps selected as their new standard-issue mag pouch. The number one deciding factor in its selection was Marine preference.

 

But it’s not just HSGI’s® huge variety of different TACOs® for everything from mags to stun guns, HSGI® is also incredibly popular for its medical pouches, rigger belts, war belts and more. This 100% American-made brand also stands behind its workmanship with a lifetime warranty for all its products.

 

 

The TACO®

 

This unique pouch is constructed from injection-molded polymer brackets, heavy-duty nylon, and shock cord lacing to both expand and lock just about any magazine in place.

 

• Securely holds most rifle magazines

• Magazines deploy easily and silently on demand

• Also fits certain radios, flashbangs, smoke grenades and more

• Strip of loop fastener sewn inside for additional contact and grip

 

 

The ReFlex™ IFAK

 

The ReFlex™ IFAK was developed with direct input from active-duty medical personnel. The ReFlex™ is a two-piece system, med roll and carrier, that is designed to carry organized medical supplies with ambidextrous accessibility. The system, constructed primarily with heavy-duty nylon laminate, allows rapid deployment of medical supplies. This system was designed around the medical supplies included in the U.S. Army-issued IFAK. The ReFlex™ Carrier and ReFlex™ Med Roll can be purchased together or separately.

 

• Features HANK™ (High Abrasion-Resistant Neoprene Kevlar® composite) grab handles for long-term durability

• Can mount vertically or horizontally on belts 1.5 “-2.25”, and horizontally on MOLLE

• Intentional organization features put all supplies in easy reach

• Carry handle and shock cord loops allow the roll to be attached to a patient, or hung from an I.V. rack

• Gloves can be accessed via side slots with or without removing the roll from the carrier

• “Mini” MOLLE allows for a precise fit on belts as narrow as 1.5” or two-row MOLLE panels

• Features loop panels on med roll and carrier for label patches (Medical Cross Patch included)

 

 

 

The Kydex® Tourniquet TACO®

 

The Kydex® Tourniquet TACO® is designed to retain windlass tourniquets on a belt, rig, or bag using the unique properties of Kydex®. Comp-Tac® uses airline-grade Kydex®, which has a smooth inside finish, is resistant to sweat and solvents, and provides a material that won’t damage the tourniquet, or the platform it’s attached to. Combining Comp-Tac’s® Kydex® manufacturing capabilities with HSGI’s® versatile TACO® design provides users the best of both worlds in manufacturing and use.

 

• 100% aircraft-grade Kydex® body gives a smooth finish for easy insertion and draw (.080 thickness)

• Unique shock cord design allows for the use of most windlass-style tourniquets, such as C-A-T®, SOF®TT, SOF®TT Wide, and SAM XT tourniquets, in one pouch

• Kydex® does not hold water and won’t add weight from rain, humidity or sweat

• TACO® hole pattern allows for stacking two pouches in the space of one

• Designed to match the look of the HSGI® Polymer TACOs® and Kydex® Handcuff TACO® for a seamless look on the belt

• Can be mounted to belts up to 2” or MOLLE with included two HSGI® Universal Clips

• Includes separate red medical cross decal

 

This product is member tested and recommended by the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA).

 

 

Duty Triple Pistol TACO®

 

Our Duty line of TACOs® functions the same as the originals, but feature sleeker fronts and hidden bungee, which is woven internally. This triple pouch will hold most pistol caliber magazines, small flashlights, pocket knives, multitools, and more.

 

• Mounts to both MOLLE and belts up to 2” with our new HSGI® Universal Clips

• Proprietary heavy-duty nylon laminate, shock cord, and polymer brackets provide versatility in size and adjustable retention

• Tapered, protruding brackets enable quick and easy indexing and reinsertion of items or magazines

 

 

Operator Belt (COBRA® IDR 1.75”)

 

The Operator Belt is a low-profile shooter’s belt designed to work with both MOLLE and belt-mounted gear. This two-belt system is overbuilt, like all HSGI® gear, to outlast the competition.

