STRIKE-HOLD - the international military and tactical blog

The FN SCAR reaches final milestone

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Strike-Hold Source: FN HerstalFN has received notification from the USSOCOM Program Executive Office-SOF Warrior (PEO-SW) that the SCAR Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) was approved and signed on April 14, 2010. This decision authorizes the production and deployment of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Combat Assault Rifle...

Russian special forces storm oil tanker and free hostages

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Strike-Hold Sources:  Associated Press and Ria NovostiRussian special forces rappelled onto a disabled oil tanker taken over by Somali pirates and freed 23 Russian sailors early Thursday, the commander of the EU Naval Force said. Ten pirates were arrested and one was killed.The raid...

Making Sense of Digital Camouflage

Much has already been written about the improvements and benefits offered by digital patterns over traditional or “analogue” patterns. Besides the enhanced disruption and dithering effects offered by digital (especially pixelated) patterns, the ability to use sophisticated graphics software and pattern-generating algorithms also means that patterns can be created and...

Afghan Air Corps airlifts Commandos into the fight

By MC2 David Quillen, USNNATO Training Mission-AfghanistanThe Afghan National Army Air Corps transported Afghan commandos into Logar Province for an air assault mission against insurgents in the largest air assault mission yet into the outer regions of Kabul on April 2.The assault was a joint effort between an Air Corps...

Kitanica PNT X.A – The Ultimate Tactical Trousers?

I had quite honestly begun to feel a bit hum-drum about developments in the tactical clothing market lately.  I was really beginning to think that maybe there was no room for further innovation, that maybe Crye Precision had changed the game and wiped out the competition with their designs.  Apart...

Bulldog Equipment to Enter Commercial Market

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Strike-Hold Venom Industries is the sister company of Bulldog Equipment, and has been specifically set up to address the needs of the commercial and private security markets.  Venom say that they take pride in producing world-class products with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturer’s defects.  All Venom...

Multi-Terrain Pattern camouflage on the BBC

BBC1’s “The ONE Show” on Wednesday, 17 March 2010 featured a segment at the end of the show about the British Army’s new Multi-Terrain Pattern camouflage clothing. Note: the clothing featured in the show were the prototype garments produced in the current Soldier 2000 style, not the style of clothing that...

The Glock with the stock and the stock with the Glock

It seems that the notion of sticking a stock on a pistol is an idea that just won’t go away.  First there were the simple detachable wooden stocks that got stuck on to Borchardt C-93s, Mauser C-96s, Luger P-08s, and Browning Hi-Powers in the latter part of the 19th century and first...

Airsoft Soldier Issue 5 – and beyond

Posted on 16/02/2010 by Strikehold Issue 5 of Airsoft Soldier is now out! 2010, the Chinese “Year of the Tiger”, is also shaping up to be an great year for the magazine:First up, we’ve shifted our printing operations to the UK!  Subscribers in the UK will already be noticing the immediate difference this has...

Sneak Peak: New Optifade Concealment Pattern From Gore and Sitka Gear

Posted on 13/02/2010 by Strikehold Although its not military camouflage, the latest variation of the Optifade Concealment camo from Gore is still interesting.  Its called “Big Game-Forest” and is designed primarily for hunting from tree stands.The jacket shown above from Sitka is called the “Incinerator” and is due out this summer.Thanks to...