 

• Built with two layers of military-grade Type 13 nylon webbing

• Sewn together with five rows of lock-stitched, bonded 138 nylon thread

• Proprietary construction process provides additional rigidity and stiffness

• Features an additional layer of 1.5” webbing to form industry-standard columns of MOLLE for use with MOLLE pouches and holsters

• Double-needle binding along upper and lower edges of 1.5” webbing for added durability

• Includes your choice of HSGI® Inner Belt or Micro Grip Belt Panel to mate with the Operator’s interior hook fastener

• Two-belt setup enables the easy donning and removal of a belt

• Features patented COBRA® integrated D-ring buckle with matte black finish

 

 

Laser Sure-Grip® Padded Belt – Slotted

 

This new version is of our modular padded belt system is constructed with a laser-cut, proprietary heavy-duty nylon laminate. This belt’s slotted design allows inner belts to be woven under and over the MOLLE panels, making it compatible with both MOLLE and belt-mounted pouches and holsters. Our proprietary neoprene padding adds comfort while offering excellent grip and performance. The rear features an extra row of laser-cut MOLLE for larger pouches and additional comfort.

 

• Neoprene padding provides a “gel-like” comfort and unsurpassed grip

• Additional row of laser-cut MOLLE on wide back panel for comfort and larger pouches

• Individual laser-cut MOLLE panels allow the innerbelt to be woven inside or outside of the MOLLE to satisfy user needs for MOLLE mounting or belt mounting holsters and other accessories

• Assembled with an HDPE stiffener for added stability

CineMassive Expeditionary Visualization Systems

Having served in a variety of staffs, from the squadron to a Marine Force component as an S6/G6, there were few technology solutions more difficult to fully utilize than video teleconference systems (VTCs) and the video wall displays in both garrison and tactical conference rooms.  Video walls and their remote control systems had never been standardized, so the variations I experienced were vast, but the problems were similar:

  • Unfamiliar and/or difficult to operate user interface
  • Screens that flicker or do not work reliably
  • Poorly documented systems with little or no user guide help
  • Countless other network gremlins that show up at only the most important meetings

 

Inevitably there was always an issue that just made the video wall not work unless a special contractor with magic fairy dust made it suddenly work.  Given their expense, video walls were not easily replaced without proper budget planning.  They were also heavy, delicate, and not expeditionary – even the video walls we put into bulky, often homemade, embarkation cases, and deployed anyway.  CineMassive would have answered my prayers back then, so they may be the answer to your prayers now if you’re struggling with an outdated, difficult to operate, or even broken video wall.

 

CineMassive’s video wall offerings are impressive and they offer full-service support for them.  For brevity, I will only focus on their expeditionary and tactical visualization systems although they have solutions that support fixed rooms as well.  The heart of their expeditionary capability is their Alpha FX Stryke or Alpha FX Stryke SR processors.

 

The Alpha FX Stryke processor is rugged (no moving parts, MIL-STD-810G certification pending), man-portable (fits in a backpack and weighs 12 lbs), will work on battery backup if needed, and can support four 4K HDMI inputs and outputs.  Pre-loaded with the CineNet control software, it’s intuitive to set up varying screen layouts that the user, or command center, or commander’s conference room support, can easily understand and configure without calling for technical assistance.

 

The Alpha FX Stryke SR processor is semi-rugged, weighs 5 lbs. (fits in a backpack), and supports four 4K HDMI inputs and outputs. The Alpha FX Stryke SR is equipped with CineNet control software.

 

The Alpha FX Stryke and Alpha FX Stryke SR will work with any display (or projector). As an additional option, CineMassive has two kits that provide a ruggedized carrying case and a 2 X 2 industrial-grade 4K LCD video wall display (that’s four 22-inch LCD displays with 1920X1080 resolution).

If you need a larger video wall and you don’t have to hand carry it all in, you can opt for the Scalable Mobile Display (SMD) option.  This turn-key video wall system comes packed in rugged transport cases, requires no tools to put together, and includes the Alpha FX video wall processor, 10-inch touch screen with CineNet software, CineView LCD displays, mounting frame, all cables, and connectors.  The SMD option comes in 2 X 2, 4 X 2, or 6 X 2 display configurations with standard 12 video capture ports (can go up to 28).  Those video capture ports are where the various PCs/laptops, TV tuners, and VTC codecs plug in to be displayed simultaneously.  The COC can be up in minutes.

As easy as the SMD is to set up, configure, and operate, I would still recommend getting their onsite training package and GuardianCare 24/7 support.  CineMassive will support training OCONUS and will provide both remote and on-site support via GuardianCare.

 

It’s everything I needed, but just did not have, for an expeditionary video wall.